Last updated on July 5th, 2024 at 11:41 am
This post may contain affiliate links. If a product or service is purchased using a link(s) in the post below a small commission may be earned.
Last updated on July 5th, 2024 at 11:41 am
Okay, fake renewal emails or recipes for services from well-known companies aren’t anything new. I’ve shared a few in the past.
I had this week that claimed to be from the Geek squad. It was an invoice for a renewal of services.
The email
The sender
The email was sent from the following email address: invoicing@messaging.squareup.com The sender was Janita ǁ Support Agent
The email was associated or linked to Square a payment gateway. Last time I checked I don’t think Geek Squad is linked to Square.
The email
So this email was very random as not something I’d typically encounter. It was sent to my old Yahoo account.
The email was a renewal payment request by the looks of it. The logo looks nothing like the current Geek Squad logo. It has orange, black and white colors but it’s shaped like a football. And it’s labeled Geek support.
So you know that’s another tell it’s fake.
The email was a bit long so I had to cut it into screenshots.
The center of the email basically had the info of the invoice payment made out to my Yahoo email address as the client.
it also included a PDF download of the invoice.
There was also the following message:
As we discussed, we would like to send you the pre-authorized invoice for the Yearly Service. A deduction of $461.25 for the subscription from your account on 01.11.2022. This transaction might take a few moments to appear on your account.
If you didn’t authorize this transaction then please contact us feel free at our Consumer Support Number: (808) 892-2390 ¦ (808) 481-4799
I am indebted to you in the highest degree.
Helpdesk Number: (808) 892-2390 ¦ (808) 481-4799
What I learned about the phone numbers
During my search, I Googled the phone numbers. They are legitimate yet the Area codes are from different areas.
The number ending in 2390 was from an Oakland California pet sitter that was listed on Yelp. The number ending in 4799 was a phone number listed to someone in Sunnyvale California. So both numbers are in northern CA. Yet the area code (808) is from Hawaii. It’s the area code for the entire state.
This is a phishing email
I think this is a phishing email due to its use of Square payment system. This could also be a way to access credit card or payment info. Since you would probably have to sign up for Square to pay the payment.
I’m not implying Square is a scam. It’s just interesting that this payment system was used for this email scam.
I saw an FTC alert last week
Last week or maybe the week before the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) sent out a consumer alert about this email. As I mentioned these types of emails aren’t new but they are making the rounds again. Now that we are going into the holiday season.
https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2022/10/how-recognize-fake-geek-squad-renewal-scam
What you shouldn’t do
Don’t reply to the email or click on any links or buttons. Also don’t download any PDF files or receipt invoice links.
If payment is asked for don’t send it.
what you can do
You can reach out to the brand sending the email. If you do have an automatic renewal most brands send you a reminder before your renewal is due.
Always check the sender’s information. For example, this email would be geeksquad@bestbuy.com or something similar. If the email isn’t branded properly always be suspicious.
Also if the renewal email is random and is in a large sum such as this one always double-check. You can also check logos to see if they are official as well.
Always err on the side of caution. When in doubt reach out to the brand being presented in this phishing email directly.
Let’s get the word out so no one gets scammed.
