National Cyber Security Awareness Month

  October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, which is a national campaign that promotes awareness of cyber crime and fraud. This year's campaign is, "Cyber Security. Make It a Habit". The goal is to encourage consumers to protect their information on computers with the same diligence they protect their home and car. The National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) will be working throughout the month to increase the public's knowledge of cyber crime through activities and educational events. You can visit their website at http://staysafeonline.or g. Remember, we can stop fraudsters from victimizing people by spreading information about their actions and techniques.

 

Fakechecks.org
 

There is a new website that wants to raise the public's awareness about financial scams and fraud. It is fakechecks.org, and it is has a ton of information including real life examples, fraud tests, and videos about the most common scams. The website is user friendly and even includes interviews with victims of fraud. This is a great way to gain more knowledge about the scams that are taking place every day all across America, including fake check scams, lottery fraud and fake postal money orders. Even if you think you know enough about this subject, it is worth taking a tour of the site.

 

Fake Caller ID Scam
 
 

We already know that scammers can send emails with links to fake websites that appear to be from reputable establishments, such as banks and other financial institutions. But now, the con artists have developed a new technique: Fake Caller ID numbers. You receive a phone call one evening and the Caller ID tells you the caller's name and number. In this scam, the name that appears might be that of a bank or credit card company. The caller poses as a representative of the company, and asks you for personal information. Because you saw the Caller ID information, you are convinced the call is legitimate. But, it's a scam. In order to avoid this type of fraud, here are a few tips:

• NEVER give out your personal information over the phone to an unsolicited caller. Many companies have a policy that they will never call you and ask for information, but if you contact them you may be required to give it.
• If you must give out personal information over the phone, be sure of who you are talking to. Call back the main number of the bank or company instead of giving the information to someone who calls you.
•  Be aware that the information appearing on your Caller ID may not be real, and that it is relatively easy to fake.