Tips on how to protect yourself from fraud and scams

Fraud tends to always see a rise during downturns and crises. Unfortunately, the pandemic brought both creating a perfect storm scenario for fraud.

“Fraud schemes are on the rise and scammers are trying to capitalize on every aspect of our reality including utility scams, work from home scams and romance scams – just to name a few,” said Danielle Sugden, a part of Norry Bank’s risk and compliance team. “Anyone can become a victim of fraud and scammers are constantly coming up with new ways to try to take advantage of people,” she added.

Knowing how to spot a possible scam and how to prevent fraud can help keep you safe. Here are some tips from Norry Bank’s compliance team on what you can do to protect yourself and avoid a scam.

Block unwanted calls and text messages. If you receive a text message that you didn’t expect, or is from a number you don’t know, don’t click any link in the message and don’t reply back. If you receive a phone call from a number you don’t know, don’t answer it. If it’s important, they’ll leave a voicemail and you can call them back.

“Scammers use technology to their advantage. They may spoof the number to look like a local number. If you aren’t sure, don’t answer it,” added Danielle.

Don’t give out your personal or financial information. Legitimate organizations won’t call, email or text to ask you for personal information (such as your social security number, date of birth or mother’s maiden name).

Resist the urge to act immediately. Scammers create a sense of urgency and try to rush you into making a quick decision before you have time to look into it.

“If someone pressures you to give them your personal information, they are probably a scammer. They may also ask for payment through a money transfer app, wire transfer or reloadable cards or gift cards that are nearly impossible to reverse or track,” added Danielle.

If you ever find yourself questioning if something is a scam, please visit Norry Bank’s security center. You can also call us at 888.877.6623 or stop by one of our branches and talk to any of our staff.

“Stay alert and stay informed,” said Danielle. “Norry Bank takes your privacy very seriously and we’re committed to helping you protect your personal information.”