Apparently My Scam Social Calendar Is Getting Pretty Full
Well, this is getting ridiculous.
Yesterday, I wrote about the collection of scam emails I've been receiving disguised as Facebook event invitations.
Apparently, I had purchased Bitcoin. Twice. I had also supposedly paid for a mysterious subscription.
Today, I received another invitation.
At this point, I don't know whether I'm being scammed or whether I'm just incredibly popular.
This latest invitation comes courtesy of someone named Princess Manahil, who has graciously invited me to an event involving:
“Geek Squad Annual Geek Squad Tech Support 1 Year | Amount $370.39 has been auto debited…”
Catchy event name.
I'm not sure who's handling marketing for this gathering, but it needs some work.
Going, Maybe, or Can't Go?
Once again, because this is being delivered as a Facebook event invitation, I get three wonderful choices:
Going. Maybe. Can't Go.
I'm going with Can't Go.
Not because I'm busy.
Not because I have another engagement.
But because I DIDN'T BUY GEEK SQUAD PROTECTION.
The invitation claims that a Geek Squad PC protection renewal is complete and that I need to take “immediate action” by calling the conveniently supplied telephone number if I want to cancel.
Interestingly, the email can't even seem to decide how much I supposedly spent.
The event title says $370.39.
The description says the Geek Squad protection renewal is $489.39.
Apparently, even my imaginary purchases are experiencing inflation.
Yesterday Bitcoin, Today Geek Squad
What I find interesting is how quickly the product changes while the basic scam stays almost the same.
Yesterday:
PayPal! Bitcoin! Hundreds of dollars! CALL NOW!
Today:
Geek Squad! Computer protection! Hundreds of dollars! CALL NOW!
Tomorrow?
Who knows?
Maybe I'll receive an invitation informing me that I've purchased a 12-month extended warranty for a submarine.
The important part isn't what they're pretending I bought.
The important part is the urgency.
There's supposedly a large charge.
I supposedly need to act immediately.
And—how convenient—there's a phone number waiting for me.
Once Again, Meta Is Basically Waving a Red Flag
At the top of the email is this warning:
“Meta did not send this event invitation. Please be cautious when clicking on links or providing personal information.”
That's not exactly subtle.
When the platform delivering the invitation is essentially saying, “Hey, you might want to be careful with this thing,” perhaps calling the mystery phone number isn't the best next move.
And that's what makes these messages interesting.
The surrounding email can look legitimate because it is tied to an actual Facebook event invitation. The scammer doesn't necessarily need to spoof an entire email from scratch. Instead, the scam message is stuffed into the event information.
The legitimate notification becomes the delivery vehicle for the garbage inside it.
My Rule Remains the Same
If I receive an unexpected message saying I've been charged hundreds of dollars, I won’t call the number provided in that same unexpected message.
If it's supposedly PayPal, I'll go directly to PayPal.
If it's supposedly my bank, I'll go directly to my bank.
If it's supposed to be Geek Squad, I’ll look up the legitimate company contact information and check there.
I'm not calling Princess Manahil's Urgent: Please Call Us Immediately Refund Department.
So, let's update my scam social calendar:
Karen: Bitcoin — Can't Go.
Taiba: Bitcoin — Can't Go.
Callie: Mystery subscription — Can't Go.
Princess Manahil: Geek Squad — Can't Go.
Four invitations and I've declined every one.
At this rate, the scammers are going to stop inviting me to things.
And frankly, that would hurt.