Stop fraud in its tracks

5 ways to identify suspicious activity

There are many types of fraud out there, and sometimes suspicious activity can slip through the cracks. Being able to identify unusual behavior can help stop an attack before it compromises your data. Here are some things to watch out for.

1. Unauthorized transactions
Imagine checking your portfolio only to find unexpected trades or asset transfers. Maybe it’s a small adjustment or perhaps a larger transaction you know you didn’t make. This is one of the biggest and most obvious signs of fraud. Regularly reviewing your statements is key to spotting unauthorized activity so you can act fast to shut it down.

2. Phishing and other scams
Be on guard if you receive a call, email or message asking for sensitive information like account numbers, PINs or passwords. Scammers have even started using artificial intelligence (AI) to pull personal information from your social media accounts to appear more convincing in these attacks, including impersonating people you know. You might be asked to provide Social Security numbers, send money to someone or click on suspicious links. Corebridge Financial, other financial companies and government agencies will never solicit these activities through unsecured channels.

3. Unexplained changes to your account information
Picture this—you log in to your account and find that your email, your linked bank account, withdrawal limits or even your beneficiary information has been changed without your consent. It’s a common trick used by scammers. They might change your contact information to cut you off from receiving alerts about their fraudulent activity.

4. Suspicious login activity
If you get alerts about logins from unfamiliar locations or devices, someone might be trying to access your account without your permission.

5. Locked or disabled accounts
Getting a notification that your account has been locked or disabled is alarming. This often happens when fraudulent activity is suspected, and Corebridge or other financial institutions will lock your account for safety.

Top scams to watch out for this year

Many scams today use AI to create more convincing traps for consumers. Be extra wary of deepfake images and natural-sounding voices of celebrities or people you know. Just because it looks or sounds real doesn’t mean it is.

• Student loan forgiveness scams
  Scammers may offer applications for debt relief to steal your information or charge you high application fees. Avoid these scams and go directly to the U.S. Department of Education website for information about applying for forgiveness. Remember: there are no fees to apply for student loan forgiveness.
• Mobile phone scams
  These include scammers trying to get you to install malicious apps, scan phony QR codes or even reassign your phone number to a SIM card on a phone they control so they can log in to your accounts with security codes or one-time passwords they receive. When possible, use multifactor authenticator apps, which scammers can’t use to confirm your identity.
• Investment scams
  Such scams can involve trading, stocks or real estate. They’re marked by promises of high returns with little risk but include upfront fees. Foreign exchange (Forex) trading scams involve buying and selling currencies to profit from changes in exchange rates.
• Cryptocurrency scams
  These scams steal digital assets through fake investment schemes, fraudulent initial coin offerings (ICOs) and phishing attacks targeting crypto wallets.
• Tech support scams
  Scammers impersonate tech support representatives to gain remote access to devices, steal information or charge for fake services.