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Notified of an Order? Is This Your Order Scam
Get Notified of An Order You Did Not Make?
Someone clicked on a link on an email that said an Amazon order of $700 was made "is this your order?"– and if he didn’t make the order then click on a link to have it resolved. Amazon scams are rampant - I get them at emails that are not associated to my Amazon account. Other companies are also used.
He clicked the link then called the number on the email – they told him to log in on his computer and do something on it – essentially giving them permission to remotely get on his computer, which they shut down and changed passwords on it. Scams are set up to have you contact a scammer pretending to be an associate of the company. Is this your order scam is a very common way to catch you off guard and just react.
He had to call his banks, his credit cards, and everything he had passwords stored on his computer for, because they now have ALL his information on his computer. They could pull it all to save on their end, They could kill his drive and erase everything. They can change his passwords on everything - banks, stores, stock accounts, mortgages, loans, and more. They can divert his Social Security payments to them. They can set up code on his computer to cause more issues and havoc.
The scammers pulled out all his bank account money (though the bank caught it first since they were warned of a breech) and got into all the credit cards, and even a home equity loan which they reopened into a new account. Then it took days for Norton and him to unlock the computer and clean out the junk they put into it. It has cost hours of days to reconcile things but still more to do.
The story gets worse - they took everything off the computer or locked it and demand $950 to get it all back. Ransomware on an individual on limited income! It's unlikely they will give him anything back because they already got into his bank account and everything. He is in high risk category of identity theft - they have all his credentials to open credit cards, divert Social Security payments, open loans and such.
DO NOT call or click on anything these emails tell you! Immediately check your bank or credit card accounts for the potential charge - using numbers you have or independently Google for. If no charge made, it's a scam. IF you are still concerned, call Amazon or whatever store directly and see if such a purchase was made. It's highly unlikely that any such purchase was made - scammers are just preying on the emotions of a bad charge panic to get your attention to act. You can and should act - but only by going straight to your bank or the store - calling a number from one you have or one you can Google for, and NEVER from the contacts the solicitation gave you.
PR