1–877-698-8051 How to Avoid Geek Squad Email Scam ?

[Kuldeep Rawat]

If you received an email claiming to be from Geek Squad informing you of a transaction made on your account, but you don't remember purchasing anything, this is likely part of the Geek Squad email scam. You may have already heard about this from friends or colleagues, but what exactly is the Geek Squad email scam?

What is the Geek Squad email scam?

The Geek Squad scam is an email scam in which cybercriminals send a fake email posing as an official transaction confirmation from Geek Squad, a subsidiary of Best Buy, a well-known multinational consumer electronics company. The email contains information about a subscription renewal or order that the recipients are unaware of.

Scammers use fake invoice numbers, renewal dates, and other order details to make the email appear genuine. They use official logos and promotional banners to make the email appear legitimate, ensuring that their target believes them. Additionally, scammers include their numbers and tell recipients to contact them if they need help with their order.

Targets panic when informed about a large transaction and call scammers quickly to get more information about the transaction or cancel it in time. After that, the scam can take various forms, but the ultimate goal of cybercriminals is to extract as much money as possible from their victims.

How does the Geek Squad email scam work?

As soon as the recipient calls the indicated number, the scammers claim that a transaction has been made from their account. To deceive their victims, scammers explain that they can cancel the transaction. As a natural reaction to that suggestion, the recipients agree.

To begin with, they ask recipients for their personal information, but officials should never ask for private information such as credit card information, social security numbers, etc. over the phone.
Old-school scammers sometimes explain to their targets that they cannot cancel subscriptions on their part and that they must access the recipient's computer to do so. The cybercriminal may claim that a strange PC problem caused this transaction. They suggest giving them remote access to your computer to fix the problem because they fear it could happen again.

Once their targets grant them access, they are at the mercy of the scammers as to how far they will go to scam them. They may conduct large banking transactions, install malicious software to defraud recipients again, request payment for remote assistance they have provided, or charge “cancellation fees.”

How to Spot the Geek Squad Email Scam

Follow these tips and checks to distinguish a scam email from an original and real one:

• Review the content of the email for spelling or grammatical errors.
• Inspect the scammer's email address and see if it contains the company name misspelled or if it looks quite generic and therefore unofficial.
• Check if the scammer addressed you by name. It is a scam if no name is mentioned anywhere, or if you are just called "Dear Sir/Madam".
• Never click on links in emails. If you are unsure, use a link checking website to make sure you are not redirected to a random, unofficial address.
• Is the transaction in the same currency as your bank account? The email is likely from a scammer if it is different.
• Subscribers typically have seven days to cancel their subscriptions. Be wary of emails that ask you to contact them within a day or two – the scammer is trying to cause you to panic and make a mistake.
• Was the email you received from Geek Squad sent to the same email address you signed up with?
• Check if it is a scam by confirming that no transaction has been made from your bank account.

How to Avoid the Geek Squad Email Scam

• If you received an email supposedly from Geek Squad and are worried it might be a scam, you've done half the work to avoid it.
• Whatever you do, do not send personal information by email or any other means, and certainly do not reply to the same email or call the number indicated.
• You should follow basic techniques to avoid falling for scams, in particular: do not click on links and do not download attachments. Raise awareness about the scam, but do not forward the email, in case someone else falls for it. In fact, the best thing you can do is delete the email completely.
• If you share your computer with someone else, block the sender to prevent you from accidentally falling victim to the scam.
• In short, ignoring the Geek Squad scam email and blocking the sender is the best way to avoid it.

How to stop phishing emails in the future

Phishing emails are a nuisance at best; At worst, you could fall for a scam. So how can you avoid receiving phishing emails in the future?

Do not use your primary email address to sign up for third-party apps, websites, and services. Avoid clicking on push notifications you receive when visiting suspicious websites and apps. Block emails from senders trying to trick you with phishing scams and set up two-factor authentication on your email accounts to make them more secure.

Hopefully, following these tips will reduce your chances of falling victim to phishing scams in the future.

Avoid Geek Squad Email Scammers

Now you should be aware of the scams of scammers and not fall victim to them. While you do everything you can to protect yourself, it is equally important to raise awareness among your family and friends.

The red flags above, showing you how to spot a Geek Squad email scam, also apply to other phishing scams. So be careful with them and avoid them at all costs.