A Free Public Service

SCAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is an inactive attorney in San Mateo County, California.

October 12, 2021

YOUR ACCOUNT SCAMS

Courtesy AARP

If you use a bank, shop, watch movies or stream music online, you may receive emails from the digital companies you do business with touting new products or alerting you to changes in their terms of service.

The fake email or text might seem genuine at first with familiar corporate branding at the top. But if a message appearing to be from, say, Apple, Netflix, Amazon or PayPal warns of a problem with your account you should proceed with caution: It is likely a phishing scam aiming to hook your personal data.

Legitimate online companies may contact you about a genuine issue with your account — for example, if the credit card you use for payment has expired. But they will not ask in an email or text for your login information, Social Security number or financial data. If you have any reason to believe there is a real problem, contact the company’s customer service department or check your account status on its genuine website or app.

The scammer message may be: You need to “update” or “verify” your login or billing information, which you can post by clicking a link or following the instructions in an attachment. (In a variation on the scam message it might include a phony invoice or receipt and ask you to confirm or dispute a purchase.)

Warning Signs:

*Instead of addressing you by name it may greet you generically (“Dear Amazon Customer,” for example), or not at all. The message will vary: “A payment has failed. There is a problem with your order. We lost your customer data. We’ve detected suspicious activity and locked your account”.

*The sender’s email address does not include the correct corporate domain (for example, @netflix.com or @paypal.com). If there is any variation after the “@,” such as extra characters or words, it’s probably not from the company.

*The email seeks login credentials such as username and password, personal data like your Social Security number, or billing info like bank account or credit card numbers.

*The email includes typos, bad grammar or foreign spellings (for example, “centre” instead of “center”).

*You are urged to act quickly, at the risk of losing your account.

Dos:

*Do hover your cursor over links in the body of the email. This will reveal the true destination URL. If the link is unfamiliar, do not click it.

*Do only use a company’s official website or app to update account information such as passwords or payment methods.

*Do contact the company directly, through an official website or customer service line, if you have concerns about an email or text message you received.

*Do use antivirus software and keep it up to date. Activate firewalls and other settings that block malicious files.

Don’ts:

*Do not open documents or download files from suspicious emails. They could install malware on your device.

*Do not click on links or open attachments to “update,” “unlock” or “verify” an account. Go to the company’s website or app to check your account status.

*Do not click on a link or call a phone number in a text “alert” to verify your identity or account status.

*Do not reveal personal or financial information in response to an unsolicited email. Legitimate companies will not ask you to provide sensitive data in an email.

Call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline: 877-908-3360

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