The Rule of 7 in marketing says people need to hear a message at least seven times before they act on it. The latest Data Spotlight from the FTC, “False alarm, real scam” has some messaging to share (repeatedly) with your staff and colleagues. Share it in your company newsletter, email signature block, or posted in the office pantry, bulletin board, water cooler, or internal website. Because the last thing you want are team members who have to face the disastrous loss of their own life savings — or a family member’s retirement.
The numbers are alarming: older adults (60+) are losing huge amounts of money at a much higher rate than younger people to business and government imposters. And “huge amounts” means more (sometimes lots more) than $100,000. How do scammers do it? They raise a sense of alarm or panic by saying someone’s using your accounts, someone’s using your info to commit crimes, or there’s some problem with your computer. All these stories are fake, but all of them are alarming.
Once scammers cause a panic, they offer a solution: they’ll send your call to a supposed government agent who can (ahem) help. Of course, the “agent” is neither with the government, nor can they help. It’s another scammer who, this time, works to convince you to move your money. To protect it. To clear your name, secure your identity, help catch the crooks, solve whatever crisis scammers created in the first place. Through bank transfers, in crypto through a Bitcoin ATM, or in cash or gold bars picked up by couriers — all payments the government would never demand.
People of all ages lose money to this scam, and few people can afford to lose the amounts of money scammers are stealing. So read the Spotlight. Learn more about the scam. And share these takeaways with your staff:
- Don’t move money to “protect” it in response to an unexpected call or message. That’s a scam.
- Hang up and verify with the real company or agency — but use a number or website you know is real.
- Block unwanted calls to help stop scammers before they reach you.
Then repeat. And share the Spotlight with others on your team so they can reinforce the message to help protect your staff, colleagues, their families, and — ultimately — your bottom line.
#scammers #business