Ho Ho Ho, tis the season to be jolly… and excuse my cynicism, extremely vigilant. During the holidays, the scammers are working overtime to separate you from your money and your jolliness.
For the rest of the year (and beyond) pay extra attention to your e-mail. This is the scammers’ Trojan Horse and their most common way to penetrate your vault room. Scrutinize all your e-mail and above all, do not respond or click on any unknown link.
In the holidays season, spam reigns supreme. One way or the other the stuff is bad for you. If you ingest it, be aware that it is high in sodium, fat, and calories. Even just looking at it, will perturb you and prompt you to react quickly. Big mistake. No matter what, stay cool and if need be, carefully deal with the fraudulent scheme.
Recently I received the following message:
“Dear user,
You should contact Security support if you haven’t received the update. We are happy to provide you with the best and most secure protection available as a Norton Security customer. A one-year subscription for Norton Security has been purchased for $385.32. You will soon see this charge on your account statement. Thanks for your patience.
Within 24 hours, the charge will appear on your statement. Your bank has already deducted it. Once the subscription’s expiration date approaches, the subscription will automatically renew if automatic renewal is selected.”
Upon reading this, I immediately detected the unmistakable smell of spam. I have not used Norton for years, and I don’t have an account with them. So, I just played dead. I didn’t respond in any way to this message, but I flagged it as spam on my computer. In G-mail, the spam folder is located somewhere under the Inbox. I also checked with my bank to see if any money has been deducted. None had been withdrawn.
When you get a spam message, don’t panic. This is what the scammers want. A panicked reaction to counter a perceived threat. Simply ignore the message and let it know on the Internet that this is spam.
Happy holidays! May you be surrounded by jolly elves, and may your egg nog be potent enough to get you through the Christmas season!
Alain