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Don't Be Drawn In By Scams

By Al Vermeer, Peoples Bank CEO

4/19/2022

 

Text: Every day, there are thousands
of people who get drawn in 
by various types of scams.
Photo: Hand holding cell phone

YOU HAVE JUST BEEN CHOSEN AS THE SOUL WINNER OF THE DUTCH BANKERS’ LOTTERY!! PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW IMMEDIATELY TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE!!


This sounds pretty silly coming from a bank’s website, correct? But, every day there are thousands of people who get drawn in by this or some other type of scam. We all know Spring has sprung, but unfortunately, so has a new wave of scammers trying to separate you from your money!!


What to Watch Out For

Whether it be the work-at-home scheme, the grandchild-locked-up-in-Mexico fraud, the secret shopper swindle, or the boyfriend/girlfriend scam, they all have a few things in common that you need to watch out for:
  • They will be unreasonable in some way. If you never entered this or any other lotteries or sweepstakes, it isn’t reasonable to expect to win. It isn’t normal for someone to send you money before you even do anything for them. Has your grandchild ever even been to Mexico?? Is it reasonable to send someone money before you have even met in person or talked on the phone???
  • They will be too good to be true. How will sending someone money make your life instantly better?
  • They won’t pass the ”sniff test”. Do they look “normal”? Are emails or letters spelled correctly? Do they use proper grammar? Do they make sense? Do they come from an address that you recognize? Do they look clear or are they fuzzy (have been copied from another source)?
  • They will be inconsistent. If there is phone contact, does the voice approximately match the expectation? (Young/old, Male/Female, known/unknown) Can you hear other voices in the background, like they are calling from a large “call center”?

Text: Scammers will try to play heavily on your emotions because they know this can cloud good judgment.
Photo: Elderly woman looking at cell phone

  • They will all play heavily on your emotion. They will do whatever they can to make you feel afraid, anxious, impatient, in love, etc. They know that strong emotions can cloud good judgment.
  • When it comes time they ask for money, they will demand immediate action. The money needs to be sent now to avoid losing the prize, to get a person out of jail, to pay a fine that is past due, to allow them to buy a special ticket to travel to see you, etc. They will warn you not to talk to family members, authorities, or your banker, but that is exactly what you need to do!

Helpful Articles

Here are a couple of helpful articles that detail different types of scams. There are even some with a modern twist.

Peoples Bank is here to help!

If you see anything that resembles a scam, please destroy it. If you have questions, call a trusted loved one. If you believe you are currently caught in a scam, contact your local Peoples Bank location. Please don’t feel afraid or embarrassed! We deal with several of these cases each month and have been able to help many of them get out of the scam or even get some of their money back. We are here to help YOU!


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