About Pickens County progress. (Jasper, Ga.) 1899-current | View Entire Issue (June 16, 2022)
PAGE 2A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. JUNE 16. 2022 BEWARE OF TEXT MESSAGING SCAMS Georgia Attorney General Warns of Text Message Scams Attorney General Chris Carr is warning Georgians to be on the lookout for text message scams, including texts from unknown or unex pected senders with links re questing payment or sensitive information. “Scammers will use any means to commit their crimes, including sending texts that initially appear to come from a trusted source, such as a government entity, law enforcement agency, bank or well-known retailer,” said Carr. “What may seem like an urgent or enticing message is often an attempt by a fraudster to infect your device or steal your money or personal information. Our goal is to ensure Georgians have the resources they need to protect themselves from fraudsters and thieves, and we stand ready to assist any consumer who thinks they may have fallen victim to a text message scam.” The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Divi sion offers the following in formation to help Georgians identify and avoid common text message scams. Common Text Message Scams • Driver’s License Scams: You receive a text message claiming to be from the De partment of Driver Services informing you that your li cense has been temporarily suspended. You are then asked to follow a fraudulent link to verify your driver’s li cense information. This is a scam. The Department of Driver Services never com municates with customers via text message unless the cus tomer contacts them first. If there is an issue with some one’s driver’s license, the agency will contact cus tomers in writing before tak ing any action. • Government Imposter Scams: Don’t be fooled by threatening text messages from the IRS, the Social Se curity Administration, law enforcement or other govern ment agencies warning that you will be arrested or that your Social Security account will be suspended unless you click on a link and provide payment information imme diately. Ignore the message and, if you are worried there might actually be some legit imacy to the claim, look up the actual number for the agency and call it directly. • Prizes and Reward Points: A scammer posing as a well-known company, such as Amazon, Walmart or AT&T, sends out a text mes sage claiming that you have won a prize or that, if you are among the first 100 people to click on a link, you will win a prize. If you click on the link, you will be prompted to enter your bank account so the “prize money” can be di rectly deposited into your ac count. In a similar scenario, you receive a text message from a well-known store or online retailer claiming that you have reward points that will expire soon. Again, you are asked to click on a link that will prompt you to enter your financial and/or account information. • Package Deliveries: These fraudulent text mes sages claim there is a pack age waiting for you and prompt you to click on a link to confirm delivery, set deliv ery preferences or track the package. If you click on the link, you will be asked to enter your personal informa tion or to provide payment information in order to com plete the delivery. The best thing to do in this scenario is to refrain from replying to or clicking any links in the mes sage. Instead, contact the shipper directly by looking up the actual customer serv ice contact information for them. • Bank Account Sus pended: You receive a text warning you of fraudulent ac tivity on your account. You are asked to click on a link or call a phone number that prompts you to provide your debit or credit card, account number and/or PIN. Again, do not respond to the sender or click on the link. Instead, call the phone number for the financial institution that ap pears on the back of your credit or debit card or on your monthly statement. Tips to Avoid Text Message Scams • Don’t click on links or reply to texts from unknown or unverified senders. It could download malware onto your phone that can in fect your device, give the scammer access to all of your data, or lock your phone. • Never provide your credit card number, bank ac count, driver’s license, online account name, password, or PIN to someone who texts you out of the blue. If you want to confirm whether the text message is legitimate, contact the company or agency directly through a verified phone number or website - not the one pro vided in the text message. • Do not respond to a sus picious or unwanted text message, even if prompted to "text STOP" to end mes sages. While texting “STOP” to a legitimate organization can opt you out of receiving future texts, doing so in re sponse to a scam message can actually let the scammer know your number is active and can be sold to other bad actors. You can try verifying whether the number from which the texts are coming is legitimate by looking up the number online to see if it is used by a reputable organiza tion or business for text mes sages. • Make sure your smart device and security apps are updated to the latest version. Contact the organization that the con artist is impersonat ing so that they are aware and can take appropriate action. Report the message to your phone carrier by forwarding it to 7726. • Block suspicious num bers and delete the associated text messages. • Report scam texts to the Federal Communications Commission online or by calling (888) 225-5322. TRADITION TREE SERVICE Jasper, GA Generations of Tree Care • Free Estimates • Fully Insured • Tree Removal • Tree Pruning •Brush Chipping with our new chipper traditiontreeservice80@gmail.com D Georgia Arborist Association Member Josh Bail C: 678-848-1751 H: 706-253-0122 ll RE NAS ANT MORTGAGE LENDING Get A Home Loan From THE BEST BANK IN THE SOUTH There's something to be said for developing a relationship with a bank whose people live and work in your community. We get to know you. We understand your individual needs. Whether you're building, buying, renovating, or refinancing your home, Donna can help. 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