Same Old Scams--with a New Twist...Don't Be Fooled!

Senior Fraud Specialist Shawn Dyer, from Montecito Bank & Trust, reports that several scams are still rampant. 1. Most recenty, people are getting emails from a scammer pretending to be from Norton Lifelock, telling you that your account has been compromised. Of course, when you email them back, or call the number in the email, they'll try to get the banking information they need to hack into your accounts. While most recently the scammers are saying they're from Norton, they could say they're from any company. Don't fall for it! 2. Business Email Compromise: A scammer pretends to be a business that is expecting a payment from a vendor. They contact the vendor and tell them that the payment method or bank account information has changed. (The scammer often contacts the vendor through an email thread making the scam less likely to be detected.) The vendor sends the money directly to the new account the scammer gave them and large sums of money are lost. Unfortunately, this scam is often discovered weeks later when the business asks the vendor why their payment hasnt' been received. 3. People are still having their mail stolen and checks are washed and made out to someone else. Don't use your own mailbox or blue bins to mail checks. Take them into the post office instead! At the end of the episode, Vicki shares some good news! A money mule was convicted of taking advantage of seniors with the computer tech scam.