Spotting Imposters

Scammers work overtime to deceive you into thinking they are trusted entities such as your bank or even law enforcement. They know the value of your personal information. Take a second to protect yourself and avoid making their job easy.

Scammers often use fake phone numbers. The person on the other end of the line may not be who they say they are and attempt to trick consumers into sharing information.

Look carefully at emails, especially those including links to websites.
It’s common for scammers to use fake email addresses and website URLs that look very similar to the real thing (off by a letter or two, for example). Inspect carefully, hovering above links without clicking to see where they might be taking you. 

Ignore requests for information that could make you the victim of a scam. 
Businesses, especially financial institutions, will not send requests for information such as account balances, PIN numbers, passcodes or credentials, or your social security number. Stop. Hang up the phone. Call your bank using the phone number on your bank statement or the back of your debit card. 

If a caller asks you to make a payment, hang up.
A sure sign of a scam is when someone calls you asking you to send a payment somewhere, especially an electronic payment by wire or payment app. Never send money to someone you do not know. Hang up. Call the company directly and ask if the request is legitimate.

If you ever have a question or feel uneasy about a call or email that you receive, trust your instincts, and call a trusted partner such as your bank for advice to avoid falling victim to a fraudster.