Imagine: you do all of the careful relationship-building it takes to establish trust with your customers, only to have someone impersonate your business and defraud them over the internet. Whether they’re overseas or right around the corner, online pirates can destroy your brand and reputation almost overnight, using the same channels you use to promote your services and connect with customers. We have four pieces of advice to help you combat digital fraudsters.

1. Set Expectations with your Clients and Customers

We should all set expectations anyway, but with regards to pirates, letting your customers know how you work helps them sniff out when something seems a little fishy. By having a clear privacy policy and setting rules around when and how you’ll ask consumers for their personal information, you’re giving them the tools they need to protect themselves in the instance that they’re being targeted for fraud.

2. Don’t Leave Out Prospective Employees

It’s not just your customers you have to protect – prospective employees can also be targets of phishing scams using your brand as a mask. Build content around your Careers page that establishes your hiring practices, including that you’d never request money in exchange for consideration to hire. Include the territories in which you currently hire as a quick reference so that potential, future markets aren’t jeopardized by a bad reputation that precedes you.

3. Establish a Hotline or Live Chat

Get ahead of fraudulent activity by creating a special resource for your customers in the event that they’re unsure if a communication has come from you. Whether it’s a telephone hotline or a live chat, allowing them to get directly in touch with a company representative will put them at ease, and remind them that you’re on their side, too.

4. Turn Lemons into Lemonade

If you’re putting effort into anti-fraud, why not let people know? Create an awareness campaign around some of the most nefarious attempts fraudsters have made on the unsuspecting public. Knowing the types of fraud that can occur will put potential victims on the alert, and it establishes you as a company that puts the safety of others first.

 

You have to be vigilant to stay ahead of fraud, but it is possible – and there’s an opportunity to show that you care.

Feature photo by Jefferson Santos on Unsplash.