What Kinds of Scams are Targeting Small Businesses?
Scammers are using several approaches to ensnare small businesses in Arkansas.
Phishing Scams
Phishing scams are a serious threat of identity theft, often disguised as communication from someone you might know. Scammers aggressively seek your personal or sensitive information through phone calls, emails, or text messages.
What small businesses should do to avoid phishing scams:
• Train your employees: Ensure they understand the importance of not sharing personal or business information via email or phone.
• Encourage verification: If there’s any doubt about a request’s legitimacy, direct employees to contact the person directly by phone.
• Stay informed: Keep your staff updated on the latest scam tactics.
Tech Support Scams
Tech support scams are a calculated ploy where scammers pose as representatives from reputable companies, offering bogus technical support for your computer. These attempts often start with deceptive phone calls, emails, or pop-up messages directing you to call a specific number. Beware—the caller ID may mislead you by appearing as a trusted business.
What small businesses should do to avoid tech support scams:
• Do not engage with pop-ups: Ignore and dismiss any suspicious messages.
• Maintain robust virus protection: This is non-negotiable for your cybersecurity.
• Never grant remote access: Protect your systems by not granting remote access to third parties—no exceptions.
Fake Invoices
Scammers often use fake invoices to dupe you into paying for products you did not order. They create convincing invoices to trick you into paying bills you do not owe.
What small businesses should do to avoid fake invoice scams:
• Implement a strict verification process: Always verify invoices before processing any payments.
Business Email Compromise
In business email compromise scams, fraudsters send emails with attached invoices, masquerading as legitimate companies you usually interact with, all in an effort to solicit payment.
What small businesses should do to avoid business email compromise scams:
• Establish a robust verification system: Scrutinize sender information—email addresses can be deceptively altered by just one letter.
• Recognize red flags: Be especially cautious if you receive requests to wire money or purchase gift cards, particularly if they deviate from your standard payment methods. Always re-evaluate the invoice in these situations.
Business Impersonation
Scammers create fake websites that mimic your legitimate business to deceive victims and steal their information and their money.
What small businesses can do to avoid business impersonation scams:
• Monitor for impersonation.
• Issue warnings on your website and social media to alert your customers.
By staying informed, you can take proactive steps to safeguard your enterprise from these fraudulent threats.
If you find your business is a victim of scams, file a report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at reportfraud.ftc.gov. You can also report scams to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov and the Office of the Arkansas Attorney General by calling (501) 682-2007, emailing consumer@arkansasag.gov or by visiting https://arkansasag.gov/file-a-complaint.
