Scam of the Day
Scam of the day – July 12, 2021 – Securing Your Smart Home
I have been warning you about dangers in the rapidly expanding Internet of things for more than seven years. The Internet of Things is made up of a broad range of devices connected to the Internet including home thermostats, security systems, medical devices, refrigerators, televisions, cars and toys. Our homes have become filled with these devices including Alexa and Siri. The FBI has longed warned consumers about the dangers of posed by hacking of various devices that makeup the Internet of Things. Here is a link to the FBI warning. https://www.ic3.gov/media/2018/180802.aspx
Cybercriminals hack into your devices that are a part of the Internet of Things to enable them to enlist your devices as a part of a botnet by which they can distribute malware while maintaining their anonymity. They also can hack into your Internet of Thing devices to access your home computers to steal information for purposes of identity theft or to implant malware on your home computers. The risks are extreme, but there are some basic steps you can take to protect yourself.
TIPS
Most of the devices that make up the Internet of Things come with preset passwords that can easily be discovered by hackers. Change your password as soon as you set up the product. Also, set up a guest network on your router exclusively for your Internet of Things devices. This is important so that you can keep the sensitive personal information you have on your computer or laptop from being accessible through a hacking of any of your Internet of Things devices. Configure network firewalls to block traffic from unauthorized IP addresses and disable port forwarding. Make sure that you install the latest security patches as soon as they become available. Use encryption software for the transmission of data and find out where data is stored and what steps are taken to secure the information. Also, limit the amount of information you provide when setting up the accounts for smart toys. The less information out there, the less the risk of identity theft. Most devices allow you to select options that increase your security and privacy. Make sure your router is secure and use its whitelisting capabilities which will prevent your device from connecting to malicious networks. Routers are a critical part of your smart home security. Make sure it will automatically download and install the latest security updates from its manufacturer. If your router is an older router that does not have this capability, you can check the manufacturer’s website regularly for the latest updates, but frankly, you are probably better served by getting a newer, more secure router. Make sure you have a unique password for each of your Internet of Things devices and use dual factor authentication whenever you can for all of these devices.
For those of you receiving the Scam of the day through an email, I just want to remind you that if you want to see the ever increasing list of Coronavirus scams go to the first page of the http://www.scamicide.com website and click on the tab at the top of the page that indicates “Coronavirus Scams.” Scamicide has been cited by the New York Times as one of three top sources for information about Coronavirus related scams.
If you are not a subscriber to Scamicide.com and would like to receive daily emails with the Scam of the day, all you need to do is to go to the bottom of the initial page of http://www.scamicide.com and type in your email address in the tab that states “Sign up for this blog.”
Scam of the day – July 11, 2021 – Microsoft Service Agreement Phishing Email
I have heard from a number of Scamicide readers about today’s Scam of the day. It is another version of a Microsoft phishing email I described last May. It has several variations, but it generally involves an email that appears to come from Microsoft in which the targeted victim is told, as in the email copied below that he or she must update their account in order to keep it active or that Microsoft has changed the terms of their service agreement and provides links to get more information. The best scams have a kernel of truth and the kernel of truth in this scam is that Microsoft did indeed change the terms of its service agreement on June 15th. However the prudent action to take is not to click on the links in the email for further information or to update, but go directly to Microsoft at this link for more information. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/servicesagreement/upcoming.aspx
| Microsoft Service Agreement 2021 |
Copyright © 2021 security management.
For those of you receiving the Scam of the day through an email, I just want to remind you that if you want to see the ever increasing list of Coronavirus scams go to the first page of the http://www.scamicide.com website and click on the tab at the top of the page that indicates “Coronavirus Scams.” Scamicide has been cited by the New York Times as one of three top sources for information about Coronavirus related scams.
If you are not a subscriber to Scamicide.com and would like to receive daily emails with the Scam of the day, all you need to do is to go to the bottom of the initial page of http://www.scamicide.com and type in your email address in the tab that states “Sign up for this blog.”
Scam of the day – July 10, 2021 – Good News and Bad News About Robocalls
Over the years I have written numerous times about the problems presented by robocalls and with good reason. Automated robocalls which, for commercial purposes, are illegal, are the number one consumer complaint reported by the public to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at a cost to consumers of billions of dollars each year. Robocalls are used by scammers to perpetrate a wide variety of scams. The ease by which illegal robocalls may be made by computers using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) accounts for much of the problem.
Three years ago the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) enacted a new rule that allows cell phone carriers to automatically drop robocalls through the use of technology that is able to identify illegal robocalls and block them. This technology is called the SHAKEN/STIR standard. SHAKEN/STIR is an acronym for Signature-based Handling of Asserted Information using toKENs and the Secure Telephone Identity Revisited. SHAKEN/STIR technology verifies calls with a symbol on your phone indicating that the person calling you is legitimate and is actually calling you from the number that appears on your screen. While it doesn’t block robocalls, it does let you know if the call is legitimate so you can decide not to answer shady calls. This is not a cure-all, but it is definitely a big step in the battle against phone fraud. The FCC also enacted regulations requiring phone companies to adopt new Caller ID features to their SHAKEN/STIR standard by June 30, 2021. These new rules should go a long way toward stopping “spoofed” calls where your Caller ID is manipulated by the criminal to make the call appear as if it is coming from a legitimate source.
The June 30th deadline has come and gone with T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T announcing that they are fully compliant with the regulation which will help identify a “spoofed” call that would otherwise appear on your Caller ID as coming from a legitimate source, such as the IRS (which, by the way, will not initiate contact with you by phone or answer when you call, but that is a topic for another day).
So that is the good news. The bad news is that SHAKEN/STIR only applies to American companies and not international companies from abroad so you will still be getting robocalls originating in foreign countries that spoof local telephone numbers and appear to be legitimate.
TIPS
While SHAKEN/STIR is important, it is not the only weapon against robocalls. As I reported to you four years ago, Verizon has implemented services to help its customers avoid illegal robocalls. The Call Filter service offers spam alerts and new protections from robocalls for its wireless customers. Customers will receive alerts when a call is most likely a scam. The Call Filter service will also automatically block robocalls based of the customer’s preferred risk level. The Call Filter service is offered in a free version and an enhanced version that among other things will enable customers to create a personal robocall block list. For more information about the Call Filter Services and how to sign up go to https://www.verizonwireless.com/solutions-and-services/call-filter/
There are a number of other options for preventing robocalls including a number of apps that for free or a small fee will reduce and in some instances prevent robocalls.
Samsung’s SmartCall informs you if the call you are receiving is from a known robocaller. This feature is available with newer Samsung Galaxy phones. Here is a link to information about SmartCall and instructions as to how to activate this app.
http://www.samsung.com/levant/apps/smart-call/
Google also has a spam blocker that will warn you when you are receiving a robocall and your screen will turn red. Here is a link to information about the app and how to install it.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.dialer&hl=en
AT&T also offers free apps to block robocalls on iPhones and Android phones. Here is a link to information about these apps.
https://www.att.com/features/security-apps.html?partner=LinkShare&siteId=TnL5HPStwNw-yrUS1uDw9WGvN._xt67yew&source=ECay0000000CEL00O
Verizon’s CallerName ID is a free service for iPhones and Android phones that will alert you to suspected robocallers. Here is a link to Verizon’s app.
https://www.verizonwireless.com/solutions-and-services/caller-name-id/
T-Mobile offers a free scam blocker of known robocallers for Android phones which you can activate by merely dialing #662#
Sprint offers a paid service to protect your iPhone or Android phone from robocalls. For more information, use this link
http://explore.t-mobile.com/callprotection
For landlines as well as smartphones there are a number of apps such as Nomorobo, Truecaller, Hiya, RoboKiller and YouMail that offer robocall blocking for free or for small monthly charges. Here is a link to those apps. I have used Nomorobo for years and find it to be tremendously useful
https://www.nomorobo.com/
https://www.truecaller.com/
https://hiya.com/
https://www.robokiller.com/
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.youmail.android.vvm&hl=en_US https://www.youmail.com/home/apps
Finally, you can just choose to ignore any calls that come from numbers you do not recognize. This is a good option. If they are legitimate calls, they will leave a message and you can call them back.
For those of you receiving the Scam of the day through an email, I just want to remind you that if you want to see the ever increasing list of Coronavirus scams go to the first page of the http://www.scamicide.com website and click on the tab at the top of the page that indicates “Coronavirus Scams.” Scamicide has been cited by the New York Times as one of three top sources for information about Coronavirus related scams.
If you are not a subscriber to Scamicide.com and would like to receive daily emails with the Scam of the day, all you need to do is sign up for free using this link. https://scamicide.com/scam-of-the-day/
Scam of the day – July 9, 2021 – Black Widow Scams
Marvel studio’s Black Widow which was released today both in theaters and online after having its release postponed repeatedly due to the Coronavirus pandemic is expected to be a worldwide blockbuster. It seems everyone is anxious to see this movie, however, there are people who want to see the movie, but don’t want to pay for it. Just prior to the previous scheduled release dates scammers set up phony streaming services offering to show the movie for free, but in fact just scammed their victims of money. The same tactic was used by scammer successfully prior to the release of the Avengers: Endgame movie and the same pattern is being repeated. Don’t be tempted to turn to one of these phony streaming services. Attempting to stream an illegal version of the movie is not only illegal and unethical, but it could also lead to your being scammed out of money. An online search for websites promising to provide the movie for free will take you to sites that appear to provide the movie, but a few moments after the movie starts, it stops and a pop up appears requiring you to set up an account. The pop up says that the account is free and that all you need to do is provide your email address and a password. Once you do this, you are then instructed to provide a credit card number and the CVC security code on the back of the card merely to verify that you are located in a country where the website is licensed to distribute the movie. Unfortunately, the website does not provide Black Widow. The few minutes of what you initially see of the movie is just scenes taken from the readily available trailers for the movie. So not only do people falling for this scam not get to see the movie, they end up providing their credit card information to the scammers in addition to providing a password, which, in too many instances, is the same password the scam victim uses for other online services such as online banking. The moral of this story is that trying to view a pirated version of a popular movie for free will only cause to put you into a predicament that even the Avengers couldn’t get you out of.
TIPS
The first and foremost tip is not to do use illegal streaming services. They are illegal and what they are doing is also unethical. Don’t trust search engine searches to provide you with legitimate websites for streaming services. A prominent position in a Google or other search engine search only means that the websites appearing high were adept at understanding the algorithms used to position websites. Never provide a credit card as a means of verification. It is only a means of payment and as for the justification in this particular scam that the credit card was needed to verify that you are located in a country where the website is licensed to distribute the movie, pirated versions are not licensed anywhere. Finally, as always, you should have unique passwords for all of your online accounts so that in the event that a password on one of your accounts is hacked or otherwise compromised, all of your accounts will not be in jeopardy.
For those of you receiving the Scam of the day through an email, I just want to remind you that if you want to see the ever increasing list of Coronavirus scams go to the first page of the http://www.scamicide.com website and click on the tab at the top of the page that indicates “Coronavirus Scams.” Scamicide was recently cited by the New York Times as one of three top sources for information about Coronavirus related scams.
If you are not a subscriber to Scamicide.com and would like to receive daily emails with the Scam of the day, all you need to do is to go to the bottom of the initial page of http://www.scamicide.com and insert your email address where it states “Sign up for this blog.”
Scam of the day – July 8, 2021 – Misleading Wig Sales
High quality wigs worn by many celebrities, such as Dolly Parton, are very popular and they also can be expensive. The Better Business Bureau is reporting about a scam being perpetrated on Instagram and others social media where the scammers pose as influencers who are professional wig stylists who provide wigs to celebrities and are offering them for sale to the public. Victims of the scam who order wigs from the scammer are told to pay though Zelle or Venmo. This is a tip off that this is a scam. As I have advised you in the past, you should never pay for a commercial transaction using Zelle, Venmo or any other P2P payment service. See this previous Scam of the day in which I described the problems that can occur if you use Zelle or Venmo for a commercial transaction.https://scamicide.com/2020/08/19/scam-of-the-day-august-20-2020-the-risks-of-zelle-venmo-and-other-payment-service-apps/
Victims of this scam either received substandard wigs or, in some instances, nothing at all and when they attempted to contact the scammer to ask for their money back, they got no response.
TIPS
If you are considering making a purchase from a social media influencer, investigate them before you make a purchase. It is easy to do a Google search to see if there are complaints against them or if they are legitimate.
Never use Zelle, Venmo or other P2P for commercial transactions. Also do not use your debit card for commercial purchases either because they do not provide the consumer protection you get when you use a credit card for a commercial purchase. Only use your credit card for such transactions.
For those of you receiving the Scam of the day through an email, I just want to remind you that if you want to see the ever increasing list of Coronavirus scams go to the first page of the http://www.scamicide.com website and click on the tab at the top of the page that indicates “Coronavirus Scams.” Scamicide was recently cited by the New York Times as one of three top sources for information about Coronavirus related scams.
If you are not a subscriber to Scamicide.com and would like to receive daily emails with the Scam of the day, all you need to do is to go to the bottom of the initial page of http://www.scamicide.com and insert your email address where it states “Sign up for this blog.”
Scam of the day – July 7, 2021 – New AOL Scam
Today’s Scam of the day is about a phishing email presently circulating that attempts to lure you into clicking on a link in order to continue using your AOL account. Millions of people still use AOL. One reason is that you get greater email privacy when compared to some other email carriers. Due to its popularity, scammers and identity thieves often send out phishing emails that appear to come from AOL, such as the one reproduced below that was sent to me by a Scamicide reader. If you click on the links that appear throughout the email one of two things can occur and both are bad. Either you will end up providing personal information to an identity thief or you will, merely by clicking on the link, download dangerous malware such as ransomware on to your phone, computer or other device.
Here is the email presently being circulated. The links have been disabled. If you had hovered your mouse over the links, you would have seen that it would have taken you to a site that wasn’t related to AOL.
Dear Member,
In June of last year, AOL teamed up with Yahoo to become one company, called Oath.
Oath is a leader in digital and mobile media with a global house of brands, and a member of the Verizon family of companies.
We have now unified and updated our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy which govern our relationship with you as an AOL Mail user and as part of the new Oath family.
Due to our new Oath Terms of Service and Privacy Policy we will be closing all email accounts using our old services. This simply means your email account will be discontinued {Closed} after July 12, 2021.
As part of our integration activities and to improve our services to you, if you wish to continue using our email services please accept our new terms to avoid email closure.
You can learn more about our New Terms by clicking link below
If you do not wish to have the new Terms of Service and Privacy Policy apply to you, you can choose to cancel your account and stop using our services.If you have any questions or need additional help, please refer to our https://helpxxxxx
Thank you for your continued loyalty and support.
Best regards,
Oath
TIPS
When AOL communicates with its customers about their accounts, they do so by AOL Certified Mail, which will appear as a blue envelope in your inbox and will have an official AOL Mail seal on the border of the email. No official AOL Mail seal appears in the inbox although in an effort to trick you, the counterfeit blue seal does appear in the email itself. The fact that the seal does not appear in your inbox helps to indicate this is a scam. This email also does not refer to you in the salutation, but merely reads “Dear Member.” Whenever you get an email, you cannot be sure who is really sending it. In the case of this email, the email address of the sender had no relation to AOL and most likely was the email address of someone whose email account was hacked and made a part of a botnet of computers used by cybercriminals to send such communications. Never click on a link unless you are absolutely sure that it is legitimate. If you think the email might be legitimate, the best thing to do is to contact the real company that the email purports to be from at an email address or phone number that you know is accurate in order to find out if the communication was legitimate or not.
Also, this email is outdated in that it refers to a merger between AOL and Yahoo occurring last June when the truth is that Verizon bought AOL in 2015. Verizon later bought Yahoo in 2017 and merged AOL and Yahoo into a subsidiary named Oath in 2017. Verizon then renamed the merged company as Verizon Media in 2019 although both AOL and Yahoo maintain their respective brand names. Just this past May Verizon sold 90% of Verizon Media to Apollo Global Management. None of these sales involved closing email accounts using old services although there were changes to the privacy policies.
For those of you receiving the Scam of the day through an email, I just want to remind you that if you want to see the ever increasing list of Coronavirus scams go to the first page of the http://www.scamicide.com website and click on the tab at the top of the page that indicates “Coronavirus Scams.” Scamicide has been cited by the New York Times as one of three top sources for information about Coronavirus related scams.
If you are not a subscriber to Scamicide.com and would like to receive daily emails with the Scam of the day, all you need to do is sign up for free using this link. https://scamicide.com/scam-of-the-day/
Scam of the day – July 6, 2021 – FTC Sending Refunds to Victims of Student Loan Scam
I have written many times over the last ten years about student loan scams because scammers have successfully targeted college students and their parents for a variety of scams related to these extensive loans. In October of 2017 the Federal Trade Commission, working with the Attorneys General of eleven states, launched what it cleverly calls, Operation Game of Loans to jointly target these various student loan scams. Some scammers promise dramatic reductions of debt of 50% or more in return for upfront fees of between $500 and $2,500. Often these scam companies have names that make it appear that they are endorsed by the federal government in order to trick people into trusting them. Another student loan scam involves promises related to consolidating student loans. Sometimes the scammers represent that they are associated with the U.S. Department of Education although the Department of Education does not associate with private lenders in regard to student loan consolidation. These scammers also charge significant fees for their student loan consolidation services when the truth is that there is no fee for legitimate student loan consolidation. It is also important to remember that consolidating your student loans does not lower your interest or monthly payment. Instead, after loan consolidation the student’s monthly payment is equal to a weighted average of the interest rates on the student’s current loans.
In 2018 the FTC settled a lawsuit against A1 DocPrep regarding charges that it had collected illegal upfront fees from consumers and falsely promised to either lower monthly student loan payments or obtain total forgiveness of student loan debt. Now the FTC is refunding money it has collected from the defendants to victims of the scam. A1DocPrep also used the names Project Uplift Students, Home Shield Network, Stream Lined Marketing, Project Uplift America, Keep Your Home USA and Bloom Law Group PC to perpetrate its scams. Two years later the FTC is now sending refunds to people who lost money due to this scam.
If you were a victim of this scam. There are no fees involved with receiving a refund through this program. Anyone contacting you about this refund program who demands a fee or payment of any kind is a scammer.
TIPS
The old adage still is true. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t true. Many of these student loan debt relief scammers promise quick loan forgiveness, which is unrealistic. In addition, you should never pay any upfront fees for student loan debt relief assistance. Those fees are illegal and are a sure indication that you are being scammed. Also, remember my motto, “trust me, you can’t trust anyone.” Don’t trust scammers merely because they use names that sound like they are affiliated with the government.
For information you can trust about federal student loan repayment option, go to https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans . There you can learn about loan deferments, forbearance, repayment and loan forgiveness programs and there is never an application fee. If you owe private student loans, contact your loan servicer directly. You can also look into student loan refinancing rather than consolidating the loans. Refinancing student loans can result in a lower interest rate. For more information about student loans go to https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/1028-student-loans Here is a link to a calculator that can help you determine whether you will save more by consolidating or refinancing student loans.https://www.makelemonade.co/calculators/student-loan-consolidation-refinancing-calculator/
Here also is a link to an FTC video that explains student loan scams and what you can do to protect yourself. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TjSI4Q6ztQ
For those of you receiving the Scam of the day through an email, I just want to remind you that if you want to see the ever increasing list of Coronavirus scams go to the first page of the http://www.scamicide.com website and click on the tab at the top of the page that indicates “Coronavirus Scams.” Scamicide has been cited by the New York Times as one of three top sources for information about Coronavirus related scams.
If you are not a subscriber to Scamicide.com and would like to receive daily emails with the Scam of the day, all you need to do is sign up for free using this link. https://scamicide.com/scam-of-the-day/
Scam of the day – July 5, 2021 – Beware of BravoMovies Streaming Service
Streaming services such as Netflix have long been popular, but since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic use of streaming services has skyrocketed. There are many streaming services with which we are all familiar such as Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max and many more. There also are streaming services with which we may be less familiar which is why when people receive an email that purports to be from a streaming service, in this case it is one called BravoMovies, it may not strike you as unusual. This email does not have any links for you to click on, but it does tell you that your free trial period for BravoMovies is ending and that your credit card is about to be charged for a premium membership, however, the email also provides you with a phone number for you to call if you wish to cancel your membership. People calling the number provided are then directed to go the website of BravoMovies where, in the FAQ section of the website you are prompted to cancel your account through clicking on a couple of links. The website looks pretty legitimate, but it is totally phony and if you click on the links, you end up downloading malware on to your computer. Here is a screenshot of what it looks like.
TIPS
As I always say, “trust me, you can’t trust anyone.” You certainly should be suspicious and skeptical if you get an email that is related to a free trial for a streaming service for which you never signed up for and if you had a free trial period, why would the company have your credit card?
Clicking on infected links is the primary way that a wide variety of malware including ransomware gets downloaded to your electronic devices, so you should never click on any link unless you have absolutely confirmed that it is legitimate and if you did your homework, you would find that there is no such streaming service known as BravoMovies. It is important to remember that you cannot rely on your security software to protect you in all instances. While having security software on all of your electronic devices is imperative and updating your security software promptly with the latest security patches when they are issued is also critical, it is a cold, hard fact that no security software can protect you from the latest zero day defects which are new strains of malware for which security software companies have not yet prepared a defense. The best place to find a helping hand is always at the end of your own arm.
For those of you receiving the Scam of the day through an email, I just want to remind you that if you want to see the ever increasing list of Coronavirus scams go to the first page of the http://www.scamicide.com website and click on the tab at the top of the page that indicates “Coronavirus Scams.” Scamicide was recently cited by the New York Times as one of three top sources for information about Coronavirus related scams.
If you are not a subscriber to Scamicide.com and would like to receive daily emails with the Scam of the day, all you need to do is to go to the bottom of the initial page of http://www.scamicide.com and type in your email address in the tab that states “Sign up for this blog.”
Scam of the day – July 4, 2021 – Fourth of July Scams
Every season is scam season and every day provides unique opportunity for scam artists, the only criminals that we call artists, to try to scam us out of our hard earned money. Here are a few scams that you should be aware of that will be coming today on the Fourth of July.
Many scammers send out emails or text messages purportedly from the IRS or any of a number of state and federal agencies in which they require you to provide personal information under the guise of some emergency. They do this because if they can frighten you enough to act today, in some instances you will be unable to confirm with the real entity as to whether the communication is legitimate because all of these entities will be closed on the Fourth of July. If you provide the requested information, it will be used against you to make you a victim of identity theft.
You also should be wary of Fourth of July e cards that you may receive. These can be loaded with keystroke logging malware that will steal all of the information from your computer or portable device if you download the malware by clicking on the link.
Finally, be on the lookout for messages that appear on your Facebook page with links to Fourth of July themed videos that arouse your curiosity. Again, the links contained within these messages may be loaded with keystroke logging malware.
TIPS
The IRS and many other state and federal agencies will not initiate communications with you through email so you can disregard that email from the IRS or other similar entities. It is important to be skeptical of any email or text message that you receive that requests personal information. Never provide such information or click on links in such emails unless you are absolutely sure that the request is legitimate and you can’t be sure unless you have confirmed with the person or entity that purportedly sent it that it is indeed legitimate. If you can’t confirm on the Fourth of July, let it wait until you can.
As for e cards, never click on a link to an e card unless the message specifically indicates from whom it is being sent and only then after you have confirmed with that person that they indeed did send you an e card. Also remember that messages that you get on Facebook may appear to come from friends, but may actually be coming from scammers who have hacked your real friend’s Facebook account. In addition, unfortunately, sometimes you actually will get videos sent to you by your real friends who are unwittingly passing on malware infected material. Trust me, you can’t trust anyone.
For those of you receiving the Scam of the day through an email, I just want to remind you that if you want to see the ever increasing list of Coronavirus scams go to the first page of the http://www.scamicide.com website and click on the tab at the top of the page that indicates “Coronavirus Scams.” Scamicide was recently cited by the New York Times as one of three top sources for information about Coronavirus related scams.
If you are not a subscriber to Scamicide.com and would like to receive daily emails with the Scam of the day, all you need to do is to go to the bottom of the initial page of http://www.scamicide.com and insert your email address where it states “Sign up for this blog.”
Scam of the day – July 3, 2021 – Wells Fargo Phishing Email
A number of Scamicide readers have sent me copies of phishing emails that appear to come from Wells Fargo. One of them is reproduced below. It makes for compelling reading, but it is a scam. Phishing emails, by which scammers and identity thieves attempt to lure you into either clicking on links contained within the email which will download malware or providing personal information that will be used to make you a victim of identity theft, are nothing new. They are a staple of identity thieves and scammers and with good reason because they work. As always, they lure you by making it appear that there is an emergency that requires your immediate attention or else dire consequences will occur. Copied below is a new phishing email presently being sent to unsuspecting people that appears to come from Wells Fargo. This particular one came with a Wells Fargo logo, but was sent from an email account that had no relation to Wells Fargo which is a clear indication that this is a scam. I have disarmed the link.
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Dear Valued Wells Fargo Client: Your privacy is important to us that is why we have suspended your access to your Wells Fargo Online ® because we detected a possible unauthorized attempt to sign on to your account. Don’t worry, our security hasn’t been breached. Your account is still protected from
unusual activity. we advise you to re-verify your account to regain full access to your account.We are always concerns about our customer’s safety so please help us recover your account. Follow verification instructions and provide requested details. Sign on to your Account.
ii. Make sure that you enter your account details correct after entering your details, you added a layer of security that helps safeguard your account and sensitive information. iii. This action is to prevent online fraud and identity theft from third parties.
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TIPS
Legitimate emails from your bank would include the last four digits of your account and include your name. This email had neither. Often such phishing emails originate in countries where English is not the primary language and the spelling and grammar are poor. This email has grammatical errors which would tend to indicate that it is a scam. Obviously, if you are not a Wells Fargo customer, you will recognize immediately that this is a scam. As with most phishing emails, this one attempts to lure you into clicking on the link to regain access to your account.
As with all phishing emails, two things can happen if you click on the links provided. Either you will be sent to a legitimate looking, but phony webpage where you will be prompted to input personal information that will be used to make you a victim of identity theft or, even worse, merely by clicking on the link, you will download keystroke logging malware that will steal all of your personal information from your computer and use it to make you a victim of identity theft. If you receive an email like this and think it may possibly be legitimate, merely call your bank or other institution from which the email purports to originate at a telephone number that you know is accurate and you will be able to confirm that it is a scam.
For those of you receiving the Scam of the day through an email, I just want to remind you that if you want to see the ever increasing list of Coronavirus scams go to the first page of the http://www.scamicide.com website and click on the tab at the top of the page that indicates “Coronavirus Scams.” Scamicide was recently cited by the New York Times as one of three top sources for information about Coronavirus related scams.
If you are not a subscriber to Scamicide.com and would like to receive daily emails with the Scam of the day, all you need to do is to go to the bottom of the initial page of http://www.scamicide.com and insert your email address where it states “Sign up for this blog.”