Online Dating Scams Infographic

Has an online love interest asked you for money? That's a scam.

Scammers know millions of people use online dating sites. They are there, too, hiding behind fake profiles.

Signs of a Scam

• Professes love quickly.
• Claims to be overseas for business or military service.
• Asks for money, and lures you off the dating site.
• Claims to need money — for emergencies, hospital bills, or travel.
• Plans to visit, but can't because of an emergency.

Costliest Scam Reported to the FTC in 2020

• $304 million lost in 2020, compared to $75 million in 2016
• Reported money losses increased 4 times since 2016

What to do

1. Slow down — and talk to someone you trust. Don't let a scammer rush you.
2. Never wire money from your bank account, buy gift cards, or wire money to an online love interest. You won't get it back.
3. Contact your bank right away if you think you've sent money to a scammer.
4. Report your experience:

• The online dating site
• FederalTrade Commission: ReportFraud.ftc.gov

Information published from the FTC and ABA Foundation

• Only use a trusted device to access your online accounts.  Don't use public computers.
• Be mindful of potential phishing scams.
• Always choose a strong password and don't reuse passwords.
• Use multi-factor authentication when you can. CFB offers MFA for our online banking products.
• Make sure your wireless connection is safe.
• Make sure your online banking sites utilize encryption on their sites.
• If you feel that your account may have been compromised, please call 765-236-0600 to discuss options related to your account.

ATM and Debit Cards are a great way to provide access to your money 24/7.  Criminals would love to use your cards to access your money as well.  Here are some tips to help keep your cards safe.

• Memorize your PIN number (don’t write on your card or share it with anyone)
• Check all ATMs or Gas Station pay at the pump for any signs of tampering
  • ATM or pay at the pump skimmers are devices that are inserted by criminals on legitimate devices. They are used to steal your card information and your PIN
  • Report any signs of tampering to branch management staff
• Always check your surroundings when you approach an ATM to make sure there is no one suspicious lingering around.
  • If you feel uncomfortable, do not complete your transaction and report to branch management staff.
• Regularly review your account. If you notice any unauthorized transactions, reach out to us immediately to report this at 765-236-0600.

Malware and ransomware are malicious software that can be installed on your computer to steal information (such as usernames and passwords, your browser history or files on your computer), encrypt files and demand money to unlock them or corrupt your files or operating system.  These are some ways to help prevent malware and ransomware on your devices:

• Keep your operating system up to date! Install those automatic updates when they are available and go ahead and do that reboot (do this for cell phones and tablets as well).
• Keep your software up to date. Update your browser software, your antimalware software, and all third-party software (like Adobe) on your devices.
• Use a reputable antivirus/antimalware software and keep it up to date. If you receive a notification that your subscription has expired, you are no longer protected.
• Only install apps on your cell phone and tablets from the official app store (for both Apple and Android devices).
• Don’t click on links you are not expecting in email or open attachments from unknown sources or that you are not expecting.
• Always keep important information backed up via cloud storage or an external drive.

Think of passwords as one of the layers of defense to protect your valuables (your accounts).  The better your password, the better your defense.  Here are some good practices when it comes to passwords:

• Passwords should be unique to every application or site you use.
• Once a password is required to be changed, never use it again.
• The longer the password, the better. Aim for passwords to be at least 15 characters long.
• Don’t use passwords that are easily guessed (birthdays, names or your social security number).
• Sprinkle in capital letters, numbers and special characters.
• Utilize a password safe to keep track of all of your passwords (and most can tell you about the overall health of your passwords).

Phishing is when criminals send emails attempting to get you to reveal personal or financial information or usernames and passwords.

Business Email Compromise is when a criminal pretends to be a CEO or company president.  They will use this fake email to get users to wire money or pay false invoices to false accounts.

Vishing is when criminals use text messages to send fake information or try to get you to click on a malicious link. Criminals can also spoof caller ID to get you to believe you are receiving a phone call from a trusted source.

Here are some tips to avoid these types of scams:

• Don’t answer unknown numbers and don’t trust caller ID. Scammers typically don’t leave messages.
• Don’t provide any personal information, usernames, or passwords over the phone.
• Your bank or credit card company will not call and ask for your full social security number, passwords or card numbers over the phone.
• If a caller is urgent about you sending or transferring money, this is a sign that you could be dealing with a criminal.
• If an email is too good to be true, it could well be a phishing scam.
• You can use Google to search for similar emails or scams.