(D-Chapman)
Like most other people, I’ve always dreamed of winning the lottery. Several times over, I’ve planned out what I’d do with the money — paying my grandson’s way through college, making charitable contributions in our area, and of course, splurging here and there on the finer things. For a moment, it’s exciting to get a letter or an e-mail saying that there’s money for me, and all I have to do is provide some information. I don’t even have to buy a lottery ticket. But it’s important to remember that no matter how legitimate the correspondence looks, if you didn’t ask for it, the letter or e-mail could be a scam.
These scam artists are getting trickier, and statewide, there have been warnings about mail and Internet scams that are rapidly increasing in number and effectiveness. E-mails and letters with checks promise refunds and cash or warn about service suspension in elaborate attempts to trick people into providing personal information. E-mails are marked “urgent,” checks look legitimate, and scammers even target customers with spoofed logos to get passwords, account numbers, and other information that could lead to identity theft and empty bank accounts.
Houlton police recently warned County residents to be wary of a check scam going on in our area. People have been receiving checks in the mail which, when cashed, provide enough information for a scammer to follow up with a phone call. During the call, the scammer will state that bank account numbers must be verified in order for the money to be disbursed. There has also been a scam in which people are promised a second check if they will provide account numbers and passwords so their money can be deposited. It seems so easy.
But police all the way down in Kittery last month warned about two e-mail phishing scams that use the IRS and AOL as fronts to get people to provide bank account and Social Security numbers, passwords, and other personal information. In these e-mails, people are promised an additional refund if they click a link for the IRS. It’s even easier than cashing a check.
In the AOL scam, people are threatened with suspension of service if they do not contact AOL right away, via a provided link. Upon calling or clicking the link, people are prompted to provide passwords and account numbers. With the threat of suspension of service or the promise of additional refunds, people are all too quick to hand over their information.
According to police, whether they responded to a check in the mail or an e-mail link, people who have provided their information have had their bank accounts wiped out.
E-mail scams are becoming more targeted, using bank names and logos that look legitimate, but the Web site nophishing.org says “no legitimate business or government agency will ever ask for personal information via e-mail or phone unless you initiate contact.” If you do receive an e-mail that looks like it is from your bank, look for items that would indicate lack of authenticity such as misspellings and links that redirect you to odd sites.
The Kittery police noted, for example, that one e-mail had information spelled ‘informetion.’ Antiphishing.org, the Anti-Phishing Working Group, suggests the following: do not click links in e-mails, do not fill out forms embedded in e-mails, keep your Web browser’s security preferences up to date, and check your on-line accounts regularly to ensure no one has tampered with them.
As I read yet another news article about yet another scam, I realized that my colleagues and I have been asking you to provide us with information and fill out forms because you may be eligible for a sizeable refund through the Property Tax and Rent Refund Program. Let me assure you that the Property Tax and Rent Refund Program is real, and that the only thing we will ask for is your name and address so we can send out applications. We will not ask for your bank account or Social Security numbers, and if you call me you’ll get my answering machine or you will hear my voice. You will not have to enter any account numbers and you will not have to put in any PINs. I point these details out because, when it comes to Internet, mail, and phone scams, paying attention to the details will make all the difference.
According to experts, the best way to protect yourself against these scams is to be suspicious and educated. Especially during the busy holiday season when you are being inundated with Web deals, Internet coupons, and mail ads, it is important to know how to separate the good from the bad.
If you are directed to a site via a link in an e-mail, nophishing.org suggests that you copy and past the link provided or type the Web address into the Web browser yourself. If the provided link is part of a phishing scam, it will have an alternate site mbedded in it taking you to a spoofed and dangerous page.
If you receive a check, phone call, or e-mail that seems like a scam, report it immediately. Local police, anti-phishing and anti-scam Web sites, financial institutions, and the government, both state and federal, all provide methods for reporting scams as well as an archive of past scams, so you can compare the e-mail you received to scams that have been reported. Alerting your financial institution that their name is being used in a phishing scam will allow them to take action against the scam and warn other customers.
If you suspect that you have been hooked by a phishing scam, phishinginfo.org says “act immediately.” Contact your financial institution and other companies where you have accounts, particularly for the account that may have been compromised by the scam. Also, contact credit reporting agencies to put a “fraud alert” on your files. If you find that you are a victim, the Maine Attorney General’s office urges that you report the theft to the local police, and file a complaint with the Attorney General at (800) 436-2131. By taking these steps, you can mitigate potential damage to your credit history and identity.
Like many of you, I am busy and distracted this time of year, so I’m not looking at e-mails closely. I sure don’t have time to have my internet service suspended. And who couldn’t use a little extra cash? Preying on our needs, and growing ever more clever in their design, internet and mail scams are hitting us hard.
I encourage you stay alert and take the steps necessary to help prevent these crimes. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me at home at 764-1490 or by e-mail at psutherland@sutherlandweston.com (no passwords or account numbers necessary).
