[Lex Computer & Tech Group/LCTG] Scammers are so creative

Mon Oct 17 12:05:06 PDT 2022

Stan,

While I'm not certain how this occurred on your TV, you might want to 
consider taking one additional step to further protect yourself, and 
your home.

Privatize your location, IP address, etc., with a VPN. Yes, you can and 
should run one on your smart TV. (Not all of them are supported.)

Personally, I use https://Nordvpn.com.

For a few $/month, you can run it on most of your Internet connected 
devices. Five or six, depending on who you choose.

I have NordVPN software running on my Sony TV, Firestick, computer, 
tablet, and cell phone. All are Android devices.

They support Apple, Windows, Android, Linux, routers, etc...

I also have a Sony Smart TV. It runs Android OS. This is good, in the 
sense you can install software from the Google Play Store.

Drew.

On 10/17/2022 12:05 PM, Stan Rose wrote:
> I am usually extremely careful in recognizing and avoiding scams but 
> was caught by one last month, and not by an email, text message or web 
> pop up.
>
> We were about to watch a movie on Amazon Prime via the Prime Video app 
> on our Sony Smart TV. When we started the app, a very real looking 
> message came up on the TV that we needed to renew our Prime 
> subscription. It gave an 800 number to call to expedite renewal. When 
> I called that number, the person offered a 2 year discount for $190 
> instead of the usual $119 per year.
>
> After giving him the card info, the TV went through the normal process 
> of asking me to enter it's displayed code into my phone's prime video 
> app. That all looked normal.
>
> After that, I checked if my Prime subscription was extended the 
> promised 2 years and saw it wasn't. It was only then that I rememberd 
> I had renewed my subscription in April so it had not expired. I called 
> Chase and they reversed the charge and have subsequently been told 
> they made the refund permanent.
>
> I guess I was sucked in by believing this couldn't happen on the TV 
> but now I know it can. I don't know how they did it, but they did. I 
> thought I had done everything to protect my network, such as changing 
> the WiFi SSID and password and even changing the normal 192.168.1.1 
> address to something else. I've changed the password on all Iot devices.
>
> Anyone know how they pulled that off?
>
> Stan
>
> On Mon, Oct 17, 2022 at 12:51 AM Robert Primak <bobprimak at yahoo.com> 
> wrote:
>
>     There are also scams very similar to this one revolving around
>     hurricane relief from Ian. There was one billionnaire who did
>     pledge direct relief to homeowners affected by Ian, but I think
>     that was Elon Musk, andf it was not in the form of free Internet,
>     though he also is offering that for a few areas of SW FL.
>
>     You have to be very careful about everything these days. None of
>     these charitable foundatiuons will use email as their first method
>     of contact, out of the blue. Nor a phone call, especially to a
>     cell phone.  If it looks too good to be ture, check with the
>     original source. Use an independent direct link or contact method.
>     And don't be in a rush -- there is never so much time pressure
>     that you can't use some well-known method to verify an offer. Or a
>     threat.
>
>     That said, I have had to deal with a couple of truly insider scams
>     in recent years. Some of these problems originated with actual
>     fraudulent accounts opened with my personal information, probably
>     obtained through data leaks from places I should have been able to
>     trust, like in one instance, a medical billing service. Yeah sure,
>     they apologized, paid and offered credit monitoring -- but the
>     damages were already done.
>
>     Be safe out there!
>
>     -- Bob Primak
>
>
>
>     On Sunday, October 16, 2022 at 10:09:14 PM EDT,
>     <carllazarus at comcast.net> wrote:
>
>
>     Here is a new scam.  I received an email that says I am
>     pre-qualified for the Scott Mackenzie Foundation relief fund, and
>     there is an email address I am to contact for more details.  I
>     think they meant Mackenzie Scott, ex-wife of Jeff Bezos, but you
>     can’t get everything right.  Her foundation is giving grants to
>     many causes, but I doubt they are getting ready to give me money.
>
>     -- Carl
>
>     Carl Lazarus
>
>     H: 617-964-7241
>
>     carllazarus at comcast.net
>
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> -- 
> Stan Rose
>
> stan_rose at alum.mit.edu
>
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-- 
Drew King

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