[conspire] (forw) Re: Fwd: affordable bill for you # WASDE455772

[paulz at ieee.org]

 Whenever I get a message seeming to come from my bank, my standard operating procedure is to look up the phone number for the bank.  Maybe the number on the back of my credit card or the number for the local branch.  Then I expect that they will ask several challenge questions to verify who is calling them.
A couple of times it actually was the bank trying to contact me, but the few extra minutes it takes is more than offset by the security that it is not a scam.
    On Tuesday, June 14, 2022, 05:05:38 PM PDT, Rick Moen <rick at linuxmafia.com> wrote:  
 
 Folks, don't fall for the refund scam.  Don't waste time on it, either.

----- Forwarded message from Rick Moen <rick at linuxmafia.com> -----

Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2022 17:03:10 -0700
From: Rick Moen <rick at linuxmafia.com>
To: [redacted]
Subject: Re: Fwd: affordable bill for you # WASDE455772
Organization: If you lived here, you'd be $HOME already.

Quoting [redacted]:

> Sent this first:

It's a (notorious) scam.  

Look more closely.

1.  They don't even have your name.  That's because they're broadcasting
the same scam-mail to millions of e-mail addresess they bought en-masse
from data-brokers.

2.  It claims your "ACCOUNT will be autodebited" but nothing about what
means of payment will be used.  That's because they have no information
about you.

3.  If you double-check your online banking, you'll find no such
activity.  The scam relies on people merely assuming the claim is
accurate without checking.


The entire purpose of this broadcast scam-mail is to troll you into
calling the stated area code 877 telephone number.  That number directs
to the boiler-room full of confidence artists in some distant country.
With them having you, as the candidate sucker on the line, the game is
to then reel you in to the classic "refund scam" over the phone.

There are countless YouTube e-mails and analyses on the Web to explain
how the refund scam works.  Look those up if you are curious.

I'm surprised this scam is new to you.  It has been blanketing the
Internet in myriad minor variations for quite a few years.


Takeaways:

1.  Any time some unvalidated e-mail or phone call makes claims,
classify those claims as unverified absent strong validation.  E.g., if
they say "We did this thing to your online banking", if tempted to take
it seriously and not just as yet another lie from lying liars who lie, 
_check online banking_.

2.  Suspicious vagueness is a dead giveaway.

----- End forwarded message -----

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