BE VIGILANT TO POTENTIAL SCAMS DURING THE PANDEMIC
Scam artists are trying to use multiple techniques to try and trick vulnerable homeowners, Realtors®, or the real estate industry at large.
As some homeowners struggle from the economic toll of the COVID-19 outbreak, scammers are looking to take advantage of those looking for help. Below are some known scams and helpful tips to keep you safe.
Communications
www.consumer.gov; FTC.gov/complaint; www.donotcall.gov
Phone Scams
Helpful Tips:
NAR has reported scammers calling asking for money or personal info to give you news about NAR Insurance floridarealtors.org
Be cautious with caller ID. Scammers can make any name or number appear from anywhere in the world via phone or internet
Let the call go to voicemail if a call is from an unknown number and is important, the caller will leave a message
Hang up if it’s a robocall, don’t press any numbers
Never give out personal, financial or other sensitive information unless you have verified the caller as a legitimate source. Verify the source by researching the person or the company. Note- Spoofers and Hackers can clone/copy phone numbers, email addresses and websites to appear legitimate making actual verification challenging. Recommendations are to hang up on the caller then redial the number to check if the number directs you to the person, company/agency. Report unwanted calls to FTC.gov also register your phones on the National Do Not Call Registry, www.donotcall.gov
Ignore calls/online offers for vaccinations and test kits. There are no products proven to treat or prevent COVID-19 at this time.
For international phone, text, computer scams visit econsumer.gov
Email and Texts Scams
Helpful Tips:
Protect your computer by using security software and set to update automatically
Protect your mobile phone by setting software to update automatically
Protect your accounts by using “multifactor authentication”, requiring two or more credentials to log in to your account
Protect data on your computer by backing it up on an external hard drive or cloud storage; Back up data on your phone too
Imposter Scams
www.consumer.gov/articles/imposter-scams#!what-to-know
Helpful Tips:
These scammers can contact you via phone, email or text pretending to be someone you know or a company you do business with and usually have a story i.e. calling from a tech support company about a problem on your computer, you owe money to the IRS or another government agency, you just won a prize but you have to pay fees to get the prize or a friend is in trouble and needs your help
Never send money to people you don’t know – or when you are not sure if they are who they say they are
Never wire money, it’s like sending cash and you cannot get the money back
Do not send a gift card, gift cards are like cash, if you buy a gift card and someone uses it, you cannot get your money back
Financial
Mortgage Relief Scams
Helpful Tips:
Never give out personal, financial or other sensitive information unless you have verified the caller as a legitimate source. Verify the source by researching the person or the company. Note- Spoofers and Hackers can clone/copy phone numbers, email addresses and websites to appear legitimate making actual verification challenging. Recommendations are to hang up on the caller then redial the number to check if the number directs you to the person, company/agency. Report unwanted calls to FTC.gov also register your phones on the National Do Not Call Registry, www.donotcall.gov
Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae will never reach out to offer a refinancing opportunity or a new loan over the phone. If you have been contacted by someone other than your loan servicer (the company listed on your mortgage statement) who is offering to provide mortgage assistance, do not provide your information. Contact your loan officer directly to discuss options
If you are a Freddie Mac homeowner that has been affected directly or indirectly by COVID-19, visit www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/blog/guide-coronavirus-mortgage-relief-options/
If you are not sure if Freddie Mac owns your mortgage visit ww3.freddiemac.com/loanlookup/
Foreclosure Scams
makinghomeaffordable.gov.; hud.gov
Helpful Tips:
Beware of anyone or any company offering you a HAMP modification after December 31, 2017. The HAMP Program is now closed. Scammers have been calling, e-mailing and contacting individuals claiming they have been approved for a HAMP modification and requesting payments be sent directly to them
Beware of individuals or companies using mail/email or phone solicitations that offer money-back guarantees or insist on upfront fees and can only accept payment by cashier's check or wire transfer
Beware of auditors offering “forensic” audit services to avoid foreclosure, speed the loan modification process, reduce what you owe or even cancel your loan. There's no evidence that forensic loan audits will help you get a loan modification or any other mortgage relief
You can apply for mortgage assistance on your own or with free help from a HUD-approved housing counseling agency. For more information and to find a HUD-approved housing counseling agency access HUD's database for Foreclosure Avoidance Counseling.
Contact your lender immediately if you are struggling to pay your mortgage, you may be able to negotiate a new repayment schedule
Government
Corona Relief Check Scams
irs.gov/coronavirus; economic impact payments
Helpful Tips:
The Federal Government /IRS will not call or email you for eligibility status. You don’t need to do anything if you have filed taxes for 2018 and/or 2019 with the federal government likely has the information it needs to send you your money
Do not give anyone your personal information to “sign-up” for your relief check, there is nothing to sign up for. Anyone calling to ask for your personal information, like your Social Security number, PayPal account, or bank information is a scammer
The IRS will not call you and ask for your SS number over the phone
If you come across a scammer trying to take your check do not provide the information and report it to the ftc.gov/complaint
To obtain official updates visit the IRS’s webpage economic impact payments
Social Security Administration, SSA, ID Scams/Fraud
Helpful Tips:
If there is an issue with SSA, they will mail you a letter with specific directions
Do not provide all or partial SS number to someone you don’t know. The SSA will not ask for your SS number over the phone
The SSA will not call or email you that your SS number has been suspended or threaten your benefits
The SSA will not promise a SS benefit approval or increase in exchange for money or gift card
The SSA will not demand a specific means of debt payment like cash, prepaid debit card or gift card or threaten to seize your bank account
Small Businesses: Where to go for financial relief information
sba.gov/coronavirus. ; consumer.ftc.gov ; covid19.floridajobs.org
Helpful Tips:
Do not respond to unsolicited SBA emails or calls, go directly to the SBA site
Never give out personal, financial or other sensitive information unless you have verified the caller as a legitimate source. Verify the source by researching the person or the company. Note- Spoofers and Hackers can clone/copy phone numbers, email addresses and websites to appear legitimate making actual verification challenging. Recommendations are to hang up on the caller then redial the number to check if the number directs you to the person, company/agency. Report unwanted calls to FTC.gov also register your phones on the National Do Not Call Registry, www.donotcall.gov
Don’t click on links from your bank or a government agency, it could load malware onto your computer. If you need to respond, call the office directly, but do not use a number listed in the email, that could be fake. Search online for a genuine telephone number or call your banker using the number you’ve always used
Watch out for application scams. The SBA reports small businesses are being targeted by unsolicited calls or emails from people claiming to have an inside track to expedite financial relief and charging upfront fees. Applying for a loan is a step-by-step process, contact the SBA directly
Charity/Donation Scams
consumer.gov; FTC.gov/complaint.
Helpful Tips:
Before making a donation, search the charity name plus, “complaint”, “review”, “rating” Use these organizations to help your search
Don’t be rushed into making the donation. If someone wants cash donations, gift card or by wiring money – don’t do it - safer to pay by credit card or check
Keep a record of all donations and review statements to make sure charges are recorded correctly - make sure you are not signed up for recurring donations
Computer Viruses with COVID-19 Themes / Video Hacking Prevention
Helpful Tips:
Update your virus protection to include malware
Change the default password on your router-create or include password combinations using numbers, upper- and lower-case letters
Enable the encryption on the router using two-factor authentication to access programs
Do not store company information on your personal device, use only company approved storage
Use a virtual private network if available from your company
International scams/fraud are also on the rise contact econsumer.gov for assistance for subscriptions, multi-marketing, pyramid and others
Video Conferencing
Helpful Tips:
As a Host, use your organization approved web conference platform and follow policies
Be conscious of reusing access codes
Don’t make meetings or classes public. You can require participants to use a password
Limit screen sharing. Hosts can prevent others from posting video by changing the screen sharing options to “Host Only”
Lock the door. You can close your meeting to newcomers once everyone has arrived.
Cut out the chatter. The host can disable the ability to text chat during the session to prevent the delivery of unwanted messages
Hosts can remove a participant by putting the mouse over that name and choosing the Remove option
At the end of the meeting, make sure you shut down the meeting entirely before you step away, so everyone is disconnected