JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Scammers are finding new ways to reach consumers through their phones, inboxes and even their emotions.
An AP-NORC poll finds 58% of U.S. adults say they receive scam attempts every day, while 92% say they encounter them at least once a month.
Chuck Meredith, vice president of enterprise authentication and fraud at VyStar Credit Union, says scammers are becoming increasingly aggressive and their tactics are designed to make people act before they think.
“Scams are most definitely on the rise. It is a huge percentage increase,” Meredith said.
One of the biggest warning signs is urgency.
“The sense of urgency is the biggest part because that’s how they hook you in,” Meredith said. “That’s where you feel you have to do something yourself to protect your assets or your money or your family.”
Meredith says some of the most common scams targeting consumers locally include romance scams, fake jury duty and legal notices, unpaid toll texts and cryptocurrency-related schemes.
A text message can be a red flag
Scammers often impersonate banks and other trusted institutions in an attempt to get consumers to click a link or provide personal information.
Meredith says consumers should pay close attention to the phone number or sender of an unexpected message.
“Even I, being a VP of fraud, I get scams all the time on my phone and have to be watching,” Meredith said.
He said consumers should be particularly cautious when a message appears to come from a financial institution but doesn’t match the way that institution normally communicates.
“Is it a full phone number on your screen or is it only five or six digits, what we call a short code?” Meredith said. “Institutions use short codes. We don’t use full phone numbers to text.”
The AP-NORC survey found 24% of adults say they have been scammed into giving up personal information. Seventeen percent say they have personally lost money to a scam.
Never give out your PIN
Meredith says consumers should also know what information their financial institution will never ask them to provide.
Asked what information consumers should never give away, Meredith had a simple answer.
“You should never give out your PIN number on your debit card, period,” he said.
Consumers should also be wary of unexpected requests for passwords, account information or other sensitive details.
“We’re not going to get into asking you socials, your debit card information, PIN, or usernames and passwords,” Meredith said. “There’s no institution I’ve ever dealt with in my 28 years that we would ever ask you your PIN number or your username and password in the first place.”
When in doubt, contact your bank directly
If a message or phone call claims there is a problem with a financial account, Meredith recommends not using the contact information provided by the person reaching out.
Instead, contact the financial institution directly using a trusted phone number, such as the one on the back of a debit or credit card or from the institution’s official website.
“We tell everybody just, when in doubt, reach out. Call your institutions directly. That’s the biggest thing,” Meredith said.
“If something is supposedly happening on your account, call directly and verify,” he said. “And if there were to be fraud on your account, we’re going to take care of it right there on the spot with you. But if you don’t reach out to us directly, you’re not sure who you spoke with, it could be the scammer.”
Meredith says consumers should slow down when they receive a threatening or unexpected message.
Don’t click unfamiliar links, send money or provide personal information simply because someone tells you there is an emergency.
The AP-NORC poll found that scam attempts have become a routine part of life for many Americans, making it increasingly important for consumers to recognize common tactics.
The best defense, Meredith says, is to pause and verify before taking action.
VyStar members can also check out additional fraud resources here.
