Tech View: Be vigilant as scammers are always on the prowl

My week began when my neighbor Conrad declared that his bank debit card account had been drained of $5,000. Evidently, persons unknown on the mainland had helped themselves to innumerable Domino’s Pizza and Lyft rides on his dime. (After a great deal of prodding, he sorted this out with the bank.)

On Tuesday I got a voicemail from my cellphone provider, T-Mobile, about a 50% “discount.” The VM sounded legitimate (complete with a little jingle). I called the number and asked the man how the program works. He mumbled something about “Target stores covering half the bill” and that I must pay the balance upfront. That didn’t sound quite right. And no, it wasn’t T-Mobile on the line.

On Wednesday a caller informed me that “my package was ready for delivery.” Package? “Who sent the package?” I inquired. The gentleman on the other end of the line got irritated by my question. He swore at me and hung up.

The next day, I had an encounter with a local “solar specialist” to tune up my solar water heater. He informed me that the Aloha State offers a rebate on this service. (This part was true.) Not only did he botch the job, there was no rebate. As I discovered too late, only licensed contractors qualify for the rebate. Suffice it to say, he was unlicensed. I hired a competent firm to clean up the mess and filed a report to the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

On Friday I received yet another “mistaken identity” text. This happens all the time. A woman inquires what I’ve been up to lately. When I ask who’s texting me, she’s surprised. “Oh, isn’t this Anna?” When she discovers I’m not Anna, she blames her “assistant” for handing her the wrong number. Naturally, she is happy to chat and be my new BFF.

On Saturday I got a call from a man claiming to be a “Spectrum technician.” He muttered something about fiber-optic issues and ordered me to turn on my TV. In the background it seemed as if the caller was in a proverbial “boiler room,” which didn’t inspire much confidence. I told him I didn’t want to turn on the set, and he was indignant that I would question his bona fides. He hung up.

Yikes! The new breed of fraudsters are homing in on our internet service providers, our mobile phone providers, our package delivery services, our bank accounts and even our water heaters!

So, how to protect yourself? Start with common sense — and intuition. Even if the caller states they are from Spectrum, Amazon or Social Security, if their pitch sounds the least bit fishy, it probably is.

Then ask questions. Scammers evidently don’t like to be quizzed and don’t seem to have much patience.

Typical red flags: Scammers will pressure you to act immediately or even threaten you with legal action. They also might ask you to pay with prepaid debit cards, gift cards, wire or money transfer, etc.

In the case of protecting your debit card account, Attila Seress, founder of Cypac, a Honolulu-based cybersecurity company, said that online thieves can “tap” your credit card or debit card accounts even after you’ve canceled a card. He suggests asking your bank rep about “Phantom Service,” which essentially updates your account information, which in turn will prohibit emptying your account. He also suggests having the bank call you for permission if a purchase is over a certain amount.

As far as guarding against unscrupulous local contractors, check whether a contractor is licensed and has previous complaints lodged against him. The DCCA has a database of miscreants you can look up online, and a helpful staff to steer you in the right direction.

Had I done my homework, I would have found the DCCA had recorded a $39,000 judgment against my erstwhile solar expert for a 2012 fraud case. Also, note that Hawaii Energy has a list of vetted, licensed contractors that will honor its solar rebate program.

As Washington Post columnist Helaine Olen said in a recent piece, nowadays “we are forever suspicious, convinced someone else wants to profit at our expense. And all too often, we are right.”

Rob Kay, a Honolulu-based writer, covers technology and sustainability for Tech View and is the creator of fijiguide.com. He can be reached at Robertfredkay@gmail.com.