April 15, need to download Turbotax 2024. Ah, there’s the site. Click! $99.99? But I already subscribed. Never mind. Click! Download link. Oops! It’s from www.softwarediscountusa.net. I call Chase. They say, call the merchant’s number next to the charge on the statement. Message on that phone number: for help go the website…but the website is gone!
A few days later, on my cell, I click a QR code to register for a free public meeting at a church down the street. Hard to see the links on the tiny screen. Huh? there’s a charge of $39.95? Never mind. Click! Oh no! I just signed up for an online streaming service. Chase says, “If you didn’t make this purchase, we’ll cancel your card and you’ll receive a new one in the mail in 8 to 10 business days.” Yikes! I have over a dozen subscriptions on the card, a nightmare to switch. Embarrassed, I tell Chase that was me.
Next day there’s a text on my cell: “(Fraud) Alert: Your Chase ATM/Debit card has been suspended. Please call 1-814-201-6859 to verify.” In a panic, I call the number from my landline. The reassuring bank voice says, “Before we can connect you to a representative, please state your full name and address.” I do. Then it says, “Please state the full number on your card.” I do, but a niggling doubt intrudes: usually banks only ask for the last 4 digits. Then it says: “Please enter your full Social Security number!” OMG! I slam down the receiver and call the number on the back of my Chase credit card. Yes, credit card. I don’t even have a Chase ATM/Debit card!
I’ve been kicking myself ever since. How could I have missed the signs that these were scams? I broke all the rules: “Stop if something looks wrong. Don’t go to strange sites or call unknown numbers. Above all, if you’re feeling impatient or panicked, Stop and think before you act.” I knew all that, yet I fell into a kind of trance and kept going. How can I ever trust myself not to get tricked again?
There’s a new message on my cell: “Final Notice: Your toll fee payment is overdue. Please settle the payment by April 26, 2025, or you may face vehicle registration suspension and penalties. Resolve the outstanding payment promptly to avoid additional fees and credit impact. https://lihi.ccc/AnPree?Vdl=Wx6Fy5 Thank you for your immediate attention.” Whew! I don’t own a car.
Don’t miss this NYT story about how online teenage gangs scam the unwary: They Stole a Quarter-Billion in Crypto and Got Caught Within a Month. Meanwhile, the Trump Administration has dismantled fraud-tracking agencies.
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