Member-only story
Scammed Again!
Can you learn from my nearly disastrous experience?
On Thursday, September 5, I received an email from Microsoft, stating: “Thanks for your order on September 4, 2024.” The billing statement showed that I had purchased Microsoft 365 Business Standard package for $450.00, marked up (for reasons unstated) to $492.08.
I do have Microsoft 365 on my computer, but not the business standard. I don’t need it. I don’t want it. And I was mad as hell about it.
Scam Stoppers Notebook: Be suspicious of your “fight or flight” response. Phishing schemes rely on triggering that rush of adrenalin that inclines you to act immediately. If it feels urgent, breathe in and take a step back.
The email continued with “Additional Resources” offering links for understanding the invoice, paying by wire transfer, and how to cancel the subscription.
Instinctively, I clicked the link to cancel the subscription.
Scam Stoppers Notebook: Don’t click on links in suspicious emails. Tip: To check a link, let your cursor hover over the link text until you can see the URL address the link is pointing to. If the URL is longer than your arm, step away.
The link led me to a subscription cancellation form, which asked me to supply the usual information — name, mailing…
