As a 20-year-old college student, I am always looking for ways to make money quickly. When I was in my third year of college, the holidays were approaching, and my part-time job could barely pay for filling up the gas tank. When I browsed the school email, I saw the subject line “Want to make $300 a week?”As a big Tea green In my mind, I thought this was a great opportunity, and clicked on the email to learn more.
This email describes how to earn an extra $300 a week by becoming a secret shopper. I clicked on the link and it took me to a website. It lets me fill in mine: email, first and last name, location, and the type of store I want to go to, such as clothes, electronics, or hardware.
Later that week, I received an email from this random address, which detailed my next steps:
- Once you receive a check for $2,000 in the mail, please deposit it Instantly.
- Go to Best Buy and ask for three $500 gift cards.
- When finished, send us the picture of the barcode on the back of the gift card.
- You will put $500 in your bag.
After receiving the check, I drove to Wells Fargo Bank and was overjoyed to see that there was so much money in my account. Then I drove to the local Best Buy, but I suddenly became very nervous. Maybe deep in my heart I know that something is suspicious, but the idea of making $300 overcame my intuition. I went to the cashier and asked for three gift cards worth $500. He looked up at me, a little shocked. How could such a small child demand such a high amount?
He looked down at the screen and said, “Of course.” He finished the whole process, and then said, “Ok, the last step. Because the number is so large, I have to ask-are you a secret shopper?”
Shocked, I thought to myself After the show, I was caught. I looked up at him and responded cautiously, because I didn’t know if I would be in trouble. “Yeah… how do you know?
“Well, I don’t want to tell you this, but we have reason to believe that you are part of the scam.”
A burst of embarrassment came to my heart. “What? How could this be a scam? My school sent me this job offer via email?”
“Well, if you have any debts, you may be a target, but now we will cancel the deal.”
“Okay, thanks,” I said as I walked away, confused and ashamed.
Two days later, the check was returned. I spent $2,000 and a refund fee of $35.
How do these scams work?
This particular scam started with my school email. Their target is college students. They usually lack money and want to earn extra money easily.Scammers send out a lot Phishing Email, and then wait to see who gets the bait.
Once you respond, you really do the work for them. By providing your address and name, they can mail you a personal check; all you have to do is deposit the fraudulent check. Even if the funds are not verified, Bank of America must legally show the funds in your account.So this is why the scammer emphasizes that you have to buy these gift cards Instantly Later, because the bank will confirm that no funds can be withdrawn. Once the scammer has obtained the barcode of the gift card, they can go to any machine that converts the gift card into cash and get the money. This is how they left with cash-and the victim only had a refunded check fee.
What have I learned?
Read your email critically. Any “opportunity” that looks too good to be true is likely to be: too good to be true. Here are some additional steps you can take to prevent yourself from being deceived.
- Beware of spelling or grammatical errors. Sometimes these crooks will translate their native language into English. Words are often misspelled or used in the wrong tense. That will always be your first sign.
- Even if you trust the platform (school email, work email, cell phone), it doesn’t always mean it can be trusted. Usually, these scammers just look for public emails, or use public information such as names and randomly input emails to see effective methods. Do not click on any links or addresses that you are not familiar with.
- Do not disclose your personal information to strangers. You will not do it yourself, so why do you want to do it on the Internet?
This is a difficult lesson. My self-esteem is more scarred than anything else. But I am very grateful to the employees of Best Buy, who did his job to prevent me and my bank account from being deceived. Unfortunately, this is not the last phishing email I received through the school platform. However, from that day on, I read my emails critically and report any similar emails. They won’t find me again!
Further reading:
4 tips to avoid being phished
6 proven steps to stay safe online when you return to school
