Saying “There’s a new scam” really doesn’t cover it because let’s face it – in this day and age scams are everywhere, everyday, and you have to be on guard against them constantly. We just try to bring the latest ones to your attention so hopefully you’ll be aware if or when one becomes aimed at you.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama is warning their customers of the recent rash of calls made by scammers claiming to be with the company, in an effort to obtain personal, private information through dishonest means.
Many of the bogus calls have reportedly been coming from the number 1-518-381-2264 – a number that has been associated with scam calls in a number of locations.
And remember, Blue Cross DOES NOT make outgoing calls in order to verify and/or update information on their customers. If you receive such a call, simply hang up.
Locally, Cherokee County residents have been receiving e-mails purporting to be from Bank of America with a message indicating that the person’s account balance had dropped below $25.00 and that they should click the Blue Button for “account details”.
One person who reported this to WEIS Radio said they immediately spotted this as another scam – in part because they didn’t even have an account with Bank of America. They stated that the link looked extremely authentic, containing a company logo, complete with privacy notice disclaimer and more. This is an example of a more “sophisticated” scam, taking just a bit more time to put together – but if it works, it provides the crooks with a bigger reward
Once you open up an e-mail containing a virus, that sender can quickly access all the highly- sensitive information on your computer – including such things as social security, credit or debit card and banking account numbers and so on.
If you receive an unusual message from your bank, don’t open any links or attachments, but instead call your bank and inform them of the situation.
That way you know who you’re dealing with because YOU placed the call yourself. Taking a few minutes to easily check on something could save you a lot of time, money – and a ton of aggravation down the road.