The Iris Guide to Outsmarting A Scammer
Keeping you and your community safe from identity fraud and scams
Stay Safe from Scams
Online Safety Resources
Can I recycle or use the same password for my banking app and streaming subscriptions?
Is it okay to click any hyperlink I see on the internet or that’s been sent to me?
What should I do if I get a message from someone I don’t know demanding payment or an action?
How often should I update my software?
Online Identity Protection FAQs
Read Our Blogs
Fraud Reports Submitted to the FTC and Amount Lost by Contact Method
If the scam started on social media, people reported losing the most money overall to scammers ($1.2 billion). However, if a fraudster called via phone, the per-person loss was the highest ($1,400 median loss).
People do, BUT you really shouldn’t. In fact, if you are – change one now! If one account password is compromised, hackers can gain access to other accounts that use the same password as well.
No, clicking on random hyperlinks on the internet or in any communication can be risky. The links could re-direct you to a phishing website intending to steal your personal information or install malware on your device.
Never respond (or forward!) unsolicited messages from unfamiliar senders. Simply delete the message. A reputable company or government agency will never threaten you or demand payment, especially not in the form of gift cards or wire transfers.
Activate automatic updates to help ensure your devices and software are secured with the latest security patches.
Over 12 million Americans are victims of identity theft, fraud, scams, and cybercrime every year.
What else can I do to protect my identity from identity theft and identity fraud?
If you haven’t already, sign up for a comprehensive identity & personal cyber protection service that includes credit and identity monitoring and 24/7/365 full-service fraud resolution assistance should you ever find yourself the victim of fraud.
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Take a look at the blue blogs to learn how partnering with Iris Powered by Generali can help you strengthen customer retention. One of our partners, a global Fortune 500 insurance company, sees a 2% higher retention of customers with Iris’ services.
Check out the purple blogs for more tips to help you stay safe online!
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In 2022, scams originating from social media or phone calls led to big losses.
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Source: Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book, 2022
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In 2022, the Internet Crime Complaint Center received nearly 22,000 business email compromise (BEC) complaints, with adjusted losses over $2.7 billion. BEC scams leverage social engineering and cyberattack techniques to trick consumers into performing an action, ultimately leading to compromise.
With 49% of Americans stating that their life would be significantly impacted if they were a victim of identity theft or cybercrime, you can help protect yourself and your community by following these tips!
Watch Our Videos
Outsmart identity thieves and scammers. Keep your identity safe by learning the red flags of a scam or identity theft attempt and the resources you can use to help you along the way.
with These Tips
Email Scams
SMS Scams
Phone Call Scams
Direct Mail Scams
Take advantage of the spam filter that your email platform offers.
This will limit the number of scam messages that reach your inbox. Just remember that it’s not 100% foolproof, so always proceed with caution when opening emails.
Beware of emails with typos.
Legitimate businesses typically don’t send emails riddled with grammatical errors or misspelled words. Scammers do though, so this is usually a good clue that you have a scam email on your hands.
Never open attachments in unsolicited emails or from unknown sources.
If it’s a scam email, the attachment could download malware, spyware, a virus, or worse, onto your computer – all of which are designed to steal your data. If you’re unsure about a specific attachment, call the sender to confirm it’s really from them.
Hover over links before you click them.
If the hyperlinked text doesn’t match the URL that it points to (it will appear in a small window when you hold your cursor over it), don’t click on it!
Use common sense.
Did you receive a message saying you won a free vacation? Did you win a lottery you never participated in? If it sounds too good to be true, it very likely is. Along the same lines, if an email sounds unnecessarily urgent, do some research before acting. Take some time to verify if the message is genuine. Most legitimate organizations will not ask you to send back personal information via email.
Beware of messages from an unknow number.
This is a big one! If you don’t recognize the number, alarm bells should immediately go off – particularly if the message is coming from a phone number with five to six digits instead of 10.
Don't click the link(s).
Never click on a link sent via text message – especially if it’s asking you to sign into a sensitive account like your bank, email, etc. Scam messages often use free URL shorteners like bitly or tinyurl for their malicious links that will install malware on your device or lead you to a fake website to trick you into sharing your personal information.
Slow down – watch for scare tactics.
These fear-inducing messages are commonly used by scammers, as they know you're more likely to make a rushed decision when you're worried or frightened. Scammers want you to act quickly – like sharing your personally identifiable information, account credentials, etc. – without thinking. A legitimate business will never threaten you into responding or use high-pressured tactics.
Say "Bye, bye, bye" to the text message or SMS.
If you received a suspicious text message, delete it immediately. You don’t want to risk accidentally replying, clicking a link, or forwarding the message to a loved one.
Be skeptical – everyone isn’t who they say they are.
You may receive calls from people claiming to be law enforcement or a federal agency threatening or demanding that you take a particular action. The goal is to scare you before you have a chance to really think about the request. Remember, real law enforcement won’t call and threaten you. Register your phone with the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) National Do Not Call Registry and hang up immediately on suspicious phone calls.
Never pay in gift cards.
Fraudsters will often ask you to pay in odd ways, like sending cash or paying via gift cards or wire transfers. Beware: anyone asking you to only pay via those methods – be it by telephone, text message, or email – is a scammer.
Never share your personally identifiable information – like your Social Security number.
Never give out your Social Security number or sensitive personally identifiable information via phone, especially on an unsolicited or unexpected phone call. The IRS or Social Security Administration will never call you to confirm those details.
Don’t be fooled into thinking “you’ve won” just yet.
Scammers may call you saying you were “specially selected” for an offer or that you’ve won a lottery. But think twice! Did you sign up for that promotion? If not, it’s likely a scam. And, if you have to pay to get your winnings, it’s not a real prize.
Get your name and address taken off of mailing lists.
If you’re tired of receiving unsolicited junk mail, the FTC has a handy webpage that explains how to remove an address from marketing mail lists, including credit card offers, insurance offers, and catalogs. Free up some space in your mailbox by saying no to junk mail!
Pay attention to the details.
This includes mail that says it’s a “Final Notice” even though you didn’t receive any previous notice or mail that says you’ve won a free vacation or the lottery. Read over the details before making any decisions or taking any action.
Research the company.
Before assuming that a mail solicitation is from a legitimate business, do your research. The Better Business Bureau and the FTC provide insights into companies that may appear real but actually aren’t. You can even do a simple Google search, as other individuals who have previously engaged with the business will often post reviews, etc., to warn others to stay away.
Report scam mail.
If you receive any mail you believe to be a scam, report it to the United States Postal Inspection Service. Make sure to also report to the FTC – they track trends related to identity theft, fraud, and scams. By reporting these incidents, you can help them identify trends and patterns so they can alert the public.
Total $ Lost
Median $ Lost
Oh Behave! Identity Theft and Fraud Report
Can You Outsmart an Identity Thief or Scammer?
#BeCyberSmart with Tips from Iris on LinkedIn!
Online Ad/Pop-up
Mail
Other
Social Media
Website or Apps
Email
Phone Call
Text
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
0
200
400
600
800
1200
1000
?
x
Text:
321,374
Other:
139,236
Mail:
36,758
Online Ad/Pop-Up:
36,079
Social Media:
162,863
Website or Apps:
179,560
Email:
270,895
Phone Call:
294,659
Check out these videos for some crazy scam stories and tips to help you protect yourself online!
Our Approach to Customer Service & Resolution
Our Approach to Account Management
Our Approach to Partner Marketing
Our Approach to Marketing
Our Approach to Security
Part Two
Part One
Interested in offering identity and personal cyber protection services to your customers?
Shimon Hayut
Natwarlal
Elizabeth Holmes
Charles Ponzi
5 Steps to Help Protect Your Online Activities
Wild Scam Stories
The Wild Wild World of Scams (Recorded Webinar)
Coming soon
6 Ways to Stay One Step Ahead of Identity Thieves and Scammers
Do You Need Identity Theft Protection?
Why Software Updates Are Non-Negotiable
4 Tips to Help You Spot a Phishing Scam
Are You Smarter Than a Scammer? Put Yourself to the Test!
# of Reports to the FTC
Follow us
®
Click each person to learn more about their wild scams!
NotTheURLYouClicked.com
$181M
$75M
$1,139M
$1,228M
$900M
$413M
$798M
$326M
36,079
36,758
139,236
162,863
179,560
270,895
294,659
321,374
Coming soon
Interactive Quiz
Can I recycle or use the same password for my banking app and streaming subscriptions?
# of Reports
$229
$800
$800
$528
$333
$816
$1,400
$1,000
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1,000
1,500
2,000
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Is it okay to click any hyperlink I see on the internet or that’s been sent to me?
What should I do if I get a message from someone I don’t know demanding payment or an action?
How often should I update my software?
What else can I do to protect my identity from identity theft and identity fraud?
4 Tips to Help You Spot a Phishing Scam – Before You're Baited
Why Software Updates Are Non-Negotiable and Shouldn’t be Ignored
Iris Powered by Generali is proud to support this year’s International Fraud Awareness Week
International Fraud Awareness Week
Our Approach to Technology
Part One
Part Two
Our Approach to Marketing
Part One
Part Two
Part One
Iris Powered by Generali is proud to support this year’s International Fraud Awareness Week
International Fraud Awareness Week
Coming Soon