We have been alerted by Northwest Neighbors Village of a recent email scam that has been occurring. Here is an example of one such scam email:
Jane's REAL email address is janehsmith@verizon.net, but it’s very easy to overlook this small change.
Fake gmail accounts - It appears scammers are creating fake gmail accounts that look eerily similar to a real email address. If you or someone you know is a victim to this scam, please visit the following web site to report fraudulent Gmail accounts - https://support.google.com/mail/contact/abuse.
Here are a few other tips to steer clear from being scammed, recommended by AARP:
If you are ever even slightly suspicious of an email or text you receive from a friend, listen to your intuition and immediately reach out to that person on a known email address or, preferably, a phone number to make sure they really sent you the message. Many times these emails will involve your "friend" saying they need a favor.
Change your email address passwords every time you turn the clocks back.
Use unique passwords for different accounts. If you are using the same password for your email and your Netflix account and your bank account and your DC Water account and then one of those gets hacked... the hackers can then get into ALL of your accounts.
Place a post-it over the camera on your computer so if the hackers get in they can't see you on the camera.
To learn more about protecting yourself from scams, attend Waterfront Village's event on Monday:
AARP Senior Planet Seminar: Protecting your Personal Information Online
Monday, March 1 and Wednesday, March 3 at 1:30 pm
PART 1: The AARP Senior Planet team will cover the ins and outs of how to protect your personal information online. We’ll cover tips for staying safe in cyberspace, like safe browsing, how to recognize online scams, and when it’s OK — or not — to share your personal information online.
(March 1 at 1:30 pm)
Part 2: The Village Technology Team will follow the AARP presentation to answer any follow-up questions you may have and give you practical advice on how to put in place the safeguards that AARP says you should have. We will tell you how to get protection without breaking your bank.
(March 3 at 3:00 pm)
Hosted by Waterfront Village. Register here.
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