Here’s one that I’m wondering if it’s phishing, I keep getting this email from AOL member services telling me that I’m supposed to click on one of the links below because they’ve decided I have a non-AOL app. If I don’t update it before December 7 I could lose my email.
When I hover over the links they all have some portion that says AOL in them. That’s not usual typical typical in a phishing scam. I called AOL and they told me that they don’t understand what the email was about and I should probably ignore it. But I just received a second one. They are not the typical usual misspellings in it.
I’d be interested in knowing what other Freepers think about it.
Your thought is correct, it is phishing. Delete it.
Go to AOL’s home page and search for any references to necessary updates.
I also have an email account with AOL, two actually, both linked to a Yahoo! email account as backup. I have not received any such emails.
You can also copy any links in the email and plug them into a sesrch engine to see what comes up. DO NOT go straight to the address. Bad idea. Sometimes links, when hovered over, look like they’re correct but redirect you after clicking. It happened to me once (I was half awake, so sue me).
Do not click the links. Scam.
Definitely a scam.
I get hilarious emails telling me that my webtv email account is about to be canceled—by webtv corporate headquarters.
Webtv corporate headquarters no longer exists!
(Microsoft bought webtv but allowed us to keep our email addresses—great for fooling scammers.)
You use America On Line? That AOL?
When I get a suspicious email with a link, not only do I not click on it, I RIGHT click, and choose “Copy Target Address” (your browser’s dialog is probably different, but similar) then paste that into Notepad, to see where the link redirects. Sometimes the result is hilarious.
NOTE, my email provider & program shows me not only the ‘sender’, but the sender’s REAL sending address, including domain name. That can be hilarious, too.
The email services make money on your account. They aren’t going to cancel it. Even free email accounts make money on it (advertising). They will NEVER cancel it. It is a scam.
ANY account that you have that asks that - it is a scam.
“Verify your XYZ account immeditly or you may lose access...”
Fedex, Amazon, etc.
The Fedex ones can sometimes get me to click on the email if I’m expecting a package.
Never, never, never click on a link in an email. If AOL needs you to update something (and seriously AOL?) they will ask you to log into your account and update from there.
When I hover over the links they all have some portion that says AOL in them
That means nothing. Scammers often create email accounts that spoof real ones by being close to it or containing the company’s name somewhere in the string but often with other words, numbers, etc.
My Verizon email account is linked to AOL because Verizon bought AOL and divested their email management to them. My iPhone needs a new app and I need to update my desktop computer from Windows 7 so that email program will run. Or something like that, I haven’t been inclined to make myself crazy with it yet. Since August I am down to getting my Verizon email through AOL’s website service.
Whomever is emailing you might be taking advantage of the kind of situation I’m in. Perform your due diligence before you do anything rash.