Thursday, October 12, 2017

I SPAT OUT THE PHISHING BAIT

To read the first part of this story, please go to I WAS PHISHED AND I NIBBLED ON THE BAIT.

To read the second part, please go to WHEN I NIBBLED THE BAIT, IT DIDN'T TASTE THAT GREAT.


To read the third part, please go to I CHOKED ON THE BAIT WHEN I WAS PHISHED.

All right, Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

Let's finish this damn story no matter how long it takes. I'm sick of it.

Here's how I figured out that I absolutely, positively was being phished. I went to the Sas Web site and took a look at their employment information. It said that recruiting emails and job information would only come from sas.com verified email addresses.

William George, Jessica Julious, and Dexter whatever his last name was all had gmail addresses.

I informed Willy Dunne Wooters, who said if I had set up the Google Hangouts interview with Dexter, that is when he would have asked for my birthday and Social Security number under the guise of performing a background check so they could give me this great job. Fortunately, when the bait didn't taste right, I didn't swallow it.

It occurred to me that this experience was a lot like the fake news stories that are online (and I'm talking about actual fake news and not the real news that the doofus in the White House claims is fake because it tells the truth about him). The stories might seem interesting, but if you read them, any sensible person can tell that the "news" isn't real. The source isn't respectable and known. The stories are often badly written. The whole thing doesn't make sense.

Sas also had an email address in the employment section of their Web site, so I sent them the fake emails. I received a very nice note in return from an HR person––with an sas.com email address–– who confirmed that it was a scam. She also said she'd forward the emails to their legal department to keep them informed because they try to prevent Sas's name from being used in this way.

A couple of days later I received a recruiting email from a business that's not too far from my home. I know it exists. I know where it is.

But I didn't apply for the position until after I called them, asked for HR, and spoke to someone who confirmed that the job was real and they were recruiting me. It hasn't led to an interview––yet. Maybe it will. I try not to lose hope.

In other news, I'm returning to The Battle of the Bands on a once-a-month basis. Each month on the 15th, I'll present two versions of the same song. You can vote in your comments for the one that you prefer. I'll announce the winner on the 21st.

The 15th of October is this coming Sunday, so be there (here) or be square.

I've already chosen the song for my return. It's hauntingly beautiful and its composer played an unusual and rather interesting part in history. Yes, Silver Fox, you know what it is, but don't reveal the title, please.

See you all soon. Thanks for sticking with me throughout this story. Maybe it will help you avoid being phished.


Infinities of love,

Janie Junebug





42 comments:

  1. Thanks for reminding me about BotB...

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  2. I hope a great job works out for you soon!

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  3. I am glad you didn't take the bait and hope that a real job falls into your lap soon.
    On this side of the world I am being treated to scam emails (up to four a day) suggesting that I have incurred a traffic infringement which needs to be paid quickly. I don't drive which is probably just as well because on their evidence I would be a danger. I hope I have discouraged them by replying yesterday that I was forwarding their email to the police. So far today no more demands.

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    1. I once received a letter in the mail from a collection agency that claimed I owed money to the city of Orlando, Florida, for a parking violation. I wrote a letter to them and used a lot of big words to say I hadn't been in Orlando and demanded that they prove I had been there. Never heard from them again. I was surprised to see a scam like that come in the "real" mail instead of email.

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  4. I'm glad you listened to that little voice in your head and slammed the virtual door shut on those scammers AND that you informed the real company. Something good and real will come along if you keep looking. As a bit of good luck never hurts the process - good luck!

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  5. Happy ending! I hope you hear back from the real place now. :)

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    1. That would be nice. It's a place I think I would like.

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  6. Hi Janie - I sure hope you find some work soon ... take care and am glad you weren't scammed ... cheers Hilary

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    1. I still have my editing jobs. It's healthcare benefits that worry me as Trump works toward ruining the Affordable Care Act, which he claims will improve healthcare in the U.S. I don't know how taking healthcare away improves it.

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  7. I'm glad you're the phish that got away!

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  8. "She also said she'd forward the emails to their legal department to keep them informed because they try to prevent Sas's name from being used in this way." GOOD! I hope they can nail the bastards. People use the 'net for insidious purposes. I recall a few years ago, when I constantly saw ads -- I don't recall what for -- that were supposedly endorsed by "Rachel Ray." The idiots didn't even check to find out that her name is Rachael Ray!

    So, a song with a composer who "played an unusual and rather interesting part in history?" I'm already guessing. Can't wait to see if I'm right!

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    1. You guessed it a long time ago. It was the next song I was going to use before I needed to take a break from BOTB.

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    2. I did? Hm. You're not the only one who forgets things!

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    3. Well, it's been a long time since you figured it out. If trying to remember drives you crazy, let me know. I'll come up with a hint or even whisper the answer in your (virtual) ear.

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    4. That's okay, I'll keep trying to remember! But thanks.

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  9. Actually, nothing changes. I was 18 and waiting for the Greyhound to take me back to college. Two old ladies struck up a conversation aimed at parting me from some money. When I boarded my bus, with all my money, they went off to find another softie.

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    Replies
    1. Grifters used to be forced to make a more direct approach. they couldn't hide behind the internet.

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  10. I'm glad it turned out okay with you. But being the grammar queen, I can't imagine it would be easy to fool you.

    Sadly, there's a lot of this going around and many people are being tricked - and robbed!

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    1. I came close to being tricked. When I received the first email, I thought it might be real. They had to use bad grammar for me to accept that it was too good to be true.

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  11. You did more than your civic duty by A. Alerting the businesses used and B. posting about it here. I have had so many Fake (nay, F****** FAKE) phishing Emails that I can barely do more than send them to the trash and try the third "F" = Forget about it.

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    1. A lot of scams are obvious. I still get the crap about the person who wants me to help him with his large amount of money and in exchange, he'll share with me. Or I've won the lottery, although I never buy a ticket. This one was more tempting for me because they named the job site that I've used. Oh, if only such a job existed.

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  12. Quite the saga, but I'm really glad it had a happy ending. I hope there's a special place in hell for people who try to "make a living" by scamming other people. I've gotten some doozies, too. One "almost" sucked me in last week regarding a geneology site, but two things clued me in... the email called me by my first and middle names, and referred to my brother as my half brother. (Technically, he is, but we have NEVER defined ourselves in those terms.) A quick google search revealed the site as yet another phishing scam. If my brother weren't so "big" on researching our family tree, I wouldn't have even been tempted. It's scary what those scammers know about us.

    Have a super weekend.

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    1. I remember when I used to have my driver's license number printed on my checks. Long, long ago, cashiers could ask for a credit card and put the number on a check before they'd accept it. We don't do that now, but the scammers know even more about us--especially with companies like Equifax being hacked.

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  13. It was phortunate that you weren't phooled (God phorbid) by their phlattery. You kept your phocus & proved to be a phormidable opponent to those philthy phishers!!

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  14. I am glad I came and read the end of the damn story

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  15. They tried messing with the wrong Junebug!Best of luck with the real deal!

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  16. I'm glad you were so cautious and really checked everything before doing something you might regret later. Not many people do that. I hope something great comes your way soon enough :)

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  17. Glad you caught on to the scam before any permanent damage was done. The world is so disappointing sometimes.

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    1. At least I was only disappointed for about ten minutes.

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  18. What a shame on your end, but good that you were able to forward the fake emails to someone who will hopefully do something about it. And good luck on the inquiry from the other company! Here's hoping for an interview.

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    1. I haven't heard anything from them yet, but I know they're still accepting applications.

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  19. I just don't get how people can prey on others like that. It is so wrong.

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  20. I hope you will find a really great job without any further problems.

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  21. I think I prefer the old days of going into a place to fill out an application and then going in for an interview if they were interested. I didn't get many jobs that way though. Most of my jobs in life were gotten through connections that I'd made.

    The internet can be so useful, but it can be also massively deceitful.

    I'll be back for your BOTB post.

    Lee
    Tossing It Out

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  22. I am sorry someone tried to get you info. Some people out there are just bad to the core!

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  23. I finally got through your fishing tail. Phishing tale. Whatever. Any news on the real job?

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Got your panties in a bunch? Dig 'em out, get comfortable, and let's chat.