Our own Sheila speaks about her experience with the current PIN fraud scam going around.
Many accounts nowadays require a one-time PIN. If someone calls you and asks you to read a one-time PIN you just received, this a sign that the call may be a scam.
Here an example of how this works:
- You will get a call informing you that there are fraudulent purchases on your account for something that is being shipped to you.
- The caller asks you to give him the one-time PIN to authorize the company to stop the purchase or keep your account open. (This one-time PIN is needed for the scammer to complete the order.)
- The caller explains that the company will send someone to your home to retrieve the items or offers a shipping label to “return” the items to the company. (However, the address is really one the scammers can access.)
Take these steps to better protect yourself against fraud:
- Malware Protection: Protect your information at the very beginning. Keep your anti-virus and malware protection software current and updated. This will prevent scammers from getting any information in the first place.
- Use Two-Factor Authentication: Utilize extra security protections including passcodes and two-factor authetication. These extra layers of protection help you control access to your accounts.
- Do Not Share a PIN: Companies will not call and ask for your PIN. Do not share any passcodes, passwords, or pins with anyone.
If you think a caller is trying to scam you, hang up. If you get a suspicious email or text, do not reply.
For more information
If you want to take more steps to secure your information, contact your carrier about their scam prevention and privacy guidelines.
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