Avoid scams on social media networks

Facebook and other popular social medial platforms certainly have a huge incentive, including ad revenue, to create a safe digital space for us to hang out in. But it’s exactly this safe, casual atmosphere that makes these sites a hunting ground for digital crooks as well.

With Facebook, be careful of friending people you don’t know. If you friend a scammer, you allow the crook to access your profile and possibly make a cloned account. After an account is cloned, they send you another friend request hoping you’ll automatically accept it — and giving them access to your personal information. So don’t accept friend requests from people you don’t personally know and if you are already friends, don’t accept a second request.

Instagram largely allows us to follow others’ photos and video posts of favorite celebrities and hobbies. But crooks can see who we follow and often will use personalized direct messages (DMs) based on our own self-proclaimed interests.

For example, if you follow the hashtag #Australia, someone might DM you to entice you with a bargain on cheap travel to Australia, but it may turn out to be a scam. Other crooks pretend to be celebrities we’re following and might end up asking for a bogus charitable contribution. Best thing to do is to keep your profile settings secure and don’t respond to any unsolicited messages.

On Google Hangouts, this is a place to chat with friends, share pictures and make phone calls. But there have been reports of employment scams originating on this platform. If you receive an email offering you a job and your first paycheck is in advance and then a portion of the check needs to be sent back for application fees, hit the delete button. Bonafide employers don’t pay in advance and they don’t ask for money to be sent back.

Nextdoor is a useful app that connects us to our neighbors. But keep in mind this is still a social platform that can be infiltrated by bad actors. There are reports of criminals posting fake cars for sale or contractors for hire. Typically with these types of scams, they want your information so they can steal your money. This app is a good way to keep up on local events but don’t automatically assume you can trust an online stranger. Taking a few precautions can go a long way to protect yourself in the social media world.

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ONLINE RX SHOPPING: Have you noticed that when you go to the pharmacy to fill your prescriptions the prices seem to keep going up? When we pick up our prescriptions it’s easy to get lulled into thinking we’re getting the best price, but it’s possible we’re paying too much.

Three online RX programs are worth checking out to see if you’re getting the lowest price available. They are GoodRx, RxSaver and SingleCare.

GoodRx has a website and mobile app that finds discount prices for medications and tells you where to get the lowest price. Go to GoodRx.com and type in the drug name. Once you’ve found the best price, either print out the coupon or have it sent to your phone. You can use this program without membership and it doesn’t matter if you have health insurance or not. Nearly all major chains will accept GoodRx.

RxSaver is a free discount prescription finder that can help you save on medications no matter where you shop. Just enter the name and dose of your medication along with your zip code and you’ll get a list of current pricing at local pharmacies. It’s a free service and you can print out a physical discount card from the website or request that a laminated version be mailed to you. RxSaver is also widely accepted at national pharmacy chains and supermarket pharmacies.

SingleCare works the same way with you entering the name and dosage information for your prescription, then you can click the “Get free coupon” button that can be texted, emailed or printed out.

The best part of these services is no monthly fees or claim forms to fill out. Furthermore, you don’t have to disclose your email, phone number, Facebook account or any other personal information to get the savings.

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PHONY CD ALERT: The SEC issued a warning to consumers to be on the lookout for spoofed websites using legitimate-sounding names and URLs to fool investors into thinking they’re issuing real CDs. The websites mimic the actual sites of legitimate financial institutions, making it hard to spot a fictitious site.

Here are a few red flags to watch for: The site offers interest rates higher than you can find at any other financial institution, with no penalties for early withdrawals; they promote only CDs and no other financial products, such as banking or brokerage accounts, loans or commercial banking services; they require a high minimum deposit of $200,000 or more; and they direct potential investors to wire funds to an account located outside the U.S.

Be skeptical and conduct internet searches for the financial institution to see if you find any results other than the website initially identified. Verify that the financial institution is FDIC insured by using the FDIC’s BankFind tool at https://research.fdic.gov/bankfind/ or call the FDIC to verify at 877-275-3342 or 877-ASKFDIC. Make sure the name of the institution claiming to provide the CDs is exactly the same and not just a similar name to the firm verified by the FDIC.

Another possibility is to shop local banks and credit unions if you’re interested in investing in a CD. That way you can visit the institution in person and verify that your funds will be safe providing some return on investment while supporting local businesses in the area.

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Remember: I’m on your side.

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If you’ve encountered a consumer issue that you have questions about or think our readers should know about, please email me at terridickersonadvocate@gmail.com or call me at 208-274-4458. As The CDA Press Consumer Gal, I’m here to help. I’m a full-time copywriter working with businesses on marketing strategy, a columnist and a consumer advocate living in Coeur d’Alene.