Tips and Tricks to Protect Your Account

A few tips to help you spot attempts to lure you into divulging sensitive information and things to do to shore up your defenses

Reminders and tips to protect your account

Keeping your account secure is our number one priority. Our security team is always on guard and undergoes regular training to stay ahead of the latest methods of cyberattacks to safeguard your accounts. However, even as the scams evolve, one thing remains the same: The easiest way for a hacker to gain access to your account is by tricking you into sharing your personal information with them. We wanted to share some reminders and extra ways you can protect yourself against hackers.

Remember

GCC will never ask you to verify personal information like passwords, account numbers, or your social security number via text, direct message or e-mail. If you get an email or a call from someone saying they re from the college and you are uncomfortable or unsure:

1. Ask for their name and call them back through their number in our directory.
2. Trust your gut. If something doesn't feel right to you, it probably isn't. Confide in someone you trust — a friend, a family member, a neighbor, a teacher, or a co-worker — talking about it could help you realize it's a scam.
3. Never send money, provide personal or financial information to anyone whose identity you can't independently verify or in response to an unexpected request. When confirming the identity of someone, call a trusted and verified phone number (the one provided to you could be part of the scam.)

CAUTION: Due to multiple recent mass data breaches of major organizations and data brokers, hackers now have access to an unprecedented amount of personally identifiable information (PII). This access to data coupled with cheap access to artificial intelligence (AI) tools gives them significantly improved capacity to produce very convincing communications. If you receive an unsolicited communication via ANY medium (phone call, text, email, etc.) purporting to be from a trusted institution (like a bank, school, etc.), requesting personal information or asking you to provide money or access to an account, be immediately on guard. In fact, we strongly recommend you do not engage. Instead, reach out to the organization directly using a trusted source for contact information. If you use Google to search for information, be sure to examine the search result carefully -- often the first results that show up are ads, NOT the institution you searched for.

Common Tactics Used by Scammers

1. They claim there's a problem or a prize like:
   • You or a family member is in trouble with the law and you owe money; someone in your family had an emergency; or, there's a virus on your computer.
   • There's a problem with one of your accounts and you need to verify some information.
   • You won money in a lottery or sweepstakes but have to pay a fee to get it.
2. They pretend to be from an organization you know or that they are contacting you on behalf of a college department, the government (IRS), or a financial institution. Some pretend to be from a business you know, like a utility company or even a charity asking for donations.
   Some use technology to change the name/phone number that appears on your caller ID. So it may appear like they are calling you from a trusted number. Ask for the caller's name and call them back through a trusted/publicly listed phone number.
3. They pressure you to act immediately. If you're on the phone, they might tell you not to hang up so you can't check out or look into their story. They might threaten to arrest or sue you. They might even say your computer is about to be corrupted. Or that your accounts will be locked.
4. They insist that you pay them in a specific way by transferring money, or by putting money on a gift card and then giving them the number on the back. Some will send you a check to deposit or even ask for your online banking credentials so they can deposit the check for you. They then tell you to send them money and the check later turns out to be fake.

Additional Resources

We're always here to help if you have concerns or any questions or if you think you've been a victim of fraud.

Don't hesitate to create a request or call us at (585) 343-0055 x 6227.