Fraudsters are likely to contact you by phone or email. This public information is easy to obtain. To protect yourself from becoming a victim, we recommend that you take some time to educate yourself on how these people may try to obtain your personal information.
Social engineering involves tricking you into unknowingly disclosing confidential information like passwords or personal information. Social engineers or impersonators use techniques to bypass existing security measures by first gaining your trust. They use influence and persuasion to convince you they are someone they’re not. Consequences of social engineering attacks include fraud, identity theft or theft of confidential information.
Here’s what you can do:
Fraudulent activity often appears legitimate at first glance or provides an incentive too good to pass up. Individuals may pose as representatives of a reputable company, often using company names and corporate logos to make their solicitation more convincing.
Phone solicitations may offer cash gifts, free travel or prizes in exchange for personal or account information. Advertisements in newspapers may promote special rates and offers where, upon calling, you are asked for personal information or for an advance payment before the transaction can be completed.
Email addresses obtained from subscription lists, websites, chat rooms, online auctions, etc., may appear to be from institutions you have an account with. Mail can be illegally intercepted, and the information used to solicit your personal or account information.
Here are some ways to validate the legitimacy of organizations that you may deal with:
If you did not enter a lottery, you cannot win a lottery. There are no email draws or lotteries where tickets are not sold. Legitimate lottery companies will not ask you for a payment before you can have your money. Sun Life, as an insurer, cannot and does not sponsor lotteries.
Contact us if you suspect fraud, believe you have been a target of a scam and/or receive a suspicious email or telephone call from someone that you suspect to be falsely representing Sun Life or if you have shared personal information with a scammer.