A HELPLESS woman fell victim to a sophisticated scam, losing thousands of dollars to criminals.
Colorado scammers posing as Best Buy’s “Geek Squad” were able to steal a woman’s information and $20,000 out of her bank account.
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The Summit County Sheriff’s Office reported that the woman received an email earlier this month claiming her Geek Squad subscription was about to expire.
The email directed her to call a “support services” number to address the subscription issue.
Believing the email to be legitimate, the woman followed the instructions and made several phone calls, ultimately complying with the scammer’s demands.
In a short period, she lost over $19,000 to the con, according to the sheriff’s office.
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The Sherrif says this incident underscores the dangers of modern-day scams that use real company names and logos to deceive individuals.
To protect yourself from similar scams, authorities advise verifying any unsolicited communication by contacting the company directly.
Use the official contact number listed on the company’s website, not the one provided in the suspicious email.
Police say this simple step can help ensure you are speaking with a legitimate representative and not a scammer.
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The Summit County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate the incident and is urging residents to be vigilant against scams such as this.
Police say if you receive an email claiming to be from a company regarding subscriptions or account issues, always verify its authenticity by contacting the company directly through their official channels.
Stay alert and protect yourself from becoming a victim of these increasingly convincing scams.
Because if you’re not careful, you could end up like Rhiannon Pearson.
Pearson, another Colorado resident, faces the daunting task of repaying a $12,000 loan fraudulently taken out in her name.
It all began when Pearson received a call that appeared to be from Navy Federal Credit Union, according to local ABC affiliate KMGH-TV.
The caller informed Pearson that $12,000 had been deposited into her account. Pearson, noticing the money was indeed in her account, shared personal details with the caller.
She was then instructed to wire the money back through three payments of $4,000 each.
Feeling uneasy about the request, Pearson contacted her bank to verify the situation.
It was only then that she discovered she had fallen victim to a scam, with a $12,000 loan taken out in her name.
“You’re held responsible if you touch that money,” Pearson said.
Despite challenging the bank’s decision twice, she was told she must repay the loan.
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The situation has been so rough for Pearson that she fears the only option that is left for her is to file for bankruptcy.
“It’s a mess. It’s a nightmare,” she cried.
How are scammers finding my number?
Here Mackenzie Tatananni, science and technology reporter at The U.S. Sun, breaks down ways a scammer may get your information.
Scammers commonly get phone numbers from data breaches, which occur when a hacker accesses a private database – often those maintained by companies like service providers and employers.
This information may be shared and circulated online, including on the dark web, where there are forums dedicated to sharing leaked information.
Another common technique called wardialing employs an automated system that targets specific area codes.
A recorded message will instruct the listener to enter sensitive information, like a card number and PIN.
There is also a far more harrowing possibility: your phone number could be listed online without your knowledge.
Data brokers are hungry to buy and sell your information. These companies gather information from various public sources online, including social media and public records
Their primary goal is to build databases of people and use this information for tailored advertising and marketing.
Much of this information ends up on public record sites, which display information like your phone number, email, home address, and date of birth for anyone to see.
In the United States, these sites are legally required to remove your information if you request it.
Locate your profile and follow the opt-out instructions, but be warned – these sites do not make it easy and intend to frustrate you out of completing the deregistration process.
For simplicity’s sake, you can also use a tool to purge your information from the Internet.
Norton offers one such service. Called the Privacy Monitor Assistant, the tool finds info online and requests removal on your behalf.
It is also possible that your phone number may be linked to a social media account and publicly displayed on your profile – this happens quite frequently with Facebook.
Be sure to review your privacy settings and confirm this information is hidden away from prying eyes.
https://www.the-sun.com/news/12045317/best-buy-geek-squad-scam-colorado/