The Supposedly “Best Buy” Scam That Looked Legitimate

Summary

The article warns about a scam involving Best Buy's Geek Squad service contract, where scammers send fraudulent emails charging for renewal, and offers advice on avoiding similar scams.

Abstract

The article begins with a personal account of a scam involving Best Buy's Geek Squad service contract, where the author and their family received an email charging them for a renewal they did not request. The scammers used a legitimate-looking email and phone number, which led the family to initially believe it was real. After realizing it was a scam, they contacted Best Buy directly to confirm. The article also mentions another scam that appears to be from Best Buy, asking for additional information on an order that was not placed. The author warns that scammers often impersonate employees of reputable retailers, making their emails and phone calls seem legitimate. The article concludes by advising readers to avoid clicking on suspicious links or calling unfamiliar numbers and to contact businesses directly to verify promotions.

Opinions

The author believes that scammers are intelligent and manipulative, using information to make their emails and phone calls seem legitimate.
The author advises readers to be cautious and avoid clicking on suspicious links or calling unfamiliar numbers.
The author suggests contacting businesses directly to verify promotions and avoid falling for scams.
The author emphasizes the importance of honesty and avoiding scams to protect hard-earned money.

Beware of the scammers who are not who they say they are

It started with a computer purchase

Everyone knows that there are hundreds, thousands, or possibly millions of dishonest people trying to scam people every day. Most people have been warned and know that they should not click on suspicious links from unfamiliar email sources or call numbers that are likely scams, but sometimes the scams seem quite legitimate. We could make the mistake of clicking or calling when we should not.

We purchased a new laptop computer last year from Best Buy. They said they would give us a really good deal on a service contract with their Geek Squad for a year. Although we have regularly been told not to fall for those warranty or service deals, we thought it might be worthwhile. It was supposed to cover all our devices.

The year passed, and we decided that we were not interested in renewing the service. It had not been beneficial to us. We thought it had been cancelled as requested.

Then we received an email which said that the contract had been renewed and that our credit card would be charged in the amount of $399. There was a number to call. Since we knew we were not supposed to be continuing the service, we called that number. After it became evident that it was likely a scam because they were giving us the run around, we hung up and called the phone number for Best Buy. It was not easy getting through to them on the phone, but finally we were able to speak to a person. She said that the email we received was a scam and definitely not from Best Buy.

Another scam that appears to be from Best Buy may come in the guise of needing additional information on an order which was placed. If the person did not place an order, he might click or call to verify that he had not ordered anything. The scammers are trying to get information to cheat people.

There are many dishonest scammers who are impersonating employees of big-name retailers who have reputable names which people trust. Somehow they get information which makes the emails or phone calls seem like they could be legitimate. They must be actually quite smart to figure out how to manipulate people.

You may receive emails from Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Staples, and other stores which could be legitimate offers. It is difficult to tell if they are scams or not. It may be possible to call the business directly to ask if they are running some kind of promotion such as was received.

It is always best to simply delete those emails without clicking on the link or calling the number supplied. It could be that the emails can be forwarded to agencies which are working to stop scammers. Honesty should be a way of life, but there are those who are dishonest who are committing crimes against innocent people.

Be safe and avoid scams to hold on to your hard-earned money.