Avionics News November 2014 - 51

5. Helping hands. A reoccurring scam involves fraudInsurance Crime Bureau, small businesses frequently fall
sters "from Microsoft" calling to help because they've
victim to staged accidents, resulting in insurance losses of
discovered a virus on your computer. After befuddling
more than $100 billion a year.
you with complex directions, they offer to fix it if you
Crooks team with fake witnesses, drivers, passengers,
provide them remote access.
medical providers and even repair shops, and they use
Alternatively, they may even walk into your avionics
driving tricks, such as swerving in front of you and slamshop, claim they're from your bank, and "service" your
ming on their brakes, according to the Coalition Against
credit-card processing machines - either swiping them
Insurance Fraud. Afterward, they'll enhance the damage
with corrupted ones or installing skimmers to snatch card
and even add extra victims to boost the claim.
numbers, which happened recently at a Chicago-area
Faked accidents can happen anywhere, even in your
Michael's craft store.
own parking lot - or, with a "slip and fall," inside
Or they may trick you with email. Last year, crooks
your avionics repair shop. In Wisconsin, federal agents
broke into computers at a fuel
recently busted a ring that pulled
supplier in Georgia and wired
65 of these inside "operations"
$317,000 to fake employee payroll
over two years and collected
accounts. They got in because, a
$200,000.
. . . Fr a u d i s t h e s i n g l e l a r g e s t
day earlier, the company's finance
Protect yourself with mandaperson clicked on a link in a
tory safe-driving practices such
c at e go r y o f l a r c e n y i n t h e
fraudulent email spoofed to look
as no cellphones or tailgating,
like it came from the U.S. Postal
and consider vehicle safety camU . S . , c o s t i n g m o r e e a c h ye a r
Service. Similar attacks have reperas like DriveCam. Likewise,
licated emails from FedEx, UPS
install cameras to monitor your
t h a n m o t o r ve h i c l e t h e f t ,
and the Internal Revenue Service,
shop floor and parking areas. In
b a n k r obb e r y a n d h o u s e h o l d
as well. Or these "phishers" will
the event of an accident, call the
use social media. The unfamiliar
police, collect all of the other
burglary combined.
"customer" posts a tweet that says,
party's information, and watch
"Did you see this video of you?"
for suspicious behavior. Take
Click on the link and you're redipictures with your cellphone, as
rected to a site that loads malware.
well.
You'll need to train everyone with access to a computer
4. Too good to be true. Last year, the BBB warned of
how these "social-engineering" cyberscams work. In para credit-card processing scam in which sales reps offer
ticular, they should avoid clicking on unexpected antivibelow-market processing fees in return for signing longrus "cleaning" programs or software patches, unexpected
term - as in, no-cancel - contracts, which, coincidentally,
attachments or links in unfamiliar emails. Follow up by
require large deposits.
posting current threats from your bank, regulators and the
These contracts get worse; they're loaded with exorInternet Crime Complaint Center.
bitant monthly minimums, surcharges on rewards-type
6. An inside job. According to the National Retail
credit cards, corporate, and government cards, and PINFederation, your biggest risk for "shrinkage" comes from
based debit-card network fees. They often included a little
your own people. The 2011 National Retail Security
fraud, too; some added a handful of fake chargeback and
Survey indicated that about 44 percent of losses come
return fees to each statement, which can go undetected.
from employee theft, and in 2010, the average theft by an
The scam works because callers contact you when
employee was nearly three times the average shoplifting
you're busy and you aren't able to give your full attenloss.
tion, hoping you cave to their pushy tactics. Prevent this
Certainly, most employees don't steal. But one who
scam by choosing your vendors carefully, and vet comdoes, according to security consultant Chris E. McGoey,
panies against Federal Trade Commission and consumerthinks he won't get caught, or rationalizes he's not paid
protection reports. Get all fees and surcharges in writing,
enough, or acts out because he's disgruntled. He might
and monitor your merchant account regularly to verify
that each transaction matches your business records and
Continued on following page
the fees match your contract.
avionics news

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Avionics News November 2014

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