Red flags to recognize in possible scams

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KFVS) - Whether it is an email, text message or phone call, there are several telltale signs something is a possible scam or phishing attempt.

According to the U.S. Department of State, phishing is a type of cyber attack that uses social engineering to trick victims into giving up personal information or even money.

A phishing attempt can come in a variety of forms, but they all include wording aimed at gaining the intended victim’s trust or causing them to have fear, while creating a sense of urgency.

The following image shows an iPhone-generated transcription of a voicemail received by a Heartland News producer on her private cell phone. Details like the name and number of the caller are blocked out.

When the message is played, the audio sounds like a robotic male voice, possibly created using artificial intelligence. The voice claims to be calling from a debt mediation service.

The recording is about a minute and a half long and includes several elements suggesting it may be a phishing attempt.

The following is the full transcription as generated by the smartphone, with redactions:

“This is [redacted] with [redacted] I’m contacting you because you’re unresolved tax delinquency may have developed into a critical legal matter and aggressive asset recovery efforts could potentially begin at any moment without prior notice this is not a routine message your case seems to be under review for possible escalated enforcement and the window to intervene may be closing rapidly if you’ve missed prior notices it’s quite possible that action has already started you could be facing wage garnishment restricted access to funds or even asset seizure and once initiated these steps are generally very hard to reverse call me now at [redacted] there may still be resolution programs that could lessen or even eliminate your balance but those options might no longer be viable if enforcement moves forward even a brief delay could realistically trigger serious consequences again this is [redacted] with [redacted] call immediately at [redacted] one more time [redacted] this issue likely won’t resolve on its own your opportunity is almost certainly closing to opt out of future contact notify us directly…”

Things to note include the use of threats (“aggressive asset recovery efforts,” “escalated enforcement”) and sense of urgency (“the window to intervene may be closing rapidly,” “it’s quite possible that action has already started”).

The message also includes instructions to call the number back to opt out of future contact. That could be aimed at getting the intended victim on the phone to continue the phishing attempt in a live call.

Sydney Waters with the Better Business Bureau said these tactics are commonly used by scammers.

“Any time scammers have something that they want you to act quickly on, they’re trying to take away your time to pause, think and verify.”

By learning to recognize certain red flags, Waters said people can avoid falling victim to a phishing attempt.

It starts with knowing which avenues certain groups or even loved ones usually use to get in contact.

“A mediation service will not contact you unsolicited, especially on tax delinquency. If your producer has not received any letters from the IRS, that would be a red flag as well,” Waters said.

Other signs to pay attention to include the sound of the voice on the call or in the message. If it sounds robotic or a delayed click plays after the first “hello,” it could be AI-generated.

Phishing attempts may contain not only monetary threats, but physical ones as well.

“At the Better Business Bureau, we get reports of taking away licenses, taking away account numbers, even violent threats. We see messages with them claiming to show up at your home as well.”

The scammer may request payment in order to prevent threats from being carried out.

The requested form of payment may be another red flag. Untraceable payment methods like CashApp, Zelle, Bitcoin or gift cards are all suspicious because there’s no way to get the money back once it is sent.

Scammers may try to elicit hundreds or thousands of dollars in payment from their intended victim, but there may be far-reaching consequences unrelated to money.

“Once you send that account information or your Social Security Number, or even sometimes just your birth date, they can breach your identity and then start opening accounts, get into your bank account, all sorts of other things,” Waters said.

People can avoid getting scammed by noticing these signs, then blocking the message--instead of following through with whatever instructions are in it.

If it is unclear whether the call is coming from a real agency or company, Waters said it is a good idea to search that group online and check the number listed on the official website.

Most smartphones and email services make it easy to block and report phishing attempts as junk.

“If you’re getting threatening messages, I always say, involve your local police department as well,” Waters said.

Reports can also be made over the phone by calling the BBB office serving southeast Missouri and southern Illinois at (314) 645-3300.