Am I the only one getting annoyed at everyone trying to SCAM us these days?
Every week I receive a different scam, from a different phone number, trying to trick me to fork over my passwords or bank account information. It’s like clockwork!
The thing is, these scams look real! When I really examine them, and not just delete them instantly, these attempts are easy to fall victim to!
What I decided to do, using secure and safe measures, was follow through on filling out the details on one of the SCAM Texts that I received. I was sitting at home on Monday evening, watching the final episode of 90 Day Fiancée: The Other Way: The Couples Tell All: Part 2. We were about to hit a really pivotal and emotional point in the tell all, where a helpless romantic was about to speak to his girlfriend of 5+ years for the first time. This was a moment the entire season built towards, as you couldn’t help but feel sorry for this Nail Salon professional and his fight to find true love. Over their time together, he had admitted to sending his Ukranian girlfriend close to $40,000 to her to prove his love! But, right before the big meeting occurred… I received this text:
This was shocking, because even though I use Netflix, I don’t have a Netflix account. How could they have encountered a payment issue?
Which brings me to Observation #1: Even if the message looks convincing, look at the URL! Most companies, especially businesses that invest millions of dollars into online infrastructure like Netflix, have simple websites. Netflix.ca is a real, legitimet site… netflix-accountsetup-imascam.com is not.
If you don’t pick up on the fraudulent nature of the text message and you click on the provided URL, you may be easily fooled into thinking everything is above board. For example, look what popped up once I clicked the link in my text message!
That looks like Netflix!
The logo in the corner, recognizable ‘Sign In’ page, connect through Facebook button, and more create a convincing narrative that if I didn’t still leech off of my parents Netflix account, I could be tricked into thinking there actually was an issue with my payment.
Observation #2: If you’re unsure if it’s legit, try to find other functioning parts of the page before filling out the ‘Sign In’ section.
For example, on this illegitimate Netflix page, I was presented with 3 options (Gift Car Terms, Terms of Use & Privacy Statement) and all 3 were un-clickable.
I was also given the option to change the language of the page. That makes sense for Netflix, as they operate internationally and have been translated into numerous languages. What’s suspicious about this page is, even though they give me the ability to switch languages, my only options to choose between are… English. That’s not really a choice!
Okay, let’s dive a little deeper. Let’s ‘Sign In’ to see how they plan to steal my money!
Observation #3: If you sign into a legitimate account, they won’t ask you to provide your Personal Information. They may ask you to answer a security question that YOU set up prior, but not to re-submit your information.
This is how they get your billing information for credit card fraud. Oh, and why is this STEP 2 when it’s the FIRST THING I’m presented with after signing in? Also, when they give you the option to live in the Canadian Province of ‘British’, you may want to ask yourself – “Am I getting scammed?”
Okay, great! I’m almost at the finish line and soon I’ll have my payment issue fixed! Now all I need to do is provide my Credit Card details.
Observation #4: If you’re asked to provide your credit card details on a site that doesn’t even show the amount you’ll be charged, somethings wrong!
I filled in a fake credit card number, (I put in 123 456 789, please don’t steal my fake number) put in other bogus information… and hit Submit!
Which brought me to this page:
Observation #5: If you sign in to a website, submit your personal information, & fill out your Credit Card info… only to be sent back to a Homepage where it asks you to ‘Sign In’ again, Contact your Credit Card Provider ASAP! After going through that rigmarole, even if it was legitimate, it wouldn’t then automatically sign you out.
This information may be obvious to most readers, but the truth is – they work!
People fall victim to these all the time, that’s why you’re still receiving those messages. The scary thing is, they keep getting better and better, more advanced and location specific. Last month I was sent this message:
We all know ‘Nova Scotia Light and Power’ isn’t a real company, but at quick glance I just saw Nova Scotia Power and thought it was important. It wasn’t until the page loaded up and I saw what the URL was that I clued in that it was a Scam. Just look at the URL in the photo… why would a Power company be asking me about how much I pay for Car Insurance?
Be safe out there! It’s scary to think how quickly anyone, especially those less tech-savvy, can be conned out their money. With these scams evolving and harder to spot, make sure to authentify any organization asking for your credit card details, especailly if it’s out of the blue through text or e-mail. Most companies will offer you Opt-In programs for text messages, while also offering you the ability to Opt-Out. Rarely will a business reach out randomly in the middle of 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way: The Couples Tell All: Part 2.
I don’t even know what happened to the couple that never met. I hope that man found true love after send $40k to the Ukraine and that it wasn’t just a big ol’ scam!
