Scams to watch out for by subject line
Scammers are trying to use email subject lines to help trick people out of their personal information and possibly money.
Most of the emails are sent to company email accounts and some of the emails appear to be information related to the coronavirus pandemic. Regardless of the subject, they all have one thing in common? They require some kind of action by the recipient.
These are the top phishing scams that have been reported as suspicious to IT departments.
• Payroll Deduction Form
• Password Check Required Immediately
• Required to read or complete: “COVID-19 Safety Policy”
• COVID-19 Remote Work Policy Update
In addition to looking at the subject lines for phishing scams, also pay attention to who and what organization is sending the email, particularly if you don’t know them. Phishing emails will always contain a link to a website or a toll free number to call.
Don’t click on any links and don’t call, even if it seems legitimate. Instead, go to the company’s website directly to see if the information is legitimate.
Many cyber security companies have reported that coronavirus subject lines have become the scammers' most promising attack type. Malicious hackers are preying on users during the pandemic to instill fear and doubt. Remain vigilant and don’t let the pandemic weaken your judgment.
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Be careful answering online surveys
A Coeur d’Alene reader warns others to be careful with an email that appears to come from Costco and Dollar Tree. The email requests that the customer take a short survey and receive a free gift by paying only the shipping fees. Our reader took the survey and paid the shipping fee but never received the product.
Being suspicious that something might not be right, she checked her credit card online and found that not only was the shipping fee charged to the account, but another $47 was set to be charged as well. The customer immediately notified her bank to report the fraudulent activity so she was able to recover the money.
It turns out that the companies sending out the surveys were a third party marketing company not affiliated with either Costco or Dollar Tree. One email was clearly marked at the bottom of the text that it came from a separate company while the other one was harder to tell.
Our reader also mentioned that for online shopping purposes, she keeps a separate credit card with only a small amount of money on it. This is a great idea in case the card is ever compromised and the money is unrecoverable.
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Medicare cancer screening scam calls
A Coeur d’Alene reader reported that she had received a call supposedly from a Medicare representative. They left a message stating Medicare is screening people nationwide for lung cancer. The message went on to say that if you don’t get pre-tested and you end up with this type of cancer down the road, you will not be covered.
According to the Medicare website, here are the requirements for lung cancer screenings to be covered by Medicare Part B. Medicare insurance covers lung cancer screenings with Low Dose Computed Tomography (LDCT) once each year if you meet all of these conditions:
• You’re age 55-77.
• You don’t have signs or symptoms of lung cancer (asymptomatic).
• You’re either a current smoker or have quit smoking within the last 15 years.
• You have a tobacco smoking history of at least 30 “pack years” (an average of one pack (20 cigarettes) per day for 30 years).
• You get a written order from your doctor.
Further, if your doctor accepts the assignment for this service, you won’t pay anything. But before you schedule a lung cancer screening, you'll need to schedule a lung screening counseling visit with your doctor to discuss the risks of lung cancer and whether or not this is a test you need.
Given that a doctor is required to order the test, these calls telling you that Medicare is paying for a pre-screening test is just a way to get you to call the representative back so they can get your personal information.
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Remember: I’m on your side.
If you have encountered a consumer issue that you have questions about or think our readers should know about, please send me an email at terridickersonadvocate@gmail.com or call me at 208-274-4458. As The CDA Press Consumer Gal, I’m here to help. I’m a copywriter working with businesses on marketing strategy, a columnist, a veterans advocate and a consumer advocate living in Coeur d’Alene.