September 24, 2025 • 31 mins
Carmen Million from the Better Business Bureau and Adrienne, a senior fraud investigator, join host Kim Chapman to discuss the alarming rise in financial scams powered by artificial intelligence and how to protect yourself.
• Scammers are using AI to create convincing fake business websites that target vulnerable consumers
• Phone spoofing has evolved to mimic not just financial institutions but actual customer phone numbers
• It's not just seniors being targeted - younger generations are increasingly falling victim to scams
• Red flags include urgent requests, offers too good to be true, and requests for personal information
• Fear, greed, and manufactured urgency are psychological tactics scammers use to bypass critical thinking
• Financial institutions offer tools like card locking, transaction alerts, and enhanced authentication
• If scammed, immediately contact your financial institution, file a police report, and report to BBB Scam Tracker
• Always verify communications by contacting institutions directly through official channels, not links or numbers in suspicious messages
• Trust your instincts - that uneasy feeling when something doesn't seem right is often correct
Visit BBB.org/scamtracker to report scams and see what scams are active in your area. Use neighborsfcu.org/financial-wellness for more resources on protecting your finances.
Have an idea for a show or a question for Kim? Send us a text message
Welcome to Money Matters, the podcast that focuses on how to use the money you have, make the money you need and save the money you want – brought to you by Neighbors Federal Credit Union.
The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to Money Matters, the podcast that
focuses on how to use the moneyyou have, make the money you
need and save the money you want.
Now here is your host, ms Kim.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Chapman, welcome to another edition of Money Matters
.
Have you ever heard the sayingsometimes you have to laugh to
keep from crying?
Well, these two ladies, that'sall we've been doing is laughing
this morning because,unfortunately, the subject that
we're going to talk about oftenmakes people cry, and that is
being a victim of scams andfrauds.
(00:33):
It is running rampant, but nowwe're going to put our serious
face on serious face, ladies,all right.
And so, with me, of course,returning our expert guru of
frauds and scams from the BetterBusiness Bureau, ms Carmen
Million Thank you, kim, forhaving me and, of course, our
own in-house senior fraudinvestigator, ms Adrienne
(00:56):
Incognito.
Speaker 4 (00:58):
Thank you, Kim, for having me again.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
So well, ladies?
Yes, definitely, we're having agood time, some good
conversation, but this is asubject that is really really
serious, and with technology andAI, it seems to become scarier
and scarier the more I readstories about individuals
becoming victims of fraud.
Even when I look at my ownstuff, it's like, oh my God, is
this real, is this not real?
(01:21):
What can you click on?
You know it's something that wehave to talk about, and so I
want to start with you, carmen,and just ask because I see you
all the time talking about it onthe local news stations what is
the latest, greatest scam thatyou're seeing this week, this
month?
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Well, first of all, ai is playing a big part in
these scams.
It can be a good tool if usedin the right way, but
unfortunately, scammers areusing it as well, and one of the
things that we're seeing whichI haven't even done very many
news releases on this is they'reactually taking stealing
information and pictures andwebsite pages from businesses
(02:01):
and they're trying to open uptheir own business by using the
other company's information.
For instance, there's a companycalled Rose Mobile Home Service
Rose Harvey Mobile Homes and Isay that because it's a scam
company and what they did wasthey set up a website for people
that can't afford their ownhome and can't really afford
(02:24):
rent anymore, and they set up awebsite to sell mobile homes at
a really good price.
And what they were doing isthey were saying we can move
these mobile homes anywhere inthe United States for $150.
And it's using the same tacticsthat have been done in years.
(02:45):
It's too good to be true.
Unfortunately, they'retargeting people who are one in
need, but two who can leastafford to lose those monies, and
we have had people that havelost thousands of dollars by
putting money down to hold oneof these mobile homes and, of
course, they never received themerchandise.
So AI is basically mimickinglegitimate businesses to scam
(03:06):
consumers, and not only andwe're finding it.
We're on our thirdinvestigation right now on
companies that are being spoofedin our area but targeted
targeting consumers all over theUnited States, and so people
need to know that when they goto the website or when they get
a notice or whatever, just usecommon sense.
(03:29):
If it sounds too good to betrue, it is.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
And Adrienne, in terms of financial institution,
is there anything in particularthat you see an uptick in in
terms of the types of scams orhow criminals are using AI?
Speaker 4 (03:44):
I'll say, like what you're saying, with AI we've
noticed that we've had a fewcases.
Let me say that a member willcall well, we think or thought
it was a member that called in.
It's kind of going inconjunction with the spoofing of
our credit union number andthey're actually spoofing our
(04:08):
member's number, calling in,trying to get well, providing
information as much as they know, and asking certain amount to
be transferred to another memberwho just happened to have
opened an account recently andtrying to get transfers done
from that account to anotheraccount and unfortunately we
(04:32):
took a loss.
It was $2,000, but it was justweird that you know, we were
aware of the spoofing with ournumber, but to have the actual
member's number spoofed was verydifferent and something we've
been looking at and making surewe and what the problem is with
(04:54):
that is what most people don'trealize is there's more than one
victim in the scam.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
The business is a victim, the consumer is a victim
and, of course, the scammer isnot even in the United States.
In most cases they're justreally savvy and now they're
going to the next level.
So people really have to bemore diligent when they're
dealing with anybody thatthey're not familiar with.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
So let's be even more transparent.
You've used that term, spoofing.
One of you maybe explain whatspoofing is for somebody that
may not realize what that termis.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
I would.
In simple terms, they'rebasically mimicking or copying
somebody's Facebook, theirinformation, and pretending that
they are that person.
They're impersonating anothercompany.
Are that person?
They're impersonating anothercompany.
They're impersonating anotherconsumer to try to gain access
(05:49):
to money accounts that sort ofthing.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
And one of the things that probably, maybe even
should have kicked off theepisode is to catch somebody's
attention.
It's not just the elderly andseniors anymore.
Talk to us a little bit aboutthe age groups that you're
seeing, even the professions.
I know, carmen and I talk aboutthis all the time that it's not
your seniors anymore that aregetting scammed, and often we
take for granted that it cannever happen to me.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
Yeah, I mean, if you had asked me the question, who
were the target audience or whowere the target victims years
ago?
I would have told you seniorcitizens.
And now there is no line.
Now we do show in ourstatistics that the younger
generation are easier targetsbecause they are more trusting
and they grew up in thetechnology world.
That doesn't mean they're savvythough.
(06:37):
They're just used to it andthey're more familiar with
technology as opposed to us.
Just if it doesn't sound good,don't do business with them,
because they don't always havethe expertise to define the
difference between somebodywho's trying to take advantage
of you and somebody who's reallytrying to offer you a deal.
(06:57):
So it is a younger generation.
But honestly, with technology,anybody's a potential victim and
I always tell people this I'vesaid this 100 times it doesn't
matter how smart you are, whatyour education is, what your age
is, what your background is.
If the situation is right andthe timing is right, anybody can
be a potential victim.
You have to be your first lineof defense.
Speaker 4 (07:18):
Absolutely, adrienne.
And to add to that, with theyounger generation,
unfortunately it's a quick getmoney type of thing, I feel like
in their brain.
So anything that, like you say,it seems too good to be true.
They're just quick to respondto it, see where it goes, and
unfortunately they take the bighit with it.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
They love the sparkly , the idea that we can get rich
quick.
So then let's talk about whatwould be some good red flags,
that something that you see orhear or somebody's calling you.
What are some signs of redflags that, hey, this could be a
scam?
Speaker 3 (07:54):
Well, I mean first of all I mean I'm sure Adrian
could say this as well Ifsomebody's calling you or
texting you or emailing you andthey're implying they're with
your bank or your financialinstitution, don't assume that
it's real.
Okay, so just because they'retelling you all the right things
, you need to question it.
Just use that as a red flag,Contact your financial
(08:17):
institution directly and makesure that it is actually them
that's contacting you.
And, of course, the otherthings are just normal common
sense things.
If the offer sounds too good tobe true, I still love the one
where they contact you and youtell you that because you've
paid your bills and you're agood person, you're going to get
a grant from the government.
The government can't even takecare of themselves.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Say that again.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
They can't take care.
I mean really honestly.
They're not going to send youmoney just because you've been.
You know you've paid your billson time.
If it sounds too good to betrue, it generally is.
The other thing is is a lot ofissues that we're finding is and
this is kind of interestingbecause it is with seniors where
they'll get a notice,supposedly from one of their
(09:00):
friends, saying hey, I got thisgrant for $5,000.
You need to apply immediately.
And and they think it's becausetheir friend contacted what
they don't realize is theirfriends email or text or
whatever have been hacked.
Their friend list has beenhacked and so all of their
friends are getting that samemessage.
(09:20):
So they're all potentialvictims, but the friend is a
victim as well.
Speaker 4 (09:26):
I can tell a story my own mother.
Unfortunately, she thought arelative was reaching out to her
through Facebook Messenger andwas telling her about this grant
for teachers that you could,you know, get a grant or
something for being a retiredteacher, for all your service,
(09:50):
and things like that, andstating that they did it as well
.
So you should try it.
And unfortunately, she went asfar as providing her copy of her
license.
She didn't give her her accountinformation, but she did provide
her social and she was scaredto tell me, and I don't know
(10:14):
what made her finally tell meone day when we were talking and
I was just like, mom, are youserious?
So you know, I told her, ofcourse, call the bureaus to lock
her account down and go changeher license, because at the time
she didn't have the real ID.
So I was like, at least withthat, with that change, if
(10:37):
something was to happen to youknow, you'll know that, OK, that
was something that might be ascam or something may come up
because now you have the real IDto tell the difference.
And I also informed her tostill contact her institution
and maybe put her financialinstitution and put a passcode
(10:57):
or something on her account justin case, Because you know so
much of our regular informationis out there and you know that's
one way they do get it outsideof the dark web and everything
like that.
So, just in case, just put apassword on her account to be
warned in case.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
I think that we just go back to the same thing.
If it sounds too good to betrue, it is.
You just have to remember that.
And I always tell people andthis sounds really stupid and
very simple but if you get acall or you see a message or
whatever and you have thatlittle feeling in your belly
that it's not quite right and Ithink your mom could probably
say that as well you need tolisten to that instinct.
(11:36):
It's never going to steer youwrong, but you have to know if
it sounds too good to be true,it probably is.
Yes.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
And I want to tap into something else Adrienne
mentioned.
She said mom didn't even reallywant to tell you, but that
seems to happen far too often.
So what would you say to ourconsumers in terms of
encouraging how important it isto report it, even if it's a
matter of maybe they may not beable to reclaim their money, but
it helps in an investigationand it could help to catch that
(12:04):
criminal so that it doesn'thappen to the next individual.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
Well, most of the consumers, especially elder
consumers, that contact theBetter Business Bureau, it's
because they don't want to telltheir family members, because
they don't want to lose thatcontrol.
They don't want, you know, tolose what they consider their
freedom.
And that's why it's really goodfor them to contact the Better
Business Bureau, because we'renot going to judge them, we're
not going to, you know, try totake over their life or whatever
(12:30):
they feel, but hopefully we canwalk them off the ledge, teach
them some things that they cando to protect themselves and not
be afraid to talk to somebody,because that is the key, I
promise you.
If you talk to other people,you will find out that you're
not one, not the only victim,but other people have been a
target.
(12:50):
But even more so than that, youmight prevent one of your
friends or family members frombeing a victim.
And what Adrian was saying justproves what I said.
It doesn't matter who you are.
Anybody can be a potentialvictim if the timing of the
situation is right.
Or anybody can be a potentialvictim if the timing of the
situation is right.
You just have to be willing totalk about it.
If you've been a victim, or ifyou've been a potential victim
(13:11):
to try to save somebody else.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
So, adrienne, other scams, I know.
When we think about financialinstitutions for me at least,
one of the easiest ones to avoidis often I'll get a text
message from a financialinstitution that I don't even
have an account from.
So those are the easy ones tosay hey, I don't even have an
account with XYZ Bank, I'm notgoing to even pay attention.
But every now and then thatscammer may hit it right in that
(13:35):
oh, I do have an account or Ido do business with this.
So what are some other redflags in terms of financial
institutions that consumersshould be weary of?
Speaker 4 (13:45):
in terms of financial institutions that consumers
should be weary of Right now.
I'll say, like I said with thetext messaging if they do hit it
right and they say thatneighbors is reaching out to you
in reference to a charge that'spending, the question is
usually did you do this, yes orno?
(14:05):
And of course they'll say no,and then that's when the person
is calling and from there is.
I think it's two ways, cause inone way, their wording is
getting better and you don'teven realize you're answering it
and providing them theinformation that they need.
(14:26):
And you know.
Other ways is you know, ofcourse, they're asking for your
online banking, and that's onething you never give, because
what's the point of setting up apassword and username if you're
just going to give it out toanybody?
You know, and I get it.
You know you're thinking it'syour institution, but even us,
we have that information already, so we would not ask you for
(14:50):
that.
So, um, you know, but again,just certain wording.
They'll do to um, uh, get youto, uh, I'm sorry, get you to
give that information up andfrom there, once they get access
, that's it.
And fortunately, yeah, thelonger you take to report it,
(15:15):
you know, even if it's notcalling the bid abuse.
But if you're not calling us tohopefully shut that account
down, come in and do whatevernecessary that you know we need
you to do to get filing a policereport, filling out the
affidavit the greater your lossmay be.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
And that's one of the first things we tell these
consumers is contact yourfinancial institution
immediately, Hang up the phonewith us and call them first, and
then, if you want us to guideyou further, you can do that.
But that goes back to AI.
We used to tell people look atthe spelling, look at the.
You know all the punctuationsthose little things that are off
(15:53):
.
Ai is protecting that.
Now AI is taking care of thatfor them, so you don't have to
worry about that.
Unfortunately, it makes itharder for consumers to detect
that it actually is not yourbanking or financial institution
.
But we always tell people itdoesn't matter what they're
telling you.
You have to contact yourfinancial institution and verify
(16:14):
that it's actually them.
Contact your financialinstitution and verify that it's
actually them.
And, just like Adrienne said,when they start asking for
specific information, thatwarning bell should be going off
because that's telling youright, there there's something
wrong.
And if, for some reason, youknow we get this all the time.
Well, I woke up from a nap andI was talking.
You know everybody has anexcuse of why they give that
information.
That's fine, it doesn't matter.
(16:35):
Just take the steps immediatelyto resolve it.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
Yes, oh, absolutely so.
With AI, of course, you know,being used for harm.
What are some tools that areout there that consumers may be
able to use to help minimizetheir risk of being, you know, a
victim, whether it's financialscam or any other type of scam,
of being a victim, whether it'sfinancial?
Speaker 3 (16:57):
scam or any other type of scam.
Well, I mean, I'm going to tellyou.
The first thing is, you have touse your own brain your own
common sense.
That's the very first thing.
But you also, whether it'sgetting texts or messages on
your phone, talk to yourtelephone company, whoever you
have your service through, seewhat tools they have to help
(17:19):
protect you, to even block someof these calls, because with
technology today they can changethe numbers or whatever they're
contacting you from.
Also, talk to your bank and seewhat tools they have to protect
you.
You don't know unless you ask.
But those are the two simplethings I think immediately of.
Speaker 4 (17:35):
Yes, I agree there's a lot of you know third party
options out there, but I knowcoming soon we have a system
called Careful that we'll beimplementing and putting out
there for our members.
I don't want to say too muchyet, but it is coming and I
think it is a great tool thatour members will have to
(18:00):
hopefully be educated and justknow more about fraud and all
the things that's out there.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
Yeah, we tell people all the time.
You know you can have all thelaws you want, if you can't
enforce them, they're useless.
So you have to rely on thepeople you're doing business
with to help protect you.
But you have to also on thepeople you're doing business
with to help protect you.
But you have to also let themknow what your needs are and
what their opportunities are andto help protect you, because
they want to keep you as acustomer and they want to
protect you.
But you also, again, have touse common sense and before you
(18:31):
fall for something, you alwaysneed to check first.
When in doubt, check it out.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Yes, Look, and I know that of course the news is
always going to emphasize thebad stories, the horror stories.
You know the opportunitieswhere victims lost everything.
But of course I know that therehave also been some success
stories.
So just kind of talk us throughwhat that process looks like.
If somebody becomes a victim ofscam, what's going to happen if
(18:55):
they call the BBB or go onlineto the BBB?
Speaker 3 (18:57):
Well, the first thing we want to do is find out what
it is and if it really is a scam.
A lot of people use the wordscam.
It may be a disagreement withthe business or it could be a
scam.
A scam is where somebody thatyou don't know is trying to take
advantage of you.
So we want to make sure it's ascam first of all.
Again, if they've given, we wantto know what they've provided
to the scammer.
(19:18):
Did they give personalinformation?
Did they give you their socialsecurity number?
That will help us direct them.
We're going to direct themfirst of all to their financial
institution.
We're then going to direct themto local law enforcement so
they can file a police reportand then we're going to tell
them.
Depending on what it is inreference to, you can go to our
website at bbborg backslash scamtracker and then there's also a
(19:42):
government, ic3, which is ainternet scam organization that
helps people with those.
But we also are there toeducate people that if they gave
money, if they gave theirpersonal information and they
lost money, chances of themgetting that money back are slim
(20:04):
.
And if you voluntarily gavethat information, you can't
expect anybody else to reimburseyou, your financial institution
anybody.
You have to understand andwe're kind of brutal with this
you have to understand that is aexpensive lesson, but let it be
a lesson and make sure youdon't make that mistake again.
Speaker 4 (20:25):
I can give an example .
There was a member he depositeda check for I think it was like
$6,800.
And with me doing my processand everything, the funds were
released and once I scanned andlooked at the check, I was like
(20:53):
something seems weird about thischeck.
So I gave him a call and theother thing was because he had
just withdrew all the money thatday.
So that already made me think,okay, yeah, something is going
on here.
So I called him to get theexplanation of where the check
came from and what was it for.
So he told me that he had won asweepstakes.
(21:16):
He had won a car.
Now, granted, the check was apersonal check and to say that
you're saying that this was asweepstakes from a company or
whoever it was through, thatalready was like okay, red flag.
So then, so I asked him whatdid he do with the funds?
(21:36):
And he was saying I was no,what are?
Yeah, what did he do with thefunds?
He was sending it off to theperson to pay for the shipping
fees and the taxes and, yeah,for the car.
So I was like, well, how didyou send it?
(21:57):
Unfortunately, some of it he didsend through MoneyGram.
The other, he got a US postalmoney order and was shipping the
next day to the address he wasprovided.
So I quickly told him please goto the post office because at
this time it had closed.
So I was like go first thing inthe morning, try to see if you
(22:17):
can stop that you know from thatpostage from being delivered,
or at least seeing if you couldcancel the money order so
whoever may get it, they can'tdo anything with it.
So fortunately he was able tosave half the money and bring it
back and deposit into theaccount because the next day the
check did return.
(22:38):
So you know it didn't saveeverything but it did save him
some of what he would have, whathe does have to pay back to
neighbors.
Speaker 3 (22:49):
And we spend more time than you would think
convincing these people.
If you receive a check that youdon't expect, you didn't ask
for and you deposit it, don'tspend the money, give it a week
or two to make sure it's goingto clear and then make that
decision.
But you're probably still goingto be assessed in a SIF fees
and the bank can't eat everymistake that you make.
(23:10):
And that's a decision you makeand you have to protect yourself
and the bank can only do somuch.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
A decision you make and you have to protect yourself
, and the bank can only do somuch.
Oh, absolutely.
And earlier we were talkingabout some of the red flags and
of course you know if it soundstoo good to be true and things
of that nature.
I wanted to talk a little bitabout something else, another
tactic that they use in terms ofthat sense of urgency.
Do you have a lot of reportsthat that's why they gave into
(23:37):
the pressure?
Speaker 3 (23:38):
Well, there are several reasons that people give
into the pressure.
First of all, there is a senseof urgency.
The sweepstakes, it's a now ornever deal.
If you don't make this decisionnow, we're going to move on and
give it to somebody else andit's going to be your loss.
Another big motivating factorthat people victimize is fear.
You know a lot of times you'llget these things where they say
it's the IRS or it's agovernment agency who's not
(24:00):
afraid of the IRS, and if youdon't make this payment
immediately, that they're goingto have a bench warrant for your
arrest.
You can't be arrested for debtyou owe and if you committed
fraud, that's a different story.
But fear, greed and the urgencyare three good reasons why
people fall victim and theurgency are three good reasons
why people fall victim.
Speaker 4 (24:20):
I agree, even, like you said, with the text messages
.
They're thinking becauseusually it's a large amount.
They don't want that amount tocome out of their account, so
that creates that fear, and wantto hurry up and just respond
without fully thinking itthrough.
So, yeah, it's a fear thing.
Speaker 3 (24:42):
It is fear and people are.
We've had people call us cryingbecause they feel like they're
going to get arrested and wehave to walk them down and like,
talk it through and make themand once we get them to think
clearly, then they realize okay,they've been a victim.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
So clearly, education is definitely the key.
So what are those tools again,even after becoming a victim
that are available to help inthe future?
For example, often you'll seein the news if somebody has
become a victim of credit cardscam or a debit card scam, they
go and freeze their credit.
(25:18):
Are there other tools that youmight recommend or resources
that are available forindividuals that have become
victims of scams?
Speaker 4 (25:26):
Well with neighbors.
Since you mentioned debit cardsand credit cards, we do have a
feature where you can lock yourcard until you can at least get
in touch with your credit unionto see if whatever is going on
is happening.
I have a story for that.
A relative she.
Speaker 2 (25:47):
Your family's going to put you out at the next
family reunion.
Speaker 4 (25:51):
We all have them.
We all have them.
So just to say that it could be, you know, someone as personal,
as a relative, that still canbe scammed.
You know, outside of people youmay not know but and they still
, you know, get fearful oranything like that.
(26:12):
But she, it was after hours andshe banked with neighbors.
She knew I worked at neighbors.
She called and was saying that atransaction cleared her account
from Walmart and she's like Ihaven't been to Walmart, not at
Walmart now.
So I told her well, do you havethe feature?
(26:33):
Do you have the app uploaded onyour phone?
And she was like well, I havethe feature.
Uh, do you have the app, uh,uploaded on your phone?
And she was like well, I havethe regular this was before we
combined but I have the regularapp, but I don't have the card
um services app I forgot what itwas car ballet, that's it and
um.
So I sold her to download thatand once she did that she was
(26:55):
able to lock it so moretransactions couldn't come
through.
But just, you know, thosesimple things like that can help
prevent.
And of course, always, you know, with the mobile deposits or
just mobile banking in general,you know still never provide
your password or username toanyone.
Speaker 3 (27:18):
And that's why it's so important that you have a
good relationship with yourfinancial institution is so that
you want to know what theirservices are and you may not
remember I don't even rememberwhat mine are but if I have
something like that, I want tocall somebody and find out.
You know how am I going to beprotected?
What tools do you have?
And that may be where youdecide what bank or what
(27:41):
institution you want to dobusiness with is how they're
going to protect you.
I know that one of the accountswe have you know sometimes if
there's an odd amount that comesout that's not used to, we'll
get an alert is this you and Idon't ever answer it.
I go to my banking institutionand do that and verify it.
(28:02):
But you have to protectyourself.
But you also have to be willingto ask what tools are available
, because I know, just likeanybody else, we'll tell people
but they may not remember, or wedo alert stories and people
still call us and you think,well, they didn't see the story.
You know, but that happens.
But you still have to be yourfirst line of defense.
(28:23):
You have to call your financialinstitution and see what tools
they have to protect you.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
And so, finally, you mentioned IC3, and that's at
least one avenue that continuesto do investigation that may be
helpful for somebody that's beena victim of scams, any other
resources that someone that hasbeen a victim of scam can look
to, besides BBB and IC3, interms of help.
Speaker 3 (28:46):
Well, I mean, it depends on the scam and I'll be
honest with you.
I've met with the FBI, I've metwith the Federal Trade
Commission and other agencies.
If you've lost $1,000 on a scam, they're not going to touch
that because they have biggerthings and that's unfortunate.
But logging your scam at theBBB and IC3 allows agencies.
(29:11):
Anybody can go on there and seewhat is hitting the area now.
But it kind of allows you toknow what's going on and if that
happens to you, you're aware ofit.
Again, it's self-awareness, butthere are a lot of agencies out
there.
It also depends on you know ifit's.
Most of these scams areperpetrated by people that are
(29:32):
not in the United States.
They don't follow the rules,they don't care.
Are not in the United States,they don't follow the rules,
they don't care.
So, honestly, other than thosetwo things, the best way to
prevent it is to protectyourself, educate yourself, ask
questions, never provideinformation.
Be your best protector.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
And I guess we can never say it, you know too many
times because we say it over andover again yet scams continue
to happen and so until we canbecome bigger vessels, we'll
just keep having theseconversations and keep reminding
our consumers, you know, not togive out your information, be
very, very diligent anddefinitely, you know we all want
to wake up and have that phonecall and says that we've won a
(30:13):
million dollars, but, you know,really is, if it sounds too good
to be true, it really is.
So I definitely want to thankMs Carman for coming back and
sharing this information I knowthat it's definitely helping
somebody and, of course, oursenior fraud investigator for
giving us a little inside tip ofyes, these things actually
happen.
It can happen right here inBaton Rouge and it can happen to
(30:33):
you.
Speaker 4 (30:34):
So thank you ladies, thank you, thank you, happen
right here in Baton Rouge, andit can happen to you.
So thank you, ladies, thank you.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
Thank you.
It's time for BlueprintBuilding Blocks Small changes
that lead to big financial wins.
Let's stack up for success.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
Pause before you click If a call, text or email
feels urgent or too good to betrue.
Stop Scammers thrive on makingyou rush.
Turn on your tools.
Use transaction alerts thoseare really, really helpful Card
controls and spam blocking appsto stay ahead of fraud.
And then credit beats debitCredit cards usually offer
(31:13):
stronger protection if fraudhappens.
Use them for online or thoselarge purchases.
And then, of course, actimmediately If you suspect a
scam.
Shut down your card in yourmobile app, call your financial
institution and report it to thepolice and the BBB scam tracker
.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
That's a wrap on today's Blueprint Building
Blocks.
Stay on track with yourfinancial journey.
Subscribe to the Money Matterspodcast and visit
neighborsfcuorg.
Slash financial wellnessno-transcript.
Welcome to Money Matters, the podcast that
focuses on how to use the moneyyou have, make the money you
need and save the money you want.
Now here is your host, ms Kim.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Chapman, welcome to another edition of Money Matters
.
Have you ever heard the sayingsometimes you have to laugh to
keep from crying?
Well, these two ladies, that'sall we've been doing is laughing
this morning because,unfortunately, the subject that
we're going to talk about oftenmakes people cry, and that is
being a victim of scams andfrauds.
(00:33):
It is running rampant, but nowwe're going to put our serious
face on serious face, ladies,all right.
And so, with me, of course,returning our expert guru of
frauds and scams from the BetterBusiness Bureau, ms Carmen
Million Thank you, kim, forhaving me and, of course, our
own in-house senior fraudinvestigator, ms Adrienne
(00:56):
Incognito.
Speaker 4 (00:58):
Thank you, Kim, for having me again.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
So well, ladies?
Yes, definitely, we're having agood time, some good
conversation, but this is asubject that is really really
serious, and with technology andAI, it seems to become scarier
and scarier the more I readstories about individuals
becoming victims of fraud.
Even when I look at my ownstuff, it's like, oh my God, is
this real, is this not real?
(01:21):
What can you click on?
You know it's something that wehave to talk about, and so I
want to start with you, carmen,and just ask because I see you
all the time talking about it onthe local news stations what is
the latest, greatest scam thatyou're seeing this week, this
month?
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Well, first of all, ai is playing a big part in
these scams.
It can be a good tool if usedin the right way, but
unfortunately, scammers areusing it as well, and one of the
things that we're seeing whichI haven't even done very many
news releases on this is they'reactually taking stealing
information and pictures andwebsite pages from businesses
(02:01):
and they're trying to open uptheir own business by using the
other company's information.
For instance, there's a companycalled Rose Mobile Home Service
Rose Harvey Mobile Homes and Isay that because it's a scam
company and what they did wasthey set up a website for people
that can't afford their ownhome and can't really afford
(02:24):
rent anymore, and they set up awebsite to sell mobile homes at
a really good price.
And what they were doing isthey were saying we can move
these mobile homes anywhere inthe United States for $150.
And it's using the same tacticsthat have been done in years.
(02:45):
It's too good to be true.
Unfortunately, they'retargeting people who are one in
need, but two who can leastafford to lose those monies, and
we have had people that havelost thousands of dollars by
putting money down to hold oneof these mobile homes and, of
course, they never received themerchandise.
So AI is basically mimickinglegitimate businesses to scam
(03:06):
consumers, and not only andwe're finding it.
We're on our thirdinvestigation right now on
companies that are being spoofedin our area but targeted
targeting consumers all over theUnited States, and so people
need to know that when they goto the website or when they get
a notice or whatever, just usecommon sense.
(03:29):
If it sounds too good to betrue, it is.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
And Adrienne, in terms of financial institution,
is there anything in particularthat you see an uptick in in
terms of the types of scams orhow criminals are using AI?
Speaker 4 (03:44):
I'll say, like what you're saying, with AI we've
noticed that we've had a fewcases.
Let me say that a member willcall well, we think or thought
it was a member that called in.
It's kind of going inconjunction with the spoofing of
our credit union number andthey're actually spoofing our
(04:08):
member's number, calling in,trying to get well, providing
information as much as they know, and asking certain amount to
be transferred to another memberwho just happened to have
opened an account recently andtrying to get transfers done
from that account to anotheraccount and unfortunately we
(04:32):
took a loss.
It was $2,000, but it was justweird that you know, we were
aware of the spoofing with ournumber, but to have the actual
member's number spoofed was verydifferent and something we've
been looking at and making surewe and what the problem is with
(04:54):
that is what most people don'trealize is there's more than one
victim in the scam.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
The business is a victim, the consumer is a victim
and, of course, the scammer isnot even in the United States.
In most cases they're justreally savvy and now they're
going to the next level.
So people really have to bemore diligent when they're
dealing with anybody thatthey're not familiar with.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
So let's be even more transparent.
You've used that term, spoofing.
One of you maybe explain whatspoofing is for somebody that
may not realize what that termis.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
I would.
In simple terms, they'rebasically mimicking or copying
somebody's Facebook, theirinformation, and pretending that
they are that person.
They're impersonating anothercompany.
Are that person?
They're impersonating anothercompany.
They're impersonating anotherconsumer to try to gain access
(05:49):
to money accounts that sort ofthing.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
And one of the things that probably, maybe even
should have kicked off theepisode is to catch somebody's
attention.
It's not just the elderly andseniors anymore.
Talk to us a little bit aboutthe age groups that you're
seeing, even the professions.
I know, carmen and I talk aboutthis all the time that it's not
your seniors anymore that aregetting scammed, and often we
take for granted that it cannever happen to me.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
Yeah, I mean, if you had asked me the question, who
were the target audience or whowere the target victims years
ago?
I would have told you seniorcitizens.
And now there is no line.
Now we do show in ourstatistics that the younger
generation are easier targetsbecause they are more trusting
and they grew up in thetechnology world.
That doesn't mean they're savvythough.
(06:37):
They're just used to it andthey're more familiar with
technology as opposed to us.
Just if it doesn't sound good,don't do business with them,
because they don't always havethe expertise to define the
difference between somebodywho's trying to take advantage
of you and somebody who's reallytrying to offer you a deal.
(06:57):
So it is a younger generation.
But honestly, with technology,anybody's a potential victim and
I always tell people this I'vesaid this 100 times it doesn't
matter how smart you are, whatyour education is, what your age
is, what your background is.
If the situation is right andthe timing is right, anybody can
be a potential victim.
You have to be your first lineof defense.
Speaker 4 (07:18):
Absolutely, adrienne.
And to add to that, with theyounger generation,
unfortunately it's a quick getmoney type of thing, I feel like
in their brain.
So anything that, like you say,it seems too good to be true.
They're just quick to respondto it, see where it goes, and
unfortunately they take the bighit with it.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
They love the sparkly , the idea that we can get rich
quick.
So then let's talk about whatwould be some good red flags,
that something that you see orhear or somebody's calling you.
What are some signs of redflags that, hey, this could be a
scam?
Speaker 3 (07:54):
Well, I mean first of all I mean I'm sure Adrian
could say this as well Ifsomebody's calling you or
texting you or emailing you andthey're implying they're with
your bank or your financialinstitution, don't assume that
it's real.
Okay, so just because they'retelling you all the right things
, you need to question it.
Just use that as a red flag,Contact your financial
(08:17):
institution directly and makesure that it is actually them
that's contacting you.
And, of course, the otherthings are just normal common
sense things.
If the offer sounds too good tobe true, I still love the one
where they contact you and youtell you that because you've
paid your bills and you're agood person, you're going to get
a grant from the government.
The government can't even takecare of themselves.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Say that again.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
They can't take care.
I mean really honestly.
They're not going to send youmoney just because you've been.
You know you've paid your billson time.
If it sounds too good to betrue, it generally is.
The other thing is is a lot ofissues that we're finding is and
this is kind of interestingbecause it is with seniors where
they'll get a notice,supposedly from one of their
(09:00):
friends, saying hey, I got thisgrant for $5,000.
You need to apply immediately.
And and they think it's becausetheir friend contacted what
they don't realize is theirfriends email or text or
whatever have been hacked.
Their friend list has beenhacked and so all of their
friends are getting that samemessage.
(09:20):
So they're all potentialvictims, but the friend is a
victim as well.
Speaker 4 (09:26):
I can tell a story my own mother.
Unfortunately, she thought arelative was reaching out to her
through Facebook Messenger andwas telling her about this grant
for teachers that you could,you know, get a grant or
something for being a retiredteacher, for all your service,
(09:50):
and things like that, andstating that they did it as well
.
So you should try it.
And unfortunately, she went asfar as providing her copy of her
license.
She didn't give her her accountinformation, but she did provide
her social and she was scaredto tell me, and I don't know
(10:14):
what made her finally tell meone day when we were talking and
I was just like, mom, are youserious?
So you know, I told her, ofcourse, call the bureaus to lock
her account down and go changeher license, because at the time
she didn't have the real ID.
So I was like, at least withthat, with that change, if
(10:37):
something was to happen to youknow, you'll know that, OK, that
was something that might be ascam or something may come up
because now you have the real IDto tell the difference.
And I also informed her tostill contact her institution
and maybe put her financialinstitution and put a passcode
(10:57):
or something on her account justin case, Because you know so
much of our regular informationis out there and you know that's
one way they do get it outsideof the dark web and everything
like that.
So, just in case, just put apassword on her account to be
warned in case.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
I think that we just go back to the same thing.
If it sounds too good to betrue, it is.
You just have to remember that.
And I always tell people andthis sounds really stupid and
very simple but if you get acall or you see a message or
whatever and you have thatlittle feeling in your belly
that it's not quite right and Ithink your mom could probably
say that as well you need tolisten to that instinct.
(11:36):
It's never going to steer youwrong, but you have to know if
it sounds too good to be true,it probably is.
Yes.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
And I want to tap into something else Adrienne
mentioned.
She said mom didn't even reallywant to tell you, but that
seems to happen far too often.
So what would you say to ourconsumers in terms of
encouraging how important it isto report it, even if it's a
matter of maybe they may not beable to reclaim their money, but
it helps in an investigationand it could help to catch that
(12:04):
criminal so that it doesn'thappen to the next individual.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
Well, most of the consumers, especially elder
consumers, that contact theBetter Business Bureau, it's
because they don't want to telltheir family members, because
they don't want to lose thatcontrol.
They don't want, you know, tolose what they consider their
freedom.
And that's why it's really goodfor them to contact the Better
Business Bureau, because we'renot going to judge them, we're
not going to, you know, try totake over their life or whatever
(12:30):
they feel, but hopefully we canwalk them off the ledge, teach
them some things that they cando to protect themselves and not
be afraid to talk to somebody,because that is the key, I
promise you.
If you talk to other people,you will find out that you're
not one, not the only victim,but other people have been a
target.
(12:50):
But even more so than that, youmight prevent one of your
friends or family members frombeing a victim.
And what Adrian was saying justproves what I said.
It doesn't matter who you are.
Anybody can be a potentialvictim if the timing of the
situation is right.
Or anybody can be a potentialvictim if the timing of the
situation is right.
You just have to be willing totalk about it.
If you've been a victim, or ifyou've been a potential victim
(13:11):
to try to save somebody else.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
So, adrienne, other scams, I know.
When we think about financialinstitutions for me at least,
one of the easiest ones to avoidis often I'll get a text
message from a financialinstitution that I don't even
have an account from.
So those are the easy ones tosay hey, I don't even have an
account with XYZ Bank, I'm notgoing to even pay attention.
But every now and then thatscammer may hit it right in that
(13:35):
oh, I do have an account or Ido do business with this.
So what are some other redflags in terms of financial
institutions that consumersshould be weary of?
Speaker 4 (13:45):
in terms of financial institutions that consumers
should be weary of Right now.
I'll say, like I said with thetext messaging if they do hit it
right and they say thatneighbors is reaching out to you
in reference to a charge that'spending, the question is
usually did you do this, yes orno?
(14:05):
And of course they'll say no,and then that's when the person
is calling and from there is.
I think it's two ways, cause inone way, their wording is
getting better and you don'teven realize you're answering it
and providing them theinformation that they need.
(14:26):
And you know.
Other ways is you know, ofcourse, they're asking for your
online banking, and that's onething you never give, because
what's the point of setting up apassword and username if you're
just going to give it out toanybody?
You know, and I get it.
You know you're thinking it'syour institution, but even us,
we have that information already, so we would not ask you for
(14:50):
that.
So, um, you know, but again,just certain wording.
They'll do to um, uh, get youto, uh, I'm sorry, get you to
give that information up andfrom there, once they get access
, that's it.
And fortunately, yeah, thelonger you take to report it,
(15:15):
you know, even if it's notcalling the bid abuse.
But if you're not calling us tohopefully shut that account
down, come in and do whatevernecessary that you know we need
you to do to get filing a policereport, filling out the
affidavit the greater your lossmay be.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
And that's one of the first things we tell these
consumers is contact yourfinancial institution
immediately, Hang up the phonewith us and call them first, and
then, if you want us to guideyou further, you can do that.
But that goes back to AI.
We used to tell people look atthe spelling, look at the.
You know all the punctuationsthose little things that are off
(15:53):
.
Ai is protecting that.
Now AI is taking care of thatfor them, so you don't have to
worry about that.
Unfortunately, it makes itharder for consumers to detect
that it actually is not yourbanking or financial institution
.
But we always tell people itdoesn't matter what they're
telling you.
You have to contact yourfinancial institution and verify
(16:14):
that it's actually them.
Contact your financialinstitution and verify that it's
actually them.
And, just like Adrienne said,when they start asking for
specific information, thatwarning bell should be going off
because that's telling youright, there there's something
wrong.
And if, for some reason, youknow we get this all the time.
Well, I woke up from a nap andI was talking.
You know everybody has anexcuse of why they give that
information.
That's fine, it doesn't matter.
(16:35):
Just take the steps immediatelyto resolve it.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
Yes, oh, absolutely so.
With AI, of course, you know,being used for harm.
What are some tools that areout there that consumers may be
able to use to help minimizetheir risk of being, you know, a
victim, whether it's financialscam or any other type of scam,
of being a victim, whether it'sfinancial?
Speaker 3 (16:57):
scam or any other type of scam.
Well, I mean, I'm going to tellyou.
The first thing is, you have touse your own brain your own
common sense.
That's the very first thing.
But you also, whether it'sgetting texts or messages on
your phone, talk to yourtelephone company, whoever you
have your service through, seewhat tools they have to help
(17:19):
protect you, to even block someof these calls, because with
technology today they can changethe numbers or whatever they're
contacting you from.
Also, talk to your bank and seewhat tools they have to protect
you.
You don't know unless you ask.
But those are the two simplethings I think immediately of.
Speaker 4 (17:35):
Yes, I agree there's a lot of you know third party
options out there, but I knowcoming soon we have a system
called Careful that we'll beimplementing and putting out
there for our members.
I don't want to say too muchyet, but it is coming and I
think it is a great tool thatour members will have to
(18:00):
hopefully be educated and justknow more about fraud and all
the things that's out there.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
Yeah, we tell people all the time.
You know you can have all thelaws you want, if you can't
enforce them, they're useless.
So you have to rely on thepeople you're doing business
with to help protect you.
But you have to also on thepeople you're doing business
with to help protect you.
But you have to also let themknow what your needs are and
what their opportunities are andto help protect you, because
they want to keep you as acustomer and they want to
protect you.
But you also, again, have touse common sense and before you
(18:31):
fall for something, you alwaysneed to check first.
When in doubt, check it out.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Yes, Look, and I know that of course the news is
always going to emphasize thebad stories, the horror stories.
You know the opportunitieswhere victims lost everything.
But of course I know that therehave also been some success
stories.
So just kind of talk us throughwhat that process looks like.
If somebody becomes a victim ofscam, what's going to happen if
(18:55):
they call the BBB or go onlineto the BBB?
Speaker 3 (18:57):
Well, the first thing we want to do is find out what
it is and if it really is a scam.
A lot of people use the wordscam.
It may be a disagreement withthe business or it could be a
scam.
A scam is where somebody thatyou don't know is trying to take
advantage of you.
So we want to make sure it's ascam first of all.
Again, if they've given, we wantto know what they've provided
to the scammer.
(19:18):
Did they give personalinformation?
Did they give you their socialsecurity number?
That will help us direct them.
We're going to direct themfirst of all to their financial
institution.
We're then going to direct themto local law enforcement so
they can file a police reportand then we're going to tell
them.
Depending on what it is inreference to, you can go to our
website at bbborg backslash scamtracker and then there's also a
(19:42):
government, ic3, which is ainternet scam organization that
helps people with those.
But we also are there toeducate people that if they gave
money, if they gave theirpersonal information and they
lost money, chances of themgetting that money back are slim
(20:04):
.
And if you voluntarily gavethat information, you can't
expect anybody else to reimburseyou, your financial institution
anybody.
You have to understand andwe're kind of brutal with this
you have to understand that is aexpensive lesson, but let it be
a lesson and make sure youdon't make that mistake again.
Speaker 4 (20:25):
I can give an example .
There was a member he depositeda check for I think it was like
$6,800.
And with me doing my processand everything, the funds were
released and once I scanned andlooked at the check, I was like
(20:53):
something seems weird about thischeck.
So I gave him a call and theother thing was because he had
just withdrew all the money thatday.
So that already made me think,okay, yeah, something is going
on here.
So I called him to get theexplanation of where the check
came from and what was it for.
So he told me that he had won asweepstakes.
(21:16):
He had won a car.
Now, granted, the check was apersonal check and to say that
you're saying that this was asweepstakes from a company or
whoever it was through, thatalready was like okay, red flag.
So then, so I asked him whatdid he do with the funds?
(21:36):
And he was saying I was no,what are?
Yeah, what did he do with thefunds?
He was sending it off to theperson to pay for the shipping
fees and the taxes and, yeah,for the car.
So I was like, well, how didyou send it?
(21:57):
Unfortunately, some of it he didsend through MoneyGram.
The other, he got a US postalmoney order and was shipping the
next day to the address he wasprovided.
So I quickly told him please goto the post office because at
this time it had closed.
So I was like go first thing inthe morning, try to see if you
(22:17):
can stop that you know from thatpostage from being delivered,
or at least seeing if you couldcancel the money order so
whoever may get it, they can'tdo anything with it.
So fortunately he was able tosave half the money and bring it
back and deposit into theaccount because the next day the
check did return.
(22:38):
So you know it didn't saveeverything but it did save him
some of what he would have, whathe does have to pay back to
neighbors.
Speaker 3 (22:49):
And we spend more time than you would think
convincing these people.
If you receive a check that youdon't expect, you didn't ask
for and you deposit it, don'tspend the money, give it a week
or two to make sure it's goingto clear and then make that
decision.
But you're probably still goingto be assessed in a SIF fees
and the bank can't eat everymistake that you make.
(23:10):
And that's a decision you makeand you have to protect yourself
and the bank can only do somuch.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
A decision you make and you have to protect yourself
, and the bank can only do somuch.
Oh, absolutely.
And earlier we were talkingabout some of the red flags and
of course you know if it soundstoo good to be true and things
of that nature.
I wanted to talk a little bitabout something else, another
tactic that they use in terms ofthat sense of urgency.
Do you have a lot of reportsthat that's why they gave into
(23:37):
the pressure?
Speaker 3 (23:38):
Well, there are several reasons that people give
into the pressure.
First of all, there is a senseof urgency.
The sweepstakes, it's a now ornever deal.
If you don't make this decisionnow, we're going to move on and
give it to somebody else andit's going to be your loss.
Another big motivating factorthat people victimize is fear.
You know a lot of times you'llget these things where they say
it's the IRS or it's agovernment agency who's not
(24:00):
afraid of the IRS, and if youdon't make this payment
immediately, that they're goingto have a bench warrant for your
arrest.
You can't be arrested for debtyou owe and if you committed
fraud, that's a different story.
But fear, greed and the urgencyare three good reasons why
people fall victim and theurgency are three good reasons
why people fall victim.
Speaker 4 (24:20):
I agree, even, like you said, with the text messages
.
They're thinking becauseusually it's a large amount.
They don't want that amount tocome out of their account, so
that creates that fear, and wantto hurry up and just respond
without fully thinking itthrough.
So, yeah, it's a fear thing.
Speaker 3 (24:42):
It is fear and people are.
We've had people call us cryingbecause they feel like they're
going to get arrested and wehave to walk them down and like,
talk it through and make themand once we get them to think
clearly, then they realize okay,they've been a victim.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
So clearly, education is definitely the key.
So what are those tools again,even after becoming a victim
that are available to help inthe future?
For example, often you'll seein the news if somebody has
become a victim of credit cardscam or a debit card scam, they
go and freeze their credit.
(25:18):
Are there other tools that youmight recommend or resources
that are available forindividuals that have become
victims of scams?
Speaker 4 (25:26):
Well with neighbors.
Since you mentioned debit cardsand credit cards, we do have a
feature where you can lock yourcard until you can at least get
in touch with your credit unionto see if whatever is going on
is happening.
I have a story for that.
A relative she.
Speaker 2 (25:47):
Your family's going to put you out at the next
family reunion.
Speaker 4 (25:51):
We all have them.
We all have them.
So just to say that it could be, you know, someone as personal,
as a relative, that still canbe scammed.
You know, outside of people youmay not know but and they still
, you know, get fearful oranything like that.
(26:12):
But she, it was after hours andshe banked with neighbors.
She knew I worked at neighbors.
She called and was saying that atransaction cleared her account
from Walmart and she's like Ihaven't been to Walmart, not at
Walmart now.
So I told her well, do you havethe feature?
(26:33):
Do you have the app uploaded onyour phone?
And she was like well, I havethe feature.
Uh, do you have the app, uh,uploaded on your phone?
And she was like well, I havethe regular this was before we
combined but I have the regularapp, but I don't have the card
um services app I forgot what itwas car ballet, that's it and
um.
So I sold her to download thatand once she did that she was
(26:55):
able to lock it so moretransactions couldn't come
through.
But just, you know, thosesimple things like that can help
prevent.
And of course, always, you know, with the mobile deposits or
just mobile banking in general,you know still never provide
your password or username toanyone.
Speaker 3 (27:18):
And that's why it's so important that you have a
good relationship with yourfinancial institution is so that
you want to know what theirservices are and you may not
remember I don't even rememberwhat mine are but if I have
something like that, I want tocall somebody and find out.
You know how am I going to beprotected?
What tools do you have?
And that may be where youdecide what bank or what
(27:41):
institution you want to dobusiness with is how they're
going to protect you.
I know that one of the accountswe have you know sometimes if
there's an odd amount that comesout that's not used to, we'll
get an alert is this you and Idon't ever answer it.
I go to my banking institutionand do that and verify it.
(28:02):
But you have to protectyourself.
But you also have to be willingto ask what tools are available
, because I know, just likeanybody else, we'll tell people
but they may not remember, or wedo alert stories and people
still call us and you think,well, they didn't see the story.
You know, but that happens.
But you still have to be yourfirst line of defense.
(28:23):
You have to call your financialinstitution and see what tools
they have to protect you.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
And so, finally, you mentioned IC3, and that's at
least one avenue that continuesto do investigation that may be
helpful for somebody that's beena victim of scams, any other
resources that someone that hasbeen a victim of scam can look
to, besides BBB and IC3, interms of help.
Speaker 3 (28:46):
Well, I mean, it depends on the scam and I'll be
honest with you.
I've met with the FBI, I've metwith the Federal Trade
Commission and other agencies.
If you've lost $1,000 on a scam, they're not going to touch
that because they have biggerthings and that's unfortunate.
But logging your scam at theBBB and IC3 allows agencies.
(29:11):
Anybody can go on there and seewhat is hitting the area now.
But it kind of allows you toknow what's going on and if that
happens to you, you're aware ofit.
Again, it's self-awareness, butthere are a lot of agencies out
there.
It also depends on you know ifit's.
Most of these scams areperpetrated by people that are
(29:32):
not in the United States.
They don't follow the rules,they don't care.
Are not in the United States,they don't follow the rules,
they don't care.
So, honestly, other than thosetwo things, the best way to
prevent it is to protectyourself, educate yourself, ask
questions, never provideinformation.
Be your best protector.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
And I guess we can never say it, you know too many
times because we say it over andover again yet scams continue
to happen and so until we canbecome bigger vessels, we'll
just keep having theseconversations and keep reminding
our consumers, you know, not togive out your information, be
very, very diligent anddefinitely, you know we all want
to wake up and have that phonecall and says that we've won a
(30:13):
million dollars, but, you know,really is, if it sounds too good
to be true, it really is.
So I definitely want to thankMs Carman for coming back and
sharing this information I knowthat it's definitely helping
somebody and, of course, oursenior fraud investigator for
giving us a little inside tip ofyes, these things actually
happen.
It can happen right here inBaton Rouge and it can happen to
(30:33):
you.
Speaker 4 (30:34):
So thank you ladies, thank you, thank you, happen
right here in Baton Rouge, andit can happen to you.
So thank you, ladies, thank you.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
Thank you.
It's time for BlueprintBuilding Blocks Small changes
that lead to big financial wins.
Let's stack up for success.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
Pause before you click If a call, text or email
feels urgent or too good to betrue.
Stop Scammers thrive on makingyou rush.
Turn on your tools.
Use transaction alerts thoseare really, really helpful Card
controls and spam blocking appsto stay ahead of fraud.
And then credit beats debitCredit cards usually offer
(31:13):
stronger protection if fraudhappens.
Use them for online or thoselarge purchases.
And then, of course, actimmediately If you suspect a
scam.
Shut down your card in yourmobile app, call your financial
institution and report it to thepolice and the BBB scam tracker
.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
That's a wrap on today's Blueprint Building
Blocks.
Stay on track with yourfinancial journey.
Subscribe to the Money Matterspodcast and visit
neighborsfcuorg.
Slash financial wellnessno-transcript.
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