ěDear AOL member/Bank of America customer, it has come to our attention that your billing and address information records are out of date. … Please verify your billing and address information.î
Some scammers use email to ěphishî the Internet, hoping people will take the bait and hand over their credit card information, logins and passwords for various online accounts, the Better Business Bureau warns.
One scam sent to AOL customers looked very official, but it was fake. It asked users to verify their accounts and requested name, address, phone number, motherís maiden name, Social Security number, credit card information and more. And it looked authentic, complete with AOL icons, one of them saying, ěConnection to Secure AOL Server.î
ěIf you do get something, call the bank (or company) and ask,î Salisbury Police Detective Brent Hall said. ěI wouldnít give anything over the phone or over the Internet.î
Another email scam appears to be from a friend or acquaintance and goes something like this: ěHelp me! Iím traveling abroad and was robbed, and I need money to get back to the states. I only have 24 hours to make it happen.î
This scam is an attempt to get someone to wire money across the world, and authorities say these scams are difficult to solve because they cross international borders.
ěPeople hijack email accounts, say theyíre in trouble and need someone to send money,î Rowan County Sheriffís Lt. Chad Moose said. ěThatís not legit. Weíve actually had some of those.î