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Stay Safe from Holiday Scams Nov 12, 2024 | posted by Lily Chavez #scams #fraud #holidays #onlineshopping #security Stay Safe from Holiday Scams The holiday season brings more online shopping, making it a prime time for scammers. Here's how to protect yourself: Watch Out for Fake Websites and Apps Scammers often create fake websites and apps that look like trusted retailers. These sites steal your payment... Full Article
Holiday Shopping Safety Tips Nov 6, 2024 | posted by Conner Williams #scams #fraud #holidays #online shopping #education Black Friday and Cyber Monday are right around the corner, with many deals already active. We wanted to share some safety tips for holiday shopping this season. Consider using a credit card when making purchases if you can, especially with online shopping. Credit cards offer more security... Full Article
Only Scammers Ask You to Pay for Services with a Gift Card Oct 21, 2024 | posted by Conner Williams #education #scams #fraud Has anyone asked you to pay a bill or a fine with a gift card? If this seems unusual, it's because it's a scam. No real business or government agency will ever tell you that you need to pay with a gift card. Generally, these sorts of scams begin with a phone call, text message, email, or social... Full Article
Student Loan Forgiveness Scam Sep 25, 2024 | posted by Lily Chavez #education #scams #ftc-article #fraud As back-to-school season begins, those with federal loans may have received a legitimate email from Education Secretary Miguel Cardona about loan forgiveness. However, it's important to be cautious, as not all such emails are genuine.   Only three official email addresses are... Full Article
FTC Scam Awareness: Five Ways to Keep Scammers and Hackers Away By By Alvaro Puig, Consumer Education Specialist Sep 25, 2024 | posted by Conner Williams #education #scams #ftc-article #fraud Courtesy of the Federal Trade Commission's Consumer Education Blog  We’re living in the data age. The things we do on our phones and computers, on our internet-enabled smart devices, and on websites leave a trail of our activities and our personal information. That personal information has... Full Article
Security Tip: Enable Multi-Factor Authentication for Account Logins Sep 19, 2024 | posted by Conner Williams #education #scams Keeping your personal information safe in today's connected world has never been more important. Generally, the most important security step you can take is to create strong passwords. But with the dozens or hundreds of online accounts that we all utilize, from banking to streaming services to... Full Article
FTC Scam Awareness: Why It's Not Rude to Ignore "Hi, How Are You?" Text Messages from Strangers From the Federal Trade Commission Consumer Protection Blog By Gema de las Heras, FTC Consumer Education Specialist Jun 6, 2024 | posted by Conner Williams #scams #security #education #ftc-article A text message from an unknown number that simply says: hi, how are you? seems harmless. Your first instinct might be to respond to see if it’s someone you know. Or maybe tell them they made a mistake. But it’s best to ignore these type of text messages. Scammers are using this tactic as a... Full Article
Tech Term of the Month - May 2024: .exe May 16, 2024 | posted by Conner Williams #scams #security #education #technology Have you ever received an email with file type .exe attached to it and wondered what is was? Or maybe you've downloaded an app or program to your computer that ran a .exe file to initiate the download and setup? Like a .jpg, .png, .mp4, .mp3, or .doc, .exe is a naming extension that denotes a... Full Article
Scam Email Claims to be from 'BCT E-Mail Support' May 7, 2024 | posted by Conner Williams #scams #security #education We have received multiple calls and emails from members inquiring about a suspicious email message they received claiming to be from 'BCT E-Mail Support.' THIS IS A SCAM. Do not open the attachment or click on any links. It is also good practice to mark the message as Spam or Phishing Attempt in... Full Article
BCT "Final Notice" Email Scam Alert Apr 5, 2024 | posted by Erica Meyer #scams #security Many BCT members have reported receiving an email like the one below recently. This is a scam and NOT from BCT. DO NOT CLICK on the provided link. Delete the email. These are bad actors trying to phish your personal information. How can you tell? Look at the highlights below: 1. Return email... Full Article
Watch Out for this Text Message Scam Targeting BCT Members Mar 26, 2024 | posted by Conner Williams #scams #security Our Member Services Team has been notified of a new text scam going around pretending to be from BCT. In this scam, the message threatens that the recipient’s services will be turned off if they do not click a link to update their expired payment information. This is a scam. BCT does not send... Full Article
The IRS Doesn't Send Tax Refunds by Email or Text From the Federal Trade Commission Consumer Protection Blog By Larissa Bungo, Senior Attorney Feb 20, 2024 | posted by Conner Williams #scams #security #ftc-article Got an email or text message about a tax refund? It’s a scam. IRS impersonators are at it again. This time, the scammers are sending messages about your “tax refund” or “tax refund e-statement.” It might look legit, but it’s an email or text fake, trying to trick you into clicking on links so... Full Article
How Are Robocallers Getting Your Phone Number? From the Federal Trade Commission Consumer Protection Blog By Andrew Rayo, Consumer Education Specialist Jan 18, 2024 | posted by Conner Williams #scams #security #ftc-article Does it ever feel like you’re getting more robocalls than calls from actual humans? Illegal robocalls aren’t just annoying — they’re also often scams. But you might be wondering — how did they get my number in the first place? Sometimes robocalls are random. But sometimes, a company tries to... Full Article
Stay Up To Date On The Latest Scams! Jan 2, 2024 | posted by Jason Nugent #scams #security #tips Grandparents Scam You receive a call or text message from someone impersonating a grandchild or loved one asking for money to help with an emergency and providing instructions on where to send the money. These... Full Article
Tech Term of the Month - December 2023: Vishing Dec 14, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #security #education #technology #scams Vishing , short for 'voice phishing' is the fradulent practice of making phone calls or leaving voice messages pretending to be from legitimate companies or organizations intended to get people to reveal personal information. Vishing is similar to phishing, which is when scammers attempt to get... Full Article
Scammers Hide Harmful Links in QR Codes to Steal Your Information From the Federal Trade Commission Consumer Protection Blog By Alvaro Puig Consumer Education Specialist Dec 6, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #tips #security #scams QR codes seem to be everywhere. You may have scanned one to see the menu at a restaurant or pay for public parking. And you may have used one on your phone to get into a concert or sporting event, or to board a flight. There are countless other ways to use them, which explains their popularity.... Full Article
Think twice before taking that social media quiz Oct 16, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #security #scams #tips #education Your childhood pet’s name, your mother’s maiden name, your first car. Why would a random social media quiz about which Harry Potter character you’d most relate to need to know these things? Well, there’s a chance it’s a scam.  These types of topics are all common account security questions... Full Article
Watch out for package delivery confirmation scams this holiday season Sep 27, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #security #scams #tips As the holidays approach and more folks order items for delivery, scams like the one in the image above tend to increase. The sender pretends to be a company reaching out to confirm or schedule the delivery of a package.  These kinds of messages almost always have a button or link that they... Full Article
Scammers impersonate well-known companies, recruit for fake jobs on LinkedIn and other job platforms From the Federal Trade Commission Consumer Protection Blog By Larissa Bungo, Senior Attorney, Federal Trade Commission Aug 16, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #education #security #scams Scammers are lurking on LinkedIn and other job sites, posing as “recruiters” for well-known companies. But instead of looking to hire you, they’re really looking to take your money and personal information. It starts with a direct message on a job search site like Indeed or LinkedIn. The... Full Article
Watch out for automatic account renewal scams Jul 20, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #education #security #scams Have you received an email or text message that looks like the image above? In this scam email that was sent to a BCT team member, the sender is posing as Norton, a company that offers anti-virus software. An invoice has been included in the email that details a subscription to "Norton 360... Full Article
Scammers Are Impersonating Best Buy’s Geek Squad: Here’s What You Need to Know By Office of the Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum Jun 19, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #education #security #scams Don't fall for these phony Geek Squad invoices and customer service numbers. Consumers and small business owners are being targeted by a scam that involves fraudulent invoices and customer service numbers posing as Best Buy’s Geek Squad. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum is urging... Full Article
Watch Out for Gift Card Scams May 18, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #education #security #scams Scammers continue to evolve their methods in the hopes of getting people to fall for their schemes, and sometimes they can be hard to spot. But one telltale sign of a scam is when someone asks you to pay for a service or help with a gift card. They might say to put money on a certain kind of... Full Article
Watch Out for "Account Suspended" Scams Feb 15, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #education #tips #security #scams A new favorite tactic of scammers is to try and convince you that one of your accounts has been suspended and that you need to take action to regain access or lift the suspension. The image above is from an email recently received by a BCT staff member that says, in rather poor grammar, their... Full Article
'Tis the season to spot and avoid gift card scams By By Kira Krown, Federal Trade Commission Consumer Education Specialist Dec 12, 2022 | posted by Conner Williams #scams #tips #ftc-article #security #education Article courtesy of the  Federal Trade Commission Consumer Advice blog Looking for a New Year’s resolution? Here’s one for you: Keep your hard-earned money safe from scammers by spotting and avoiding gift card scams. Then help others spot and avoid them, too. Scammers want you to pay with gift... Full Article
Amazon "Prime Account Report" Email Scam Alert Oct 18, 2022 | posted by Conner Williams #news #security #scams #email ❗ Amazon scam alert ❗ The holidays are approaching, and folks are making more purchases online. Scammers take this opportunity to do what they do: try to trick you into giving up your money or personal information. Be on the lookout for scam emails from seemingly-reputable... Full Article
Don’t click on that random text. It’s a scam By Gema de las Heras, Federal Trade Commission Aug 16, 2022 | posted by Conner Williams #scams #news #tips #ftc-article #security Sorry to burst your bubble. That unexpected text from the Postal Service (USPS), Costco, or The Home Depot telling you about an unclaimed package or a survey you can complete to claim a freebie is NOT from them. It’s a scam. The FTC has seen a spike in reports from people getting text messages... Full Article
Watch out for emails from scammers posing as computer software company, McAfee. They’re fakes! By Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum Jul 26, 2022 | posted by Conner Williams #scams #technology #news Have you received an email with the subject line "Thank you for your purchase!" that looks like it came from McAfee, a computer security software company? The email claims your account has been “re-approved” and your credit or debit card was charged hundreds of dollars. At the very end of the... Full Article
SCAM ALERT: Watch out for robocalls asking for personal info Jun 1, 2022 | posted by Conner Williams #scams #news #robocalls The BCT Tech Support Team has received several calls from members reporting that they had been called by robocall scammers posing as Amazon. Be on the lookout for calls like these - their goal is to get you to give up your personal or banking information. It's important to remember to never... Full Article
Not enough baby formula means plenty of scammers FTC Consumer Information By Colleen Tressler May 19, 2022 | posted by Jason Nugent #ftc-article #scams Scammers exploiting the high demand for baby formula have sunk to new lows. They’re popping up online and tricking desperate parents and caregivers into paying steep prices for formula that never arrives. Scammers may set up fake websites or profiles on social media platforms with... Full Article
Shutting down tech support scams FTC Consumer Information By Andrew Rayo May 16, 2022 | posted by Jason Nugent #ftc-article #scams With technology, it’s easier than ever to connect with others and people are just a click or call away. Nobody knows that better than scammers — who might try to contact you about a supposed virus or malware they’ve “found” on your device. So, during this Older Americans Month, remember —... Full Article
The Google Voice scam: How this verification code scam works and how to avoid it By Alvaro Puig Dec 29, 2021 | posted by Jason Nugent #ftc-article #scams It’s Cyber Security Awareness month, so the tricks scammers use to steal our personal information are on our minds. If there’s one constant among scammers, it’s that they’re always coming up with new schemes, like the Google Voice verification scam. Have you heard about it? Here’s how it works.... Full Article
’Tis the season for student loan scam calls By Emily Wu Dec 15, 2021 | posted by Jason Nugent #scams #ftc-article If you have a federal student loan, you probably already know that the Coronavirus emergency relief program that has paused your payments is ending. Repayments will begin again after January 31, 2022. Scammers know it, too, and are looking for ways to take advantage: they’re calling, texting,... Full Article
Child Tax Credit scammers are still reaching out By Emily Wu Dec 8, 2021 | posted by Jason Nugent #scams #ftc-article Many people have gotten their advance Child Tax Credit payments this year, but scammers are taking advantage of this new program to try to trick you out of money or information. They’re pretending to be the IRS, contacting people by phone, text, email, and social media — and sending people to... Full Article
The Google Voice scam How this verification code scam works and how to avoid it By Alvaro Puig Nov 2, 2021 | posted by Jason Nugent #scams #ftc-article It’s Cyber Security Awareness month, so the tricks scammers use to steal our personal information are on our minds. If there’s one constant among scammers, it’s that they’re always coming up with new schemes, like the Google Voice verification scam. Have you heard about it? Here’s how it works.... Full Article
Spot the pandemic scam: emergency broadband program impersonators By Carly Johnson Oct 28, 2021 | posted by Conner Williams #scams Have you seen ads on social media that offer to “help” you sign up for a government program that will give you a “free” device and internet service in exchange for money or personal information? While there is a real government program to help people connect during the pandemic, there’s no... Full Article
Amazon impersonators: what you need to know By Maria Mayo Oct 28, 2021 | posted by Conner Williams #scams Has Amazon contacted you to confirm a recent purchase you didn’t make or to tell you that your account has been hacked? According to the FTC’s new  Data Spotlight , since July 2020, about one in three people who have reported a business  impersonator scam  say the scammer... Full Article
Keeping older adults safe from scams By Bridget Small Oct 28, 2021 | posted by Conner Williams #scams As last week's annual report to Congress makes clear, the safety of older consumers in the marketplace is a priority for the FTC.  Protecting Older Consumers 2020 – 2021: A Report of the Federal Trade Commission  summarizes the agency’s ongoing law enforcement efforts, new research... Full Article
Watch out for charity scams By Rosario Méndez Oct 28, 2021 | posted by Conner Williams #scams Every year, charity regulators from around the word get together to raise awareness about charity fraud. The FTC joins this effort again this year because it’s so important to know how to spot a charity scam. The more you know, the less likely you’ll donate to a bogus charity. Better yet, you’ll... Full Article
'Suspicious Activity' Surge, As Scammers Impersonate Amazon Phone scammers claim to be from Amazon By Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press Jun 13, 2021 | posted by Conner Williams #scams Amazon scam calls have surged significantly over the past few months. Consumers are now regularly receiving anywhere between  100 million and 150 million  robocalls per month from fraudsters claiming to be with Amazon, according to YouMail, which has a robocall blocking app. ... Full Article
Hang up on auto warranty robocalls By Emily Wu May 20, 2021 | posted by Jason Nugent #scams #ftc-article #tip Have you gotten a recorded phone message from “Susie” with the “Vehicle Service Department” calling about your vehicle warranty? That’s, like, so retro. But fanny packs, scrunchies, and tie dye are back — and so are vehicle warranty robocalls. It starts when you pick up a call and hear a... Full Article
Stay Safe from Scammers. Visit the new BCT Scam Prevention Page May 20, 2021 | posted by Conner Williams #scams #tip #company information Have you ever received a text message or an email that looks or feels a little suspicious? Maybe it came from an odd email or number you don’t know, or there are several misspelled words throughout. And why does a prince halfway across the globe want to give you his $100 million inheritance... Full Article
Unwanted calls: Just block ’em and report ’em FTC Consumer Information May 13, 2021 | posted by Jason Nugent #scams #ftc-article Unwanted calls are annoying. They can feel like a constant interruption — and many are from scammers. Unfortunately, technology makes it easy for scammers to make millions of calls a day. So this week, as part of Older Americans Month, we’re talking about how to block unwanted calls — for... Full Article
When it’s Not Really the Government Calling Apr 20, 2021 | posted by Jason Nugent #scams #ftc-article Lots of people are having trouble sleeping, thanks to the pandemic and all the parts of our lives it’s affecting. And it doesn’t help when you get a call saying you owe the government money. Oh, and, they add, you’ll go to jail if you don’t pay up immediately. That’s a scam, and nothing to lose... Full Article
Fake Price Offers Don't Pay Apr 19, 2021 | posted by Jason Nugent #scams #ftc-article The pandemic has caused financial distress because of lost jobs, income, and homes, and emotional distress because of social isolation. This week, during National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), we want your help to reach people who might be a bit cut off from their social network. The FTC... Full Article
Fake Calls from Apple and Amazon Dec 4, 2020 | posted by Jason Nugent #scams #news We are receiving reports from members about fake calls from Apple and Amazon trying to scam them. The FTC has an article out describing these scams and providing information on what you should do. For the most part, just hang up and ignore, but view the article from the FTC here for more... Full Article
"Email Account" Scam Alert Dec 4, 2020 | posted by Jason Nugent #scams #email We are getting reports of members that are receiving email notifications from what looks like "BCT Support" that are fraudulent. The messages in general will say your "Email Account is near Capacity" or your "Inbox is full" and ask for your username, password or other personal information. BCT... Full Article
SCAM ALERT By Conner Williams Dec 4, 2019 | posted by Jason Nugent #scams While it may be the season of giving, some gifts can sound too good to be true. A BCT member alerted us of a text message scam in which the scammer(s) pose as Beaver Creek Telephone Company and ask users to complete a survey to win an iPhone 11. It claims to have randomly selected a user by... Full Article