Spot Common Scams - Business

• How it happens:        
  • Fraudsters will get ahold of checks that you have written from stealing from mailboxes, at the post office or a residential mailbox, they then use chemicals to “wash” the check, removing the original payee name and dollar amount from the check. They will then write in new details and make copies of this check to attempt to steal money to benefit themselves
• How to prevent stolen checks/washed checks:
  • Use a non-erasable gel ink pen that is resistant to everyday solvents
  • Safeguard your mail-drop off mail directly to the post office
    • Some fraudsters will go as far as stealing post office box keys for the blue drop off boxes and P.O. boxes
  • Shred sensitive documents and old/unused checks
  • Opt for checks with security features on them
  • Watch for discrepancies with the dollar amount, check number, or payee name when a check clears your account
  • Sign up for Positive Pay 

• Signs of a fake invoice:
  • Verify the invoice has the correct contact information and contact the vendor from your own contact information to confirm the validity of the invoice
  •  Vague billing descriptions
  • Match the invoice to your order
  • Spelling and/or grammar mistakes
  • Check for changes in payment information – the scammer will give you different payment information than you have paid from in the past, for the same company
• Tips to avoid a fake invoice scam:
  • Do not pay an invoice that you were not expecting, call the vendor first from verified contact information
  • Train employees to spot signs of a fake invoice
  •  Review invoices carefully, check for grammar and spelling mistakes
  •  Check for differences in invoices

• Signs of a compromised email:
  • Unexpected requests for:
    • urgent payments
    • authorized user changes
    • payment information changes
    • bypassing normal procedures
  • Usual Grammar, writing styles, or spelling errors
  • Request or demand for confidentiality-the scammer does not want the rest of the company to know they have an email compromised
• Tips to avoid an email compromise:
  • Verify any changes with verified contact information or known contact information-never from the unusual email
  • Enable multi-factor authentication for email accounts- this reduces the risk of unauthorized access, even if an email and/or password was compromised
  • Keep security tools up to date
  • Use email encryption for sensitive information

• Signs of a tech support scam
  •  Might show up as an error or trust antivirus software in the browser
  •  Wants you to call a toll-free number, urges you that you need to call immediately, or you are at risk of losing all your personal data
  •  If you call, then they might want you to give them remote access, pretend to run a diagnostic test, tell you they have found a virus, or they might sell you repair services or a security subscription
  •  Then they will ask you to pay a fee – they will offer you things that are free elsewhere, fixing a problem that does not exist, installing malware, offer things that you already have, etc.
• What to do in a tech support scam
  •  Don’t click any links or call any phone numbers they give – they will try to get money from you
  •  Keep your security software up to date – know what it looks like, so you know what to look for

 Tell someone you trust about it – it will help you know if it is a scam or not 

• Signs of phishing scams:
  • Texts, emails, phone calls that seem like they are from your financial institutions, or federal government, etc. 
  •  They will ask you to click on this link – by clicking on this link they can install programs that can lock you out of your computer and allowing them to steal your personal information
  •  They might ask you for information like passwords or your bank account numbers
  •  They will rush you to give out information or click on the link – tell you that if you do not act fast, something bad will happen
• Tips to avoid phishing scams:
  •  Do some research first – look up the link, call the company they are posing as, but do not use the number that was sent in the email or text, talk to them about the message you got because they will be able to tell you if it is a scam or not
  •   Look for fraud tip offs- you might not have an account with the company, message is missing vital details or has grammar and spelling errors, might ask for personal info or passwords
  •  Protect yourself – keep your computer security up to date, use multi-factor authentication (a second step to verify who you are by a text with a code), change compromised passwords right away and do not use them for anything else