Reverend Conehead
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Ironically, this one used the fear of fraud to try to trick you into giving out your login credentials. This one said something like, "Verify your login to help us combat fraud." It then claimed that because so many accounts had been hijacked, they needed you to login immediately to make sure your account was okay. Then they provided a link, which of course was a phony bologna one designed to steal your user name and password.
When I went to Amazon's real web page and logged in, there was no mention of any need to log in to combat fraud. I forwarded the bogus email to Amazon's fraud department.
Don't let these crooks fool you. Whenever someone allegedly from a company you do business with emails you, calls you, or even stops by your house, DON'T take their word for it, and don't worry that it might be rude to not believe them. You don't want to be so nice that you get taken advantage of. The action to take is always:
1. Don't take their word for anything.
2. If there's any doubt on something's validity, always contact the real company at the phone number or web site that you're certain is their real one.
3. If you have time, and you think an email is phony, forward it to the company's fraud department.
Remember that the crooks are often master manipulators. They know that Americans, especially older ones, are concerned about being polite and kind with people. You don't have to cuss and yell, but you do need to have a firm backbone. You should always insist that you'll contact the company yourself. If they get pushy, they're the ones being rude, and it's fine to just shut the door or hang up the phone. Also, don't ever contact the company with information that the person gave you. Always use the info you keep in your database, your rolodex, address book, or wherever that you know is correct info. The crooks are really good at working with an accomplice. They can give you a number to call, which opens with something like, "Welcome to US Bank, press 1 for English ... blah blah blah, press 3 to speak with an agent." They make it sound really real, but it's their crooked accomplice.
Just excuse yourself and contact the company yourself with what you are certain is correct contact information.
I hope y'all at CZ don't mind me posting a warning, even though I've posted previous ones before. I've seen way too many people get scammed. I know from my days working in the security field that people are way more likely to get ripped off by a con artist calling or emailing than they are to get ripped off by a burglar entering their home. Both are possible, but the crooks have figured out that there's way less risk to the criminal to contact people with a con than to break into someone's home.
I'm just so tired of the crooks taking advantage of people I could just scream. Especially if you have elderly parents or grandparents, be sure to let them know how to avoid scams. The crooks prey on the elderly because the elderly usually want to be nice, and they're often less familiar with technology.
Thanks for listening. If this ends up protecting someone, then it was worth taking the time to write it.
When I went to Amazon's real web page and logged in, there was no mention of any need to log in to combat fraud. I forwarded the bogus email to Amazon's fraud department.
Don't let these crooks fool you. Whenever someone allegedly from a company you do business with emails you, calls you, or even stops by your house, DON'T take their word for it, and don't worry that it might be rude to not believe them. You don't want to be so nice that you get taken advantage of. The action to take is always:
1. Don't take their word for anything.
2. If there's any doubt on something's validity, always contact the real company at the phone number or web site that you're certain is their real one.
3. If you have time, and you think an email is phony, forward it to the company's fraud department.
Remember that the crooks are often master manipulators. They know that Americans, especially older ones, are concerned about being polite and kind with people. You don't have to cuss and yell, but you do need to have a firm backbone. You should always insist that you'll contact the company yourself. If they get pushy, they're the ones being rude, and it's fine to just shut the door or hang up the phone. Also, don't ever contact the company with information that the person gave you. Always use the info you keep in your database, your rolodex, address book, or wherever that you know is correct info. The crooks are really good at working with an accomplice. They can give you a number to call, which opens with something like, "Welcome to US Bank, press 1 for English ... blah blah blah, press 3 to speak with an agent." They make it sound really real, but it's their crooked accomplice.
Just excuse yourself and contact the company yourself with what you are certain is correct contact information.
I hope y'all at CZ don't mind me posting a warning, even though I've posted previous ones before. I've seen way too many people get scammed. I know from my days working in the security field that people are way more likely to get ripped off by a con artist calling or emailing than they are to get ripped off by a burglar entering their home. Both are possible, but the crooks have figured out that there's way less risk to the criminal to contact people with a con than to break into someone's home.
I'm just so tired of the crooks taking advantage of people I could just scream. Especially if you have elderly parents or grandparents, be sure to let them know how to avoid scams. The crooks prey on the elderly because the elderly usually want to be nice, and they're often less familiar with technology.
Thanks for listening. If this ends up protecting someone, then it was worth taking the time to write it.
