If you own a small business, you know how important it is to watch out for fraud attacks that may cost you money or customers. By following just a few easy tips, you can keep your business safe from scammers:

1. Educate your Employees. Hold a monthly or quarterly training to keep employees informed about how to avoid scams like:
   • Fake invoices
   • Utility company or government agency imposters
   • Tech support scams
   • Phishing and ransomware
   • Artificial Intelligence (AI) deep fakes and voice cloning 
     
2. Secure Passwords and Online Files. Protect your sensitive financial information from phishing or ransomware attacks by making sure your passwords are stored securely, and that you have good anti-virus software on your company computers.
   
   
3. Research Potential Business Partners or Vendors. Scammers often pretend to offer services like advertising, office supplies or online security to get a paycheck and then disappear. Before doing business with another company, research them thoroughly.
   
   TIP: Search the company’s name and “scam” or “fraud” on your preferred search engine, and see what pops up. Consider using recommendations from other businesses in your community when picking products or signing up for services.  
   
   
4. Inspect Invoices and Payments Closely. Never pay a bill unless you know exactly what it’s for, and be sure to verify you actually ordered the item. Additionally, if a wire transfer or gift card is the preferred payment for a vendor, it is usually a surefire sign of a scam.