Yesterday I wrote: “ I’ve just had a phone call that tells me I’ve won something – unfortunately having entered so many free competitions, and the call was on a very bad line, I couldn’t understand what I have won. I asked if they could send me an email… let’s hope I can understand that! I’ll keep you posted!”
And Michelle commented “Do be cautious about phone calls telling you about winning something. After dealing with my dad falling victim to a phishing scam, I am more wary than ever”
Well…the promised email to my “competition email address” (I have one address specifically for entering competitions) never materialised – which makes me think they didn’t have it.
Then – way-hay, lucky me!! – I got another phone call in the evening, telling me I’d won something else …2,000€ worth of something. What a coincidence! Again, I didn’t quite understand what the woman said, so I used the same tack.
“Can you send me an email confirming it, please?” I asked. “You have my email address?”
” fat.dormouse@hotmail.com?” she asked.
“No,” I said. “That’s not my email. I think you are mistaken. It’s not me.”
“Well, give me the correct email address, please”
ALARM BELLS!!! ALARM BELLS!!!
“Sorry, no, you must want somebody else. Goodbye.”
Obviously the you’ve-won-a-competition phishing scam has reached our area. I’ll simply ask them to confirm my email address before agreeing to anything else – and my “competition email address” is not a very common one, so it’s unlikely they’ll guess it. I am usually careful about giving out information anyway, but thanks to Michelle I was just a little more alert than I might have been usually.
Oh, wait…no, I didn’t…
Well avoided! I no longer answer the phone unless I know the caller (or am expecting a call). There have been so many scams going round our area lately.
The online/phone crooks just make me FURIOUS! So glad you side-stepped them; glad if I could help a little.
Well done you!
Yikes! I never thougt of that. Glad you sussed it out. 🙂