Scam to watch for
By cobrateacher
@cobrateacher (8432)
United States
July 26, 2008 12:52pm CST
In the past couple of weeks, I've received e-mails that claim to contain urgent information regarding my account. They seem to have the reputable letterheads of Bank of America, Citibanc Group, and Chase, among others. If I were not an Engish teacher, I might not have notice grammatical and syntactical errors. Then these scammers would have all the information they would need to steal my identity. Even those that were supposedly from banks with whom I've never done business, they'd get all sorts of information if I were inclined to answer so they could straighten out their problems with the account. If you get these, just delete them without answering at all. Report them if your provider has a button for that. Don't give away your precious identity just because they're slick. They're not all that slick!
3 people like this
8 responses
@cobrateacher (8432)
• United States
26 Jul 08
Thanks for the heads-up. Maybe we need to add an interest area to myLot so people could just go to it and check on whatever scams are going around!
1 person likes this
@cobrateacher (8432)
• United States
27 Jul 08
I think it can be done if myLot sets it up so that people understand that the posts are no different from other posts -- take 'em or leave 'em. It would be neither condemnation not recommendation from myLot; just a place where people can post their experiences and provide proof to keep others from being scammed.
1 person likes this
@darksorrow (4666)
• Bangladesh
26 Jul 08
I will remember that. If you have added a photo of that email with this discussion then it would be better. We could know how do they look like. If you still have the mail then upload it with any response. You can do that since you have reached 5oo discussions.
@cobrateacher (8432)
• United States
26 Jul 08
Sorry, I should have thought about that. I forwarded them to my IPO and then deleted them in fear of accidentally opening them again. Actually, I don't know how to do that, either! I'll learn next month, when my classes start again. If nothing else, my students always have the best handle on technology!
They look like the notices yur bank would send you, which is how they catch their victims.
1 person likes this
@leenie50 (3992)
• United States
26 Jul 08
Dark,
Having been in the banking business most of my life, the banks will never email or call you for your personal information. If a problem exists, they will send a letter asking you to come into the bank personally. Just don't trust emaill scams.
leenie
1 person likes this
@darksorrow (4666)
• Bangladesh
27 Jul 08
That's something a learned new. Thanks cobrateache & leenie50.
1 person likes this
Good day and cheers..
@cobrateacher (8432)
• United States
27 Jul 08
I'm quite sure this is not just an American problem. Similar things must occur all over the world.
Thank you for the response.
1 person likes this
@ella1bella (839)
•
27 Jul 08
I have to be honest when I say that if I dont recognise an email address now ,its very rare thsat I will open it.There are so many emails that contain a virus now that its not the wisest of things to even contemplate opening them.but many thanks for yuor warning.
@cobrateacher (8432)
• United States
27 Jul 08
Ella, you're definitely smart. myLot presents one of the many problems, though. We're all trying to come up with some extra income, so those mailings could be wonderful. It's hard not to see what people have to offer. It's REALLY hard todetermine who's for real!!
1 person likes this
@twistershot (736)
• India
27 Jul 08
we really thanks for giving this information about online scammers, I heard that type of emails from my friends, and also I got some emails in my bulk mails, I never try to open that because it was already informed by friends.
@cobrateacher (8432)
• United States
27 Jul 08
Always be careful, Twister! No matter how many times these people are caught, they or someone like them will come up with another way to try to rob us. How sad that trust seems so outdated!
1 person likes this
@leenie50 (3992)
• United States
26 Jul 08
Cobra,
You are absolutely right. I was a teller most of my adult life. Banks will never email or call you to ask for information. If they have a problem they will send you a letter asking that you come into the bank at your convenience. This privacy issue is taken very seriously by the banks. I hope others are as smart as you are. As you said, delete, delete.
leenie
1 person likes this
@cobrateacher (8432)
• United States
26 Jul 08
Thanks for the response. Once I got everything straightened out after the identity theft, I added anti-theft insurance to my accounts and even to my credit cards. The mess it made of my credit will still take a long to\ime to fully get straight!
1 person likes this
@cobrateacher (8432)
• United States
1 Aug 08
The e-mail I got just before myLot e-mailed me about your response was supposedly from Barclay's Bank of London. There were so many mistakes, including calling me madam once and sir twice. I reported it immediately!
1 person likes this
@schulzie (4061)
• United States
27 Jul 08
I haven't seen the Bank of America e-mail, however I had some weird viruses and trojan horses attacking my computer. Every time I went to the Bank of America website to sign in it kept asking for my name, address, social security number, checking account #, pin, etc. I mean, come on! Did they really think I would be that stupid.
The page came up and had the bank logo and everything. But when I looked at the very bottom of the page it said something to the effect of "Please note: this is an older version of a web page no longer associated with Bank of America". That was another red flag.
Just be extremely careful when you get an e-mail like cobrateacher mentioned or if you try to sign in at a website and they start asking you too many questions, etc. like I encountered at Bank of America. It is usually a scam and they are fishing for any information they can get so they can find their next identity theft victim.
@cobrateacher (8432)
• United States
27 Jul 08
Thanks for the comment, Schulzie. We all work too hard for whatever we get to let some sleazy scammers grab it away!
1 person likes this
