Welcome to the Oregon FBI’s Tech Tuesday segment. Today: Building a digital defense as we close out 2021.
You managed to navigate the holiday season, and you have almost made it to the new year. There are just a few last-minute things you need to watch out for.
First up – charity fraud. You have until the 31st to make those end-of-yeardonations to charities so that you can claim the deductions on this year’s taxes.
Charity scams can come to you in many forms: emails, social media posts, crowdfunding platforms, cold calls, or even text messages. Always use caution and do your research.
- Give to established charities or groups whose work you know and trust.
- Be aware of organizations with copycat names or names similar to reputable organizations.
- Check the charity’s track record on the Federal Trade Commission’s website.
- Give using a check or credit card. If a charity or organization asks you to donate through cash, gift card, virtual currency, or wire transfer, it’s probably a scam.
Moving on – there are two more end-of-year concerns we want to warn you about. The first is payroll or benefit fraud. Employees may not be surprised to get a notice, purportedly from HR, to log into and check their…