How to avoid AI scams Part 2

Part 2: How to avoid AI scams as we enter into a world filled with it.

As we discussed in the last blog consumers losing $8.8 billion to fraud in 2022 and that number increasing every year, according to the Federal Trade Commission, we need to be more cautious. Here at Southern Cal Telecom, we are receiving more questions and want to do our due diligence in research to provide the answers. Here is what we have found – part 2:

How to spot them if they target you:

The way these scammers get you, is by making ALL things urgent. They want you to make them priority in the moment and hope that you panic and give them more trust in a moment of fear. No one that is calling to collect from you or take action cares personally about the outcome of your call and would not entice you to react irrationally. Remember that.

How to check you are on a legitimate call:

Ask them for a number to call them back when you are “more free.” This will usually prompt them to either hang up, or become defensive about you handling the manner immediately. If they do give you a phone number, do some research on the company that has called you yourself and see if that contact information lines up.

What to do once you are caught up in the scam:

Step one-do not be embarrassed, it is a learning curve for us all to figure out who is legit and who is not.  Take these steps to protect yourself for sure:

1. Lock down your important accounts- like your financial accounts. If you need to freeze your accounts, do that!
2. Change your passwords to important accounts or enable two-factor authentication
3. Place a fraud alert on your credit report on Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax to prevent anyone opening accounts in your name
4. Gather all evidence of the scam (their phone number, email addresses, etc.)
5. Contact the police to file a report if you have lost anything valuable
6. Report the scam to the FTC at Reportfraud.ftc.gov
7. Visit IdentityTheft.gov to find additional steps on how to protect yourself.