It’s the Summer holiday season and many of us are out looking for vacation homes, but not everyone is in a buying mood. Across the country thousands of people are looking to get rid of a time share property, a process that can be difficult. Enter criminal scammers who set up slick looking, but fraudulent businesses that promise to help desperate families for a fee.
One way to protect yourself from identity thieves is by opting into two-factor authentication. This means that to log in to a given site, you enter your password, and then are prompted to enter an authentication code. You either receive the code via text, phone, or email, or you use an app that generates the code. Once you enter that code, you are able to log in. This additional layer of security is meant to protect you in case a criminal has your login information. But like other protections, scammers have found a way around it.
Winter is upon us and with temperatures plummeting in many areas, keeping the heat on is critical — a fact that criminals try to take advantage of. They impersonate utility companies, threatening to cut off service if an immediate payment isn’t made. The goal of these crooks is to create a sense of urgency so the target acts quickly to pay the alleged past-due balance.