These are challenging times for a variety of reasons, and members and retirees may be working remotely or performing tasks online that they previously would have done in person. Unfortunately, scammers will attempt to profit from a difficult situation, even using Coronavirus scams to trick victims into purchasing fake cures, donating to fake causes, etc.
Protect yourself by being aware of their tactics. Scammers pretend to be someone you trust. Be aware that scammers will use a variety of social engineering techniques to misrepresent themselves or to trick you into divulging sensitive data such as bank account, credit card, other financial information, employment or retirement information, or protected health care information.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, even government agencies have been targets of imposter scams where the scammer impersonates government agents to trick victims into paying for free services, insinuating that the victim owes back taxes or license fees, etc., and tricking them into making payments at fake websites. The FTC website has some good resources on how to identify scam activity.
Protect your KPPA account information.
- Never give out your account credentials or PIN number to others.
- Don't access your online account from public computers such as in libraries or hotels.
Please note that KPPA does not contract with or approve any third parties to provide pension benefit guidance or advice about your KPPA retirement. KPPA communications will not come from free email accounts such as Gmail, Yahoo, or Hotmail. If you have any concerns about contacts regarding your KPPA account, please contact KPPA directly to confirm they are who they present themselves to be.