This morning, I got a text from an unknown number (always a bad sign), saying “For instructions:” and a URL that looked like (and was) a real Google Forms URL.
I was pretty sure that it was a scam, but I had just registered with a new health provider yesterday, so there was a small chance it was legit and the first message had gotten lost. I wasn’t going to visit the link on my phone, or even in a browser – instead, I opened a terminal session and used curl to get the actual contents of the form; doing it that way ensured that no JavaScript could execute.
The title of the form was “UNUSUAL LOGIN ATTEMPT FROM [IP:198.25.4.32] YOUR ACCOUNT IS LIMITED.” and the text was:
We need you to secure your account immediately to prevent any fraudulent activities for your safety. Please follow the steps indicated to verify your identity and gain back full access of your bank account.
Please continue here:
Security Department
CitiBank
I chose to stop my investigation there.
This evening, our friends Lindy and Daniel invited us for Thanksgiving dinner – it was a small gathering (6) with lots of delicious food. It gave me the excuse to make my chocolate pecan peppermint pie for the first time in quite a while. I usually make it with Mrs. Smith’s frozen pie crust, but Lunardi’s didn’t have any when I looked on Tuesday; fortunately, Whole Foods did have a non-larded frozen crust, and it worked just as well.