Woman Feels ‘Violated’ After Losing $35,000 in Elaborate Phishing Scam; How to Stay Safe

Phishing or spoofing scams have become a menace with Slash Next reporting a 1,265% increase in malicious phishing messages since 2022. In the scam, fraudsters pose as state authorities, customer executives, company executives, and more to fool people with legitimate-looking emails or messages. They often steal sensitive information or in the case of Connie Seddon, steal money. In a 13News report, a victim of a McAfee phishing scam, Seddon shared how these scams fool people with elaborate schemes.

Here's how Seddon lost $35,000 to scammers

Seddon received an email that looked like it was from McAfee computer virus protection. “I’m not a technological person but it looked all right,” she told 13News. The email said she would be billed for an upgrade and instructed users to call a number in the next 24 hours if they wish to opt out of the update. Seddon, who didn’t want the upgrade, called the phone number and she was convinced to send $20, which she was supposed to get back. However, the scammers returned saying they had just put $20,000 into her account accidentally and they needed to get the money back.

The scammers then convinced Seddon to give them access to her computer. To refund the money, Seddon withdrew cash from her bank account and sent it to the scammers through a Bitcoin machine at a gas station. Furthermore, the scammers accessed Seddon’s home equity loan account and her checking account to steal more money. By the end of it, Seddon had lost a total of $35,000 to scammers.

Seddon said the false sense of urgency engineered by the scammers by continuously calling and disconnecting, set her off. “I feel violated," Seddon said while sharing her story.  “They’re like psychologists. They know what works and what doesn’t work. They play on someone’s fears, they read people,” Brian Watson, community outreach specialist for R.O.S.E. told 13News.

How to spot phishing scams and avoid them

It is advised to not share critical information such as passwords, social security numbers, or access to devices. Legitimate companies will not ask for such information.

Avoid clicking on links shared in unsolicited emails or text messages. Always look up the company’s phone number provided in the emails or messages, before calling.

Examine the email address, URL, and spelling used in any correspondence. Phishing scams have slightly different addresses and emails to trick victims. McAfee, the company has listed all the legitimate email addresses on their website to help customers spot phishing emails. Customers can also reach out to the legitimate customer service of companies to verify the email addresses before engaging with them.

Citizens are also recommended to set up two-factor (or multi-factor) authentication on all accounts that allow it to prevent transactions from happening behind their backs.

Where to report phishing scams?

In case users encounter a phishing email, they are advised to forward it to the Anti-Phishing Working Group at reportphishing@apwg.org. and phishing text messages can be forwarded to SPAM (7726). Furthermore, cases of phishing scams or such attempts can be reported to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Victims can also file a complaint with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).