The Scammers Missed Me — Apparently My Geek Squad Membership Renewed Again

I was starting to get worried.

It had been an entire week since someone invited me to a Facebook event announcing that I had supposedly purchased something I didn't purchase.

Was I no longer desirable to scammers?

Had they moved on?

Did Karen, Taiba, Callie, and Princess Manahil have a group chat where they decided I wasn't worth the effort?

Thankfully, my fears were put to rest today.

They're back.

This afternoon, I received another Facebook event invitation. This one came from the wonderfully named “Hxer Ahver.”

Hxer has invited me to:

“Payment Confirmation: $439.99 Auto-Renewal for Geek Squad Tech Support…”

Oh good.

Geek Squad again.

My Computer Is Apparently VERY Protected

Last week, Princess Manahil informed me that I had supposedly renewed my Geek Squad protection.

Now Hxer Ahver says I've done it again.

At this point, my computer should be the most protected in North America.

I'm expecting Geek Squad employees to start physically guarding it.

One by the monitor.

One near the keyboard.

Another stationed outside my house.

For $439.99, somebody better be watching the perimeter.

There is, of course, one tiny problem:

I didn't buy this.

Just like I didn't buy the Bitcoin.

Just like I didn't authorize the mystery subscription.

Just like I didn't purchase the previous Geek Squad protection.

My imaginary credit card has apparently been having an incredible summer.

And Once Again, I'm Invited to Attend

The brilliance of this particular scam remains my favorite part.

It's being delivered as a Facebook event invitation.

That means underneath a message claiming I've been charged $439.99, Facebook politely asks:

“Tell them if you can make it.”

And then gives me three options:

Going

Maybe

Can't Go

I appreciate the flexibility.

After reviewing my calendar, however, I'm going to have to select:

Can't Go.

I'd love to attend my $439.99 fraudulent Geek Squad auto-renewal, but unfortunately I have plans that afternoon.

Maybe next year.

Meta Is Still Warning Me

Just like the previous scam invitations, there's a warning sitting right at the top:

“Meta did not send this event invitation. Please be cautious when clicking on links or providing personal information.”

That's probably worth reading.

The clever part of this scam is that the notification itself can arrive through Facebook's event system. That gives the garbage in the invitation a little borrowed legitimacy.

You see a familiar notification.

You see Facebook.

You see a large dollar amount.

You see “Payment Confirmation.”

And the scammer hopes you panic before stopping to ask the most obvious question:

Why in the hell is Geek Squad notifying me about a $439.99 auto-renewal through a Facebook event invitation?

Geek Squad isn't throwing me a party.

The Scam Social Calendar Continues

So let's update the guest list.

Previously, I had:

Karen: Bitcoin purchase.

Taiba: Another Bitcoin purchase.

Callie: Mystery $398.99 subscription.

Princess Manahil: Geek Squad protection.

And now:

Hxer Ahver: Another $439.99 Geek Squad renewal.

I'm beginning to see a pattern.

The names change.

The dollar amounts change.

The supposed purchases change.

But the objective remains remarkably similar: make the recipient believe money has been charged, create urgency, and get them to react before they think.

That's why I don't use the contact information contained in suspicious messages.

If a message says there's a charge on one of my accounts, I'll independently open the company's official app or website and check the account myself.

No panic.

No mystery phone numbers.

No handing over account information.

Please don't attend Facebook events celebrating purchases I didn't make.

See You at the Next One

At this point, I don't think this is over.

We've done Bitcoin.

We've done subscriptions.

We've done Geek Squad twice.

I'm curious what I'll apparently purchase next.

A $799 Norton subscription?

A $1,200 iPhone?

Extended warranty coverage for a car I don't own?

Whatever it is, I have only one request for the scammers:

Please check my calendar first.

I'm getting really busy declining all these invitations.