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My classmate just fell for a phishing email from "PayPal."

She was talking about her payment being declined to her friend.

It peaked my attention when she said after logging in, she was lead to a blank page.

I asked if I could see it and it was definitely a phishing email

I will admit, it's one of the most professional phishing email I've ever seen, but the grammar wasn't very professional and the PayPal logo wasn't completely accurate.

Why do these idiots fall for everything?

Comments
  • 59
    Because no one thaught them. Everyone is saying: “don’t talk to strangers” pr things like that, but they never teach how to protect themselves from malicious people on Internet
  • 28
    @RedBorg
    I would have assumed the poor grammar would be a red flag.
  • 12
    Reminds me of when I got like almost every week WhatsApp messages from classmates about some "Netflix free discountx" or "free iPhone 7" if you share the link (some total garbage url) to like 10 people. I still don't understand why someone would do that and how they get money or something from it
  • 7
    Yeah, like how you can always tell a scammer on the phone because their command of your language is terrible.
  • 10
    @Michelle bad Grammer is sometimes used by scammers purposely to keep only victims from the begging that are more likely to pull through everything, if the first message is flawless, they might get someone to respond that falls for that one, but stops on the next one, so they're wasting time.
  • 7
    @cachoputa
    Bad grammar isn't used on purpose. It's because the scammers are usually always non native English speakers or uneducated (which is unlikely.)
  • 9
    I've thought for years that I could offer these scumbags my services as a native speaker of American English, and their success rate would turn astronomical.
  • 5
    ...as I do kinda think of it as stupidity tax.
  • 5
    @bahua
    I've seen native English speaking scammers. It's hard to tell if they're a scammer or not until I see the link.
  • 4
    People should get lessons on how to protect themselves from scams online.
  • 5
    @Michelle when it's a scam via email professionally we call it Pharming ;)
  • 2
    I got a phishing email the other day from "Facebook" the thing looked good and even the email addresses looked correct, just before I got to checking the link address though I saw the address in the footer:
    "1 Hacker Way"
    Good job guys ahahaha
  • 6
    @Skittlz

    That's the actual address.
  • 2
    @bahua welp I'm sure that'll trip up more people than it should, poor planning on their part I think
  • 2
    Why do these "idiots" fall for everything?
  • 1
    @Skittlz think they specifically picked that address

    Isn't that how venues and streets are usually named in Sillicon Valley ?
  • 3
    @CurseMeSlowly wouldn't know, in Australia we have things like wallaby way, kangaroo road, drop bear drive.
  • 2
    @Skittlz what about One Infinite Loop ? 😬
  • 2
    @CurseMeSlowly they tried that, but everyone just kept crashing
  • 2
    @Skittlz I got curious and checked Hacker Way on google maps. There is Facebook Building 10 and Facebook Building 20 😮 They occupied like that whole coast
  • 4
    @CurseMeSlowly well I certainly feel like an idiot then ahaha
  • 2
    Your interest is "piqued", not "peaked". But that's ok, we all make mistakes. It doesn't mean you're an idiot.
  • 2
    @LoyalRayne

    Ik, but I don't really care.
    I've used that word so many times in my writing... It's ugh...

    "It piqued his attention."

    "Her seemingly perpetual ignorance piqued him."

    Etc...

    I'm sick of it. I don't want to think of it. Thanks, but don't remind me of that word.

    You wouldn't understand why I'm so sick of it, but it's a writer's thing, trust me. :)
  • 2
    I think peeked sounds fine... Makes sense to me. You're interested was at a peek... Meh. I've noticed there are a lot of grammar nazi' on devrant tho ;) I've heard these arguments that it dilutes language and ruins meaning, etc. I mean maybe if people are calling cats dogs and shit... But yeah. Sorry to ramble on, but this peeked my interest, ha
  • 2
    I had to give a mate a lift to the bank a few years ago.

    On the dive into town he was telling me how he’d got this email from the bank asking him to confirm his username and password, which he did.

    They emptied his account and opened an overdraft and had all of that as well.

    It was difficult to keep a straight face.

    I always get emails about my HSBC account, I don’t bank with HSBC...
  • 2
    Maybe they just aren't cynical enough. I assume the worst from everything, so I'm always on my guard. Some people just have too nice an outlook, IMO. Everything sucks.
  • 1
    @Michelle I agree with the grammar, but some scamming companies do say deliberately ridiculous shit in order to find the dumbest of the dumb to fall for their scams :/

    Scummy tactic, but few people are taught to prevent it
  • 2
    How to prevent a scam?? Just follow this simple steps!!
    1. Read the url
    2. Read the fucking url

    👍
  • 1
    @rangler but what if those people don’t know WHAT A FUCKING URL IS! HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE THAT IN OUR SOCIETY NO ONE TEACHES THEM!!! 🤬🤬🤬
  • 1
    @-vim- well, it's kinda true. They don't even have to type "google.com" anymore 😔
  • 2
    I got a PayPal email earlier today about a friend's payment to me being declined by his bank and just went to check that it's actually from PayPal themselves, and it is. Phew haha.
  • 0
    It is so easy to fall for phishing. The only defence mechanism I have is the autofill Password option in my browser, If website doesn't trigger autofill then it's suspicious.
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