You get a text on the weekend from Amazon saying your package was delayed. The text has a link on it. You click on the link- (something just happened, but it was too fast to see) that takes you to a Customer Service phone number with the instruction to call.

It just so happened you didn’t order anything from Amazon. So, you call the Customer Service number to tell them you didn’t order anything at this time. The Customer Service agent asks you to get on your computer (or mobile device), open your browser and enter the following website (which sort of looks like Amazon).

They tell you to click here, then there, then here again. They confirm for you that you, in fact, did not order anything. They thank you for correcting the mistake. When they hang up, they now have access to your computer (a backdoor via malware) they can access at any time in the future. They’ll be back to search for potential financial institutions, bank accounts, etc. Only, when they do, they won’t need you and you won’t know they visited your computer. Always Be on the Alert!

This tactic doesn’t only work via text. The very same tactic can come via an email.

Contacted? What Should You Do?
If you get such notifications, you need to do three things.

1. Ignore the text or email.
2. Report it as spam & block it if that is an option.
3. Delete it immediately after reporting it as spam.

While you may think you are being helpful, you are opening yourself up to identity theft or financial loss. If you always use two-factor authentication (2FA) for your banking and financial institutions, you will be making it significantly harder for the scammer to access your accounts and you may be alerted in the process. That’s why using 2FA all the time is a stronger method of protecting yourself from loss.

Our Advice
As with all these stories, the number one factor is you DID NOT initiate the contact. They did. We cannot stress enough the point, if you didn’t initiate a contact like this, it has a very high probability of being a scam. Taking the call, responding to the text or email can only expose you to financial loss.

STOP, THINK & DELETE!