Phishing and Fraud Awareness
RandomYard is a US-based real estate investment firm. Cybercriminals frequently attempt to take advantage of companies and may attempt to use RandomYard’s image or reputation to engage in fraudulent schemes, through which victims are tricked into thinking that they are dealing with trusted RandomYard personnel, including through websites, texts, emails, mailings, telephone calls, social media, and other communication platforms. These fraudulent tactics are continuously evolving and usually involve using false pretenses to convince a victim to share personal information. Many of these attacks take the form of “phishing,” a practice where a cybercriminal attempts to obtain your confidential personal information, such as your social security number, account/financial information, and usernames/passwords.
Below is general information on how to recognize and avoid common schemes.
Common Examples of Fraudulent Activities
Email or SMS (Text) Phishing: The most common form of phishing involves a cybercriminal sending an email or text message that looks like it comes from a legitimate source, asking you to click on a link, download an attachment, or provide personal information.
Vishing: Vishing, or telephone phishing, involves a cybercriminal calling you on the phone, pretending to be a company representative. The visher will say there is an urgent problem that will cause you financial harm, and their solution will involve you providing your personal information.
Job Offer/Social Media Scams: Scammers may pose as a company on a website or social media account, and may target job seekers through posts and paid advertisements. Imposters may also send fraudulent emails purporting to offer employment at RandomYard and misusing the official RandomYard logo. These emails do not originate from RandomYard or any of our affiliates. The only social media accounts authorized by RandomYard are: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn.
Mobile Device App Scams: Scammers may steal personal information by creating mobile device apps which purport to be an official RandomYard app. The scammers solicit investments into non-existent investments and are not in any way affiliated with RandomYard. RandomYard does not currently offer any mobile device apps.
Bank Transfer Scams: Scammers may contact you, usually by phone but potentially by other means, presenting an urgent and false story that requires you to transfer money into or out of your bank account. Scammers purporting to be RandomYard may also promise extraordinary returns on your investment at little to no risk.
Investment Scams: Scammers may contact you offering “high-yield” and similar investments through RandomYard. We do not offer any “yield” products and these “high-yield investment programs” typically are frauds. For more information on high-yield investment programs and how to avoid them, visit the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission webpage.
Best Practices
Confirm you are visiting a RandomYard authorized site or communicating with an account authorized by RandomYard. The email domains and websites authorized by RandomYard are: randomyard.com. No other website or email domains are authorized by RandomYard. Please contact us using our contact page if you have questions about the legitimacy of a website, app, or communication.
Read email carefully. Pay close attention to the details of your emails. Pay attention to things such as typos, unfamiliar links, attachments and any other awkward or urgent language. Do not click on any links in the email that appear suspicious or enter any of your bank [or personal] information.
Do not share password or login information. Certain RandomYard web sites are private, available only to clients through secure log-in procedures. Apart from allowing you to use your password and log-in to enter an authorized website, RandomYard will never ask you for your login information or password.
Avoid suspicious downloads. Be sure to double check the sources and validity of content and apps that you’re downloading while online and always avoid suspicious pop-up ads.
Be skeptical of unsolicited emails, text messages or phone calls. You should be suspicious of emails, texts or phone calls coming from unknown senders and unfamiliar organizations, especially if personal information is requested.
Be suspicious of phone calls asking for personal information. Often callers will impersonate your bank, a company like RandomYard, or a government organization. Do not provide personal information, such as your bank information or credit card number, to these callers. If you think the call might be legitimate, hang up, separately look up the organization’s official contact information online and call them.
Be skeptical of changes to wire or payment instructions. If this happens, you should hang up, separately look up the official contact information of the organization requesting payment, and call them to verify. RandomYard will never ask you to solicit payment of funds or wiring of funds over the phone, email, or text.
Be skeptical of job offers made through social media. RandomYard does not hire from social media or conduct interviews via text or messaging services, nor will RandomYard request payment in connection with the hiring process.
How to Report Fraud
If you think you may have been a victim of internet crime or are aware of potentially fraudulent activity, please contact your local authorities and consider also filing a report with these government entities:
The U.S. Postal Service (for crimes involving U.S. Mail)
For more general guidance on avoiding internet crimes, visit the FBI webpages on common fraud schemes and recent e-scams at http://www.fbi.gov/scams-safety/fraud/internet_fraud and http://www.fbi.gov/scams-safety/e-scams, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission webpage on avoiding fraud at http://investor.gov/investing-basics/avoiding-fraud.
RandomYard is not responsible for the content of third-party links and provides links to these resources for your informational purposes only.