Cyber criminals and fraudsters are attempting to trick users into clicking suspicious links, downloading email attachments, or "connecting" with social networking sites, all of which act as conduits for collecting private information.
E-MAILS AND WEBSITES WITH MALICIOUS CONTENT:
Unknowingly, an unwanted e-mail from your bank or favorite store may be a hidden attempt to steal your identity or personal information. "Phishing" is a common practice used by cyber criminals to get personal and financial information or to infect your computer with malware and viruses. Criminals exploit the stolen information to commit identity theft, credit card fraud, and other crimes. On social media platforms and professional networking sites, phishing is becoming more prevalent.
IMPLICATIONS FROM THE WORLD OF SOCIAL MEDIA:
Criminals are increasingly utilizing social media to build rapport with their victims and ultimately steal their data. Typically, these actors create accounts imitating (and claiming to be) the official accounts of an individual or organization. On social media, impersonation may also apply to the acquisition of authentic accounts. These accounts may be used for phishing or to damage the reputation of an individual or business.
SCAM INVESTMENTS:
Investment scams may deceive you or your organization into executing a financial transaction without conducting comprehensive due diligence and delivering money directly to the firm. Consider the following to determine if you were deceived into making a financial investment.
- Is there a fee that I must pay in advance? Paying a fee in advance in order to take advantage of a much better offer is referred to as an advance fee plan.
- Aldwin Callen will respond to emails submitted from the aldwincallen.com domain (not a free e-mail account like Yahoo, Gmail)
- Is the business aware of the information on my personal credit card?
- Is the email or document riddled with typographical errors and misspellings?
- Was I forced into directly depositing funds to the business's account in order to avoid missing an opportunity?
If you receive an unwanted communication or email from Aldwin Callen that you believe to be fraudulent, please forward it to abuse@aldwincallen.com. Aldwin Callen will examine your e-mail and respond. Kindly notify your senior wealth advisor if you are a firm client.
The following resources provide further information on how to be safe:
HONG KONG:
SOUTH AFRICA:
Southern African Fraud Prevention Service
EUROPE:
The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)