It's become common to see bogus emails that look like they are coming from legitimate companies confirming a purchase or asking to renew a subscription.
The Better Business Bureau has issued a new warning about a series of these emails targeting small businesses, after hearing from local business owners across New England who have fallen victim to this scam.
The scam involves fake invoices that appear to be coming from PayPal or Geek Squad, which is owned by Best Buy.
These emails can be very convincing. Here’s how it works:
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A potential victim will receive an email with an invoice attached -- either showing a purchase on their account or saying they’re being billed hundreds to auto-renew a subscription service.
The invoice will include a number to call to cancel or dispute the charge but here's the warning - don't make that call.
“It does look legitimate. They're using well-known business names, i.e., Geek Squad, Best Buy and PayPal. When people see this come in, they obviously think, oh, maybe it was a fraudulent charge. We need to call the number to in order to get the credit back. I have to give my routing number to my bank. So, they do that or a credit card number to get the credit back, and that's where the scam transpires,” explained Paula Fleming with Better Business Bureau.
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“Any unsolicited emails that are coming in or even if you are a geek squad member, if you receive notice that you are being charged or that you need to click a link, just delete the email, and call Best Buy directly.”
It’s important to not click on any links in these emails either. It could download dangerous malware.
Here’s how individuals and businesses could protect themselves:
First, be cautious of any unsolicited emails, especially if you don’t remember doing business or a transaction with the company.
Keep track of your subscriptions, including the prices and renewal dates.
Don’t give into scare tactics. Scammers will use a sense of urgency to get you to act quickly.
And finally, if you have questions about an invoice you have received, or a payment that you supposedly made to any company, you always want to reach out to the company directly via their website or the number posted on their website.
Don’t click on links or call any number in that unsolicited email!
Both Best Buy and PayPal warn against these scams on their websites.
