Summer of scams” is not how we want the 2014 season to be remembered, but if consumers don’t get wise to the many ways out there that people will employ to part them and their money, it will be.
The most recent scams to plague this area are the phone calls from phony IRS officials, who make calls threatening jail time and loss of property if the answerer doesn’t pay their “delinquent taxes,” according to the regional Better Business Bureau’s Paula Fleming.
The BBB was also recently warning New England residents of E-ZPass scam emails, which claim the receiver has unpaid tolls. Fleming said in a recent statement that the emails carry viruses that can expose the recipient to identity theft.
Although the emails use the E-ZPass colors and logo, they are scams, and recipients should not click on any links within the emails.
Unfortunately, in this age of the Internet, scams will grow more and more sophisticated; that is why it is paramount that consumers stay abreast of these scams, and when presented with such a call or email to hang up or delete the email, and look up the company or government entity in the phone book to check up on the claims from an official source.
The majority of banks, creditors and government agencies say nowadays that they don’t solicit personal information ”“ account numbers or Social Security numbers ”“ or even payment over the phone. And if you’re suspicious about such a “phishing” email or call, there is probably good reason to be.
The phone book will have phone numbers for state and municipal agencies, which can also be found online ”“ but should only be obtained through official websites. Using the proper number, rather than one left on your answering machine or voicemail, will ensure you reach the legitimate agency or company that may have been trying to contact you.
If you find out your bank or the area district court didn’t try to call you, you will likely save your money, your identity and your time. Doing a little extra legwork to find out if a call or an email is a scam could make a major difference in your future. Identity theft and money lost through a scam can be difficult to track and prosecute, and people often lose their money and may have to spend years cleaning up a mess that someone else created.
Although the summer is nearly over, scams are far from ending, and the BBB is warning consumers, once again, to look out for back-to-school shopping scams, as this period is the second largest spending season of the year, when an estimated $75 billion will be spent.
The BBB is warning consumers to be particularly wary of back-to-school scams that target smartphone and social media users. Ads or links found on social media sites that offer large monetary gift cards for filling out surveys or entering contests could be scams, and will lead a user from their social media page to malicious sites that will download malware to devices ”“ of which smartphones are not exempt. Scammers also send text messages claiming to be brand name stores asking consumers to claim a free gift card by texting their personal information, which the BBB says are “smishing” scams that lead to identity theft.
For information on the most recent scams and tips on how to protect yourself, go to the BBB’s website at www.bbb.org/boston.
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Today’s editorial was written by City Editor Robyn Burnham Rousseau on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski by calling 282-1535, ext. 322, or via email at kristenm@journaltribune.com.
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