If you are a giving person, a caring person who wants to help people and also wants to believe in people who are in need, this thread may be helpful.
We all get scam phone calls and emails nearly everyday. Â Have you ever been actually scammed? Â
So that you can remain an open and caring person, yet be able to protect yourself from being scammed, let's explore how we can listen to inner voices, as well as checking for information online or getting advice from others, as we are trying to evaluate people's requests for money.
The more caring the person, the more likely we are to believe others. Â That is a good thing. Never feel bad about having faith in someone. I'd rather be trusting than suspicious!Â
I almost got scammed by an email that said they detected viruses in my system. Having a big website, I was alarmed and placed a call to the scammers. The guy was so sweet and I did not detect any element of scam in his voice. Â They had successfully used my fear of being hacked, but only to a point. Â It was when he asked for Target gift cards that my b.s. monitor went off. Â So they never got a dime from me. Â
Another time, someone who was pretending to be a friend, asked for money. Â It fit the person in one way but not in asking for money. I googled it and saw it fit a type of scam. Â I also contacted the friend using her cell number and she replied that it was a scam.
@jeanne-mayell. - Through my work I receive regular notices about typical scams used by the bad guys. Here is an example:
An easy way for cybercriminals to get your attention is to claim that you owe a large amount of money. Pair this claim with a QuickBooks-themed phishing email and malicious malware, you get a dangerous cybersecurity threat.
The cybercriminals send a well-made spoof of a QuickBooks email that even includes an invoice number. The email message states that you owe over one-thousand dollars for the order but it gives no further details. Attached to the email is what appears to be an Excel file with the invoice number as the filename. The bad guys are hoping you’ll open the attachment looking for more information. If you do open it, you’ll actually be opening a dangerous piece of malware specially designed to target your financial and banking information. This malware can lead to unauthorized charges, wire transfers, and even data breaches.
Here’s how you can stay safe from scams like this:
- Never click a link or download an attachment in an email that you were not expecting.
- Remember that bad guys can disguise anything, even file types.
- If you think the notification could be legitimate, navigate to the official QuickBooks website and log in to your account to confirm.
Stop, Look, and Think. Don't be fooled.
The KnowBe4 Security Team
KnowBe4.com
I hope this reminder helps all colleagues here.
A good rule to follow is if you think you're being scammed or something just doesn't sound right - if possible - google it ASAP!! Chances are, if someone is trying to scam YOU they've also scammed someone else. Google the name- the phone number or email, the situation, etc. If others have reported the same thing then you will know immediately you have been or are being scammed.
Thank you @barbarmar22 and @numerologist for suggestions on how to spot a scam. In addition to these concrete ideas, I suggest that we trust our gut when we sense something isn't right. Don't try to overrule your initial suspicions by being nice. Â The same goes for relationships that are harmful, although they deserve their own thread which I'd like to open soon.Â