The U.S. Secret Service is on a mission this holiday season to protect New York consumers from schemes through the Cyber Fraud Task Force.
Last year, millions of dollars were lost in consumer fraud schemes, and the number of victims continues to mount as scammers develop new ways to manipulate them. The Secret Service and the NYPD are utilizing the Cyber Fraud Task Force dedicated to combating scammers and informing consumers on how to be proactive and vigilant against these schemes, which they say can occur both in-person and over the internet.
Special Agent Patrick J. Freaney, who leads the Secret Service’s New York field office, reminded that everyone has the potential to become a victim of fraud. The process can be as simple as a hacker breaking into an email account and then reaching out to their contact list requesting help in purchasing gift cards.
While this may seem like an obvious ploy, scammers have tailored their correspondences to mimic how a loved one or friend would write and sign off. But, he says, it’s the request for gift cards that can be suspicious.
That gut feeling is what Freaney says everyone should stick to when getting such an odd request from someone.
“What we’re trying to do, and with our partners as well, is get the word out there about what you can do to be proactive and vigilant in not becoming a potential victim,” Freaney said.
Freaney advises individuals to always take the basic preventive measures: use strong passwords and usernames (do not reuse these on different accounts), only connect to known Wi-Fi networks, and shop online with trusted retailers. Additionally, when ordering online, do not blindly open or respond to text messages regarding deliveries. Track your packages directly from the retailer.
“Scammers also use a sense of urgency. ‘Hey, this deal is only available now. If you act, it’ll be gone soon.’ Don’t be forced into rushing. Take your time, do your research, and then trust your instincts, too. I think that’s a very important component of it. If something doesn’t feel right, look into it, and trust your gut on that,” Freaney said.
During this season of giving, scammers try to take advantage of people’s intentions to help others by providing false donation links. Freaney advises that before donating, sites such as Charity Navigator should be used to determine whether or not it is a valid website.
NYPD Detective Daniel Alessandrino stresses that cash should never be sent in the mail, and if checks are mailed out, it’s important to keep an eye on your bank account. Some might intervene with the mail and alter your checks so that they can steal as many funds as possible.
“You can’t control who’s doing it. You need to know it’s out there. But what you can control is how you respond to it and how you prepare for it,” Freaney said. “Don’t feel ashamed. Report it to the local department. In this case, we’re here in New York City, so the NYPD, the Secret Service, we’re held here [in this field office]. We’re here to assist you in any way we can. But please report it, and don’t be ashamed.”
While much attention has been devoted to online scams, Freaney shares that there are also in-person con artists to guard against.
“What most people don’t recognize is the Secret Service was formed in 1865 to battle counterfeiting. It’s something we’re still doing today. I know a lot of the attention now is turned towards internet or cybercrimes, but the counterfeit currency investigations, we still investigate, and we do so with our partners,” Freaney said.
The NYPD and Secret Service have joined forces to combat these in-person and virtual scams and help individuals and companies recover their lost funds.
“One of the biggest things I believe in is that when fighting financial crimes, there’s no individual, there’s no one local agency because of jurisdictional issues, because financial crimes touches everywhere from here to across the street, or from here to across the country or even international. So by partnering up with local and federal agencies were able to combat and bring together all our knowledge and abilities to combat these crimes, to go over, go after these bad actors, no matter where they are,” Alessandrino said.
