Comcast users -- beware this scam email

[Beth E. (NJ)]

We got this email today. It was supposedly from Comcast. I didn't open the link since it didn't seem "right" to me.

I showed it to my husband and then we laughed because Comcast doesn't charge our credit card -- they bill us via snail mail monthly.

Here's the email I got so you can keep an eye out for it:

Dear Comcast user,

We recently attempted to bill your account but we seemed to receive an error when charging your card. This can occur for a variety of reasons including card expiration, over-limit, suspicion of fraud, or several other technical difficulties. Please visit the Comcast Billing Center, by clicking the below hyperlink, and update your information so this issue can be cleared up.

Comcast Billing Center

Thank you,
xxxxxxxxxx
Comcast® Billing Department

 

[Dan Murphy]

Thanks, Beth. What sleaze balls are out there.

 

[holycow]

Yikes!!!!!!! What creeps!
Thanks for the heads up!

HC

 

[cinmell]

Thanks for the heads up!

 

[KathyFP]

I can't believe people. If only they would as much energy and creativity into a legit job.

 

[CRB#33]

There are so many criminals out there tht people must remember never to put any personal information into anything that was not initiated by themselves.

Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Lynn CC]

Thanks for posting!

 

[mickeyfan1]

Word for word, this letter matches one I got from "ebay". It went to an account I use strickly for junk mail, not the one I use on ebay, but it sure looked official.

Anytime you get email that looks suspisious, check with the provider directly, don't assume it it legit!

Thanks for the heads up, I have several friends on comcast and I will let them know the scammers have moved into their territory.

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

Did you report this to comcast?

 

[Ranatra]

I also have comcast but didn't receive any such e-mail yet. As you stated, they bill me monthly also by snail mail.

I would definately report this to Comcast.

 

[fklhou]

Last month I recieved an e-mail from Nigeria that was a classic scam piece. It was amusing to read the piece and realize that a great number of people fell for it.

 

[seashoreCM]

Until I can think of a better way of dealing with scams of this type...

DO NOT CLICK THE BLUE LINK WORDS IN ANY EMAIL MESSAGE.

You cold get computer viruses into your machine, or you could be sidetracked into bogus web sites that ask for your credit card number of password.

You could even get a music downloading, headquartering and storage program that you did not want stuffed into your computer for others to tap into and then Disney or the RIAA* would sue you for harboring copyrighted tunes that you never knew was on your machine.

Instead, hand type the normal address (such as comcast.com or aol.com or amazon.com) in your browser as if you were going to that web site on your own.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

* Recording Industry Association of America

There are other scams whereby someone promises to pay you a monthly fee if you would leave your computer connected to the Internet all night long. The money, if any, they pay you never covers the cost of electricity or computer maintenance or the up front registration fee you have to pay them. Meanwhile they use your computer for "number crunching" late at night and who knows what kind of viruses or contraband or illegal stuff they may put into your computer.

*********************
Companies can expect you to communicate by email if you signed up via email in the first place. But I am introducing the idea that they cannot expect you to click the blue links within email messages. There are other safer ways to convey confidential information, such as put a code number in black or red in the email message, and then you go directly to their main web site home page manually and copy in the code number and whatever important information is revealed there. Failure to provide a communications path other than the blue link in an email message shold be the companys failure to communicate, not yours.
*********************

 

[Bacrd]

Boy...I may have fallen for this one since I pay my bill online!! Thank for the warning!!!

 

[Happy2Be]

From a comcast user...thanks so much for sharing this information.