Scam Alerts!

Since I am a member of the "Alexa Silver" generation, I feel comfortable in sharing a couple of warnings with my contemporaries. I consider myself pretty shrewd when it comes to  spotting scams, so when one even tempts me for a moment, I worry about my friends! This one almost got me--but it shouldn't have, and I'll tell you why!

 

Now I knew immediately that I did not order this (or at least did not remember ordering it!!!) But everything about it looked legit. Or did it?  There are no obvious misspellings, but...

Look at the return address. It's on the second line, next to a tiny flag.  See all that gibberish? Totally unreadable. 

Amazon.com (noticationsgapepppnvbaunyfceimhgpfyzxadzx@googlegroups.com)

A legit Amazon return address is very readable. For example: 

Amazon.com (payments-messages@amazon.com)

This is so small, I'm afraid you can't read it on a phone, but it says: Amazon.com (payments-messages@amazon.com) and is actually from one of my emails from Amazon.

So guess what happens when you click on that "View or manage order?" You are asked to give personal information to a scammer! You have been caught! Don't give personal information. If it is a legit communication, they already have your information!

This second one is kinda funny...not serious...but still irritating.   I have a phone which announces who is calling, so I don't answer any calls which come in "Anonymous," "Invalid," or "Unavailable." This week I got one, and this caller was announced: 

It got me. I was afraid one of my fellow silverettes was stuck at Tom Thumb without her phone and having to borrow theirs to call me for help. You are going to think I'm making this up when I tell you who was calling me and why!

You see...my extended car warranty was about to expire, and I was being given one last chance to renew it. 

Honest.