Cybersecurity scams happen, even in the K-State community

An unexpected phone call, a threat to shut off the power and a demand for immediate payment. One K-State retiree recognized the warning signs and avoided becoming a victim of a scam.

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, making it a great time to brush up on ways to protect yourself from scammers. But while October offers a reminder to stay alert, cybercriminals work year-round, and K-Staters are among their targets.

Just ask Tim, a K-State alumnus who graduated in 1977, worked at the university for several years and is now retired. Recently, he received two unexpected phone calls claiming his electricity would be shut off unless he immediately paid several overdue bills.

Fortunately, Tim recognized the warning signs and knew not to fall for the scam. He shared his experience with the K-State IT Service Desk to help other Wildcats stay safe.

A convincing story and a familiar scare tactic

“I got a phone call just last Saturday at 10 a.m. from a woman with an international accent saying my Evergy electric bills weren't paid for the last three months. Call this number and pay them,” wrote Tim. He was told that if he didn't pay the bill, his power would be turned off at 11 a.m.

Tim knew he had paid his utility bills, so he hung up.

Less than a minute later, he got another phone call. “A male voice with an American accent said he was an Evergy lineman, and he was ordered to turn off my electricity at 11 a.m. unless I call the same number and pay my last three electricity bills.”

Fortunately, Tim had recently been working on his taxes and had his utility statements nearby. He checked the records, confirmed the bills were paid and ended the call.

Rather than trust the callers, Tim contacted Evergy directly using the customer service number on his bill. Because it was the weekend, he was advised to call back during regular business hours on Monday. He also called the emergency outage number and spoke with a representative, who confirmed a scam was targeting him and that his power would not be turned off.

By then, 11 a.m. had passed, and his electricity was still on.

Looking back, Tim recognized the tactics from cybersecurity training he had received while working at K-State. “This played out EXACTLY as you described in the K-State cybersecurity training,” he wrote.

The callers had followed a familiar pattern: make a threatening claim, create a sense of urgency and demand immediate action to avoid a penalty. In this case, the threatened consequence was the loss of electricity.

What is vishing?

The calls Tim received are an example of vishing, short for voice phishing. Vishing is a type of scam in which criminals use phone calls or voice messages to impersonate a trusted person or organization and try to steal money, financial information or personal data.

The approach can vary, but many vishing scams follow three basic steps:

• Impersonation: The caller pretends to represent a trusted organization, such as a bank, government agency, retailer or utility company.
• Urgency: The caller creates fear or anxiety by threatening a consequence, such as a disconnected utility service, a frozen bank account or legal trouble.
• Pressure: The caller pushes the recipient to act immediately, often by calling another number, making a payment or sharing sensitive information before there's time to verify the story.

Scammers may also manipulate caller ID to make a call appear to come from a legitimate organization or a local phone number. Even a familiar-looking number isn't proof that a call is genuine.

In some cases, scammers may even use the information they obtain to make their story more convincing. Their goal is to get you to react before you stop to question what's happening.

Other common vishing scams

The threat of a utility shutoff is just one example. Other common phone scams include:

• Bank alerts: A caller claims your debit or credit card has unauthorized charges and asks for your PIN, banking credentials or other information to verify your identity.
• Government impersonation: Someone claims you owe back taxes or have a warrant for your arrest and demands immediate payment, sometimes through gift cards, cryptocurrency or wire transfers.
• Tech support scams: A caller claims your computer has a virus or security problem and asks for remote access to your device.
• AI voice cloning: A scammer uses artificial intelligence to imitate the voice of a family member or friend in distress and asks you to send money urgently.

Although the details differ, these scams rely on the same tactics: impersonation, fear and pressure.

How to protect yourself

Tim's experience is a good reminder that knowing what to look for can make a difference. If you receive a suspicious call, pause and verify the information before doing anything else.

Hang up if something doesn't feel right. Don't answer questions, press buttons or follow instructions from a suspicious caller. You don't need to stay on the line to hear the entire story.

Don't trust caller ID alone. Phone numbers can be spoofed, making a scam call appear to be from a legitimate business or organization.

Verify the information independently. If a caller claims you owe money or have an urgent account problem, look up the organization's official phone number on a bill, statement or official website. Call that number yourself rather than using a number provided by the caller.

Never share sensitive information with an unexpected caller. Don't provide passwords, Social Security numbers, PINs, verification codes or banking information in response to an unsolicited call. Be especially cautious of anyone demanding immediate payment through gift cards, cryptocurrency or wire transfers.

Report the scam. Contact the organization the caller claimed to represent so it can be aware of the attempted scam. You can also report fraud to the Federal Trade Commission or unwanted calls to the Federal Communications Commission.

Stay alert and trust your instincts

Scammers count on people feeling frightened, rushed or caught off guard. Taking a moment to slow down and verify a claim can help protect your money and personal information.

Tim's experience shows why cybersecurity awareness matters beyond the campus. The lessons learned through K-State training helped him recognize a scam and take the right steps to protect himself.

Whether you're answering a call at work or relaxing at home, remember: A demand for immediate payment and a threat of serious consequences are reasons to pause, not reasons to rush.

Stay alert, verify unexpected claims and help keep yourself and fellow K-Staters safe. To learn more about cybersecurity best practices, visit the K-State cybersecurity website.