AT&T and National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) are teaming up to help raise awareness about social engineering scams in a new public education campaign with the call to action – Don’t Take The Bait – Validate! As fraud concerns are heightened during the global COVID-19 pandemic, the campaign aims to help empower consumers to outsmart fraudsters by protecting their PINs, passwords, and personal information from incoming callers who may not be who they say they are.
The campaign includes video, social media, and digital resources to help inform consumers about some of the common tricks fraudsters use to get personal information. AT&T and NCPC will also share infographics and information with consumers through social media and NCPC’s network of crime prevention practitioners.
“We are working to equip consumers with the most current information on scammer tricks so they can protect themselves,” said Valerie Scheder, AVP Global Fraud, AT&T. “Together with NCPC, we are working to take power away from the bad guys and place it where it belongs — in the hands of consumers.”
Fraudsters use social engineering tactics to trick consumers into sharing confidential and personal information. They are skilled con artists who impersonate government, community, and business officials such as law enforcement, local charities, and service providers. Once fraudsters have someone’s personal information, they can use it to make unauthorized purchases, drain financial accounts, or even steal someone’s identity.
“Savvy consumers understand that callers aren’t always who they say they are. But fraudsters are crafty and prey on us when we are most vulnerable, making us question what we know,” added Ann Harkins, President and CEO, NCPC. “That is why NCPC is collaborating with AT&T to remind everyone that if we pause and think it over, we have the power to decide how we want to engage with each and every caller — not the other way around.”
To learn more about social engineering scams and how to outsmart fraudsters visit ncpc.org/fraud and att.com/cyberaware.
