us.norton.com Open in urlscan Pro
23.202.152.165  Public Scan

Form analysis
2 forms found in the DOM

<form class="c-topnav__form t-input-txt">
  <input id="smSearch" name="searchTerm" type="text" class="t-input-txt__text c-topnav-field">
  <label for="smSearch" class="t-input-txt__label">
    <span class="t-input-txt__labeltxt">Search</span>
  </label>
  <button type="button" class="t-input-txt__clear" aria-label="Clear Search Field" data-isinitialized="true"></button>
</form>

<form class="c-topnav__form t-input-txt">
  <input id="topnav-31b261bf27--searchbox" name="searchTerm" type="text" class="t-input-txt__text c-topnav-field">
  <label for="topnav-31b261bf27--searchbox" class="t-input-txt__label">
    <span class="t-input-txt__labeltxt">Search</span>
  </label>
  <button type="button" class="t-input-txt__clear" aria-label="Close Search Field" data-isinitialized="true"></button>
</form>

Text Content

___

 * My account
   My account
   
   Go to Account to download services
   
   Go to account
    * Sign In
    * Account info
    * Preferences
    * Billing info
    * Renew
    * Order history
    * Enter your Product Key

 * United States

Search
 * Consumer
   Consumer
    * All products and services
    * All-in-one plans
    * Norton 360 Deluxe
    * Norton 360 with LifeLock Select
    * Norton 360 with LifeLock Advantage
    * Norton 360 with LifeLock Ultimate Plus
    * Antivirus
    * Norton AntiVirus Plus
    * Norton 360 Standard
    * Norton 360 for Gamers
    * Norton Mobile Security for Android
    * Norton Mobile Security for iOS
    * Privacy
    * See all privacy plans
    * Norton Secure VPN
    * Norton AntiTrack
    * Privacy Monitor Assistant
    * LifeLock identity protection
    * Partner with us
    * Norton Genie NEW
    * More Norton

 * Business
 * Blog
 * Support
   Support
    * Customer support
    * Community
    * Spyware & Virus Removal
    * Premium Services
    * How to renew

 * Try free
   Try free
    * Free trials
    * Free tools

United States
 * 
 * Search
 * My account
   My account
   
   Go to Account to download services
   
   Go to account
    * Sign In
    * Account info
    * Preferences
    * Billing info
    * Renew
    * Order history
    * Enter your Product Key

Country/Region Selection
Please select your country/region
Americas
Argentina Brasil Canada (English) Canada (Français) Caribbean (English) Caribe
(Español) Chile Colombia Costa Rica Ecuador El Salvador Guatemala Hispanoamérica
México Panamá Perú Puerto Rico (English) United States Uruguay Venezuela
Europe, Middle East & Africa
België (Nederlands) Belgique (Français) Česko Danmark Deutschland España Estonia
(English) France Iceland (English) Ireland (English) Israel (English) Italia
Latvia (English) Lithuania (English) Luxembourg (Français) Magyarország
Nederland
Norge Österreich Polska Portugal România Schweiz (Deutsch) Suisse (Français)
Svizzera (Italiano) South Africa Suomi Sverige Türkiye United Arab Emirates
(English) United Kingdom Ελλάδα Россия
Asia & Pacific
Australia Cambodia (English) Hong Kong (English) 香港 India (English) Indonesia
(English) Malaysia (English) New Zealand Philippines (English) Singapore
(English) Thailand (English) Vietnam (English) 대한민국 中国 台灣 日本
 * Blog Home
 * Scams
 * Cyberthreat Protection
    * Malware
    * Online Scams
    * Emerging Threats
    * How To
    * View all Cyberthreat Protection

 * Online Privacy
    * Privacy
    * ID Theft
    * WiFi
    * View all Online Privacy

 * Device Security
    * Internet of Things
    * Kids' Safety
    * Mobile
    * View all Device Security

Blog
 * Blog Home
 * Scams
 * Cyberthreat Protection
    * Malware
    * Online Scams
    * Emerging Threats
    * How To
    * View all Cyberthreat Protection

 * Online Privacy
    * Privacy
    * ID Theft
    * WiFi
    * View all Online Privacy

 * Device Security
    * Internet of Things
    * Kids' Safety
    * Mobile
    * View all Device Security


 1. Blog Home
 2. Online Scams
 3. Life savings gone––How a woman lost all her money to a scam

Online Scams


LIFE SAVINGS GONE––HOW A WOMAN LOST ALL HER MONEY TO A SCAM

NJ
 * Nyrmah J. Reina
 * Published: July 10, 2024 6 min read



A scam victim shared her story with us. This is what we can learn from it.



You’re exhausted. You just moved to a new house. You went through a big breakup.
It’s 11 p.m., and you’re ready to rest. You get a text saying that your phone
bill wasn’t processed because the account details were out of date. Seems about
right. After all, you just moved.



You click on the link to update your account details. Later, like clockwork, you
get a call from your bank’s fraud team. They tell you about a phishing text
you’ve just received and they’re here to protect your money. Unfortunately,
though, the caller wasn’t from your bank. The phishing text was the beginning of
a well-crafted scam to get you to trust the “bank’s fraud team” so the
adversaries could steal your hard-earned life savings.



This was Moya Crockett’s experience with an Automated Push Payment (APP) scam.




WHAT HAPPENED?



It all started with a text. Moya recalls, “The phishing text definitely wasn’t
particularly sophisticated—if it hadn’t arrived late at night, I don’t think I’d
have fallen for it. But that was a key part of what made the scam so clever.”



She added, “When the scammer called pretending to be from my bank’s fraud team,
he asked if I could think of any texts or emails I’d received recently that
could have been phishing texts, which might have given fraudsters access to my
account.”



Moya was targeted by scammers using social engineering tactics. She mentioned
how “the scammer was nothing but lovely and reassuring, telling me that he’d
help me get everything straightened out.”



The scammers went as far as to make minor transactions on her account using the
information they got from the phishing text. Moya recognized these as
fraudulent. “It was clear to me that my account was vulnerable and would need
securing,” she said.



At one point, Moya panicked and suspected the scammers. But they reassured her,
going as far as telling her that they were glad she was taking her security
seriously. They pointed out that they were calling from her bank’s customer
telephone number, which was printed on the back of her debit card.
Unfortunately, they had spoofed the bank’s phone number too.



The scammers then “helped” Moya move her money to a new account. In half an
hour, all her life savings were gone. It was devastating. At first, Moya felt
ashamed of what had happened. Later, she realized, “No one—literally no one—is
above being scammed.”




HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM SIMILAR SCAMS



As time passes, scammers continue to sharpen their skills, using the tools at
their disposal to steal people’s information and money. Here are some tips that
may help you protect yourself.




SPOTTING SOCIAL ENGINEERING CUES



Looking back at her ordeal, Moya said, “My emotional state absolutely made me
more vulnerable to being scammed.” We may not be at our most alert when targeted
by a scammer, but we can be informed and learn how to spot social engineering
cues.



If you receive a text, call, email, or social media message, take a moment to
read it carefully. Is it asking you to click on a link? Are they asking you for
sensitive information? Is it urgent? What is the goal? Is it usual for the
sender to communicate with you this way? Don’t engage if you think there might
be a chance—no matter how slim—that it might be a scam.




CONFIRMING THE SOURCES



Always check where the messages you receive come from. If you’re unsure whether
the communication you’ve received is legitimate, go directly to your app or
online account to check instead of clicking on links.



Also, if someone from customer support calls you and asks you for information,
be wary. This is against many companies’ security policies.  You can always call
the company or financial institution directly yourself.




AVOIDING OPTIMISM BIAS



This year, we conducted a survey in the U.S. and U.K. were more than half (58%)
of respondents agreed with the statement, “I could be vulnerable to cybercrime.”
Yet, 45% also said that cybercrime won’t happen to them.



We might think that stories like Moya’s are unlikely to happen to us, but no one
can be sure. It is best to always stay alert and informed because anyone can be
targeted by a scammer. And some scams may be easy to spot—but others aren’t that
apparent.




TAKE EXTRA MEASURES



We can’t help whether we’re targeted by scammers or not, but we can take steps
to help protect ourselves. Norton Genie is a free scam detector app that might
help you avoid scams you might not spot in the moment.




DON’T LET SCAMMERS GET THEIR WAY



In the end, Moya was one of the lucky few who managed to get her money back
through her financial institution. However, that’s not a common occurrence and
it was a hard process.



The best thing we can do is to avoid scammers, so we don’t have to go through
such an ordeal. We can help protect ourselves by staying informed and taking
extra cybersecurity measures. Stay alert, stay safe.



Check out Moya Crockett’s experience highlighted in Scam Artists, an educational
campaign using art to visually demonstrate the emotional impact of cybercrime.


NJ
 * Nyrmah J. Reina
 * Managing Editor

Nyrmah J. Reina is a writer and managing editor for the company’s lifestyle
blogs. She covers online safety and cybersecurity topics.

Editorial note: Our articles provide educational information for you. Our
offerings may not cover or protect against every type of crime, fraud, or threat
we write about. Our goal is to increase awareness about Cyber Safety. Please
review complete Terms during enrollment or setup. Remember that no one can
prevent all identity theft or cybercrime, and that LifeLock does not monitor all
transactions at all businesses. The Norton and LifeLock brands are part of Gen
Digital Inc. 

CONTENTS


 * What happened?
 * How to protect yourself from similar scams
 * Don’t let scammers get their way



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


RELATED ARTICLES


Online Scams $3.4 billion were lost to scams targeting seniors in 2023
Published: May 13, 2024 ·5 min read

Online Scams 10 Ticketmaster scams and how to spot them
Published: July 24, 2023 ·3 min

Online Scams 11 LinkedIn scams to avoid in 2024
Published: July 24, 2023 ·3 min

Online Scams 12 Instagram scams to know and avoid in 2024
Published: August 26, 2022 ·2 min read

Online Scams $3.4 billion were lost to scams targeting seniors in 2023
Published: May 13, 2024 ·5 min read

Online Scams 10 Ticketmaster scams and how to spot them
Published: July 24, 2023 ·3 min

Online Scams 11 LinkedIn scams to avoid in 2024
Published: July 24, 2023 ·3 min

Online Scams 12 Instagram scams to know and avoid in 2024
Published: August 26, 2022 ·2 min read

Online Scams $3.4 billion were lost to scams targeting seniors in 2023
Published: May 13, 2024 ·5 min read

Online Scams 10 Ticketmaster scams and how to spot them
Published: July 24, 2023 ·3 min

Online Scams 11 LinkedIn scams to avoid in 2024
Published: July 24, 2023 ·3 min

Online Scams 12 Instagram scams to know and avoid in 2024
Published: August 26, 2022 ·2 min read



WANT MORE?

Follow us for all the latest news, tips and updates.




Products

 * Norton AntiVirus Plus
 * Norton 360 Deluxe
 * Norton 360 for Gamers
 * Norton 360 with LifeLock Select
 * Norton 360 with LifeLock Ultimate Plus
 * Norton Secure VPN
 * Norton AntiTrack
 * Norton Family
 * Norton Mobile Security for Android
 * Norton Mobile Security for iOS
 * Norton Utilities Ultimate
 * Norton Driver Updater
 * Norton Small Business
 * Norton Genie
 * Norton Private Browser

Product features

 * Norton 360 Comparison
 * Antivirus
 * Windows 10 Antivirus
 * Windows 11 Antivirus
 * Virus removal
 * Malware protection
 * Cloud Backup
 * Safe Web
 * Safe Search
 * Windows 10 VPN
 * Smart Firewall
 * Password Manager
 * Parental Control
 * Privacy Monitor
 * SafeCam
 * Dark Web Monitoring
 * Identity Lock

Services & Support

 * Norton Premium Services
 * Norton Computer Tune Up
 * Norton Ultimate Help Desk
 * Spyware & Virus Removal
 * Norton Device Care
 * Norton Support
 * Norton Update Center
 * How to renew

About

 * About Norton
 * Blog
 * Community
 * Free trials
 * Free tools
 * Sign in
 * Company
 * Partner with us
 * LifeLock by Norton
 * ReputationDefender by Norton

Legal Terms of Use Privacy Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Data Accessibility
Policy System status Privacy Setting
Copyright © 2024 Gen Digital Inc. All rights reserved.
This site uses cookies. Learn more about how and why.
Accept All Reject All
 


Privacy Settings
In order to provide with the best experience possible we might sometimes track
information about you. Sometimes this may involve writing a cookie. We use this
information for things like experience enrichment, analytics and targeting
advertising. We recommend allowing these functions to get the most out of your
experience.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PERFORMANCE AND FUNCTIONALITY

These technologies are used to enhance the performance and functionality of our
websites but are non-essential to their use. However, without these cookies,
certain functionality may become unavailable.
> See list of performance and functionality cookies
Cloudfront

Google Fonts

Cloudfare

Amazon AWS

Akamai

Google Captcha

Quantummetric

Adobe Target

Zuberance

Cheq

eGain

YouTube Video


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SOCIAL MEDIA

These technologies are used to enable you to share pages and content that you
find interesting on our websites through third party social networking and other
websites.
> See list of social media cookies
Facebook Connect

Facebook

Youtube

Pinterest

LinkedIn Widget

Quora

SnapChat


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ANALYTICS

These technologies collect information that is used in aggregate form to help us
understand how our websites are being used are being used or to help us
continuously improve our websites.
> See list of analytics cookies
eXelate

Google Tag Manager

Google Analytic

Twitter Analytic

mPulse

iSpot TV

Adobe Audience Manager

IO

Natural Intelligence

Natural Intelligence

Impact Radius

Tag4arm

Bounce Exchange, Inc

Commission Junctions

OneSpot

Tapad

Knotch Pro


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ADVERTISING

These technologies are used to make advertising messages more relevant to you.
They perform functions like preventing the same ad from continuously
reappearing, ensuring that ads are properly displayed for advertisers, and in
some cases selecting advertisements that are based on your interests.
> See list of advertising cookies
GWM

Google Doubleclick

MediaMath, Inc.

ArtSai

Soreto

Sizmek

Yahoo Ads

Rimm-Kaufman

Adobe Adlens

eXelate

Outbrain

Appsflyer

Facebook

Google Ads

Bing Ads

Twitter Ads

Amazon Ads

Bounce Ex Events

Twitter Conversion

Bounce Exchange, Inc

Reddit

Twitter Ads

Twitter Conversion Tracking

Yahoo Advertising Solutions

Sourcepoint

Proofpoint

Amobee, Inc.

Sourcepoint

Bounce Exchange, Inc

Carbon

RKXD

Chartable

Google Optimize

AdMedia

LinkedIn Widget

Havas

AddShopper

LeadsRx, Inc.

Podsight

Simplifi Holdings Inc

Reddit

TikTok

Zeta Global

PayPal

Content DSP

w55c

Equifax

Tv Scientific

Barometric

Yelp


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cancel
Save