If you receive a phone call notifying you that you’re eligible for a refund, it’s probably a scam. Understanding how these scams work can help you avoid them and warn others not to fall for them either.
The Setup
As the name may suggest, a refund scam operates by convincing the victim that they are entitled to some sort of compensation. While many people would be immediately suspicious of a cold caller telling them there is an amount of money waiting for them (either as an inheritance or competition win), a refund may seem a little more believable.
Scammers will cold-call potential victims and attempt to convince them they are eligible for a refund. They make use of examples like a company being closed down and no longer being able to provide a service that the user has apparently paid for. Security software like antivirus or antimalware is commonly cited, but no two scams are quite the same.
The scammers are hoping for one of two outcomes: that the user believes they are entitled…
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