No more credit card offers in the mail: Visit optoutprescreen.com to stop financial junk mail you later have to shred. Choose to opt out for five years or forever. Opting out permanently? You’ll have to use snail mail, but it’s worth it. Print, sign and mail a confirmation form. I did it.
Government-related scams never end - Here are 2 new ones to watch for
Scammers often spoof retailers or tech companies like Amazon and Microsoft to trick you out of your money. But now and again, cybercriminals pretend to be government officials or agencies. Tap or click here for another phony IRS email that is making the rounds.
The latest version of an impersonation scam is victims supposedly receiving correspondence from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). It’s become such a problem that the SEC has issued a warning detailing the dangers of the fraud.
And as the holiday season is underway, several traveling scams have also seen a resurgence. Read on for how to travel safely this holiday and not fall victim to scams.
Here’s the backstory
In many cases, potential victims receive phone calls, voicemails, emails or even snail mail claiming to be from the SEC about unauthorized or suspicious transactions with their checking or crypto accounts.
These scams usually try to get the victims to hand over valuable information to verify their accounts or cancel suspicious transactions.
How to handle an SEC impersonation scam
In its warning to the public, the SEC confirmed that it would never initiate unsolicited communications, including phone calls or emails asking for payment related to enforcement actions, offering to confirm trades or asking for personal and financial information.
The SEC warns everyone to be skeptical if someone contacts you claiming to be from the agency. The scammers could ask for your account numbers, PIN codes, passwords or other sensitive information that may be used to access your financial accounts.
Never give out this information to someone claiming to be from the SEC until you verify the person works for the SEC. Here’s how to verify you’re speaking to someone from the SEC:
Use the SEC’s personnel locator at (202) 551-6000 to reach the staff member directly and ask the person if the communication was from them. Or call (800) SEC-0330 or email help@SEC.gov to check if the communication is from the SEC.
If you think you’ve been contacted by someone impersonating the SEC, submit a complaint at www.sec.gov/oig to the SEC’s Office of Inspector General.
Get pictures of your USPS mail before it's delivered
Snail mail is famous for being inferior to email. Now, the speed gap will grow even further, thanks to a plan from Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. In order to cut costs, the U.S. Postal Service’s three-day delivery for first-class mail will now take around five days.
How to spot 10 common election scams
The 2020 election is less than a month away. With millions of people voting, it’s a perfect opportunity for thieves to trick people and take their money.
How are crooks targeting victims? Phone and email scams are the most common tactics. But this year, they’re also leveraging social media to spread disinformation. Tap or click here to see why so many voters want social media shut down during the election.
Advertisers are following you home with targeted junk mail
If you find those targeted ads that are following you around online creepy, it’s time to take matters into your own hands. One way to do this is by changing settings on sites that are known for tracking.
Need help figuring out how to do this? No worries, we’ve got you covered. Tap or click here for 6 ways to stop advertisers from following you online.