It was Ignatius J. Reilly in John Kennedy Toole ‘s Confederacy of Dunces who first warned us of “…those Greyhound scenic cruisers...they’re out there at night.” I can only imagine what Ignatius would think about the things that are out there at night in cyberspace, waiting to scam him and us despite our best efforts to remain unscammed.
Although I’ve spent HOURS on the air conducting NUMEROUS interviews about internet scams, I almost fell victim to one last week. The set-up was a supposed unauthorized purchase on my Amazon account; the item was specifically stated to be an iPhone for $775. I took the bait, called the number and was ready to start following their instructions before I realized something seemed amiss. I hung up and called the Amazon Customer Service number.
The representative confirmed my authorized purchases and asked me for the number of the scammer so they could investigate from their end. As for me, I was so angry I called the scammer’s number repeatedly for the next five minutes, initially pretending to be a victim and then launching into an obscenity filled tirade that would make a career sailor blush. I know I shouldn’t have done it, but I sure did enjoy it.
Have you ever gotten a call about an Amazon order you never made? Have you ever received a package that you never ordered? We spent an hour breaking down some of the more recent scams that are growing in popularity with Karim Hijazi, CEO of Prevallion. Prevallion is one of the leading cybersecurity companies in the world.
Take some time to listen to the various schemes and scammers that are out there just waiting to find the right person at the right time…
