The Federal Trade Commission released a report this month outlining the companies most commonly impersonated by scammers, the most successful branding used by scams, prominent methodology and more. According to the report, Best Buy’s Geek Squad is the most widely imitated company for the purpose of fleecing victims, along with Amazon and Paypal. "The scammers impersonating these businesses work in very different ways.
Microsoft impersonation scams start with a fake security pop-up warning on your computer with a number to call for 'help,'" the FTC said. "And calls from the fake Publishers Clearing House say you’ll have to pay fees to collect your sweepstakes winnings." The FTC reports that email and phone are the most common form of scam message, but that there is a rise in manipulation of victims via social media. These scams are most commonly perpetrated via Facebook and Instagram.
The FTC also offered guidance to businesses hoping to make impersonations of their brand by malicious scammers more difficult. "At minimum, make it easier for customers to reach you to find out what communications are legit," the FTC said in its report. "Of course, shifting responsibility onto your customers isn’t the answer, so look to your workforce’s ingenuity to deploy solutions that protect your loyal customers and your good name.
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