COLUMBIA, SC (WLTX) — Out of more than 700 scam reports given to the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs, Phishing scams enticing consumers to release personal information.
According to the SC DCA, in the six months since they launched an Identity Theft Unit, Phishing has been the most reported scam in South Carolina.
Phishing happens when unsuspecting consumers are duped into revealing personal information such as birth dates, social security numbers, and bank account numbers, many times by email or text message.
Often times, Phishing emails appear in every way to be from your own financial institution, claiming an account may have been compromised, or requesting confirmation of account or personal information, all to be completed by just following a link in the message.
The subsequent website that appears looks to be legitimate, but is in fact a Phishing site.
Other reports to SC Dep. of Consumer Affairs include complaints of Imposter Scams, where phone calls come from people posing as friends or family members, in dire need of financial assistance and requesting wire-transfer of funds, or posing as businesses frequented by the targeted consumers, offering a special over the phone that requires payment with credit or debit card immediately.
Many times consumers targeted by these phone calls are caught off-guard, and wind up giving information over the phone that could cost them financially. One consumer reported to the SC DCA that they lost more than $10,000 through a grandparent scam phone call, where the caller posed as her granddaughter.
Some steps you can follow to ensure you don’t fall victim to one of these scams:
In emails requesting verification of personal information of any kind, never follow links included. Instead, go to the website separately, and attempt to log into your accounts as you normally would. After you have logged into the website, dig down to locate their security information for reporting scam emails, and report the message you received.
Beware of scare tactics. Scammers will attempt to scare consumers with a time sensitive offer to avoid legal problems, or even threaten jail time. They try to push the consumer into making a panicked decision before they’re able to think things through. When in doubt, hang up and call the company or person they claim to be directly.
Whenever requests for money come along, whether by a claim of winning a sweepstakes or lottery, or by claiming to be a family member or close friend in dire straights, never provide a wire transfer or, even worse, credit or debit card information by phone. Instead, try requesting call-back information. Many times this simple request will work and scare off the would-be scammer. As soon as you hang up, try phoning the family member or close friend the caller claimed to be, or if unreachable, contact another family member who would know the current location and situation of the person that claimed to be on the phone.
If you believe you have fallen victim to a scammer, phishing attempt, or had your identity stolen, contact the SC DCA’s Identity Theft Unit by calling 800-922-1594, or by visiting www.consumer.sc.gov
.