This a scam that I have written about a number of times in the past, but after being informed by numerous Scamicide readers that they have recently encountered this scam, I am writing about it again. Whenever you come across scams, please let me know so we can share the information to help people avoid being scammed which is the entire purpose of Scamicide.
Geek Squad is a subsidiary of big box store chain Best Buy and it offers excellent tech support for electronic devices including televisions and computers. They are a popular company used by many people. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently warned that lately scammers have been sending phishing emails that appear to be Geek Squad invoices. These emails look like a legitimate email from Geek Squad, although the grammar in many of these emails is not particularly good which is one of many indications that it was a scam. These types of phishing emails are intended to lure you into contacting the scammers where you will be prompted to provide information that will lead to your becoming a victim of identity theft.
Copied below is a phony invoice that appears to come from Geek Squad and is intended to get you to respond by calling the phone number contained in the email to dispute the bill. If you do call the number you will be prompted to provide personal information that would be used to make you a victim of identity theft.
Here is a copy of an email that is presently circulating:
“Payment Processed to GEEK~SQUAD
Dear Customer,
Thank you for your order.
Please review your payment amount below, we have attached a PDF detailing your order invoice and terms of your subscription.
Contact Support +1 802 209 0705 Reach out to us anytime. We’ll be happy to help you.
——Product Details: ——
GEEK~SQUAD® Network Security – Auto Renewal 3 Years subscription
Invoice Number: GT-261994
Invoice Date: 06/10/2022
Payment Method: Online
Amount: 339.99 USD
We have charged you 339.99 USD for the next 3 Years subscription. We tried to contact you on your registered Phone number, Deduction of amount will appear on your bank account within 48 hours.
If you have any Question or Wish to cancel the Renewal, Please connect us on +1 802 209 0705
Sincerely,
© 2022 GEEK~SQUAD – All Rights Reserved
+1 802 209 0705
You’re receiving this email because you signed up for a GEEK~SQUAD account”.
TIPS
Never click on links or download attachments in emails or text messages unless you have absolutely confirmed that they are legitimate and don’t call companies at telephone numbers that appear in the email such as this one. Instead, if the email appears to come from a legitimate company, you can call them at a telephone number you confirm is legitimate. In the case of Geek Squad their customer service number is actually 800-433-5778. The phone number in the email is not that of the Geek Squad and the area code is that of Hawaii. Never call the number that appears in these types of emails.
An indication that this is not legitimate and is a phishing email is the fact that nowhere in the email does your name appear.
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