Fear and Urgency - two key tactics

Good morning!  I actually had a different tip ready to send, but in the middle of the night I felt the need to change it based on a conversation I had with a friend late yesterday afternoon.  She was calling for "a friend."  The conversation went something like this:

Friend:  Jeline, I need some advice.  My friend received an email telling her a TV had been purchased on her Amazon account and that she needed to contact Amazon immediately.  

Me:  Did she do that?

Friend:  Yes, she called the number and they told that her data had been exposed and over 1600 people now had access to her personal information.  They told her if she would go buy two $500 gift cards and call back with the redemption information that Amazon would reimburse her.  And, then her data would be secured and the purchase would be removed from her account.  :-/

Me:  Did she do that?

Friend:  No, fortunately she called me after she had been contacted by them several times.  They keep calling but I told her to stop answering her phone.  And to delete the email.  I asked her if she went directly to her Amazon account and logged in to verify a purchase had been made.  Then, she told me she doesn't even have an Amazon account!!  :-/

I hope those of you who subscribe to this email will never be in a situation like this, but because these types of scams continue in different shapes or forms, I felt the need to caution you again because scams target ALL of us and even people who are well-educated succumb primarily because of two emotions:

1) Fear ("if you don't do this, something bad will happen" OR "there's been a large purchase on your account")

2) Sense of urgency  ("you have to do this immediately if you don't want data exposed" OR "call us immediately so this charge can be removed from your account")

So, let me remind you:  If you receive an unusual email or message in one of your accounts that plays on your fear or expresses a sense of urgency:
DO NOT RESPOND. 
Do not click on any links.
Do not call the phone number in the message. 
Do not buy requested gift cards.
Delete the message. 
And, if you just "really want to make sure"  go directly to your account in question, log in, and check recent activity. .

Feel free to share today's email with friends you think may benefit from a friendly reminder.  Scammers are omnipresent, and we all need to be reminded of this periodically.

Have a terrific Tech Tip Tuesday!  I'm headed outside shortly; the promise of stronger winds this afternoon is prompting me to get my walk done sooner than later.