Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines. ~Robert Schuller
I received an email from Trevor. Trevor didn’t have a last name, and I know several people named Trevor, so I opened it. This is what I saw:
So, I’m thinking, This isn’t Good! And I replied: Comp-U-Talk only processes credit cards in person, never over the phone. Contact your credit card company to dispute the charges. This is what came back to me:
See any problems here?
This is called a Phishing Scheme. I’m hyper aware of phishing schemes, but this one almost got me. Please learn from my experiences, so you don’t have to learn from the bad guys. I didn’t open the link in the second email. I’m fairly certain that had I done so, I would be restoring my computers from backup. Fortunately, I have backups. Do you have backups? Just asking. I know a really wonderful organization that can assist with backups, just in case you need them. Call me!!
Here are the warning signs:
I wasn’t expecting an email from Trevor. Trevor didn’t have a last name. The crook was hoping I knew someone named Trevor.
Once I was in the email, the sending email was from an account I did not recognize (helpdesk at angelikasnow.com).
The second email was from an address that did not match the first email (trevor.f at retailanbbrandexperience.com).
The link was to a zip file. Zip files can contain malicious code. Not all email filters and virus scanners will scan inside a zip file. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER open a file you aren’t expecting. Malicious code can also be hidden in other files. PDF, Word and Excel files are favorite vehicles for spreading grief.
Out of curiosity, I went to godaddy.com, scrolled to the bottom of the page and clicked on the WHOIS link. This link will tell you who owns a domain (if they haven’t purchased privacy) and how long it has been in existence. The angelikasnow.com was created in 2015, but the retailanbbrandexperieince.com (did you catch the misspelling of that domain?) was created on 7-23-19. It was just a day old! And webfax.org? It was created 7-20-19 and registered in Panama.
Webfax.org sounds legit, and closely resembles real services like HelloFax, MyFax and Fax.Plus, but sadly, it is up to no good.
I’ve got to hand it to the perpetrator. He/She did good. The English is good, the WebFax has a little ® sign, and claims to be the worlds #1 Online Service. It looks good. What you need to remember is: Looks can be deceiving! Please, Think Before You Click!!
That’s it for this month. Until Next Month, remember to Keep Your Data Safe!
So, I’m thinking, This isn’t Good! And I replied: Comp-U-Talk only processes credit cards in person, never over the phone. Contact your credit card company to dispute the charges. This is what came back to me: 
