Even as we suddenly find ourselves living in a world of uncertainty, there's still so much to be thankful for. We may even be in a position to give back to the causes we care about through donations or volunteerism. Unfortunately, the desire to give back and help out during this time of need also creates an an opportunity for scammers to try to take advantage of our goodwill. The best way to protect yourself from becoming a victim is to arm yourself with knowledge.
So, we sat down with the experts on the Lake Trust Fraud Team to learn more about common scams. One old but true piece of advice they shared with us: If an opportunity sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. And remember, if you think that you’re the victim of a scam involving your Lake Trust account, call us immediately at 888.267.7200.
Check out five common fraud tactics and learn more about how to protect yourself from being scammed.
Online Loan Scams
Let’s say you need a little extra cash for an emergency car repair. Maybe you forgot about Lake Trust personal loans and you decide to apply for a loan from an online lending company. Good news, you’re approved! All you have to do is provide your Online Banking user ID and password so the lender can deposit the funds. Easy, right?
However, once you give out your information, the “loan company” deposits a counterfeit check through mobile deposit. Then they attempt to transfer the funds using Bill Pay or person-to-person transfer. A couple of days later, the check gets returned. Now you have a negative balance, a returned check fee, and a compromised Online Banking account.
Quick Tip: NEVER give out your Online Banking username or password. No legitimate company will ever ask for this sensitive information. If they do, it’s a scam and you should not continue corresponding with the company.
Microsoft/Tech Scams
It’s a Friday evening and to top off your hectic week, you just got a phone call from a Microsoft representative who said your computer has a virus. Great. The good news is that the representative said that he can get rid of the virus for you after you download an application that allows him to remote access your computer.
The bad news is that as soon as you download this application, you’re giving the scammer access to your computer. From there, he may trick you into clicking malicious pop-ups or attempt to gain access to your Online Banking account or other personal accounts.
Quick Tip: Microsoft does not cold call their users. If you receive an unsolicited call from someone who you believe is impersonating a Microsoft representative, hang up and report the incident at Microsoft.com/reportascam1. Learn more about common tech support scams on Microsoft’s website1 or on the Federal Trade Commission's website1.
Advance Fee Scams
This popular type of scam can come in many forms, but the most common ones that we see are associated with a work at home job offer or a recent item posted something for sale.
In the first scenario, let’s say you’ve just been hired for a work-from-home job. The company sends you a check so you can purchase equipment that you’ll need for your position. When you get the check, however, it’s much more than you were expecting. Weird. You contact the company and they apologize for the error. They tell you to go ahead and deposit the check and send the excess funds back to them. A few days later, the check is returned and your account is negative.
Let’s look at this scam from another (but very similar) angle. You post an item for sale online and an interested buyer sends you a check for an amount above the sale price. She instructs you to deposit the check and send the excess funds back to her. Should you do it?
Quick Tip: There is no scenario where it makes sense for someone to send you funds and instruct you to send a portion of it back to them. The scammer may even tell you that you can keep a little extra money for all of your troubles. Don’t deposit the check and don’t hand over the item that you’re selling. Learn more about this type of scam on the Michigan Attorney General's website1.
Gift Card Scams
The execution of these scams tends to vary but they end in a scammer insisting that you pay for something via gift card. Let’s look at two common scenarios.
In scenario one, you just accepted an offer to be a secret shopper and provide feedback about various stores. You get a check in the mail with instructions to keep a portion of the check as payment and then withdraw some of the funds (uh oh, see where this is going?). Then, you’re supposed to go to the stores to purchase gift cards.
After you buy the gift cards, you call the “employer”, share your feedback, and give them the gift card information over the phone. A few days later, the check is returned and you’re left with a negative balance while the scammer gets to enjoy a shopping trip on you.
In the second scenario, the scammer tries to play on your emotions. One day you receive a call from an individual who claims that you need to pay an outstanding debt. As you start to panic about a bill that you may have missed, the caller threatens jail time if you do not pay the debt with a gift card. You’re instructed to purchase gift cards from various stores, call back, and share the gift card numbers over the phone.
Quick Tip: Never deposit a check for more than the amount that you agreed upon with another individual. Especially if the check came with instructions to send part of the money back. Also, legitimate companies will never instruct you to use gift cards as payment. The Federal Trade Commission1 and Amazon1 are great resources to learn more about this type of scam.
Impersonation Scams
Scammers can “spoof” caller-IDs, so a phone call may not be coming from the number that shows up on your caller ID. These individuals may even have obtained some of your information through other scams. They might be persistent in trying to get more information from you, or to perform a particular action, with the goal of getting you to reveal personal or account-related information. They try to make it look like they are calling from a number you may recognize to gain your trust.
One scenario might be a scammer calling you from a number that appears to be Lake Trust. The scammer informs you that they work for Lake Trust’s fraud department and want to verify a suspicious transaction. They tell you that you will receive a text message and coerce you into replying 'Yes' to the message, or to reveal a code that will come to your phone. They are adamant that they are who they say they are because of the number they are calling from.
Quick Tip: If you are not sure if the person on the other end of the line is who they say they are, hang up. You can always call us at 888.267.7200 to verify if we actually called you. As a reminder, we will never contact you and ask for passwords, card PINs, account numbers, or to verify your card information (like card numbers or security codes). Do NOT share any security codes that are needed to log in to your online accounts.
Learn More Or Get Help
The Federal Trade Commission1 is a government agency dedicated to educating consumers and investigating questionable businesses. On their site, you can also file a complaint about a business, report ID theft, get a free credit report, and sign up for consumer alerts.
Remember that you can always contact us if you feel uncomfortable about a financial transaction. Don’t be embarrassed to call us if you want a second opinion or if you think you’ve been a victim of a scam. And if you receive a check that you’re unsure about, ask our Member Experience Associates what they think. We’re here to help you and keep your hard-earned money safe.