A brief overview of the process of how scammers work. Provides some examples as well. Beware of scammers trying to get credit cards, medical information to use for fraud and identity theft.

1. CYBER SECURITY | USA
Investigator Insight
Anatomy of a Scam
There is no single group of people who is more likely than
any other to be the target of a scam. Kroll’s Investigators
talk to people from all walks of life who have fallen victim.
To avoid a scam, it is helpful to understand how one is put
together. Here we take a look at the basic components:
Contact information is collected. The scammer has
obtained some of your personal identifying information
(PII) which might include name, email address, phone
number, address, and/or other information they will use
to reach you. If contact information is not first obtained by
the scammer, then they will lay out a bait of some sort—
fake employment ad, for example, that might cause you to
contact the scammer first and then willingly provide your
personal identifiers.
A compelling story is presented. This is where the
scammer gives the reason they need PII and/or money
from you. The fake reason may be one of the following:
■■ A caller claims he is a Microsoft representative and can
see that your computer has a virus.
■■ An email claims our credit card or bank account is in
danger of being closed or your access to it restricted.
■■ A person in a foreign country needs your help getting a
great fortune transferred to the United States.
■■ A caller claims he is an IRS agent who must collect
payment from you or you will be arrested.
The target of the scam gives up personal
information or money. This is where the trouble starts—
you give them your personal identifiers, access to your
computer, access to your bank account, or accept a bad
check presented to you by the scammer.
The scammer is rewarded. Now the scammer gets to
work using information provided by the scam victim to steal
money, open new credit accounts, or trick the victim into
giving money to the perpetrator of the fraud.
Use these tips to avoid falling victim to a scam:
■■ Hang up on anyone that you believe is a scammer. Do
not push any buttons on your phone or speak to the
caller.
■■ Understand that legitimate businesses will not send
email or text messages asking for your PII. Delete such
messages without responding.
■■ Don’t trust Caller ID. Scammers can mask their number.
■■ Think about what you are asked for before providing
your PII whether by phone, clicking on a link in an email,
answering an ad, etc.
■■ Be cautious when using a search engine. The first links
listed are paid advertisements and may not be the site
you seek.
A service of the Investigators of Kroll. These materials are derived from the research and discovery activities of Kroll Fraud Specialists and Licensed Investigators, and have been gathered
from personal, historical, and aggregated experience performing specialized restoration services on behalf of Identity Theft victims. While believed to be accurate, these materials do not
constitute legal advice, and are not guaranteed to be correct, complete or up-to-date. No part of this document may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system,
or translated into a language or computer language, in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, optical, chemical, manual or otherwise, without the express written consent of Kroll.
These materials are provided for informational purposes only.
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