Weird Email from Amazon

dowie · 12 Apr 2014 at 12:14

Craig1981 said:
Hmmm. Not really. It does have some Amazon stuff in it, but theres a bit at the start that looks a bit iffy.

Thin thing is phishing scams are designed like that - I've had a couple in the past week from 'google accounts' telling me they've stopped a suspicious login into my account (printing some IP & address in Florida in the mail) and I should click here to change my password etc... Of course I don't click the link and the only IPs that have actually accessed my account are mine.

Craig1981 said:
Aye. I'm gonna email Amazon from the main page just to double check, but I suspected it was garbage. Just thought I'd get a second opinion.

I don't think there is anything to double check - you already know you don't have a seller account... It might be worth reporting to them though - if a few people have had them then they should be made aware.

Slobbo · 12 Apr 2014 at 12:18

Craig1981 said:
I did say I was reasonably certain I was being hoaxed

Craig1981 said:
I just got this email from Amazon this morning:

ExRayTed · 12 Apr 2014 at 12:19

This isn't a weird email from Amazon. It's a clear phishing attempt. The fact that you've had to post a question on here about it suggests you are susceptible to other scams.

To fix this either turn off your computer and give it to someone who can make use of it or..

unwashed potato! · 12 Apr 2014 at 12:40

really this needed to be questioned on a overclockers forum?

arknor · 12 Apr 2014 at 13:15

Fairly sure the answer is no said:
really this needed to be questioned on a overclockers forum?

Really? you needed to post that???????
Does trying to put other people down give you joy?

fendi · 12 Apr 2014 at 14:06

Burnsy2023 said:
Why do you have any doubt in your mind that this is a phishing attempt? I thought we had a higher standard of member here...

what do you mean! if has amazon at the front and secure in the address. and .co.uk. looks LEGIT!

RedvGreen · 12 Apr 2014 at 14:29

arknor said:
Really? you needed to post that???????
Does trying to put other people down give you joy?

The problem is that these scammers get victims - the fact that this email exists is proof that they do get positive hits.

By asking the question on this forum has seeded this question (and the email) in Google Search and now people who are a bit unsure can get it checked if they Google it.
It is the scams that have no online presence of people querying the legitimacy that are likely to fool potential vulnerable victims - elderly, disabled, children etc.

Burnsy2023 · 12 Apr 2014 at 14:30

Craig1981 said:
Wow. Thanks for the insult...

I did say I was reasonably certain I was being hoaxed. Didn't think there was any harm in posting here. I wont bother in future.

I don't mean to be insulting, but I because of the fact these type of emails are so prevalent, I would hope that most members here are pretty savvy at spotting them. Having emails coming from a completely different domain is a huge red flag.

TriedandTested · 12 Apr 2014 at 15:00

You had to ask? :confused:

I think my mum would have spotted that one!

Slobbo · 12 Apr 2014 at 15:05

Burnsy2023 said:
I don't mean to be insulting, but I because of the fact these type of emails are so prevalent, I would hope that most members here are pretty savvy at spotting them. Having emails coming from a completely different domain is a huge red flag.

There is 3 red flags, at least, in that email - the dodgy address, the misspelling, the fact that the OP doesn't have a seller account. There's probably a few others as well.

The fact is people just love to click on things.

Meridian · 12 Apr 2014 at 19:30

Slobbo said:
There is 3 red flags, at least, in that email - the dodgy address, the misspelling, the fact that the OP doesn't have a seller account. There's probably a few others as well.

Alarm bell number one should always be: does this address me by name (or login)? If it's a generic greeting, it's a phish. The other biggie is: any e-mail with a link for you to click on should be treated as a scam. Occasionally some big organisation forgets this, and puts real link on, but most are savvy enough to just tell you to log in as normal and follow instructions.

But....

why is it that people who know things, automatically assume that everyone else ought to know the same things? And that if they don't then those other people must be stupid? Look how many people are addressing the OP as if this phish is so obvious only an idiot would fail to spot it. Why? People don't have this sort of thing spring fully formed into their brains; they have to learn it. The OP is trying to learn, and is being patronised like crazy.

TriedandTested · 12 Apr 2014 at 19:49

Meridian said:
But....

why is it that people who know things, automatically assume that everyone else ought to know the same things? And that if they don't then those other people must be stupid? Look how many people are addressing the OP as if this phish is so obvious only an idiot would fail to spot it. Why? People don't have this sort of thing spring fully formed into their brains; they have to learn it. The OP is trying to learn, and is being patronised like crazy.

That argument is fine, if he didn't have 10,000 posts on a tech forum.

Craig1981 · 12 Apr 2014 at 20:40

Oh my god! Are you people still talking about this?

I don't need to learn anything! I didn't click on the link in the email. I went to Amazon immediately and checked there. It was only the fact that the seller page on the official site told me I didn't have access that even give me a reason to second guess myself.

I've been using PC's since secondary school and I am well aware of phishing scams. I've had plenty of them in the past.

Now seriously. Can someone just lock or delete this thread? Its getting boring.

Rroff · 12 Apr 2014 at 20:42

Annoys me that the full header data isn't presented more easily in most email clients - only takes a moment even without much technical knowledge to work out if an email is where it "says" its from or not from the originating source.

Meridian · 12 Apr 2014 at 23:21

Craig1981 said:
Oh my god! Are you people still talking about this?

Then why did you are start it? It's not like someone dug up an old thread. You posted here asking a question, then got annoyed because it was answered. What was the point?

kinetic747 · 13 Apr 2014 at 08:01

Don't some of you have a smugness convention to go to?

Cosimo · 13 Apr 2014 at 08:34

kinetic747 said:
Don't some of you have a smugness convention to go to?

No need to do that, just post in GD.

Participant · 13 Apr 2014 at 08:37

Only kidding, I've almost been suckered before. Felt pretty stupid mind.

Liampope · 13 Apr 2014 at 12:03

Meridian said:
But....

why is it that people who know things, automatically assume that everyone else ought to know the same things? And that if they don't then those other people must be stupid? Look how many people are addressing the OP as if this phish is so obvious only an idiot would fail to spot it. Why? People don't have this sort of thing spring fully formed into their brains; they have to learn it. The OP is trying to learn, and is being patronised like crazy.

To be fair to GD I think he got of quite lightly!

The ratio of sarcy mocking replies to polite replies was surprisingly balanced towards the latter. People posting ancient format phishing emails in 2014 as if they are something new normally receive a much harsher ribbing!

This is up there with posting a 319 email or international lottery win email. Hell - people's grandmas have stories about the old email-from-trusted-company-in-strangely-bad-English-saying-please-click-this-link-and-give-us-all-your-details trick. There are old books in old libraries in which this is the oldest trick in said book. Should have known better.