So sorry this has happened to you. I mostly am able to just ignore those emails but it is hard. I do check my credit card religiously. Both of my credit cards, one more than the other are good at targeting any purchases through Facebook. And it it looks too good to be true….it probably is.
Arrrgh! So sorry to read this, Don - those folk are the worst. It's easy to get caught out, and every year they get smarter with it...
One tip: always check the email address that these emails come from. If they say they're from, eg, Adobe, and the email address is owehdbwe4r4t81@hotmail.com - or, more likely, Adobe@hotmail.com, then it's definitely a scam - there's no way they would ever send something that's not from the company's domain (and also no way they would ever contact you like this, as you note, but it's easy to get fooled in the heat of the moment). With these emails it's relatively hard to spoof an email sender, so most of the scammers don't bother, or make a clueless attempt to do it.
Another tip - if there's a link in the email, hover your mouse pointer over the link without clicking it, and you will be able to see where you're clicking to. If it looks unfamiliar (eg. if they say they're from Adobe and the link's not going to that domain name) then it's scammy-looking.
Very sorry to hear this, Don. I lost almost $2K dealing with someone I thought was from Apple Support. The WORST part is that I contacted them first! I have since learned that Apple has only one phone number to call. I had Googled Apple Support & found a very believable contact number. It wasn't Apple. I now feel wiser, more jaded, more skeptical, more cynical, and, therefore, more empowered. Since then I've also gotten bogus service emails from "Norton, Microsoft, Geek Squad, etc." and send them to junk immediately. Wishing cyber-safety to everyone out there!
First thing you do is check the address of the sender. I get daily notices about my Netflix and other accounts being cancelled and PayPal bills for Norton. All go straight to spam!
Note: This is the exact M.O. that's deployed across multiple products, not just Microsoft 365. It begins with a seemingly unauthorized charge. And as you wisely note: It's important not to react immediately.
Ugh! I never answer my phone (unless I know the caller) and always check my bank account first in these circumstances but mostly know it's a false hood...sorry this happened to you!
Uh boy. Don, I got the PayPal scam message last week. For a phony "approved" purchase of $740. In a moment of panic, I dialed what I thought was PayPal. When the Indian- accented voice said "Hello," I hung up immediately. Then, I logged on to PayPal, saw that were no transactions, and filed a scam report. Then, I checked my bank account. No unauthorized charges, thank goodness. And no strange charges on my credit card. I dodged the bullet. But I'm still on high alert. Thanks for the reminder to step back and breathe first.
It’s an obstacle race these days! It’s getting harder and harder to find any honest businesses. I’ve quit using my Visa cards because Visa has been doing sneaky stuff to overcharge its customers. LinkedIn has also been doing sneaky stuff. I’ve been trying to cancel my Scientific American subscription which they keep automatically renewing against my will. They never answer any of my emails. Evidently we have to call between their business hours. I don’t live in America and would have to call them in the middle of my night. Is dishonesty the modus operandi these days?
So sorry this has happened to you. I mostly am able to just ignore those emails but it is hard. I do check my credit card religiously. Both of my credit cards, one more than the other are good at targeting any purchases through Facebook. And it it looks too good to be true….it probably is.
Thanks, Kathy. Also, if it looks too bad to be true...
Arrrgh! So sorry to read this, Don - those folk are the worst. It's easy to get caught out, and every year they get smarter with it...
One tip: always check the email address that these emails come from. If they say they're from, eg, Adobe, and the email address is owehdbwe4r4t81@hotmail.com - or, more likely, Adobe@hotmail.com, then it's definitely a scam - there's no way they would ever send something that's not from the company's domain (and also no way they would ever contact you like this, as you note, but it's easy to get fooled in the heat of the moment). With these emails it's relatively hard to spoof an email sender, so most of the scammers don't bother, or make a clueless attempt to do it.
Another tip - if there's a link in the email, hover your mouse pointer over the link without clicking it, and you will be able to see where you're clicking to. If it looks unfamiliar (eg. if they say they're from Adobe and the link's not going to that domain name) then it's scammy-looking.
Very sorry to hear this, Don. I lost almost $2K dealing with someone I thought was from Apple Support. The WORST part is that I contacted them first! I have since learned that Apple has only one phone number to call. I had Googled Apple Support & found a very believable contact number. It wasn't Apple. I now feel wiser, more jaded, more skeptical, more cynical, and, therefore, more empowered. Since then I've also gotten bogus service emails from "Norton, Microsoft, Geek Squad, etc." and send them to junk immediately. Wishing cyber-safety to everyone out there!
First thing you do is check the address of the sender. I get daily notices about my Netflix and other accounts being cancelled and PayPal bills for Norton. All go straight to spam!
Note: This is the exact M.O. that's deployed across multiple products, not just Microsoft 365. It begins with a seemingly unauthorized charge. And as you wisely note: It's important not to react immediately.
Ugh! I never answer my phone (unless I know the caller) and always check my bank account first in these circumstances but mostly know it's a false hood...sorry this happened to you!
Uh boy. Don, I got the PayPal scam message last week. For a phony "approved" purchase of $740. In a moment of panic, I dialed what I thought was PayPal. When the Indian- accented voice said "Hello," I hung up immediately. Then, I logged on to PayPal, saw that were no transactions, and filed a scam report. Then, I checked my bank account. No unauthorized charges, thank goodness. And no strange charges on my credit card. I dodged the bullet. But I'm still on high alert. Thanks for the reminder to step back and breathe first.
Yikes!
It’s an obstacle race these days! It’s getting harder and harder to find any honest businesses. I’ve quit using my Visa cards because Visa has been doing sneaky stuff to overcharge its customers. LinkedIn has also been doing sneaky stuff. I’ve been trying to cancel my Scientific American subscription which they keep automatically renewing against my will. They never answer any of my emails. Evidently we have to call between their business hours. I don’t live in America and would have to call them in the middle of my night. Is dishonesty the modus operandi these days?
So sorry!