I hate to admit it, but I just got scammed. I got an authentic looking email from one of the secure online places where I do business asking me to reenter my credit card information because it was out of date. I clicked on the link and a page came up for entry. I can’t remember for sure now but I think it even ask me for my username and password. Scary. I put in my credit card information and then pressed enter. Another screen came up asking me for bank account information. That’s when I knew I had just been taken. I knew that information was not needed. Then I thought — they ask me for more personal information than just about my credit card, more than the business site did. I got a horrible sinking feeling. It was done, I had already pressed enter and there was no clear, or back, or any way out.  Then I checked out the from address and it contained the correct business’s web address along with a bunch of other stuff, but it didn’t look right. If you had asked me beforehand if I would ever fall for such a thing as this I would have said “No way, I’m not that stupid.â€? But, I’m sorry to say I just typed away without even thinking about it until it was too late. I slipped. I fell for it.
           I called my credit card company and changed my pin number through their automated system, but it was Thanksgiving day and I could not get anyone on the phone to cancel the card. It was also late. Today, Friday the 25th of November, I checked out my credit card account activity online. Sure enough, there was a fraudulent charge. I felt like such an idiot. Â
           I called and cancelled my card and because of the personal information I gave them, I also called the credit bureaus and flagged them for fraud watch. Now, it’s going to be a hassle for me to do anything in the credit realm because I’ll have to keep proving I’m me. But at least I can do that. Let’s hope no one else can. I’ve heard a lot about identity theft, but it never felt like a threat to me. Now it does.
           In one of the emails from the valid secure web business that I read only after the fact (another laxity,) they specifically say that they do not EVER do business that way. Never will they ask for sensitive information from a link in an email. They tell you to always type their address into the browser address line to get to their website, and then log in, in the normal way. I’ve learned my lesson now. I’m wise the hard way.
           One more thing. After the fact, I went back to the email, re-clicked on the link to see the input form and remind myself just what information I had given them, and the link got a script error, which is a huge clue of foul play in itself. If I clicked yes to run the script anyway, it went to a not-found address. If I clicked no, it went to the valid business they were impersonating.
           These scammers grab the information and then destroy the path. It’s a hit and run kind of thing. I don’t have enough bad words to say about them. I hope they get maggots up their nose or accidentally sit in a pool of acid. A little strong, but hey, I might have been dumb but they are dishonest ___ ___ scum.
           Take care and don’t get scammed like I never thought I would, but did.
JoAnn Vickers, a.k.a. JoAnn Wilburn November 25, 2005
