Fraud Speak — Learn the Lingo to Beat Scammers

[McFurd]

AARP - 3/1/2017 - Sid Kirchheimer - Time was when whaling was done by Captain Ahab and ghosting by Casper. Today the words describe dirty deeds done by scammers. These two terms are part of a dialect of deception that constantly evolves with new schemes or twists on existing ones. Knowledge is power. So to help you boost your fraud prevention know-how, here's a guide to the latest terms in the lexicon of larceny — and the common cons behind them.

Brute-force attack: A hacking method to find passwords or encryption keys by trying every possible combination of characters until the correct one is found.

Catfish: Someone who creates a fake online profile to intentionally deceive you.

Drive-by download: The downloading of a virus or malware onto your computer or mobile device when you visit a compromised website — it happens without your clicking on anything at the site.

Ghosting: Theft of the identity of a deceased person to fraudulently open credit accounts, obtain loans or get utility or medical services in the person's name.

Read more @ http://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/i ... guide.html