How to protect members from scams and improve trust

🚩 Beware: Not every connection is as genuine as it seems. Just yesterday, a mentee told me he was approached by someone on LinkedIn offering him $50 - $150 to "rent" his LinkedIn account for their company to promote their business. It immediately raised red flags… why would any legitimate company need to rent someone else's LinkedIn account to promote their business? The answer is simple: it’s a scam. Their goal is to gain access to accounts, often to request money from connections under false pretenses. Scammers are increasingly targeting LinkedIn, not only to hack accounts but also to establish fake profiles that appear credible. What they do now is They’ll pose as experts in popular fields, especially data, and start posting “content” to build a false reputation, only to eventually sell courses or services that don’t deliver any real value. We should be mindful and cautious in handling issues like this. Scammers are getting creative, especially on LinkedIn, and it’s essential to recognize the warning signs. Here’s what you should look out for: 1. Be Wary of Suspicious Offers 
If someone offers to “rent” your LinkedIn account, or makes any unusual requests, it’s almost certainly a scam. Legitimate companies have no need to use someone else's account to promote their products. 2. Question High Follower Counts 
Not everyone with a large following is trustworthy. Scammers often build large networks quickly to appear credible. Always do a background check before trusting or engaging with them. 3. Do a Quick Google Search 
Type the person’s name into Google. Often, if someone has been involved in scams, complaints or warnings may show up in the search results. Google can be a quick tool to check for red flags. 4. Watch for “Too Good to Be True” Courses or Services 
Some scammers pose as experts in data fields, sharing frequent content to build fake credibility, then offering courses or services. Take time to verify their background and check for genuine endorsements. Let’s stay vigilant and take steps to protect our professional community. While LinkedIn is a valuable platform for networking and career growth, we must be cautious of potential risks. Trust your instincts if something feels off, it probably is. Don’t let urgency to make money cloud your judgment; not every opportunity is worth pursuing, especially if there are red flags. Your LinkedIn account is valuable don’t let it fall into the wrong hands. ❓ Have you faced similar situations? Share your experiences in the comments!

A scammer just stole $1,500 from my employee using my name. One of our employees didn't show up to work one morning. Around lunchtime, he walked in pale and shaken. He thought I had sent him an urgent task. He ran to CVS and Walmart, bought $1,500 worth of gift cards, scratched them, and sent the codes to someone pretending to be me. Here's how it happened: A new hire posts on LinkedIn: "Excited to join Company X!" Days later, they get a message that looks like it's from the CEO. Email, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, sometimes SMS. The tone is urgent: "I'm in a meeting, can't talk right now. I need you to buy gift cards immediately and send me the codes." (Social engineering at its finest… fast, urgent, disguised as authority). Here’s why this keeps working: Most people who fall for it don't speak up. They're embarrassed. They think they "should've known better." But this scam works because it manipulates trust and urgency. New employees want to impress leadership. They don't yet know communication patterns. They respond fast to what looks like executive requests. We reimbursed him because for him, that was a significant loss. But the emotional toll was worse than the money. Here’s how to protect your team: Never trust urgent money requests through email, LinkedIn, or WhatsApp. Always verify through official channels… Slack, corporate phone, or face-to-face. Train new hires before they start. They're the primary target. Normalize talking about scams openly. Some common scam patterns to watch for: "I need you to urgently buy prepaid Visa or Amazon gift cards for employees. Send codes ASAP." "We have an emergency. Transfer $5,000 to this account immediately. I'll explain later." "This is [CEO name]. I can't talk now, but buy 10 iTunes gift cards and reply with codes." "Send employee tax forms/payroll details/login credentials urgently for audit purposes." Share this with your teams, especially newest hires. Make it part of onboarding. The best defense is awareness before the attack happens. *** ♻️ Repost this to help protect other companies' employees from these scams.

Scammers LOVE small businesses... 😳 And they know exactly how to strike when you’re stretched thin. One Thursday at Pizzana, our team was managing a packed dining room and juggling nonstop orders when a manager got a text that looked like it was from me. The text said I was in a bind and couldn't talk, but I needed a few prepaid cash cards and I'd explain once my meeting ended. 💳 My manager rushed to help "me" out. Minutes later, $1000 was gone. 😖 Here’s the hard truth: for small businesses, a hit like that isn’t just “an expensive mistake.” It’s payroll. It’s rent. It’s the margin that keeps you afloat. That experience taught me something every entrepreneur should remember: Protecting your business is about more than good product and great customer service—it’s about scam-proofing your systems. 👉🏻 Here are 3 steps to make sure your business stays protected: 1️⃣ Train your team. Make it crystal clear what you will and WON'T ever ask of them (like using their own money for company expenses.) 2️⃣ Tighten your systems. Require two-person sign-offs on every financial request (whether it’s $50 or $5,000!) 3️⃣ Use technology. Upgrade your messaging security so suspicious requests get flagged BEFORE they can cause damage. Your people want to help you succeed. Don’t let scammers turn that loyalty into a liability! ❌ 👉🏻 What’s one safeguard you’ve put in place to protect your business?

When I first started working with a remote team, I realized that I needed to have a loss-prevention mindset. I couldn't afford to wait for something to go wrong. If confidential info were leaked or there was unauthorized access to your company's financial data, the consequences could be catastrophic. Trust would be eroded clients might leave, and  the financial loss could set you back months or years. I didn't wait for this to happen to me, and neither should you. I never want a situation where there's even a sliver of doubt because I don't want the added stress to distract me from my vision. So, it's important to plug in the holes before they become sinkholes. Here's what you can do: Secure Access ‣ Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for logins and regularly review and update access permissions. Regular Reviews ‣ Employees leaving the team or changing roles should have their access revoked or adjusted accordingly. Confidentiality Agreements ‣ Have all team members sign confidentiality agreements (NDAs). Open Communication ‣ Regularly discuss the importance of data security with your team. Data Encryption ‣ Encrypt sensitive data both in transit and at rest. Backup Systems ‣ Implement backup systems for your data. Education and Training ‣ Phishing scams and social engineering attacks constantly evolve, so keep your team informed. Create an access repository sheet ‣ This document should list all authorized users, their access levels, and the specific systems they can access. Take proactive steps now to protect your business before it's too late. Helpful?  ♻️Please share to help others. 🔎Follow Michael Shen for more.

Tech is changing everything-  including how we get scammed. I’ve spent years preaching the power of technology to uplift lives. But here’s the side we don’t talk about enough: Tech is also making fraud faster, smarter, and frighteningly believable. A few weeks ago, someone impersonated me, same name, same display picture, same texting style. They messaged a team member in Germany asking for money. It almost worked. But thankfully, he paused, verified, and picked up the phone. Crisis averted. But this isn’t my first run-in. Even at upGrad, we saw our fair share. We all know big companies are vulnerable to this. But what’s alarming is how younger startups are too. The modus operandi is simple but smart: Scan for recent press or LinkedIn buzz, then impersonate a leader and reach out with just enough familiarity to bypass doubt. Voice clones, AI-written bios, deepfakes, spoofed numbers. Scammers don’t need your passwords now. They just need your LinkedIn profile and five minutes of your voice. So how do we deal with it? Here’s what I’ve learned: 1. Always verify on another channel (Call > Text) If something feels off, pick up the phone. Scammers rely on staying in the same thread. 2. Urgency is a red flag, not a call to action “Act now” is fraud’s favorite tactic. Pressure is their playbook. 3. Normalize double-checking. Even with leadership. Especially with leadership. Team members might hesitate to question a senior's message. Empower them to pause and check. It’s not awkward. It’s smart. Trust grows through clarity. Have you faced something similar? How are you staying one step ahead? Let’s learn from each other.

Being in the fraud prevention industry gives me an insider’s view of how fraud attacks work - including seeing new patterns emerge. Here are recent insights on how fraudsters are increasingly targeting people to take control of their bank accounts and initiate unauthorized wire transfers. 📞 The Phone Call Scam: Scammers exploit the vulnerability in PSTN to spoof caller IDs, making it seem like the call is coming from a trusted bank. A number of well-known VoIP providers make this possible. 🔓 Remote Access: Once they establish contact, scammers mention there is some suspicious activity or other important reason behind their call. They then persuade victims to install remote desktop applications like AnyDesk, or to turn on WhatsApp or Skype's screen sharing. This allows them to access banking apps and initiate transfers. This helps them to intercept login data and one-time passcodes. Banks also don't insure against such scams, leaving victims exposed. 🤖 AI in Voice Scams: Imagine combining voice recognition with GPT-based text-to-speech technology. Scammers scale their operations massively, this is a future risk we must prepare for now. So what proactive measures can banks and digital wallets take? 1. Customer Education: Many banks already do this; keeping their customers informed about official communication channels and the importance of calling back through their verified numbers. 2. One-Time Passcodes for Payments: OTPs aren’t just for logins but also useful for transactions, with detailed payment information included. 3. Being On a Call During Transactions: The top FinTechs are already looking into, or developing technology to detect if a customer is on a call (phone, WhatsApp, Skype) during banking activities. 4. Detect Remote Access: Implement detection mechanisms for any remote access protocol usage during banking sessions. 5. Behavior and Velocity-Based Rules: Sophisticated monitoring should be used to flag activities in real-time based on unusual behaviour and transaction speed. 6. Device, Browser, and Proxy Monitoring: This is a quick win, as there are many technologies available to flag unusual devices, browsers, and proxy usage that deviates from the customer's norm. 7. Multiple Users on Same Device/IP: Ability to identify and flag multiple customers who are using the same device or IP address in one way to detect bots. 8. Monitoring Bank Drops and Crypto Exchanges: Pay special attention to transactions involving neobanks, crypto exchanges, or other out-of-norm receiving parties, to identify potential fraud. Some of them might not ask for ID and even if they do, it can be easily faked with photoshopped templates. Hope you find that useful, and in the meantime, I’d love to hear what other emerging threats you’ve seen or heard of. Fostering these open conversations is what enables us all to unite together against combating fraud 👊 #FraudPrevention #CyberSecurity #DigitalBanking #ScamAwareness #AIinFraudDetection

Yesterday, I had a firsthand encounter with a potential scam that serves as a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance in the digital age. A caller claiming to be from my bank informed me that my Debit Card was blocked and needed immediate activation. What raised alarm bells was the request for my Debit Card number and other personal details. All this happend during my transit. One will be for sure worried about cards being active during travel. How smart the scammers are becoming. 🚨 Beware of Scams: Protecting Your Financial Well-being 🚨 Having spent years in the banking industry, I was fortunate to recognize this as a scam and promptly took action to protect myself. But it got me thinking – this could happen to anyone, including you or your loved ones. Scammers are becoming increasingly crafty, and it's crucial to stay one step ahead. Here are 5 essential ways to safeguard yourself from such scammers: 1. Verify Caller Identity: Always double-check the identity of the caller, especially if they claim to represent your bank. Hang up and call your bank directly using the official contact information listed on their website or your physical debit card. 2. Guard Your Personal Information: Never disclose sensitive information, such as your debit card number, PIN, or other personal details, over the phone or via email. Legitimate financial institutions will never request this information in such a manner. 3. Don't Succumb to Pressure: Scammers thrive on creating a sense of urgency and fear. If you're pressured into making immediate decisions or face threats of consequences, take a step back. Legitimate organizations will allow you time to verify their claims. 4. Educate Your Circle: Share your experiences and insights with your family and friends, especially those who might be more vulnerable to scams. Awareness is a potent tool in fraud prevention. 5. Leverage Technology: Use caller ID, call-blocking apps, and verification tools to screen and identify potential scams. These tools can be invaluable in filtering out suspicious calls. It's crucial to remember that scams can take various forms, and scammers adapt their tactics to stay ahead. Our collective awareness and vigilance can help combat these threats effectively. Let's stay safe, informed, and empower our communities against financial fraud. Your experiences and knowledge could be the shield that protects someone else from falling victim to a scam. 💪💳 #Money #finance #ScamAwareness #FinancialSafety #ProtectYourself #cybercrime

In this episode, I highlighted a rising threat targeting non-technical users on Facebook and Instagram: 🔺 Fake pages mimicking real brands 🔺 Ads offering too-good-to-be-true prices 🔺 Redirecting users to professional-looking websites (even with HTTPS and SSL) that are actually scam platforms designed to steal credit card and banking data. 💳 These scams exploit the trust we place in digital storefronts. These scams are increasingly sophisticated and misleading. 🚨 I emphasized the importance of never blindly trusting “verified”-looking pages, and always being cautious before entering personal or payment information. 🛡️ For our Moroccan audience, I explained that secure e-payments are supported only through certified APIs like CMI and NAPS, and that all banks support 3D Secure. 🔐 🔐 I also encouraged users to manually enable/disable their cards for online payments and travel, to reduce exposure to fraud. 🏦 Banks carry a significant responsibility when it comes to digital awareness. Their role isn’t limited to offering secure payment infrastructure , they must also educate and alert customers, especially those who are not tech-savvy, about the risks of online fraud, fake pages, and phishing attempts. 🔔👇🏼 💡 A message to my tech & infosec peers: This TV segment i host is intentionally simplified and designed for our parents, siblings, and everyday users, those who aren’t in our field but are exposed daily to these digital risks. Awareness starts at home. #CyberSecurityAwareness #InfoSec #DigitalFraud #3DSecure #CMI #NAPS #OnlinePayments #PhishingScams #SocialMediaFraud #CyberSecurityMorocco #2MTV #صباحيات_2M #ProtectionDesDonnées #SécuritéNumérique #FintechMorocco #OnlineShoppingScams #DigitalSafety #TechForEveryone #CyberAwareness #FakePages #CyberÉducation #امن_رقمي #FraudeEnLigne