Common Traits of Scams

SCAMS. We all encounter them. There are all different types of scams that we come in contact on a weekly, and sometimes even daily basis. It could be anything from a random message on Facebook asking for money or a phishing attempt in your email. Not to mention the number of scams through phone calls and texts message.  Either way, they’re getting more sophisticated and increasing in volume.

There is some technology that you can put into place to help safeguard yourself and your business if you happen to fall for a scam. Having multi-factor authentication turned on for your accounts can help to deter a bad actor if you give up your credentials. Things like elevated endpoint protection and secure backups are also things to remember for your business. If someone gets lured by the right scam, it can cause major destruction to your organization and data. However, the most important thing you can do individually, is learn how to spot these scams.

It's important that people always be cautious of unfamiliar messages and phone calls. Getting into the mindset that you should thoroughly evaluate every attachment and link that is sent to you is key. Scams can not only come through email and phone calls, but through various social media platforms, websites, and texts. But how do we spot these scams? What do they generally look like? We’ve put together a short list of the most common traits that scams tend to have.

1. Sense of Urgency. We’ve all probably received a message that says there is a terrible consequence if you don’t respond promptly. Any type of immediate action needed is usually a sign that you need to take a closer look at the message.

2. The Message is Unexpected. If you get any sort of request that you’re not anticipating, proceed with caution. If the message says your boss is looking for you to perform a wire transfer, but you haven’t discussed anything regarding that, you should confirm that in person or over the phone.

3. The Message is Requesting Something Uncommon. If you get a request from your boss to purchase gift cards and that’s not something that’s normally done, it’s most likely a scam. If the request doesn’t seem like something normal for you or your company, make sure you check with the sender before moving forward.

4. The Request Could Be Harmful. Often you may receive a message that says if you don’t respond then you will be fined or there will be some other harmful consequences. Extreme threats are usually a sign that this message is in fact a scam.

If you ever have questions about a text or email, always make sure you speaker with the sender, your immediate supervisor or someone else that you trust in person or over the phone. Invicta Partners is here to help you and your small businesses when it comes to identifying scams. Reach out to us today to get the conversation started! Call us at 423-664-8700 or send us an email at sales@invictamsp.com!