Safeguards are good, but not perfect
Last week, our office did a company-wide training about cybersecurity, and the content ended up being pretty topical for this week's scam and a certain phone call I received over the weekend.
One thing the training touched on was digital safeguards, such as twostep verification, and how they can be helpful, but not entirely bulletproof.
Fast forward to this weekend when I'm sitting on my couch halfway between a bike ride and a graduation party trying to catch a few minutes of downtime when lo and behold my phone goes off. Sweaty, exhausted and with no patience for nonsense, I look at the screen to see not only a 530 number but the verified caller note under the number.
I should note that the last time this happened, a friend of mine was stranded after a car breakdown and needed a ride but had to use someone else's phone. I answer and hear light breathing. It was creepy as hell until a woman's voice chimed in saying she was with an autism awareness organization but failed do give the name of a real autism awareness organization, looking for ways to raise money for law enforcement.
Maybe A.I. really has gone too far, or maybe scammers are getting lazy and are no longer able to write a consistent script, but the thing that bothered me most was that verified caller tag. We know scammers can mimic phone numbers to look like local calls, but the verified caller is sacred. That is a safeguard that, up until Saturday, hasn't let me down yet.
This is why it's important to stay vigilant because with every big of technological protection we can get, because sooner or later scammers will find a way around it and new safeguards will need to be made.
Stay safe out there folks and don't forget to take water on your bike rides and jogs, especially when you know you are going to a social event because let me tell ya …
Scam of the Week generally runs every Tuesday. Readers are welcome to contact reporter Jake Hutchison to report scams and potential scams they have come in contact with by calling 828-1329 or via email at jhutchison@ chicoer.com.