Before You Click: The Scams Are Hiding In Familiar Places

Something happened this week that showed me how clever online scams have gotten, and how easily any of us could fall for one. My husband, Jim, sent me things he found online and thought were important. Later, I tried to look at one of the messages. Right away, my Norton security software blocked what I tried to open. That got my attention. I checked Jim’s computer and ran a full security scan. Norton had already caught two malware files and quarantined them. When I told Jim what I found, his answer surprised me.

“But I got it off YouTube.”

That’s something we should talk about. YouTube, Facebook, Amazon, and Google are all legitimate websites. But just because we use a trusted platform doesn’t mean everything posted there, or every link, is safe. A video might have a link to another site. A comment could hide a dangerous link. Ads can pretend to be real companies. Accounts can get hacked. Someone can even make a page that looks just like one from a company we trust.

Scammers want to get a reaction from us.

Sometimes they use fear: “Your bank account has been compromised.”
Sometimes they use urgency: “Your package cannot be delivered.”
Sometimes they use curiosity: “You won’t believe what has just been discovered.”
Sometimes they use authority: “This is the IRS.”
Sometimes, they use something we want to hear because it matches what we already believe.

That last trick is especially important. We often let our guard down when something confirms what we already think. Scammers know this very well.

Then, the very next morning, I received another example. This one looked like it was about an Amazon purchase. The message said something I bought was no longer safe and offered a refund if I clicked the link. I didn’t click it. Instead, I logged into my Amazon account and checked my recent orders. There were only two, and neither matched the order number in the message.

The Federal Trade Commission has warned people about this kind of Amazon impersonation scam. Messages might say an item failed inspection, was recalled, or is unsafe, then offer a refund if you click a link. The refund isn’t the objective. The objective is to get us to click.

These tricks go by several names.

Phishing means fake messages that try to get your passwords or personal information.
Smishing is phishing by text message.
Impersonation scams are when criminals pretend to be companies, banks, or government agencies.
Malware is harmful software that can steal information, spy on you, or damage your computer.

Technology changes, but the main strategy stays the same: get us to react before we think.

I probably see these things differently because I worked in a school district’s technology department for many years. I learned to take computer security seriously. I was even personally hacked once, and that experience stuck with me. I use long, complex passwords. I don’t reuse passwords for different accounts, and I turn on two-step verification whenever I can. I know that might sound like a lot to some people. I don’t think it is anymore.

A password that’s easy for us to remember is often easy for a hacker to guess. Reusing the same password is even riskier, because if criminals get it from one account, they can try it on other sites too.

We don’t need to fear technology. We don’t have to stop using YouTube, Facebook, email, texts, or online shopping.

We need to add one more habit:

Stop before you click.

If Amazon supposedly contacts you about an order, don’t follow the link in the message. Open the Amazon app yourself.
If your bank supposedly detects suspicious activity, don’t call the telephone number in the message. Use the number printed on your bank card or go directly to the bank’s official website.
If you receive an unexpected package notification, check your actual orders or tracking information independently.
If someone says you must act immediately, become more cautious, not less.
If you see something on YouTube or another familiar site, remember that the platform you found it on and the website a link takes you to can be completely different.

Perhaps the simplest rule is this:

Don’t let the message decide where you go. Go to the trusted source on your own.

Scammers are getting better at their tricks. Artificial intelligence can make fake messages look more real, impersonations more convincing, and old warning signs like bad spelling less reliable.

But we still can have a very effective defense.

We can slow down.
We can check.
We can ask questions.
We can make sure our virus protection software is up to date.
We can make sure we have individual and strong passwords for each site.
We can turn on two-factor authentication
We can turn on device encryption in your system settings.
We can remind each other that there’s nothing foolish about being careful with an unexpected message.

If sharing what happened in our house keeps even one person from clicking the wrong link, giving away a password, or losing money to a scammer, then I’m glad I shared this story.

Thank you for reading this blog post. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them in the Comments section below.

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