I fancy myself as fairly internet savvy! But I may now be technically classified as a gullible
old fart! I know there are “bad” people
out there! I am very cautious! I have up to date security software on my phone and laptop. I check
my bank accounts daily (actually I subscribe to a daily activity email). I only
use a credit card or PayPal when purchasing online …gives me a chance to
dispute charges and get my money back. But for all that I thought I was doing
right…this one caught me way “off guard”!
Clicking on a link on the official Social Security Association
Website, “redirected” me to a site that was not SSA, but it looked exactly the
same. Then I made an appointment to meet with a SS counselor for some specific
filing SS guidance and advice. We were to meet 2 days later via a very official
but off-site email scheduling program, at the Library meeting room a couple of
blocks away from the Official SS office…First RED FLAG and I missed it. When we got to the library, there was no SSA
counselor, the library staff had never heard of such a thing….RED FLAG is now
waving vigorously. The SS office was
just a few blocks away, we opted to go straight there to figure out what was
going on.
They were aghast! We were horrified! The next 3 hours my
phone (with all of the pertinent contact info from the nefarious site were
located) was examined by the SS office.
Scrolling back through the SS office noticed the official website
address had changed from SocialSecruityAdministration.gov to SocialSecruityAdministration.US. Now that RED FLAG is flapping wildly and I
finally get it….We have been caught up in a scam to get our SS numbers. The wonderful and very helpful people at the
Official SS office were proactive, awesome and reported to SSA FRAUD and FTC through their offices…
but instructed us to follow up with second personal reports when we got home. We also needed to freeze our credit on all 3 bureaus. It was a full day of “undoing”. Even though the guy did not show up, and it
does not appear that the scam was successful, we were instructed to take every precaution!
I suspect I may now be truly qualified as an official gullible old fart!
"What a Fool Believes" Doobie Brothers
No comments:
Post a Comment