July 2024
Does this email look familiar?
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Online Service Team
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It’s a scam and you’ve probably received one like it recently. It does not come from Fifth Third Bank, because when you hover over the “from” address, it changes from the spoofed address of FifthThirdBank@53.com to support@kilogistics.com.pk. The “pk” is Pakistan. The English prose betrays the hand of someone who doesn’t speak English well, and that’s a red flag, but these may be harder to spot in future if fraudsters have AI robots write their spam emails. Many people fall for these scams as they are becoming less sophomoric and more sophisticated. The FTC received complaints from people who lost a record $10 billion to scams last year. Since few fraud victims report their losses, the actual number is estimated at around $200 billion.
Yes, there are things you can do to avoid becoming a victim. Here are a few best practices:
If you receive an email or text that exhorts you to do something urgently to prevent a financial loss (payment you don’t recognize, etc.), take a minute. Look carefully for telltale signs of fraud. Where did it actually come from? Where are the links actually taking you? Most of the time you can send these messages to the spam bin after a quick check.
If the urgent message seems legitimate, call your bank. Don’t click the links. It’s worth the extra time to be safe.
If you are asked to pay by crypto, cash, gold, gift card, wire transfer, or a payment app like Zelle or Venmo, it’s probably a scam.
Beware of the most common scams:
A loved-one “in trouble” requesting money by one of the above methods
You won a prize but you need to pay a fee to collect it
There is a “problem with your account” and you need to transfer money to a new account
Don’t reuse your passwords. If one of them is stolen, scammers can try it on other sites.
Assume much of your personal information has already been compromised. So many large companies have been hacked that your information is probably out there on the dark web. Scammers may try to use this information to send you email that looks legitimate. It may include your address or social security number. Be suspicious.
Last but not least, we are always here to help. If you’re the slightest bit unsure, call us for a second opinion.
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