Beware the Account Suspended Scam
Have you gotten any posts saying your account is suspended or locked for some reason? It could be for suspicious activity; it could be because it is overdrawn. The goal is to get you to click a link, download a file, or call a number for more information to fix the problem which is affecting your bank, payment platform like PayPal, credit card, or retail account. But it’s a scam, so don’t do it. Instead, delete the post or send it to your scam folder and then delete it.
If you do follow through, the result could be gaining your personal identity information for future scams, putting a trojan or other malware on your computer to gain access to it, subjecting you to a ransomware attack, or getting you to send money to someone to restore your account, though it’s actually fine. The scam can take various forms, but whenever it occurs, don’t fall for it.
A good way to check is to look at the email the notice has come from, since it often is a personal email or email that is not from the company that has your real account. Or the email may appear to come from that company, but there is a slight change in its name, such as an extra letter. And even if the message does appear to be the real deal, the scammers have become expert at phishing, so a seemingly real email might come from another source.
Thus, if you aren’t sure if an “account suspended” email is real or not, check your account online or call the company. For example, after I got a message my PayPal account was suspended, that’s exactly what I did. I went to my account online, signed in as usual, and the money in the account was all there.
In short, be suspicious of any account suspended emails you get. Don’t respond or do further checking with whatever company has your account if you aren’t sure.
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The author is internationally published author and film producer, Gini Graham Scott, PhD, who has published over 200 books, 50 for traditional publishers and 150 for her own company Changemakers Publishing, specializing in books on self-help, popular business, and social issues. She is the author of The Big Con: Scams Targeting Writers, the Victims, and How to Avoid Becoming a Victim, and she is working on a new book on different types of scams: I Was Scammed. Other recent books include: What Type of Dog Are You? and The New American Middle Ages, published by Waterside Productions. She has written and executive produced 14 feature films and documentaries, featured on the www.changemakersproductionsfilms.com website. She also writes books and scripts for clients. Her website for writing is at www.changemakerspublishingandwriting.com.
For more information or to set up an interview, contact:
Karen Andrews
Executive Assistant to Gini Graham Scott
Changemakers Publishing and Writing
Lafayette, CA 94549 . (925) 385–0608