thread Re: Online fraud is on the rise: Ask us anything about keeping your account safe! 🔒 in Archived Discussions (Read Only)

Online fraud is on the rise: Ask us anything about keeping your account safe! 🔒

Tom — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 20:21:29 GMT

It's that time of year again … time to gather, spread joy with decorations, give gifts, and — if you're like me — that includes a lot of online orders. With all of the coming and going, it's also a time for fraudsters to make their own moves: This can look like a bogus online order form, fake charity account, or a phishing scam.

But what else should we keep in mind this year? Account takeover fraud has increased 133% in 2022. In the United States alone, individuals who have experienced an account takeover have lost an average of $12,000 USD. For more information on how online fraud impacts countries across the globe, have a look at this article: Global Statistics in Account Takeover Fraud for 2023.

Rest assured that we've got your back! Square has rolled out a bunch of new security features and we were glad to have @MimiW on the Square Account Security team host a Q&A on Wednesday, November 30th. Read on below for a summary of topics that came up.

Here are some example questions:

As a buyer and a seller, what is the best way to keep my information secure online?
Is two-step verification worth the hassle?
I was directed to a different website to complete a gift purchase. How do I know that it's safe to enter my credit card information?

Re: Online fraud is on the rise: Ask us anything about keeping your account safe! 🔒

HC_Charlie — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 01:54:57 GMT

Hi @Tom thanks for this post. I occasionally get spam/phishing emails that are spoofed to look like they come officially from Square, but it's someone else trying to get me to click on a link that takes me somewhere else. I always forward those emails to: spoof@square.com. Is there anything else I can do? Would be curious to hear about more details or any success stories from the fraud dept (if there is one?) at Square, to feel good about contributing toward stopping these kinds of fraud attempts.

Re: Online fraud is on the rise: Ask us anything about keeping your account safe! 🔒

Evanscounseling — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 15:06:04 GMT

In the last 3 weeks, I’ve received a bogus Square invoice from Geek for $467. I tried to block the email but it ended up blocking all emails from Square. So I just keep deleting them. How did this person access the Square app and my email address to send this invoice directly to my personal email inbox? I’m concerned.

Re: Online fraud is on the rise: Ask us anything about keeping your account safe! 🔒

HVOD — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 15:54:40 GMT

I use Square at multiple jobs and where I volunteer. There are many people that access the Square account so I wanted to know if there is a way to add multiple emails/cell phones so that each person can log in with the two-step verification? Otherwise you have to track down the person with the email/cell phone that is listed to have them give you the code to get in.

Thank you!

Re: Online fraud is on the rise: Ask us anything about keeping your account safe! 🔒

Kaleen — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 16:04:02 GMT

I wanted to set up 2FA for logging on to the back office but not when the staff open the app at the shop, otherwise they have to contact me for the code, which is not a realistic plan. Can i delineate which option gets the 2FA?

Re: Online fraud is on the rise: Ask us anything about keeping your account safe! 🔒

ayurveda-world — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 19:08:41 GMT

Can Square use an email for a second form of verification? To ask for a cell phone as the only other possible second form of verification is unfair to those that do not use or cannot have a cell phone on the job. The small business that I manage does not have a staff schedule that would make it possible to use a cell phone as a second form of verification.

Re: Online fraud is on the rise: Ask us anything about keeping your account safe! 🔒

ajja — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 19:47:12 GMT

With 2 step verification can it be set up with 2 phone numbers, so either one of the two can get the code and verify? There are 2 of us and we are not often at the same location.

thanks Tom

Re: Online fraud is on the rise: Ask us anything about keeping your account safe! 🔒

DeepRiver2022 — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 22:44:28 GMT

I have received 2 emails that say I have negative feedback one stating for a delayed purchase delivery and one stating that there were bogus order placements for my customers and saying that my account would be closed by Nov 30th. Neither of these things are showing up on my square dashboard and I have had NO complaints from my customers. I feel that these are fraudulent but certainly need to know so I can address this. Thank you, Cheryl White

Re: Online fraud is on the rise: Ask us anything about keeping your account safe! 🔒

CANDIDHOME — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 22:56:28 GMT

This would be SO helpful for me too!

Re: Online fraud is on the rise: Ask us anything about keeping your account safe! 🔒

Nootkabear — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 23:49:09 GMT

I have found many sites that use Yubico keys for logging in, and I believe that system to be very safe. Has Square considered Yubico as a second safe log in?

Re: Online fraud is on the rise: Ask us anything about keeping your account safe! 🔒

CleaArthur — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 19:09:25 GMT

Hello,

I like the idea of the added security of 2 factor authentication but I need another way to activate it besides a code sent to your cell phone. Perhaps a code sent to an email account, for example. We do not have an Apple store in our area. The nearest one is over 200 miles away. Recently my iPhone broke. It was a hardware problem and not user caused. Apple was great about repairing it but my options were to drive to an Apple store (over 4 hours each way) or mail my phone in for repairs. In both scenarios I did not have access to my phone for some time. If I had this 2 factor authentication turned on I would not be able to access my Square account. I would not be able to run my business or pay my employees. That is too big of a risk for me to take. I need to have access to Square at all time and can not afford to be 'locked out' if my phone breaks or is stolen.

Thank you for considering my situation.

Clea

Simple Machine

Winery & Tasting Room

Re: Online fraud is on the rise: Ask us anything about keeping your account safe! 🔒

Harlequins — Thu, 24 Nov 2022 00:00:13 GMT

Would appreciate if Square can come up with another way other than text message for two-step verification. My small company does not have a company cell phone and the Square App continuously asks for a cell number for the added verification process.

Re: Online fraud is on the rise: Ask us anything about keeping your account safe! 🔒

Giblet37 — Fri, 25 Nov 2022 19:07:51 GMT

For real 2FA (SMS is not secure), can Square use an actual (or virtual) hardware key or dongle with FIDO2 or challenge+response OTP, such as an RSA-ID or Yubikey...

Re: Online fraud is on the rise: Ask us anything about keeping your account safe! 🔒

Ellen70 — Sat, 26 Nov 2022 18:34:23 GMT

Hello. I noticed today a purchase made in another city on a card I no longer have with an address that is 10 years old where I no longer reside. How do I proceed with this?

Re: Online fraud is on the rise: Ask us anything about keeping your account safe! 🔒

TransNAACP — Sat, 26 Nov 2022 23:12:24 GMT

I have the SAME problem. I had to turn off 2FA to use the App with multiple people & phones.

Re: Online fraud is on the rise: Ask us anything about keeping your account safe! 🔒

Brad9 — Sun, 27 Nov 2022 18:05:09 GMT

Do banks have trouble recognizing square websites as fraud?

Some of my customers get their order automatically cancelled right after placing it. I see that there's been around 1000 cancelled orders, this past year, that I didn't even know about. Go to Risk Manager > Blocked payments.

If you use the filter then you can see that the Banks are the ones canceling the order because they don't like something from my square website. I'm not the only square user that has this. I've lost potential tens of thousands of dollars and no one from Square support has gotten back to me.

Re: Online fraud is on the rise: Ask us anything about keeping your account safe! 🔒

brown17 — Sun, 27 Nov 2022 21:07:26 GMT

Hello. First and foremost thank you for keeping up on fraudulent activity. I get several emails a day from scammers posing as square. That being said my account apparently had suspicious activity on now under review all happening on a weekend. Would be nice if there was someone to take care of these things rather than waiting the weekend. This is a holiday weekend and we rolled out a black Friday sale that we are now missing out on cause none of our services are working, not to mention our card is locked.

Re: Online fraud is on the rise: Ask us anything about keeping your account safe! 🔒

alesya — Mon, 28 Nov 2022 00:44:39 GMT

My card being charged from different stores with different amounts and it was declined due to lacking funds. We don't keep much on card for safety reasons. Well how can I mark that some transactions are not mine... Like I never got those Taco from TacoBell yesterday but someone did on my card.. I don't want cancel card that's the problem

Re: Online fraud is on the rise: Ask us anything about keeping your account safe! 🔒

Thebarndoor — Mon, 28 Nov 2022 07:19:40 GMT

Same thing is happening to me. I’m hoping it resolves and my funds become available again before the first of the month so I can pay my rent!

Re: Online fraud is on the rise: Ask us anything about keeping your account safe! 🔒

Marjirawson — Mon, 28 Nov 2022 20:18:46 GMT

I had 2 part verification (my cell number ) in place when I had an account takeover. The thief changed the phone number to their phone number so when i tried frantically to login, the code went to the thief. The thief also did this over the weekend so it was even HARDER to get ahold of a person at Square. PLEASE make it easy for us to speak with a PERSON. We are in full blown panic when someone is trying to steal our money .It took my hours and hours (using a friends account ) to get to a person at Square. Make it difficult or something to change email and/ or phone number. . This person tried to open up a Square credit card which would have allowed them to steal every penny from me. Thankfully, Square caught it and closed it down. This has not helped me have confidence that Square can and will keep my money secure. BTW, you had the thief's phone number! Why didn't you prosecute ?