CHICO — Any major or minor online company or service that features user login capabilities has security measures in place to avoid hacking and fraud. But what happens when scammers use this concept to reel in targets? If you’re half as forgetful as I am and have a dozen different passwords at any given time, you’ve likely had to click a little button that says “forgot password?” You are sent a code either via text or email or a link that takes you to a page where you can reset your password and get in. Usually this happens to me once every two years when I get kicked from MAX or my PlayStation and I have to get back in the old-fashioned way.
But maybe you didn’t make that request and yet you have a notification saying that you have or need a new password. You could get a realistic-looking email claiming to be Facebook or maybe even PG&E. Combine that with a bill being due and you might just be inclined to click that link.
Scammers will often send these messages out to grab your attention or even call you using a device to mimic a legitimate phone number. Back in March, password phishing scammers went after Apple customers telling many that they either needed a new password or that someone else changed their password. There are layers to this scam.
Essentially, it’s tricking you into thinking that there may have been fraud against you in order to commit fraud against you. What a glimpse into madness that is. The thing to remember here is that codes like this, whe.