Don't Get Scammed This Year

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Scammers are out there looking for you so don’t get scammed this year. How can you prevent getting scammed? Let me tell you a few stories about scams that have affected my family and friends. I have to say I am not a technical wizard, but I do know how easy it is to fall victim to these scammers.

They Target the Elderly

I hate to think of my dad as “elderly”, but he is a wry 85 years old. Last summer I just happened to be visiting when I discovered that my parents were being scammed – while I was there! Here is how it went down:

Upon arriving at my dad’s house he said something like “don’t sign into the wifi right now, they are working on it”. Ummm, ok… since I had been planning to help them with some cleaning, I was ok with that. But then, during lunch, a comment was made that completely freaked me out. My step-mom, Helen, said, “We signed up for a lifetime membership for Windows. Although at 85, I’m not sure how long I will need it” and chuckled. Then, my dad said, “Yeah, but they wouldn’t take a credit card, only a check. And it was made out to a funny name, Lucky something.” I immediately became concerned – especially since we were at a restaurant eating lunch and “the scammers” had full control of Helen’s computer. Just one of the three they were targeting.

How this Scam Began

Helen was sitting at her computer when there was a pop-up window. All she wanted to do was play her solitaire game, and now she couldn’t. The scammer had locked up her computer and indicated via an “official” looking message pop up on her computer. She was advised to call a phone number to fix her issue.

Once the scammer had her on the phone he was able to convince her to “buy” the lifetime Windows upgrade system for $1,000. He had her write a check, scan it and send it to him. Additionally, he told her how to provide them with her IP address – which allowed the scammer full access to her computer. If you want to know more about the IP Address, this link to Norton provides a lot more technical information.

His goal was to do one computer at a time. When they were done with Helen’s, they were going to call back to get the next IP address. He didn’t plan on me answering the phone and telling him the jig was up.

How were they able to get this to happen? Scammers send lots of fake emails that look legitimate as if they were sent from a banking institution, PayPal, or even a friend. When you click on a link in these emails, the scammers can put spyware and malware on your computer. In this case, they added the pop-up to Helen’s.

Here’s a Few Examples of Fake or Phishing Emails:

This one is a “no brainer”. Look at the sender’s name – it doesn’t make any sense, and it definitely is NOT from CVS:

I forward these emails to the company’s “Phishing Departments”. See a list of the emails I have for these companies at the end of this post. This particular email was BLOCKED by CVS’s Phishing Department- Which means it was BAD NEWS! I did send them a screenshot of the email as well as the one showing they blocked it. Just to keep them informed of what is out in the cyberworld pretending to be from CVS.

Here is one that is trickier to spot:

Since I don’t have GEICO insurance, I knew this was bogus right off the bat, but it looks a little more legitimate:

Even though the Sender Reads as “Geico” if you right-click on the sender’s name, it shows you the email address the message was sent from:

This one looks like it is from the IRS, but it isn’t. There are lots of places to click on links, and they are all bogus – and full of opportunities for scammers to put malware on your computer.

Yeah, I know what went wrong here – I didn’t fall for this scam!

And this last one, the actual email address has nothing at all to do with ADT.

Why So Many Examples?

I want to make sure you understand how many different ways you can get scammed this year. And folks, this is only what comes in thru your email. Scammers are relentless. They are coming at us from all angles.

All I wanted to do was keep my parents safe. But were they? No, why is that you ask? Because my dad fell victim to another scam less than two weeks later. This time they called him on the phone. “Hi, I am so and so from Amazon.” “Blah, Blah, Blah…” He gave them all the information they asked for, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, etc.

And were they with Amazon? No! Luckily, my brother was on the phone with him right after the call and was able to halt all of the transfers out of his account!

A Recent Scam that Hit an Acquaintence

A relative of a friend of ours was scammed by someone who claimed to be from Wells Fargo – there were some “unrecognizable (downright fake) charges on their account”. They simply made up a list of four or five charges – that of course, the person did not make. Then, the caller transferred her to the “fraud department” who took down ALL of her information and “reset” her pin number. She was not so lucky – these scammers got all of her money.

I know I am not alone in my efforts to protect my loved ones! Thank goodness Helen was on-board with shutting the scammers down. She realized immediately what was going on and helped immensely to “right the ship” and change all accounts, passwords, et cetera.

Lucky for my dad, they didn’t lose a single penny because we caught them so quickly. But, the hardest part of the scam on my father was actually convincing him that he was being scammed! He did not believe me. He said he had three days to change his mind! I said to him over and over, “Dad, they are going to take all of your money!” And finally, I was able to pull the plug on their scheme.

Can you imagine if they were successful? Where would that leave my parents? It is a scary thought. And it wasn’t until my dad read about a woman who had lost all of her money a month later, simply because she wouldn’t listen to her family, that he realized I was right.

How Can You Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones

The best advice I can give is this, DO NOT click on links in your email – even if it is from someone you know or a banking institution you use. If there is a question or concern, go onto their website or call them.

If you get a phone call, tell the caller you are busy and will have to call back. Then, hang up! Call the institution directly, do not call back the number that called you.

I hope this advice helps to keep you and your loved ones safe. Don’t get scammed this year!

Respectfully,