A new phishing scam is cleverly tricking subscribers to Verizon wireless phone service into giving out their personal data and information in exchange for a promised "bonus reward" payment of $54.
It seems like every day a new scam turns up on the Internet trying to trick users out of their precious funds. Most users are alert to phishing emails which turn up in their inbox claiming to be from a company they do business with but turn out to be imposters pretending to be the bank, or utility company. Often the scammers use the same official print and logos as the company they are copying, and direct the recipient to a link to an official-sounding website address using the target company's name and email.
Now, a new group of scammers has developed a variation on this trick by using the telephone. In a message left on user's voice mail, the user is instructed to visit a website that is pretending to be Verizon Wireless. The callers inform the target that they have received a special bonus of $54 which they need to verify, and instruct the recipient to visit the website to claim their prize.
The sophisticated scam actually shows up on caller id as "technical support," making it appear official. More deviously, the phone number which appears, (800) 922-0204, is an actual Verizon customer service phone number which may even show up as one of the subscriber's current contacts. When the user visits the fake website, they are asked to login with their Verizon credentials to claim their bonus, upon which the scammers now have information which they can use to do even more damage by logging in and stealing more confidential information from the user's account.
Fortunately, Google is aware of this scam and has flagged the website as a phishing site, warning users not to enter it. In addition, websites such as Mr. Number that rely on users to post their experiences and track and warn each other of fake or spam calls have been documenting the scam to warn potential victims. If you receive a call from this number, or any number, promising you a similar "bonus reward" for logging into a website, beware!
