Thursday 3 November 2016

Spotting a Scammer: Fraud Protection

Scams have evolved as scammers have become more and more sophisticated with their means of tricking people into giving up money and information. With the advancement of technology, scammers have adapted and changed the way they operate. Nowadays, almost everyone, everywhere is a potential target. But there are ways for people to defend the things they hold dear.

Image source: localtextmarketers.com

First off, people should be aware of the basic types of scams and how they are pulled off. For example, texts received on mobile phones announcing that a person has won certain prizes should be examined with great caution and scrutiny. Most of the time, the senders will ask for personal information such as credit card numbers to “confirm” the winner’s identity. The same applies to internet websites that ask for a person’s details.

With that in mind, people should always keep their personal info locked and secured. They should never share any important, personal details and numbers over the telephone or the internet. The only time this can be done is if the person him or herself knows the party he or she intends to share his or her personal information with.

In line with information security, passwords and PIN codes need to be changed every six months. ATM and credit card receipts should always be kept, and when throwing them away, it is best to shred them. These little pieces of paper are as important as any documents people have.

Image source: knowzy.com

Michael J. Donohue is a criminal defense lawyer based in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He handles a wide scope of lawsuits, including fraud cases. Learn more about Atty. Donohue’s legal practice here.