Scam Awareness Reminder for Club Members
We want to share a quick reminder to stay alert to financial scams. The FTC estimates Americans lose over $7.1 billion each year to fraud, and scams continue to evolve. Please remember to be cautious of unsolicited calls, texts, or emails, especially requests for payment by gift cards or electronic funds.
Over the past many years, our group has been exposed to a variety of attempts. You could receive an email from "Yates" using an address like commodore @live .com saying there's some project that needs funding and there's no time for other options. Don't send them money! I regularly receive emails, in my junk folder, from many people in our club. Practically anyone who ever listed their email or name in an event or mainsheet article from our old website system. They commonly spoof the person's name, but have a bogus email and a subject like "Re: Pics" or "Re: Meeting Confirmation" with a link included which is certainly malicious. Sandboxing these links on your phone is an option. Try opening them in a private tab or in a tab group you wouldn't otherwise use.
Caller ID has been faked for over twenty years, yet it persists ...because it works. If unsure, hang up and call back using a trusted number. Email addresses can also appear faked if only reading the alias. Always look at the actual sender's address if in question. The domain should match the sender's website, although some use a variation. If someone emails or texts an odd request, ask for a call. If they start with a call, call them back on their main office number.
Don’t feel rushed. Slow down and talk with someone you trust before sharing personal information or money. Avoid depositing checks and sending money back—fake paper checks are common. Banks can even accept them, the full value can clear, then the bank can detect the problem weeks after you've already spent the money. Then the bank will assess you a ~$35 charge for their troubles. I found this out the hard way!
Current common scams include tech support fraud, love scams, parking tickets scams, and even one saying someone you know is in jail and you need to pay bail. The perpetrator may even have specific details on the person or if acting like a bank, they may have some of your actual banking details. Whatsapp, GroupMe, and Messenger are not immune to these issues. When shopping online from unknown sources, if paying electronically with a service like PayPal. Don't choose "friends and family" if you don't know them. This will prevent recovery of these funds if the deal turns sour.
Keep your technology secure with long passwords and two-step verification. Experts recommend at least four separate email addresses to compartmentalize our online existence. One for personal contacts, one for work, one for shopping, and one for financials. Use an email alias if possible. Some services like GMail will allow a plus or dot to be added into your address without any change to your current settings. This can help mask your actual address and allow easy filtering.
Now for some good news! When paying by credit card, they all have fraud protection. Although debit cards do not. If you lose your physical card, just lock it, it's freakishly easy and fast.
Most mobile phone carriers now use an application like AT&T's "Active Armor" which greatly reduces the spam calls and texts which make their way to your handset. Download it to your mobile phone and if needed, get 611 to help you set it to restrict all spam.
Also, our new club website standards are working. Club officers are using addresses designed to be passed along to the next person occupying that role and appear more professional. Plus, keeping our personal addresses off the website is good for everyone. Just don't be surprised if you email to an address@gmsc.org and receive a reply from a different account like@gmail or @outlook address.
If ever in doubt, call me! I'm happy to help prevent issues anytime. Look me up in the member directory!
You can stay informed by subscribing to free alerts at ftc.gov/scams
Stay safe and keep it breezy!
-Yates
Commodore@GMSC.org