THE Prepping thread - a new beginning :)

moneyistooshorttomention

jko - Had you just been reading the online newspapers?

I just started doing so - and "spoof" phishing emails are being sent out - apparently from Amazon. These refer to goods the customers has ordered/apparently ordered and asks people to type in their bank details.

Amazon say they havent been hacked and that these are very slightly different to genuine emails from Amazon. The reason they've had this happen boils down to so many of us are waiting for packages from Amazon at this time of year - so will think it's to do with that.

Advice is to not click on any links in that - but just go direct to Amazon's webpage via one's normal route.

That would be easy to click by mistake. I've often spotted posters on MSE giving links to Amazon products and I work on the basis of I might take a quick look to see what product they are referring to. But, if I decide I want it, I come off MSE website and go into Amazon via my normal route to buy it.

I know, from experience, how ruthless and fast-acting Amazon are with their suppliers (ie had occasion to complain about one and, within the hour, that wasn't one of their suppliers any longer!) - so I expect they'll sort this out pretty quickly.

melodramaticme

Just popping in to wish everyone a :xmassign:
Thank you to all for your wise and sensible advice during 2016, tinfoil hats, rolling pins and elephants included:rotfl:

culpepper

very often these pshishing emails will have the sender address and it is almost always something obscure . Real emails would have the official name in the senders address.
We have had a couple of DPD deliveries and they will generally have no file at all but just the 'window' described. They also send a text to your phone with the hour it will arrive and the first name of the driver.

cornishchick

I have the official DPD app. Easy to use, monitor and update as needed .

dreaming

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

jko - Had you just been reading the online newspapers?

I just started doing so - and "spoof" phishing emails are being sent out - apparently from Amazon. These refer to goods the customers has ordered/apparently ordered and asks people to type in their bank details.

Amazon say they havent been hacked and that these are very slightly different to genuine emails from Amazon. The reason they've had this happen boils down to so many of us are waiting for packages from Amazon at this time of year - so will think it's to do with that.

Advice is to not click on any links in that - but just go direct to Amazon's webpage via one's normal route.

That would be easy to click by mistake. I've often spotted posters on MSE giving links to Amazon products and I work on the basis of I might take a quick look to see what product they are referring to. But, if I decide I want it, I come off MSE website and go into Amazon via my normal route to buy it.

I know, from experience, how ruthless and fast-acting Amazon are with their suppliers (ie had occasion to complain about one and, within the hour, that wasn't one of their suppliers any longer!) - so I expect they'll sort this out pretty quickly.

Unfortunately Amazon are unlikely to be able to do anything about this - just as the banks can't really do anything about the phishing e-mails that get sent purportedly from them. (Apparently Barclays are going to close my accounts if I don't respond to the e-mails I have received this week (as I don't bank at Barclays I just delete them straight away)). The trouble is that these messages are sent out by the thousands as they are computer generated and the originators change their location/web address frequently. I have also had e-mails supposedly from Virgin (who I do have an account with) and it really looked genuine - correct logos/colours/style of writing. It is just up to us to be aware that none of these companies would ask you to confirm bank details in this way, but it very easy to get caught out - especially at this time of the year with so much else to think about.

alice-mary

dreaming wrote: »

Unfortunately Amazon are unlikely to be able to do anything about this - just as the banks can't really do anything about the phishing e-mails that get sent purportedly from them. (Apparently Barclays are going to close my accounts if I don't respond to the e-mails I have received this week (as I don't bank at Barclays I just delete them straight away)). The trouble is that these messages are sent out by the thousands as they are computer generated and the originators change their location/web address frequently. I have also had e-mails supposedly from Virgin (who I do have an account with) and it really looked genuine - correct logos/colours/style of writing. It is just up to us to be aware that none of these companies would ask you to confirm bank details in this way, but it very easy to get caught out - especially at this time of the year with so much else to think about.

I received a letter earlier this year, supposedly fron Sainsbugs Bank, explaining that my recent loan-application had been rejected and that if I wanted further information, I should call the number provided.
As I hadn't made the application in the first place, I ALMOST shredded it but something made me stop. I checked their website, rather than use the telephone number provided and eventually got through to the banking section.
To cut a long story short, it was a genuine letter! Someone had used my name and address to apply for a loan but it was rejected as the job details didn't make sense when they checked my credit references. I obtained a Fraud Reference Number to inform the police with and the people at Sainsbugs bank took more up-to-date info from me, including more in-depth stuff(specific job details etc), and passed it onto the credit agencies.

Something/someone was watching over me that day as my credit rating is back as it should be. So, while I agree with ignoring some e-mails, any letters might be worth double-checking!

On a more pleasant note, Merry Christmas to all!

Alice
xx

GreyQueen

:T Good save, alice-mary.

I do things like this, and always use a 'clean' number, one I have from proper correspondence/ official website, rather than one supplied on the letter or email.

About a year ago, there were fraudsters ringing up people in our region purporting to be from my local authoritity employer. We didn't need to wait for the public to tell us this was happening; they accidentally got several council officers, including several of the customer services people like me, in their random harvesting of phone numbers. Baaaaad mistake.

We always say to the public never to hesitate to call us if they have someone calling, writing to or trying to visit with them purporting to be from the council. We'd much rather take dozens of calls to reassure the public that a firm is legit than have one chancer slip through and do harm to a resident.

Well, I have decked the halls and put up the crimble tree and we'll be having a small libation in a little while (half a pint of sherry, probably) so I hope everyone has a lovely time.

:xmastree::xmastree::xmastree::xmastree::xmastree::xmassign:

craigywv

just popped on to say hi and Happy Christmas ,i have been sooooooooooooooooooo busy these past few months and not been here. so i sitting down now to have a good read,hope your all doing well xxxx

thriftwizard

Wishing you all a merry & peaceful Christmas/Yule!

Feeling pretty grotty here but the show must go on...

ivyleaf

Sending get-well-quickly wishes to everyone on the thread who's ill! There seem to be too many atm :eek: