Arkansas HVACR NewsMagazine March 2025

News Magazine June 2018

company or merchant the phisher claims to represent. You might land on what appears to be a checkout page that requires you to enter credit card data. A first warning that you ’ re a target of phishing is a slight difference in an email address, perhaps an inconspicuous misspelling that you aren ’ t likely to catch unless you ’ re on alert. Another popular angle is to inform you that you ’ ve won a sweepstakes or lottery prize — but to collect, you must give your credit card details. If you fall for the ruse, the phisher will use your information to start spending on your credit cards. Social Security is a favorite target for fraudsters. You may receive a notice that urges you to make a payment or your Social Security number will be suspended. That’s not possible, so just ignore the threat. A particularly insidious method of fraud is via malicious hot spots. When using public Wi- Fi, it’s critical that you choose your network carefully. Your device may pick up two types of dangerous hot spots. 4. Social Security benefits scam 5. The hot spot scam 1. The hot spot prompts you to pay for internet access before you can begin surfing. This could be a fraudster effectively phishing for your credit card information.

I ’d like to th row in that my identity was stolen about 15 years ago. Fortunately, it only costs me time as the credit card company is required to credit your account when the charge is proven false. Seems that about every 6 to 9 months I go to the same process of contesting the charge, getting a credit, cancelling, and getting a new card number issued. 2. Skimming scam Credit card skimmers are accessories placed on point-of-sale devices to steal your payment information. They ’re designed to resemble the real credit card terminal so you won ’t suspect a thing during the transaction. Once you insert your card, the skimmer copies your credit card info as the merchant processes your payment. Skimmers can be as simple as an extension of the magnetic stripe reader and as intricate as a false shell that fits over the PIN pad of a credit card machine. They ’re most often found at gas stations and ATMs. 3. Phishing scam Phishing is the act of sending messages (usually email or test) to trick you into either sharing personal information or clicking a link that downloads malware onto your device. While not exclusively used for credit card fraud (the phisher can pose as a reputable establishment, such as your bank or place of work), it can be a very effective way to score your card information. Phishing usually contains a link that takes you to a website simulating the