GREENSBORO, N.C. — Phony bills are a long-time favorite and an effective trick for scammers. Recently, Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker has gotten multiple reports of a new version of this scam, in which thieves pose as members of the Geek Squad, which is owned by Best Buy, or through PayPal.
HOW INVOICE SCAMS WORK:
- You get an invoice claiming to come from the Geek Squad.
- It may say you're being charged hundreds of dollars for an annual subscription that is about to auto-renew. The email may include a PDF version of the invoice and a number for you to call if you want to cancel the subscription.
- The number then connects you to a “customer service agent” who pretends to help you with the cancellation. They may offer you a refund or ask you to confirm your bank account information so they can cancel the subscription.
- Do not give out your personal information! If the scammers get that, they are likely to gain access to your account and can withdraw money without your consent.
- Even if you stop short of calling “customer service,” downloading any PDFs or clicking links in the email could download malware onto your computer and put you at risk of identity theft.
Fake Geek Squad invoices aren't the only version of this scam. A newer tactic hides behind the company PayPal. People have received a notice from a vendor requesting a payment via PayPal. Similar to the Geek Squad scam, the message urges you to call "customer service" if the payment was not authorized or if you wish to cancel the charge.
HOW TO AVOID INVOICE SCAMS:
- Be wary of unsolicited emails, especially if you don’t remember doing business with the company they claim to come from. Scammers often impersonate companies that are well-known and trusted by consumers.
- Know how invoices will be delivered. Ask how the company will send the invoice, that way you won’t be fooled if someone sends you a fake from another account.
- Don’t give in to scare tactics. Scammers usually come off as very urgent in order to get you to give up sensitive information quickly. If someone starts off by telling you that you're in danger of losing a large sum of money, it's probably not legit.
- Train your staff to spot a fake invoice. Share your knowledge with others! If you're part of a team of employees, make sure everyone knows how to spot fake invoices.
DISPOSE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
Invoice scams aren't the only way thieves target consumers. Sometimes, they get ahold of personal information from documents that were not properly disposed of. The BBB recommends shredding any documents with bank account information, Social Security/Social Insurance numbers, or other personal details on them. Those documents can also include credit card applications, insurance forms, financial statements, health forms, and billing statements. Experts also encourage people to cut up expired credit and debit cards, throwing them away.
COMMUNITY SHRED EVENTS
Guilford County
- Saturday, April 22, 2023
- 8 a.m. – 11 a.m.
- Whole Foods parking lot, Friendly Center, 3202 W. Friendly Avenue, Greensboro, NC
Stokes County
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