How often do you see a funky email that makes you stop in your tracks and question if it is legitimate? For me, it’s almost every single day. Going through my emails there are loads of “you won a free iPhone 15 Pro!” or “click this link to pay your toll bill” or plenty of other creative, yet totally realistic emails. Email and text message scams are increasing, and email scams continue to be one of the main ways scammers get your information. At Bloom Wealth Advisors, we want to help you understand how you can protect yourself and your information.
Let’s go over a few ways for you to help protect yourself.
What Is Phishing?
Phishing is when a scammer pretends to be a trusted source, such as a bank, credit card company, delivery service, or even a financial advisor, to gain access to your information.
These messages often:
- Look legitimate and professional
- Use urgent language (“Action required,” “Your account is locked”)
- Ask you to click a link or verify information
And unfortunately, they’re getting better every year.
Some of the scams we’ve seen lately are saying they are from the US Postal Service, toll ways, the IRS, Medicare, airlines, and many more.
Common Red Flags to Watch For
Even well-designed phishing emails usually include at least one red flag:
- Urgency or fear-based language pushing you to act quickly
- Links or attachments you weren’t expecting
- Slightly off email addresses or unusual sender names – when I say slightly, I mean slightly! There could just be one letter difference, something so small you won’t even notice.
- Requests for personal or login information
- Poor grammar or odd formatting (though this is less common than it used to be). I’ve received a few phishing emails with just one word that feels “off”. Inspect each email carefully and review the language.
If something feels even slightly off, pause before clicking.
Simple Ways to Protect Yourself
You don’t need to be a tech expert to stay safe. These basics go a long way:
- Use strong, unique passwords for financial and email accounts. Ideally, change your password every 90 days.
- Enable two-factor authentication whenever possible. I know this can be annoying but it can protect you from scammers getting access to your logins.
- Be careful when clicking links, especially in unexpected emails or texts
- Go directly to a website by typing it into your browser instead
- Do not send any personal information over email. If you are sending us information like your tax return or statements, reach out to [email protected] and she will send you a secure link to upload everything securely. We never want you sending your personal information over email.
- Slow down and review each email. Even if you think it’s from someone you know, inspect the language, look at the email, be vigilant.
What to Do If You’re Unsure
If you receive a message that looks like it might be from Bloom Wealth Advisors, or any financial institution and you’re not sure whether it’s legitimate:
- Don’t click on any links
- Don’t reply to the message
- Reach out to us directly at 303-415-9122
We’re always happy to take a quick look and help you verify!
Pay It Forward
If you receive an email from someone you know that doesn’t look right, let them know right away. Don’t respond to their email in case their email has been compromised but pick up the phone and call them. The faster they act, the less people could be affected.
If you fall for a scam, tell everyone you know what happened. I know this might feel embarrassing and you may not want to admit that you fell for a scam. But trust me, you are NOT alone. More and more people are falling for scams every day, and let’s educate each other so the same thing doesn’t happen to those that you care about.
We are here to help!
We at Bloom Wealth Advisors want to help keep you and your information safe and we will continue to educate you on common scams. If you haven’t watched our Identity Theft Webinar, watch it today at: https://www.bloomwealthadvisors.com/insights/blog/identity-theft-webinar/
Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you are concerned or want more education. We are all in this together.
