SCAMS - let's compare notes

[lisa jones]

We have the App which lets us know if anything is owing. Oh and we ourselves know about what trips we've made too because WE have taken those trips along motorways etc.

This is an example of a shitful scam which makes no sense but apparently some people do fall for it.

[Bobby]

I get emails to an old Hotmail account of mine almost every day
with advice on how to pick up $ millions in winnings from lotteries or deceased estates.
Sometimes it's a Nigerian Prince or General who wants me to help him out.
They always fish for my name, address and phone number etc.
I wonder what percentage of all emails in the world are actually scams?

[lisa jones]

I get emails to an old Hotmail account of mine almost every day
with advice on how to pick up $ millions in winnings from lotteries or deceased estates.
Sometimes it's a Nigerian Prince or General who wants me to help him out.
They always fish for my name, address and phone number etc.
I wonder what percentage of all emails in the world are actually scams?

Good question.

Let me tell you what happened to me early this morning. I was responding to an email from Woolworths Rewards. (I go on about Woolworths and their Rewards system on OzPol because I'm an avid fan of that brand).

Half way through answering it I took another look at it. Yep it looked perfectly normal and something I had seen plenty of times before. So I kept answering the questions (the email was specifically addressed to me and the English language in it was spot on too. The fonts and colours were perfect. I concluded that I was just being paranoid about scams. This was truly Woolworths - my go to fav supermarket brand.

Well I got to the last question. I was required to send them money! For what? Posting and handling.

Woolworths only ever gives me online stuff. I mean who still posts things? And only someone desperate and shameless would ask you for that to be paid for.

Then I scanned the email properly. I noticed a spelling mistake. And I double checked the email address with previous emails by Woolworths. Different sender.

An immediate deletion and a well earned block followed.

Lessons learned? Don't read emails before your morning coffee. And if you have a sense/feeling that something is not quite right about an email ... don't ever ignore it.

[Bobby]

Yes Lisa,
be very careful -
even to click on any link or reply to such an email can cause a lot of problems.
Sometimes they only want to find out if your email is being used by you.

[lisa jones]

Yes Lisa,
be very careful -
even to click on any link or reply to such an email can cause a lot of problems.
Sometimes they only want to find out if your email is being used by you.

🥺