WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T* and
National Crime Prevention Council** (NCPC) are teaming up to help
raise awareness about social engineering scams in a new public
education campaign with the call to action – Don't Take The Bait
– Validate! As fraud concerns are heightened during the global
COVID-19 pandemic, the campaign aims to help empower consumers to
outsmart fraudsters by protecting their PINs, passwords and
personal information from incoming callers who may not be who they
say they are.
The campaign includes video, social media, and digital
resources to help inform consumers about some of the common tricks
fraudsters use to get personal information. AT&T and NCPC will
also share infographics and information with consumers through
social media and NCPC's network of crime prevention
practitioners.
"We are working to equip consumers with the most current
information on scammer tricks so they can protect themselves," said
Valerie Scheder, AVP Global Fraud,
AT&T. "Together with NCPC, we are working to take power away
from the bad guys and place it where it belongs -- in the hands of
consumers."
Fraudsters use social engineering tactics to trick consumers
into sharing confidential and personal information. They are
skilled con artists who impersonate government, community, and
business officials such as law enforcement, local charities, and
service providers. Once fraudsters have someone's personal
information, they can use it to make unauthorized purchases, drain
financial accounts or even steal someone's identity.
"Savvy consumers understand that callers aren't always who they
say they are. But fraudsters are crafty and prey on us when we are
most vulnerable, making us question what we know," added
Ann Harkins, President and CEO,
NCPC. "That is why NCPC is collaborating with AT&T to remind
everyone that if we pause and think it over, we have the power to
decide how we want to engage with each and every caller --
not the other way around."
To learn more about social engineering scams and how to outsmart
fraudsters visit www.ncpc.org/fraud and
www.att.com/cyberaware.
*About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a
diversified, global leader in telecommunications, media and
entertainment, and technology. WarnerMedia is a leading media and
entertainment company that creates and distributes premium and
popular content to global audiences through its consumer brands,
including: HBO, HBO Max, Warner Bros., TNT, TBS, truTV, CNN, DC
Entertainment, New Line, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and Turner
Classic Movies. Xandr, now part of WarnerMedia, provides marketers
with innovative and relevant advertising solutions for consumers
around premium video content and digital advertising through
its platform. AT&T Communications provides more than 100
million U.S. consumers with entertainment and communications
experiences across TV, mobile and broadband. Plus, it serves
high-speed, highly secure connectivity and smart solutions to
nearly 3 million business customers. AT&T Latin America
provides pay-TV services across 10 countries and territories in
Latin America and the Caribbean and wireless services to consumers
and businesses in Mexico.
AT&T products and services are provided or offered by
subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T
brand and not by AT&T Inc. Additional information is available
at about.att.com. © 2020 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights
reserved. AT&T, the Globe logo and other marks are trademarks
and service marks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T
affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the
property of their respective owners.
**About National Crime Prevention Council
The National
Crime Prevention Council is the nonprofit leader in crime
prevention. For 40 years, our symbol of safety, McGruff the Crime
Dog®, has delivered easy-to-use crime prevention tips that protect
what matters most—you, your family, and your community. Since 1982,
NCPC has created public education campaigns with over $2 billion in donated media and distributed crime
prevention messages to its network of more than 15,000 state and
local law enforcement agencies, crime prevention associations,
community groups, foundations, and corporate partners. For
more information on how NCPC can be a public safety expert for you
or how to "Take A Bite Out of Crime®,"
visit www.ncpc.org.
View original content to download
multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/att-and-national-crime-prevention-council-team-up-in-new-campaign-to-help-consumers-outsmart-fraudsters-301141970.html
SOURCE National Crime Prevention Council