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Email Scam: Did you receive an Email claiming your annual subscription with GeekSquad is renewed
Email and Online Scams -
Have You Received a Scam Email?
Geek Squad, claiming your annual subscription with GeekSquad is renewed
Did you receive an email from Geek Squad, claiming your annual subscription with GeekSquad is renewed? Did they then instruct you to call a number in the email or something similar?
Well, don't fall for it. It is a scam, and if you call them back or follow their instructions you will lose money and possibly your identity! The people behind this are the worst kind of human scum; willing to do anything to scare, threaten, lie, cheat and steal money from anyone, including the elderly and poor. They usually operate out of Nigeria, China, Russia and even some developed western countries. Attachments typically include malware to infect your computer, tablet or phone and allow the scammer to capture your passwords.
Oddly, the phone number in the email has a Florida area code, 850-679-0699, but there is a company named Kustom Disaster Recovery & Restoration that has a toll free version og the number that is identical, (866) 679-0699, except for the area code? The scammers may have chosen the number because it similar to an established legitimate business doing PC repair. Or the number may redirect to "Kustom Disaster Recovery & Restoration". We do not know, but it sure is one heck of a HUGE coincidence that the scam and the company both are about PC services. One thing for certain: This is NOT from Best Buy and has nothing to do with their Geek Squad service. Do NOT call the nnumbers in the email. Just ignore the email.
See more about this scam here on 1-800-notes Geek Squad Scam Email.
Also see this version of the scam.
-
Report received:
From: Billing Team [mailto:robinsimth9567@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, March 1, 2021 9:18 AM
To:
Subject: Order confirmation
Dear
Thank you for using Windows Services. This email is to inform you that your annual subscription with GeekSquad is renewed. The plan was confirmed at your end.
Your order details are:
Order ID: 7659-0956-11548
Total Amount: 325.16 USD
Product name: Windows Services
Payment method : Online/card
Transaction Date: March 01st 2021.
Your Purchased:
Windows Services
$325.16
Sub-total
$325.16
Sales tax (VAT)
0.00
Total
$325.16
To upgrade/cancel your subscription, please contact our customer service desk given below. (Working Monday-Saturday, 8AM - 8PM EST)
+1 850 679 0699Sincerely
Joshua Kaiser
IMPORTANT: Please do not reply to this message or mail address. For any issues, please reach our Customer Contact Centre
©GeekSquad Ltd. All Rights Reserved
Another example:
From:
Subject Line: $ 299.99 against your account. !!
Dear Customer,
Thank you for choosing Geek squad, we are reaching out to remind you that your Geek squad Annual Maintenance Service is expiring on November 02, 2020.
We would thank you for the completion of the 12-month maintenance plan.
We will auto-renew your plan and charge $ 299.99 against your account.
We understand that you are busy hence could not get through to you when we tried to contact you.
Geek squad
Grand Total: $ 299.99
Order ID: URTSY69780A
Customer ID: TX147AERT3AIf you have any query or you would like to cancel this subscription, please contact our Customer Service at +1 (844) 250-9802.
© 2020 US Geek squad
Customer Service
+1 (844) 250-9802
Another version
Dear Customer,
Thank you for choosing Geek squad, we are reaching out to remind you that your Geek squad Annual Maintenance Service is expiring on November 04, 2020.
We would thank you for the completion of the 12-month maintenance plan.
We will auto-renew your plan and charge $ 299.99 against your account.
We understand that you are busy hence could not get through to you when we tried to contact you.
Geek squad
Grand Total: $ 299.99
Order ID: URTSY69780A
Customer ID: TX147AERT3A
If you have any query or you would like to cancel this subscription, please contact our Customer Service at +1 (844) 278-3900.
© 2020 US Geek squad
Customer Service
+1 (844) 278-3900
Geek squad
Information About Geek Squad, claiming "your annual subscription with GeekSquad is renewed"
There are several websites that focus on reports of scam Emails.
The links below go to pages on these other websites were you can read reports about the scams associated with this phone number (Geek Squad, claiming "your annual subscription with GeekSquad is renewed"):
- Microsoft Safety and Security Center
- Microsoft Community - Windows Support Scam - I was called by someone who said they were windows support and my computer was sending them warnings and messages!
- ARS Technica
It is a scam
Don't fall for it. It is a scam. You csn report it to Best Buy here: abuse@bestbuy.com
What to do
Just ignore it and delete the email. Do not click on anything in the email.
Apple offers the following advice:
If you get a suspicious Email:
Scammers spoof phone numbers and use flattery and threats to pressure you into giving them information, money, and even iTunes gift cards. Always verify the caller's identity before you provide any personal information. If you get an unsolicited call from someone claiming to be from Apple, hang up and contact us directly.
Tech support scams are an industry-wide issue where scammers use scare tactics to trick you into paying for unnecessary technical support services that supposedly fix contrived device, platform, or software problems.
Scammers may call you directly on your phone and pretend to be representatives of a software company. They might even spoof the caller ID so that it displays a legitimate support phone number from a trusted company. They can then ask you to install applications that give them remote access to your device. Using remote access, these experienced scammers can misrepresent normal system output as signs of problems.
Cybercriminals don't just send fraudulent email messages and set up fake websites. They might also call you on the telephone and claim to be from Microsoft. They might offer to help solve your computer problems or sell you a software license. Once they have access to your computer, they can do the following:
Trick you into installing malicious software that could capture sensitive data, such as online banking user names and passwords. They might also then charge you to remove this software.
See these pages for guidance as applicable to your specific situation:
- If you are certain you don't owe a debt: What to do about harassing Emails
- If you may owe a debt: Debt collection Emails - what they may do, what the may not do and how to stop them
- If you are being harassed by the collector: file a compliant against a debt collector with the FTC - Use this form to submit a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Bureau of Consumer Protection about a particular company or organization..
- How to stop telemarketers
Protect Yourself:
The following documents and websites can help you learn more about phishing and how to protect yourself against phishing attacks.
- Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks
- Protecting Your Privacy
- Understanding Web Site Certificates
- Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG)
- Federal Trade Commission, Identity Theft
- Recognizing and Avoiding Email Scams
Methods of Reporting Phishing Email to the US Government
- In Outlook Express, you can create a new message and drag and drop the phishing email into the new message. Address the message to phishing-report@us-cert.gov and send it.
- In Outlook Express you can also open the email message* and select File > Properties > Details. The email headers will appear. You can copy these as you normally copy text and include it in a new message tophishing-report@us-cert.gov .
- If you cannot forward the email message, at a minimum, please send the URL of the phishing website.
* If the suspicious mail in question includes a file attachment, it is safer to simply highlight the message and forward it. Some configurations, especially in Windows environments, may allow the execution of arbitrary code upon opening and viewing a malicious email message.
For More Information About Phishing, See:
- Click Here for a copy of NCL's Phishing Brochure. Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader'.
-
How Not to Get Hooked by a 'Phishing' Scam
[PDF version]
Offers tips on how to avoid falling victim to a new type of spam scam in which consumers are deceived into handing over personal financial information. -
Is Someone "Phishing" for Your Information? [PDF version]
Cautions consumers about emails that claim to be from government agencies in an attempt to steal personal information. - Digital PhishNet Web site.
- Phish Report Network - a cooperative effort by several companies providing an information clearinghouse that will be run by WholeSecurity, a provider of client-side security solutions.
- Internet Crime Prevention & Control Institute, a cooperative effort between Zero Spam Network Corp. and the University of Miami. Staffed by Miami undergraduate and graduate students and Zero Spam employees, works closely with the Secret Service's Electronic Crimes Task Force and ISPs in the United States and abroad to identify and block traffic to machines hosting phishing sites.
There are several websites that focus on reports of scam Emails.
The links below go to pages on these other websites were you can read reports about the scams associated with this phone number (855-687-1444, claiming This is Microsoft. This call is to inform you that your Microsoft license key has expired):
- Microsoft Safety and Security Center
- Microsoft Community - Windows Support Scam - I was called by someone who said they were windows support and my computer was sending them warnings and messages!
- ARS Technica
Related Scams
There are a number of common telephone scams, such as:
and some new and as yet, uncommon scams.
For a comprehensive list of national and international agencies to report scams, see this page.