Two Scams Making the Rounds
We’ve seen a flood of online scams this week. Two are especially common.
One is the bogus invitation or shared-document notice—an email that appears to come from someone you know and invites you to view a document, meeting, photo, or other shared item. The link may lead to a convincing-looking sign-in page designed to steal your password.
The other is the alarming “Your computer has a dangerous virus!” popup, often accompanied by flashing warnings, loud noises, and a telephone number to call for “help.” The warning is fake. The people answering that number are the scammers.
A good rule for both: stop and verify before you click, call, or enter a password. If you clicked a link and are unexpectedly asked to log in, close the page and go to the service directly using your normal bookmark or by typing the address yourself.
And if a message supposedly comes from someone you know but seems unusual, contact that person separately before acting.
A few seconds of skepticism can save hours—or days—of trouble.
Richmond Shreve
NaCCRA Board Member & VP
Forum Moderator