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BRIDGTON — When FBI Special Agent Andrew Drewer spoke to Lake Region Rotary Club members and friends at a recent meeting, everyone was on the edge of their seats. At home, of course, because he came to the meeting via Zoom.
Rotary members hoped to get a fix for every would-be scammer out there, but Drewer told those at the meeting it’s not that easy, especially during the pandemic when everyone is ore isolated and getting social interaction is via social media and the telephone.
Agent Drewer said that Fraud is a major problem nationwide. Technology and people’s access to it has made everyone vulnerable. People can sit in internet cafes anywhere in the world and prey on folks in Maine.
He had some tips:
Always renew your anti-virus protection.
Never click on a link that’s not familiar.
Unplug your computer when you’re not using it.
Save your documents in the cloud or external storage.
Don’t click on pop-ups.
Don’t wire money.
Never give out your Social Security number.
When in doubt, call police, another family member or a savvy friend.
Use your credit card, not your debit, for online purchases.
Check return email address when you receive something from your internet provider or another sender, and make sure they’re 100 percent legitimate.
Avoid public access wi-fi.
When Rotarians were asked about their biggest takeaway from the presentation, Dick Enright said, “Realizing just how vulnerable we all are and how important it is for relatives and friends to help elders to be aware of fraud.”
Julie Forbes said, “These scammers are crafty about befriending their victims and getting them in their camp to the exclusion of friends and family.”
Rotarians who are bankers in the finance business asked how they can support their clients. Drewer enclouraged them to contact him.
He did provide some websites that could be helpful with information and tools: www.fbi.gov/ investgate/cyber and www.Consumer.ftc.gov/topics/privacy-identity-online-security.
To get on the Lake Region Rotary email list to hear future speakers, contact LakeRegionRotary@gmail.com.
