Impersonation scams on the rise ahead of holidays prompting response from watchdogs
‘Tis the season to be … wary.
The holiday weeks mean fewer days in the office — online or onsite. Staffers embark on their usual round-robins of vacation. We’re all browsing sites and stores in search of the best deals on, well … everything.
In short, our guards are down, on the job and off, opening the door for fraudsters.
The bad actors are, increasingly, using “official” channels to ply their schemes and scams.
The Federal Trade Commission reported this month that impersonation fraud — where fraudsters pose as executives or government agencies — has siphoned $6 billion from victims since 2018. The FTC has proposed a Trade Regulation Rule on the impersonation scams; the commentary period runs through the middle of next month.
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