Get scam savvy so you don't get swindled

Treshayla Wilson of the Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner joins ERS' Crystal and Suzanne to talk about scams, swindles and safety. 

Hear about the top scams to avoid now, how to spot one and how to protect your personally identifiable information. Know where to go if you fall victim to a scam. 

Covered in this episode: 

• State of scams today
• How to protect yourself from scams
• Scam #1: Student/teacher login phishing scams
• Scam #2: Facebook and social media login scam
• How to protect your personally identifiable information
• Scam #3: Government/IRS impersonation scams
• Scam #4: Toll text scams
• How and why to report scams; helpful resources

Mentioned: 

Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner https://occc.texas.gov/

Federal Trade Commission https://www.ftc.gov/

Transcript

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Intro We all have to be our own personal detectives when it comes to cyber criminals because they are smart and they are one step ahead of us. 

From fake Romeos to jobs to fake emails, texts, and QR codes, there's no end to the ways that scammers will try to steal your money and your data. But Treshayla Wilson from the Office of the Consumer Credit Commissioner has heard it all, and she's here on this ERS Money Talks podcast to help us get savvy about scams.

Crystal Olvera Welcome to the ERS Money Talks podcast, I'm Crystal Olvera. I work here at ERS. I am actually the editor of Your ERS Connection. It's our newsletter that is sent out to all our state of Texas retirees. And I'm here with Suzanne Krause who you may have heard already in the past couple of podcasts. 

Suzanne Krause Hi, everybody. 

CO: So I'm really excited about our guest today because we're going to be talking about something I know everyone can relate to. I know Suzanne, you and I have talked about this at length for the past couple of days. Um, scams. 

SK: They're everywhere.

CO: Yes. In this episode, we'll talk to someone who knows a lot about scams. Treshayla Wilson is a grant education and communication specialist for the Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner. So, Suzanne, have you been the victim of a scam? 

SK: Thankfully I've not personally been the victim of a scam but I was remembering how I watched a relative in town looking for a rental for vacation here in Austin on Craigslist and the listing was pretty suspicious and we were kind of watching him Hand out all this information back and forth like on uh, text and he kept being asked for more and more info and I was like this is way too much info for you to be giving some person that supposedly wants to rent out a property for like a month and finally, he was like, okay, it's a scam. I'm pretty sure this is not real. And then we drove past the house that was listed as the rental and we're like, this place isn't up for vacation rental. This is, but I, it was like, I don't know what the end goal is there, but it was easy to see someone really wanting that vacation place and ready to start giving out lots of info.

CO: So. As long as he didn't lose any money though, right? 

SK: No. Thankfully he stopped just in time. 

CO: My dad is actually one of those people that was called in the middle of the night by his grandson, my nephew. Someone pretending to be him, uh, saying that they needed money, they were in a car accident, and he woke up completely shocked and Freaking out and my mom had to calm him down and tell him James is at home. He is not on the phone. You know, he believed it but later on I think they called my brother and found out that total scam and It made me so angry that they were preying on someone like my dad. he was in his seventies, but they really are trying to target vulnerable people who are maybe a little more gullible or um, I don't know. Or just concerned. 

SK: Right. They want to do the right thing. And thankfully, our special guest today is Treshayla Wilson and she is an expert in scam advice. So welcome, Treshayla. 

Treshayla Wilson: Hello. I am excited to be here. Thank you for having me. 

CO: Treshayla, can you tell us a little bit about what you do? 

TW: Yes, I am actually the Grant Education and Communications Specialist for the Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner, but we are an agency that licenses and regulates certain non-depository lenders in the state of Texas. So things like credit access, credit access business, property tax lenders, and pawn shops and pawn employees.

CO: Okay. And have you ever been the victim of the scam? Maybe targeted?

TW:  I have definitely been targeted. 

CO: Okay.

TW: I have not fallen for it yet. Hopefully I don't ever but thankfully we get a lot of information as state employees on how to look out for those scams. And then through research, I've learned a lot of ways that people will try to set you up so I can avoid it more easily.

CO: So Treshayla, what would you say about the state of the scam industry today? Would you say they're on the rise, that they're more common now and why do you think that is? 

TW: Yes, scams are on the rise, but thankfully so is reporting. So agencies like the Federal Trade Commission and the FBI are more abreast of the scams and they're able to prevent them from happening in the long run. Mainly the thing that people are searching for is their data. And a lot of people think that they need to protect physical things like their home and their car and things like that. But the most valuable thing to a scammer is going to be your personal information. Why? Because that's going to lead them to everything you have in your accounts and let them know of your whereabouts to track you. For example, if they're stalking you, they can get more personal information from you that way. 

CO: So, like, ID theft and things like that, okay. 

TW: Yes 

CO: What are the most common types of scams that are happening today? 

TW: So the top five scams are imposter scams, and that's where scammers impersonate any, entities. They use fake calls, texts, or emails to trick victims.

CO: Yeah, that's kind of like my dad. 

TW: Yes, exactly.

CO: I've heard that people use AI now. Is that correct? 

TW: Yes. 

CO: That is crazy.

TW: Especially for those, grandchildren scams like you're talking about. They can impersonate the voice of that child so it sounds exactly like them and it's 100% believable. 

SK: I've heard it only takes 15 seconds of a person's voice clip to generate more AI language out of that person. 

TW: Yes, so that is something with technology that we're seeing a lot more of these days. Another top scam is online shopping, where scammers will create fake websites or use fake ads to sell products that don't exist and your payment can't be returned after that happens. Another one is business and job opportunities. So there are a lot of fake job openings out there even on websites like Indeed or LinkedIn. And sometimes they ask for payment from job seekers or some personal information that normally wouldn't be required to apply for a job. Next is investments. So scammers will lure investors with lucrative outcomes and steal the money. So anything that seems too good to be true usually is. And then lastly, internet services, things like tech support scams, malware, and imposters pretending to be from internet service providers or ISPs. 

CO: So that actually kind of reminds me of that, that “real housewife,” Jen Shaw. 

TW: Yes. 

CO: Yeah. I think I saw a documentary about it and, what she basically did was preyed on like elderly people by promising a service where she would help promote their business whether it was, I don't know, they're selling like quilts or something like that and she would build websites or they'd promise that they'd build websites and advertise. They'd get their credit card numbers and then just start charging them monthly. 

SK: Oh gosh, wow. 

CO: Yeah, and you know, it was crazy because she's on the show and she's spending

SKL: Didn't have enough money? 

CO: No, she's, and she's on the show and she's spending like hundreds of thousands of dollars on these events all the while she's scamming these folks. She's in jail now. Here in Texas. So that's what that reminds me of. 

SK: Which city? 

CO: It's Salt Lake City. Yeah, yeah, she knows.

TW: I'm a Housewives fan as well. That was also terrible because they were investigating her in the FBI while she was being recorded and she kept denying it and saying, no, I'm not doing that. It's not true. All of her friends are asking, but and she's a well-known person, a trusted person, and that's one of the major ways that these scammers work is by pretending to be someone trusted or certifiable, recognized, that you wouldn't think would be asking you for payment or promising things they won't deliver on. 

CO: I can definitely see even myself sometimes falling for certain things. but I've tried to be really careful and vigilant. 

CO: What would you say is the best way to protect yourself?

TW: I think for things like calls, emails, or texts, you should definitely not respond to those if they seem suspicious to you and definitely take time to vet the source. If it's a name that you don't recognize or if that email is spelled incorrectly, then do some digging before you decide to reply. Even with text messages that come from unknown numbers, a lot of times just replying to them lets that scammer know that this is an active number. So even if you think you're just saying, “I don't know who you are,” I would avoid that too. Also never pay someone who asks you to pay with a gift card, wire transfer, crypto, or an app. These forms of payment are like cash and then they're very hard to trace after the fact. 

SK: And also kind of like what you were saying, you can't get your money back because you've, even if you've been duped, you have generally legitimately authorized the transaction. So there's not much the bank or the, the Venmo or whatever can do about it because you didn't give it to the right person. 

TW: Yeah, and then, it's just gone. There's no way to trace it even if you have the FBI looking into it or the bank looking into it. There's just nothing that they can really do. 

CO: Yeah, there's a, I mean, it just seems like it's really hard to recover the amount you've lost for the most part. I was reading about the IRS and how they also warn we're not going to ask you to pay us back with gift cards. But some, some people do it. Why do you think that people fall for it? 

TW: Again, because they see those letters. They see Internal Revenue Service or they see a name that is well-known and trusted. And so they just don't go beyond that. They don't question it. And like we said earlier, they don't look into the small details or at the fine print. On emails, maybe there's a word misspelled. That's a tell right there. If the end of that website is incorrect or you click on it and it takes you to another site, that should be a red flag immediately.

SK: I have just read that, you know, you might also think something's a legitimate phone call. Um, but it's been spoofed and you can also be duped that way. Like I was listening to a story that was about a woman who Was getting a call that looked like it was from her local police department and she answered it and it wasn't it just showed up on her phone that way and ultimately they transferred her to someone they said was an FBI agent and someone was impersonating a true FBI agent, but it was just spoof after spoof and it duped her into giving away. Almost her entire life savings and this really elaborate scam that was happening, but it started with a phone number that looked like it was from her local police department. 

TW: Oh wow, yes, because normally they say look at your caller ID and now, especially with iPhones and Androids, it'll say scam likely. On that call, but this is another level to that where they can actually take the number and make it look like a legitimate number. So I think beyond that, we need to go back to those steps of what are they asking me to do? Are they asking me to do it with a sense of urgency? Is it a type of payment that seems unusual to me? And then those are all signs that it is a scam. And then you can also always look on like the back of your bank card and call them if you don't want to even answer that call. 

SK: I've done that myself for, it was actually my bank fraud alert calling me and I was like, I'm suspicious of that fraud alert like ID coming up on my phone and I, I just called them back and it was true. 

TW: That's another great tip. hang up as soon as you can and then call the number back or, like you said, call your bank or email somebody directly that comes from the source you think it's from and ask them, hey, is this legitimate? Should I be answering this and proceed from there? 

CO: Right. One thing we like to remind our members, you know, we are ERS, so we, distribute the, health insurance and deal with the pension benefits and I have heard that some of the benefits coordinators have been receiving emails from people impersonating ERS and offering retirement counseling services and things like that. And we always really try to communicate that. ERS is not going to call you. They're not going to text you unless you've subscribed to a newsletter or something like that. Make pension contributions via gift card. Exactly. Um, so, you know, it's just very important if you do receive a letter in the mail, it's got our logo on it and feel free to give us a call because. Most of the time, I mean, we are not going to reach out to you. And if we do, you just got to make sure it's legit. 

SK: Treshayla, these common scams, are these ones that your office hears about the most? Are they kind of hot in Texas? 

TW: They are, and since we work for licensing and non-depository lenders, the top complaint that we get is about auto sales. So motor vehicle sales finance, and we do handle complaints for those often. 

SK: In a scam sort of way? 

TW: Yes. 

SK: Oh, tell us more. 

TW: As far as down payments go or receiving a vehicle that was, as you would say, a lemon. Um, in non-working condition and then not being able to recover their payment. That happens a lot more often than you would think. 

SK: So what steps would someone do? Like, how can your office help with that? 

TW: So they do need to file a formal complaint and then our office gets with the lender and ask them what's going on. Basically, can you provide information? That corroborates the story or something against it and then they proceed from there. So if anyone has a complaint against any of these industries, feel free to either file a complaint online or you can call the Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner. 

SK: Okay, so we are gonna go into a little more detail about some of these other scams and so the first on the list is the student teacher login phishing scam. What's that all about? 

TW: Sure. This scam would be through email typically and it would involve sending an attachment of a QR code saying that you need to, scan this code to update your information. And then scanning the code will take you to a Google form that looks official and ask you to enter your email password and other sensitive data. So this is a quiz for you guys. What do you think you should do with that information? 

SK: I'm gonna give everything away. I'm a total sucker. I'm like, my school needs it so they can have it. They don't have it already when I enrolled. 

CO: You know what, I would probably fall for it too, if we're being honest. I mean, I'm picturing myself in college getting an email and thinking, oh my god, I missed a deadline. I'm just gonna fill this all out right now. And just going with it and falling for it completely. 

SK: And now college students barely use email for personal things. They're probably kind of unsavvy at this point. They want their college to give them text messages, I guess, or.

TW: I can attest to that. As a former college and career counselor, they don't actively use email, so it is something novel to them, and I think that's why scammers prey on students because again, it creates that sense of urgency. I'm not going to be able to access my scholarships maybe if I don't. Yeah. But one of the things I would advise is to be suspicious of any QR codes. On attachments, something like a student email would be linked to your portal. That's usually two factor, protected. So if you're a student or even a teacher, you should really go into the portal that the school provides you, to give any information and never scan a QR code. 

CO: That's so interesting how popular QR codes have become. I mean, COVID really is the reason for that but even these days to save money on printing and things like that you go into a restaurant, scan that QR code and I mean you do it without thinking. Um, I have a friend actually who is so anti doing that. He's like, no, no, no, use your phone. Because he's so suspicious of everything.

SK: It's smart. They track you. 

CO: I didn't stop to think that. Oh yeah, I just want to see what's on the menu. I'm just, you know, I do it all the time. So, it's crazy that even QR codes can try to scam you or steal your information.

TW: Yes, and then be wary of Google Forms as well. 

SK: Why specifically Google Forms? 

TW: That can be accessed by a number of people, especially if it doesn't select that you have to belong to a certain organization. Anybody can view that Google form. So again, go to the portal that's provided you. If you're an employee, there's definitely some encoded site that you would use other than a Google form. 

S: Have you heard any, specific stories about this student teacher phishing? Scam in particular from your office?

TW: I worked at a university before and even with AISD and we would get a lot of those emails asking for us to reset our password or send information that AISD would never ask for via email. So we were warned about that and it does happen often. 

SK: And so at some point somebody probably had a data breach or, ran into some trouble if their identity was stolen. You might not have heard about in your office though, but probably happened to someone if they fell for it. 

TW: Yeah. And they would have something like your employee ID or your email already. And then it's coming from a source that looks legitimate as it always does. But we just knew ahead of time, don't click on it, delete it, report it as phishing. 

CO: So, we recently here at ERS implemented 2FA, which is that two-factor authentication, and we'll be using it for the first time during our open enrollment period. Open enrollment, you know, if you're listening and you're not a state employee, thank you and welcome. But, we usually have open enrollment during the summer and that is when you can change your benefits. Update them, add dependents and things like that. So this is the first year where we're gonna have that and we have implemented that 2FA where they do need two pieces of authentic Identification and that is the only way they can actually get into their account. Why is that so important?

TW: I think that adds an extra layer of protection but also it's as easy as putting a second password lock on your phone and that's something that you always have with you that a scammer isn't going to be able to access. So asking for that is going to ensure that even if they can get past the first measure using your password or username, they won't be able to get past the second measure, which is your phone that you have in your hand. And those are easy to set up. Nowadays you can download a number of free apps to, to use not only with your work accounts, but your personal accounts, your banking accounts. A lot of people also use the face ID for their phone, which is another good way to prevent scammers from accessing your information. 

SK: So the second most popular scam you talked about was basically logging into your social media or your Facebook account. So what's that one all about? 

TW: So this is going to be an email or Facebook messenger saying that someone tried to log into your account from a new device or that your account violated copyright laws. And this actually happened to me the other day. I do not use Facebook often, but I was on there on Marketplace as, as many people are. 

CO: Of course. 

TW: And I got this message from Facebook Messenger saying that my account violated copyright laws That I needed to click on a link to verify my account and enter my password. And at that point I was thinking, okay, this is definitely a scam. But I went and I googled it as well and a lot of people said don't do not click on this Facebook even has an official memo saying don't click on this. We would never ask you for your password in that way. And then when you do that, basically it takes you to a fake page that looks legitimate and then cyber criminals can steal your credentials. Then they will use your account to scam other Facebook users, perhaps people that are your friends or people you follow on social media. 

SK: Sneaky. 

TW: Very sneaky.

CO: That's like my biggest nightmare. Having someone pose as me on Facebook or social media. I don't know. It's just, I don't know. It's scary.

SK: It's so creepy. I hate even when I'll look in my spam folder and There's something that supposedly used my email address, and I think they're just spoofing my email, but they didn't really hack my email, but I'm like, no, I didn't send that to anybody. Like, it's just the most ridiculous. 

TW: Do you guys, do you guys watch Catfish? 

CO: Yes. That still comes on. 

TW: The amount of people that create fake Facebooks and even have fake friends and fake posts on their wall. Is unbelievable. But again, you just have to know who you're dealing with. Don't trust anybody. If it's a friend and they're asking you for something suspicious. Don't be afraid to question it and take your time replying and do some digging. We all have to be our own personal detectives when it comes to cyber criminals because they are smart and they are one step ahead of us. But this kind of knowledge can definitely prevent certain things from happening to you. Nobody is perfect, so maybe you would be the victim of a scam, but I'm sure we'll also be talking about what you should do if that happens to you. 

SK: Yeah, another one that I had heard about was similar to this is like a fake Venmo. Like, it’s almost an impersonation, but they'll change like, I'll put a punctuation mark or something on the profile. And so it's actually not the same name. And, you know, it's your friend saying, um, Oh, I, need to pay for my groceries and I forgot my card. Can you lend me some money? Or I broke down and can you lend me some money? And it's like, just stop and take a minute and go, maybe I should just call this person or text them from a different, account or whatever and just double check instead of just kind of going into panic mode and feeling like you have to respond right away. 

TW: Well, and now with Venmo, before you make a payment, if it's a new account, it'll ask you, do you want to verify that this is the person they say they are? And that'll send a message directly to that person's phone. So I recommend doing that. Even if the person's next to you, that's a quick step you can take just to verify it's going to the right account. Because again, with that, there's no way to get that back once it's sent.

SK: You make a great point about the scammers being one step ahead of any of us because it's a whole industry in the realm of cyber criminals there's a lot of money to be made, right? In 2024, it was $12.5 billion for the American consumer lost to scams and fraud, so. It's huge. 

CO: One thing I did want to bring up, I know that we wanted to, to talk about a little is what about like those romance scams? I've had a couple of friends who have been texted by maybe just a woman who claims to be single and is trying to just kind of flirt and charm them and then before you know it, they want them to invest in crypto. So is, can you talk a little bit about how. 

SK: The ultimate romance.

CO: I know, right? Have you heard of that or is that common?

TW: That's a big one and people have gone further than that, I don't know if you've heard of the movie The Tinder Swindler. On Netflix? 

CO: Yes.

TW: So this gentleman would wine and dine these women, take them on private jets. He had his own entourage. So they are building up the trust and even if it's on a smaller scale through text messages, they may cyber stalk you first to figure out your interests. So say that you say I love Disney movies and they know this about you from your Facebook. Well, they're gonna lead with that, you know, hi, it's so-and-so, I'm looking for romance, but I just love Disney movies and anything else that you said you like, so that's breaking down those walls for you. And they're going to go slowly with this phase just to, again, build that rapport, build that trust. And then they'll start with small asks like maybe I need $100 and then I'll send you $150 back. And they will comply with that. So you think, wow, I saw that they sent me the money.

SK:  Yeah, they're so trustworthy.

TW: Yeah, they're so trustworthy. They're so sweet. They even sent me more money, right? And love bombing things. Maybe along with that, I sent you some perfume or whatever it is that you like, chocolates, etc., etc. 

SK: But they'll never meet you in person usually or talk to you. 

TW: Or if they do, then they have this appearance that's again going to make you trust them. I see. They're wearing a Rolex, like a Tinder Swindler. He sent me to Europe. He bought me anything I asked for. We're looking at apartments. He says he loves me. And then that's when the big take comes in so they might ask you for thousands of dollars at this point and say I will give you triple that. And you’ve already done that with a small amount so you’re willing to do it and this time, you never see. Because you think he's good for it. Yes. Because he's been good for it before, right? Yeah. And this time you never see them or hear from them again. They just disappear.

SK: Sounds like sometimes, too, they can be dangerous if you try to cut off contact. 

TW: Yes, and that was another thing. Yeah, he became very aggressive. But just because someone presents themselves as sweet and caring and generous, that doesn't mean that they're trustworthy. And like you said, if you never see them or speak to them, you should also know that that is a giant red flag. And these scams can go on for years. There are people who have been talking to someone for years and years. And they've even married them, quote unquote. Oh my goodness. And then the big ass comes in, they give them the money, and then they never see them again. So. 

SK: Yeah, I read a lot of stories when we were talking about doing this episode and It's not just older people but especially during COVID people got very lonely and a lot of that lingering effect has stayed and so Whatever social connection people are looking for or whatever kind of way they can be emotionally manipulated is the, what the scammers are looking for and, you know, they can be, like you said, really, really skilled at finding the things you like that interest you, like learning about your habits and, just pushing your buttons. It's like, it's a whole skill and they're going to know what they're doing to, to get you to comply if you're, if you're just have. Some need that needs filling. Some hole that needs filling. 

TW: Yes. And that's why we recommend keeping your accounts private. I know it's tempting on Instagram to leave your account open. We want to get followers. We want to get likes. But that invites cyber criminals to have access to all the information about you and then use it against you. So definitely keep your Facebook private. Keep your Instagram private. And even with that, be careful of the things you're posting, sharing your location. If you have valuables and someone knows you're on vacation and then you've also shown the inside of your house or where you live, that's going to make it easy for them to attack your home and take things from you.

CO: There was that movie, or it's a documentary too. 

SK: The Bling Ring? 

CO: Yes. 

TW: Oh, yeah. 

SK: Bling Ring was so good. 

TW: So that's been going on since the 2000s because the paparazzi would take their pictures. And then these teenagers knew that they weren't at home so they could just break in and take what they wanted to. Yeah.

SK: It’s like a pop culture happy hour here. It is. Everybody has a new Netflix show to watch. New podcast to listen to.

CO: But I think that speaks a lot to how common it is and how, prevalent these scammers are. So Treshayla, what is the best way to protect your personal identification information? 

TW: So like we talked about that two-factor, account and then another way is with something that people have available often are passwords. A lot of people write them down or even just put them in the notes on their phone. I would advise against that. I think it's important to invest in something like a password locker. You can pay for those online. There are some free ones or things that come with your phone. Like I have the password protector on my phone that also needs, your personal information to access it so scammers can't easily get to it. But again, just don't share it with anyone you don't trust or anyone that doesn't need it. A lot of times there are forms. Even with Indeed, if you're applying for a job, it'll ask you for your social security number. But there's no red asterisk on that. It's not mandatory. So don't put that in there. Yeah. And think, why would somebody need this information before you just readily give it away? 

SK: I would say even like, sometimes when you're shopping in a store and they just automatically ask for your phone number or your email and part of that is they assume you have some sort of loyalty account with them, but yes, this is certainly not a requirement to pay for your purchase. So you can also just reduce the amount of info you give out for no reason.

TW: Yeah, I agree with that. And if you're ever typing in your phone number, I know at 7-Eleven I have the rewards. It's up on a big keypad where you're putting it in. And so somebody behind you can easily see that. On the screen. 

CO: I have those too. 

TW: You know what I'm talking about. And your number comes up right facing whoever's in the line behind you. So just be cautious of those things and maybe don't enter your phone number there or look around to see if somebody is behind you.

SK: I'm gonna put in a plug, as state agency employees, we usually get so much IT and IS training and, you know, the annual hacker awareness and stuff. I think it's really fortunate for us because we get a lot of added info that keeps us kind of aware of the current trends. And so sometimes it's like. Oh, yeah, I know about it. I know about fishing and whatever, but I think, um, we're lucky as agency employees that we get reminded and trained on these things all the time. 

TW: I agree. I agree. 

CO: Yeah, and you know, it really just this whole conversation makes me realize how important it is to take those trainings and really kind of listen in actually because they are trying to teach you something they're trying to. You know, teach you to not be the victim of a fraud scheme or a scam. Because we're pushing up on tax deadline. 

SK: So, and just, I think, another one of those official, urgent, but just another reminder of do not pay the IRS in Apple gift cards or whatever.

CO: It says that on their website. One of these websites says, we will never ask you to pay us via gift card, etc. Couple of stories, um, in, in the retiree newsletter about that because I'm trying to warn, like, cause Retirees are usually 60 and over, right? And so I have run several things about how to make sure it's actually the IRS and that they're never gonna reach out to you and ask you to pay in gift cards or things like that. 

TW: Gold bars. 

CO: Gold bars. Wow. Really? 

TW: That's a big one. Gold bars. Yes. 

SK: So Treshayla, you had said the IRS scams is like of particular concern. So what is it about the IRS, that people need to know? 

TW: Right, so basically scammers pretend to be legitimate organizations within the tax and financial sectors including the IRS or state tax agencies. And even tax software companies. So these scams often come as some text messages or emails tricking unsuspecting individuals into sharing their personal and financial information, which then can lead to identity theft. So there are two primary types of this. One is called phishing, which we've touched on numerously, but that is any kind of fraud through email. And they will pretend to be from a notable entity like the IRS. And they will offer fake tax refunds or even threaten legal or criminal charges for tax fund, tax fraud against you. And then the other is smishing, which is through SMS text messages. And they will say something like your account has now been put on hold. Or that there's an unusual activity report along with fake solutions through a link to restore your account. So they may also promise unexpected tax refunds to lure victims in. 

SK: I think members and a lot of people, they want to be compliant and they're conscientious and they want to do the right thing. And so sometimes that's where that need and the desire to do the right thing ends up leading them the wrong way because they're very concerned and that can just, I don't know, maybe put blinders on if you're really worried about something. 

TW: Yeah, I think that that's a great way to put it, that people want to be compliant and they don't want to suffer the consequences, especially when it comes to the IRS, right? You do not want to be audited or miss a deadline for something and scammers prey on that.

CO: So another thing I wanted to bring up that I have noticed and I actually just got a text last week. Um, it's a toll text scam. So I've been getting text messages telling me that I need to pay for, for this toll fee. And I haven't even been on a toll road. Or have I? So I start to question it. You know, where did I go last week? What did I do? Have you noticed a lot of people receiving those?

TW: Yes, I've received it as well and I actually called a few days ago about a toll payment and they are now saying that they're warning you in the recording when the phone picks up. That this is a scam so it's grown so big that they even have it recorded pre-recorded before you speak to a customer service agent they tell you watch out for this scam we will never send you This kind of text message, exactly what it is and where it comes from. So people know about it, but it's still going on. It's been going on since I think March of last year, I want to say. The scammers are trying to collect usernames and passwords. And then use them at Bank of America, Wells Fargo, or Charles Schwab, or anywhere that someone might have a financial account. So that is the end to this scheme. It goes beyond just toll tax. They want your bank account information specifically. 

SK: So Treshayla, tell us about how you do some educational presentations out in, in the city and around the state.

TW: Of course. 

SK: Specifically, like you had mentioned working with an FBI agent to really kind of dig deep on scam awareness. 

TW: Yes, so one part of our job is promoting financial literacy throughout the state of Texas. We do go to a lot of senior centers and we speak specifically about avoiding financial exploitation. So we went to Sun City, which has a very large retirement community, and they had an anti-fraud, um, conference there, and there were FBI agents present that presented And they spoke on several scams, one of them being with gold bars lately. A lot of people are being asked to pay some amount of money in gold bars and an official courier comes to collect these gold bars. So they pull up in a van that looks legit. They are dressed in outfits that look like uniforms. They come collect the gold bars. And again, No one sees them or hears from them. So the government is saying we will not ask you to pay for anything in gold bars, gift cards, crypto. We won't ask for any of these forms of payment. So be aware of that. No cash, nothing. Gold bars. Gold bars. And a lot of people.

CO: I had no idea that people had them or still use them, uh, to, For transactions? 

SK: To shave off a little for your groceries? 

CO: Yeah, it's. What is the purpose? You know? 

TW: Because it can't be traced.

CO: Hmm. 

SK: The overwhelming message you've been saying is that anybody can be scammed; does not matter how smart you are. Does not matter, you know, in some ways I would say you could think you're never going to be a victim and that doesn't serve you well. So just, I think people should not be ashamed if they have been scammed. It's really important to report if you've been scammed so you can maybe get some help. And also just raise awareness of whatever new scam is happening. Along with what you've already said, are there some other, resources out there if you've been a victim or if you're just looking for more awareness?

TW: I think that the FTC, Federal Trade Commission, is a great resource. You can go to their website at identitytheft.gov. You can report. They have a lot of free resources, courses available, even materials that you can request if you're an educator that they can send to you. Um, and like you said, don't be embarrassed. This can happen to anybody, even to us. We know a lot about it, but we're still susceptible. Younger people have been shown to report at higher numbers than older people because they, they are more familiar with technology, one. Number two, they don't have as much shame or there's not as much stigma around Being scammed with younger groups, but I say all that to say there are so many people that are willing to help you, and the sooner you can report it, the sooner you stop interacting with the scammer, the perpetrator, and update those passwords, delete any emails or contact you've had with them, the more likely someone's going to be able to help you or at least prevent that same scam from happening to other people. 

SK: Do you have any advice for how people can help each other like maybe a family member? 

TW: I think talking about it actively will help if you say like you just did. Hey, I got this text about the toll. That's really weird. Have you as well? And you said no, but now that's on your radar, right? So you're going to be looking out for that. So talk about it, but also share any knowledge that you have and do some research too and encourage people to be aware. But if you're victimized, then you can reach out to me and I will help you out with that. 

CO: Well, thank you so much, Treshayla. We've had such a great time just talking scams here and sharing our experiences. We’re so thankful you were, you were on to just kind of help us and hopefully everyone who's listening be a little bit more vigilant, know how to spot a scam, know how to protect their information. And know where to go if they've fallen victim to a scam. It's very important, like Treshayla said, I think to report it. Because you never know, there might be a new scam that y'all haven't heard about. And you know, it might become popular and if you don't report it, people won't know about it and you're unable to stop someone else from getting scams. So I think that's very important. So thank you so much for joining us today. Maybe we can have scams part two or something in the future. 

TW: That sounds good to me. 

SK: Ooh, you're gonna sing our outro. Treshayla is also a singer looking for bandmates. So if you're into Southern blues.

TW: You play the bass or the guitar or the drums.

SK: Please send us feedback to our dedicated inbox, story underscore ideas at ers.texas.gov. 

TW: We'd love to hear your thoughts on Money Talks.

Disclaimer: This material is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide investment, legal, or tax recommendations or advice.