Have you seen an email that you were suspicious of? Did someone email you and ask for a favor? Did you receive an email telling you that you owe money or that you bought an item you didn’t? All of these are typical email scams, but there are many other versions. This month, the Seattle King County Advisory Council on Aging and Disability Services discussed Fraud Prevention in their September newsletter. In this article bySonali Agarwal, an intern with Age Friendly Seattle, it lists the three Rs of fraud prevention, including recognizing what is a fraud/scam; resisting by handing up or deleting the email; and reporting it (e.g., to your bank, Social Security, etc.).
Patrick Scriven, the Director of Communications for the Pacific Northwest Conference, wrote an article a few years ago about how to recognize an email scam. He suggests you should be cautious if:
1. The email address or domain is unfamiliar.
2. The email has poor grammar or spelling, or uses unusual phrases or greetings
3. The email asks for an immediate reply or action
4. The email asks for login credentials or other sensitive information
5. The email has unexpected or unfamiliar attachments
6. The email contains a deal or an offer that is too good (or bad) to be true.
In today's digital age, it is crucial that we understand how to spot a scam and prevent fraud. Scriven also suggests having “a healthy amount of skepticism”. No one is perfect, though, so one of the things we can do is up our digital security by insisting on using difficult-to-guess passcodes, storing our passcodes safely, and using two-factor authentication, which uses your cellphone or an app to ensure you are the right person.
I encourage you to read the articles linked above, stay cautious when it comes to email requests, and always call the Church Office if you are suspicious of an email from the church or from me.