As technology continues to advance and adapt at a pace faster than most people can follow, so too do the scams, tricks, and attacks that come with it.
The risk of online attacks and deceit is higher now than ever since thieves of money, personal information, assets, or all of the above have a plethora of creative routes and top-tier equipment at their disposal.
The risks of online attacks in the fledgling stages of modern technology were highly prevalent as the world adjusted to the new norm, but the attacks were not as nearly comprehensive, convincing, and cunning as they are now.
Accurate and realistic portrayals of emails, websites, and programs from trusted vendors, direct emails and text messages of high-importance or even threatening content, and the classic get-rich-quick and too-good-to-be-true advertisements continue to threaten the general public as they traverse cyberspace.
However, what makes these threats even worse is that hosts of information now sit firmly online when just a few years ago, a pen and paper or in-person business removed that risk. For scammers, there’s much more to gain, and for users, there’s a whole life to lose.
And to add insult to injury, scammers continually target those most unaware of their tricks and those least adept in navigating the Internet. To help combat this, Congressman Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport), of the Second Congressional District, hosted a “Senior Scam” prevention seminar at the West Sayville Fire House last week. Joining him to help advise the population against the latest scam attempts was Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney (R).
“Nationwide losses to ransomware payments hit over $1 billion last year,” Garbarino told The Messenger, referencing a form of deception in which a device is “locked” by “law enforcement” who alleges that sensitive or illegal material is stored on said device, and that the only way to regain control is to pay the tab. Of course, these are never from actual law enforcement agencies, but the convincing attacks that lock down computers cost Americans a significant sum in 2023.
“Unfortunately, that’s only an estimate because we don’t always know when someone pays the ransom,” Garbarino added. “It’s not an exact science because it’s all based on what knowledge you have.”
Garbarino also said that it’s one thing to click on an email at home and expose only your information, but the problem gets worse when the hack infiltrates a workplace, especially those like government organizations or school districts.
“You’re only as strong as your weakest link,” he said. Garbarino sits on the House Committee on Homeland Security and chairs the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection.
Suffolk D.A. Tierney said that a massive problem is advanced technology that not only allows scammers to widen their breadth, but also makes it harder for them to be tracked.
“The problem is scammers are so sophisticated, they keep changing their phones and even their routers,” Tierney told The Messenger. “The technology is very difficult to control. It used to be that there was only a limited number of ways scammers could get into your home. Now, it’s virtually unlimited.”
The seminar was hosted by Derick Rill, Congressional Liaison from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Rill led the attendees through a wealth of information as well as tips and tricks for residents to better arm themselves against the dangers of cyberspace. Rill guided the seminar and offered tips and phrases to help arm the population against online scams.
“Payment mechanisms are an absolute red flag. Do not wire money; gift cards are for gifts, not for payments,” said Rill, referencing a recent form of scam in which victims are asked to send money to scammers via Visa gift cards. Rill says that any phone call or email requesting a form of payment from an unverified source are tell-tale signs of fraud.
“If you send money to someone you don’t know by the wire, might as well throw it in the fire,” he said.”
Rill also gave some tips as far as maintaining credit accounts and disputing charges.
“When you use a credit card, you have protections that other methods don’t,” said Rill. “By law, if you catch something that’s unauthorized on your credit card statement, within sixty days of the bill, they have to prove it’s you. You go to the FTC’s website and dispute the charge.”
Rill also encouraged attendees to monitor or even lock credit files for their children and grandchildren, as scammers will open up a credit report under their names. When children become of age and try to pay bills or get their first credit card, they’ll be hit with the damage.
Lucie Kwon, Chief of the Financial Crimes Bureau of the Suffolk County D.A.’s Office, said that embarrassment is what usually prevents people from reporting their victimization.
“When you raise your children and your grandkids, you always tell them, ‘don’t ever be afraid to come to us, don’t ever be afraid to tell us, we’ll always support you.’ Well, in turn, you can’t be afraid, you have to practice what you preach, right? Don’t ever be embarrassed to report that you’ve been scammed. The sooner you can get in front of it, the better.”
Kwon took the pressure off by saying that she was recently scammed by a convincing advertisement on a web browsing home page.
“What scammers do is they buy space, either on Zoom or any search engine such as Google, Yahoo, or MSN, so that they come up first to give the appearance that they’re legitimate,” said Kwon. “I’m the Chief of the Financial Control Group, it can happen to any of us.”
Kwon told users that in the event that they’ve been scammed to not change their passwords, as the scammers are already tracking their information.
Kwon also said that older people are more likely to be victimized because scammers know that older people tend to have amassed a degree of wealth at their age. She also said that women are 92% more likely to be victimized than men because they live longer, and can therefore accrue more wealth with age over time.
Kwon also shared the scary concept of synthetic ID theft and told the audience to be diligent in checking their statements.
“What happens is the scammers will actually attach their information or someone else’s information to your credit, and as you’re using your credit card, this synthetic ID person is actually building up great credit off of yours and then they’re off to the races with it. What they can do is not detach from you and they will ruin your entire credit.”
Kwon recommends running your credit regularly; many banks, as well as AARP, will do this for free.
“In the same manner that you take care of yourself physically, emotionally, and mentally, taking care of yourself financially is equally as important because it gives you peace of mind. You all worked really hard to be here, to enjoy this moment in your life, and you should enjoy it with some peace.”
Finally, Kwon discussed the Homeowner Watch List (HOWL) program offered by Suffolk County, wherein you can register your home with the database and be immediately notified when there is any activity against your home.
“Another scam that we’ve been seeing is fake deeds being filed, and the next thing you know, you’re getting a knock on the door that somebody sold your house, or that somebody else owns your home,” said Kwon.
D.A. Tierney informed the audience of a scam tactic called spoofing, wherein a scammer can make a phone call and the recipient sees them as a government or law enforcement agency. Tierney says that scammers will impersonate a police officer, FBI agent, or even Tierney himself, to scare the victim into sending money to settle charges.
“That’s not how our government works. We don’t call people up and say we’re going to arrest you or seize your assets unless you give us X amount of dollars. There’s no agency in the United States that will do that,” said Tierney.
“You can say imitation is the best form of flattery, but not when you’re a scammer,” Rill quipped.
Nick Moore, a U.S. Postal Inspector, gave a list of information to check when running a credit report.
“You’ll check that your name is spelled correctly, your current address, your previous addresses, your Social Security Number; it’s all going to be you,” said Moore. “And it’s going to tell you if you have any bankruptcies or liens that you didn’t file.”
Holly Rhodes-Teague, Director of the Suffolk County Office of the Aging, said that freezing credit accounts when inactive can be of benefit.
“If you have credit and you’re concerned that somebody’s trying to access it, you can freeze your credit through the credit reporting companies,” said Rhodes-Teague. “You can also turn off your credit cards and then turn them back on. There are ways to do that. You should try to do it if you are concerned about it, or if you know you’re not going to be using credit. If you’re not buying a house, a car, or making any major purchases anytime soon, you can actually have it so that somebody cannot access your credit during the period of time that you shut it down.”
Congressman Garbarino shared a tip from his experience on the Cyber Committee.
“One of the best defenses we have is you want to continuously update your devices and software,” said Garbarino. “When your phone or your computer software offers you an update, do it because most of the time it’s fixing something within that software that the bad guys are using to get in.”
Rill closed the meeting with words of hope for the new ambassadors for online safety: “You’re in charge. I don’t want you to leave here scared today. There’s a lot of scary things out there, but you’re in charge.”
Congressman Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport) has represented New York’s Second Congressional District since 2021. The Second District includes all of Islip and Babylon Townships, as well as southern Brookhaven from Blue Point and Holbrook to Mastic Beach and Yaphank, as well as Bar Harbor, Bitmore Shores, Cedar Shores, East Massapequa, Harbor Green, Massapequa, Massapequa Park, Nassau Shores, North Massapequa, West Amityville, as well as all of Fire Island from West Gilgo Beach to Smith’s Point.
