Don’t fall for this email scam that almost cost an elderly woman $25,000

Unfortunately, phishing scams seem to be the new normal. Most recently, an elderly woman in the tri-state area almost got scammed for $25,000.  According to Patch.com, what began as an average phishing scam turned even more sinister when the scammer turned up at this elderly victim’s house to retrieve money physically.

 

Geek squad scammer caught in elaborate phishing scheme

 

MORE: THE ‘UNSUBSCRIBE’ EMAIL SCAM IS TARGETING AMERICANS

 

Elderly victim foils scammer’s elaborate plot

MORE: 7 EFFECTIVE WAYS TO MAKE YOUR LIFE MORE SECURE AND PRIVATE ONLINE

 

How do you prevent this scam from happening to you?

Know your subscriptions:

Organize your invoices:

Go to the official website for contact information. If the scammers happen to pick a company that you do subscribe to, it can be even easier to fall for this type of scam.

Watch for language and tone of voice:

Setup payments electronically:

 

MORE: DON’T CLICK THAT LINK! HOW TO SPOT AND PREVENT PHISHING ATTACKS IN YOUR INBOX

 

What to do next if you’ve been scammed?

1) Change passwords: change your password immediately. It is best to create unique and complex passwords, including letters, symbols, and numbers, for each separate online account. If you need help generating and storing

2) Keep an eye on all your accounts and credit consistently: Contact the financial institution and explain the situation for all accounts impacted by the potential scammerContact the three main credit bureaus

3) Setup alerts for financial accounts:

4) Enable two-factor authentication for any account impacted by the phishing scam: This would include your financial accounts and email address. If you have this additional layer of security on, the hacker or scammer would have to send a code to another device or account to gain access,

5) Get Identity Theft Protection: While getting an identity theft service seems overkill, many identity theft protection services can help you when your accounts get compromised.

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6) Use strong antivirus software:

Best Antivirus Protection 2024

7) Call the local authorities:

 

Kurt’s key takeaways

Have you been a victim of a phishing scam? How did you find out it was a scam? Let us know in the comments below.

TO GET MORE OF MY SECURITY ALERTS, SUBSCRIBE TO MY FREE CYBERGUY REPORT NEWSLETTER

 

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1 comment

Linda Q. May 26, 2024 - 8:36 am
My son thought he was having an online relationship with Sandra Bullock. He sent copies of his SS card, Drivers License and ATM card but wasn’t sure if it all went through. We got a new ATM card. Fortunately he did not and does not have any funds. He then panicked and started deleting all the messages. Nothing has happened (yet), not sure what to do now. It’s been months. Warm others about this scam.
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