This is an FYI post about a scam attempt within the Desert Breezes Community. As far as we know, no one was taken in by this, but it’s always good to be aware.
Recently, a long time Desert Breezes resident had their email hacked in some way. Maybe someone actually got into their account, or maybe they simply had their contacts and faked their email address.
The result was that I, and a few others, received this email:
Upon replying that I did see this email, I recieved this:
After 20 years of corporate training on scams and phishing, three main scam signals jumped out at me:
- This did not sound like the person, and I do not know them well enough to think they would come to me for something like this.
- Urgency – this has to happen now!
- Gift Card – scammers love gift cards as they are untraceble.
I was sure it was a scam, but one more test from my side:
A scammer will always have a reason why they can’t meet in person, or call on the phone. Here it is:
Note the mistake in leaving Message space write: in the email. That is the point where I called my friend. I was not the first to call, and they sent out a warning to all their contacts.
I’m posting this to help everyone be informed on common scam tactics and how to spot them. When in doubt while dealing with an email or message from a “friend,” do nothing until you’ve actually contacted that person by phone or in person.