We have all heard about the phishing scams, fraud scams and outright theft of credit and identities. Horrible situation to be in, if it happens.
I got such an email earlier this morning, from someone I thought was imitating my bank.
Let me list all of the red flags that got my suspicions all in a tizzy:
- The email was from “FRAUDSUSPCT@mybank.com“. Yep, they spelled suspect wrong.
- My name was not on the email, instead it read Dear Service S.
- They asked me to click on a link in the email. According to all the security experts and my banks newsletters, you should NEVER do this.
- They asked me to click the link again, in the very next sentence.
- When I inspected the link, it was not to my bank, but to some guy named Jack Henry. Yeah, I am not clicking that link. I might end up with pictures of Mickey & Minnie in a compromising position.
- The next sentence has this line “Responding to unsolicited e-mail can be risky. This message is a valid attempt to ensure your card has not been misused in a fraudulent manner”. So you send me an unsolicited email and then tell me you are valid? What? I should just believe you because you say so?
- They list three different 1-800 numbers. Yep, my spidey sense is tingling in overdrive
- The final line was “You can also contact your Financial Institution directly“. Well heck, I thought you were my financial institution???
So I printed off the email and took it to my bank to try to verify it.
The bank manager is in my Rotary Club, so I know him pretty well. “Is this really from you?”
He hung his head in shame and sheepishly admitted this was indeed a real bank document.
Evidently I was not the first person to question its authenticity.
I asked “Did Dopey the dwarf write it?”
Oh there are so many lessons here:
- Spell check! Most fraudsters don’t bother. How about your clients? Do they see your communication filled with mistakes?
- Don’t tell people to do something that goes completely against what you have been telling them not to do. Don’t click, don’t click my bank always warns in its newsletters. Now you want me to click?
- Who the Donald Duck is Jack Henry? Evidently that is the name of the company that handles my banks fraud department. Sheesh!
- A confused client will not take action. A confused buyer never buys.
- Get your information correct. Three different phone numbers?
- Finally, if you can’t write, hire someone who can.
If the bank wanted me to take immediate action, it did not happen.
How about you?
Do you send out sales letters, emails, offers or media fraught with mistakes, contradictions and confusion and wonder why it is not successful in getting them to take action?
Don’t be a Jack Henry
