Photo: Storyblocks
If you get a call from someone who says they’re from your bank, and that they need some account or personal info for them to resolve a computer problem, what would you do?
It may sound like a scam anyone would be able to catch, but actually, people in Utah are surprisingly statistically more susceptible to being scammed. So what can you do? Former SLC police chief Chris Burbank tells us how to handle calls, texts, and emails that may not be legitimate.
Gotten an email from a Nigerian Prince promising you money and thought, “I knew I was special!” Well, Here’s James Veitch’s response:
The most common types of scams happen through email these days. So much so that the majority of the population has received at least one of these. These can be anything from emails designed to collect (Phish) your personal information, or just get you to submit a money transaction. The best thing you can do to protect yourself is to not open emails that don’t look familiar. Just delete them.
One of the most common scams you might experience on your phone is someone trying to say that they are the IRS or your bank, or any number of other organizations. While the IRS scam is pretty easy to pinpoint since they don’t make phone calls unless you’ve contacted them first, some may not be that simple to spot. If you do happen to answer the call, and someone is asking for information, don’t give them anything. Don’t even admit it’s you if they have your name. And if they have left you a message, don’t call them back unless you know for sure who it is. It’s better to look up the number for the organization and call them back directly.
Slightly less common, but still as problematic is someone trying to scam you through text messages. It’s similar to phone calls here. If you don’t recognize the number, or if the text doesn’t make much sense, don’t respond.
