Are you under A.T.T.A.C.K?

Social manipulation, in the context of fraud, is the art of manipulating end users into providing personal or confidential information. Personal cyber-attacks come in many forms. Here are a few tips that can help you to spot them.

A - An Email

Phishing emails may look legitimate, but you should always question links, attachments, threads, or emails from someone unexpected.

T - Trick Websites

These are made to look like trusted websites but often have spelling or grammar errors or a slightly different URL. Farming the data from these trick websites allows criminals to gather personal details and record your keystrokes.

T -Text Messages

Social engineers will send you a text message about an urgent bill payment or some type of attractive offer. Also, beware of fake messages that appear to be from the government asking you to click a link to receive your rebate, return or payment. If you click these links on a mobile device message it could put your mobile phone at risk.

A - A Telephone Call

Fraudsters may call and say they are from Canada Revenue Agency, Canada Post or Microsoft, or maybe even your financial institution, and proceed to ask you to disclose personal information. Before going ahead with this, you need to ask yourself what valid reason would there be for you receiving the call and why would you provide those details if you didn’t initiate the call? If you still cannot determine the legitimacy of the caller, ask them to proceed via email because you cannot speak in depth at the moment.

C – Contest Winner

“Congratulations! You’ve won a big contest!” This message can come to you via email, text or phone. But did you even enter a contest? If not, it is more than likely an attempt by a fraudster to gather personal information from you. Do not fall for it!

K – Key Loggers

You’re browsing a familiar website and receive a pop-up of an offer that looks too good to be true! If you click the pop-up that social engineer may be trying to capture sensitive information.

When in doubt……..Hang up! Delete! Exit!

Social Engineering is on the rise. Watch for these signs of an attack and take these steps to protect yourself. Ask questions. Do not feel pressured into providing any information you may not be comfortable providing. Never share your ID, passwords, or any answers to your security questions. Use caution when entering sensitive information with websites that don’t begin with HTTPS or when something arrives that you were not expecting. Always remember to report anything suspicious.

YNCU members, if you know, or think you have been ATTACKED please contact our Service Excellence Centre at 1-800-413-YNCU (9628).

You can also contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Call Center at 1-888-495-8501. Check out this video for more information on protecting yourself against a cyber-attack.

CRIME AND ABUSE AGAINST SENIORS

Seniors are one of the most commonly targeted demographics by fraudsters - we’re even seeing this play out in our own branches!

SOME IMPORTANT STATISTICS TO KNOW:

• About 10% of seniors are victims of crime per year.

• 4-5% of seniors report some form of abuse from ages 65 up.

• Financial abuse/exploitation and emotional abuse are the most prevalent.

• Overall rates of elder abuse are similar in Canada, Australia, US and UK

• Seniors are less likely to report abuse, and when they do, it’s often to health professionals, community groups, or their Financial Institution, not police.

When it comes to financial crimes, seniors are targeted in almost every way, including aggressive telemarketing, fraudulent home repairs, health or investment schemes, technology schemes, romance or urgent family schemes, just to name a few.

FACTORS THAT MAKE SENIORS AN APPEALING TARGET INCLUDE:

• Home ownership.

• A tendency not to seek advice before making a purchase.

• Financial risk-taking behaviours.

• Lack of knowledge of consumer rights.

• Lack of awareness of fraudulent schemes.

• Openness to marketing appeals.

• Reluctance to hang up the phone on telemarketers.

Perpetrators use a variety of tactics that may hit on many of these risk factors to gain compliance. They will often try to isolate the victim, pressure them to act quickly, use fear tactics, and discourage the victim from seeking outside advice.

STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO PROTECT YOURSELF:

1. BE SUSPICIOUS – Particularly of anything that shows up unexpectedly, including regular mail, emails, and messages through social media or text. Check email addresses and phone numbers, avoid clicking on pop ups or links in emails, and navigate to trusted sites by typing in the address rather than using a search.

2. SLOW DOWN THE PROCESS – almost nothing will need an immediate response. You are allowed to take a step back and think about it, even for a few minutes, to ensure you’re not reacting out of fear or pressure. If you’re unsure, run it by a trusted loved one or your Financial Institution.

3. PLAN AHEAD – ensure you have people you can trust set up to assist you when the time comes, making sure your wishes are clearly stated. Consider an advanced directive or Power of Attorney that can follow through on your instructions.

4. ASK QUESTIONS – Does the scenario make sense? Are you familiar enough with the person/investment/scenario to make an educated decision? If you aren’t, run the situation by someone else before acting on it. It could be your advisor from YNCU or a trusted friend or family member, but a second opinion never hurts. If you’re being discouraged from seeking another opinion, this should be a red flag.

5. KEEP UP TO DATE on active scams by reviewing the list of ongoing fraud tactics provided by The Canada Anti-Fraud Centre. They are explained in easy-to-understand terms and can give you a great idea of what to be on the lookout for.

If you would like to review the Crime and Abuse Against Seniors report from the government, click here or visit justice.gc.ca.

PROTECT YOUR ACCOUNT WHEN BANKING ONLINE

July 10, 2023

The number of people who regularly do some, or all, of their banking online is steadily increasing. With that increase comes increased risk, and with those risks we must work to protect ourselves from online predators. No one is invincible. Awareness and diligence are key factors needed to minimize risk your risk of fraud when banking online.

It's important to protect yourself and your finances. Here are some tips to help you STAY DILIGENT:

D – Devices that are used to access your accounts online should be protected by a PIN. Always try your best to make it as difficult as possible for unauthorized users to gain access to your information.

I – Invest in a password manager to help you create strong passwords. Do NOT use the same password for more than one application or website. If a password is compromised, it creates an opportunity for fraudsters to access any accounts where that password is also used.

L – LOG OUT every time you finish your online banking. And, although the convenience is tempting, never save your username or password in your browser.

I – Issues can be detected early by regularly monitoring your accounts. Set automatic alerts for any bill payments, changes to bill payment vendors and e-transfers, as well as any changes to your passwords or personal information. This should also include any log-in attempts that are not yourself.

G – Guard against any unauthorized account access by using enhanced logins and multi-factor authentications, if available. Avoid the use of public Wi-Fi or computers when accessing your banking and financial information. Always try to use your own home internet or cellular data.

E – Engage in account transaction reviews and actively monitor your financial accounts. Frequent unknown small transactions might be the first sign of a hacker’s attack.

N – Never disclose your personal financial or login information to anyone. YNCU will never call, text, or email to ask for these types of personal details. Confirm the URL address when doing your online banking and always navigate to your banking website instead of clicking on a link that is sent to you.

T – Take the time to verify your anti-virus software is up to date on every device in your household. Web browsers and operating systems must have the most recent and up to date security patches in place to protect you and keep your account information safe.

At YNCU we care about our members, and we will always strive to help where we can. If you have any questions about how to safeguard your accounts, please feel free to reach out to our staff. We can help you set up alerts for new bill payments, make changes to existing bill payments, and manage your e-transfers. Remember to regularly change your passwords and always review your account transactions.

Protect your personal information and your finances by STAYING DILIGENT when banking online.

If you suspect you’re a victim of fraud, contact your Financial Institution immediately and report it to your local police. If you’re a YNCU member, contact our Service Excellence Centre at 1-888-413-YNCU at the first sign of fraud. Know that you are not alone. We are here to help!

You can also contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Call Center at 1-888-495-8501.

Help us prevent fraud by sharing these tips to look out for with your friends and family!

SPOTTING THE RED FLAGS OF AN ONLINE SCAM

INTERNET SCAMS ARE EVERYWHERE; it seems like you can’t visit a website these days without encountering fraud. Scammers are becoming smarter, refining their methods and strategies daily to trick people. When a tactic works, they polish it to double the rewards. After working in the same ‘industry’ for so many years, they have discovered some strong swindles few people can detect. If people don’t learn how to protect themselves from scams, these fraudsters will remain in business. 

WHAT YOU NEED TO WATCH OUT FOR

URGENT OR THREATENING LANGUAGE
Pressure to respond quickly or threats of closing your account or taking legal action.

REQUESTS FOR SENSITIVE INFORMATION
Links directing you to login pages, requests to update your account information, or demands for your financial information.

ANYTHING TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE
Winning contests you’ve never entered, prizes you have to pay to receive or inheritance from long-lost relatives.

UNEXPECTED EMAILS
Receipts for items you didn’t purchase or updates on deliveries for things you didn’t order.

INFORMATION MISMATCHES
Incorrect (but maybe similar) sender email addresses, links that don’t go to official websites, and spelling or grammar errors, beyond the odd typo, that a legitimate organization wouldn’t miss.

SUSPICIOUS ATTACHMENTS
Attachments you didn’t ask for, unusual file names, and uncommon file types.

UNPROFESSIONAL DESIGN
Incorrect or blurry logos, image-only emails with no highlightable copy, and company emails with poor quality formatting (or none at all).

IF YOU SPOT ANY OF THESE RED FLAGS IN AN EMAIL don’t click any links, don’t reply or forward, and never open attachments. If you’re unsure, we recommend reaching out to the sender if you’re familiar with them through a different channel – retrieving the telephone number or email from their official website, for example.