I received a notification from a subscription service informing us that Akemi’s information had been compromised in a hack. At first I was “This is a scam” – but the email checked out. In addition to a rundown of the situation, it offered a link to a free subscription for a cyber-security protection service that would monitor – and provide insurance against – identity theft. My initial reaction was “This is a scam” – but the link proved legitimate, as is the service (Norton). So, just to be extra safe, I went to the official Norton site and signed in using the promo code provided, downloaded the device security and secure VPN…when my laptop prompted me for my apple I.D. to complete the installation – at which point I thought “This is a scam!” and bailed.
Granted, it retrospect, I’m being paranoid. It’s legitimate software from the legitimate Norton site sent my way by the legitimate subscription service. But I figured I would just sleep on it.
From the Stargate vault…
Director Will Waring attempts to talk down a knife-wielding wraith.
On second thought – here, take him!
Uh oh. Here comes trouble.
Enjoying the fresh air.
He was the lead guitarist of Gwar for two years.
Amazing people with whom I have worked…
#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
Emily Drake was a second assistant director on #DarkMatter. A hard worker and a great personality, she is pictured here preparing to corral the extras. pic.twitter.com/KBBB4k58ob— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) September 11, 2020
#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
PR and digital marketing strategist Dani Gagnon (@daniginc) has worked tirelessly online and off promoting #UtopiaFalls (among other productions), offering fans of the series incredible behind-the-scenes insights. I'm a big fan of her work. pic.twitter.com/WWM9fzAwus— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) September 13, 2020
#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
Carl Liberman, head of the literary department at The Characters, has been my agent for over 20 years. He put us on #Stargate's radar when they were looking for new talent and, years later, helped set up #DarkMatter. pic.twitter.com/M0LTtZtUj2— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) September 14, 2020
#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
Greg Fox was a camera operator on #Stargate – all three series and over eighty episodes of the franchise before moving on to productions like #Continuum, #IZombie, and #TheCrossing. Solid, dependable, and professional. pic.twitter.com/an0cC8HIBc— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) September 15, 2020
#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
Alex Chapple directed multiple episodes of #StargateUniverse including "Subversion" and "Epilogue" and has since moved on to productions like #BlueBloods, #SVU, and #FBI. pic.twitter.com/oqTY5Ii3BR— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) September 16, 2020
Why on Earth would Norton need to know your Apple ID? Just no, there is no legitimate reason they should need that. For what it’s worth, I haven’t trusted Norton for ages. It’s become terrible bloatware that invades every part of your computer and is impossible to remove.
Absolutely bail. Streuth. That whole process you described is dodgy, using some common social engineering tactics to sell their product. I assume you have a good password locker, it will keep you up to date on sites compromised and which passwords to change.
And Nortons legitmate? It is malware. Ever tried to get rid of Nortons off your PC, took me half a day repeatedly going into the registry to delete every part of that crap so that my machine could run faster. AND when they bought out PC Tools in Sydney – all the developers seeing the inner works of that piece of crap – were disgusted. Most walked. I had 4 emails from ex-PC Tools devs complaining.
Free? It’s a scam … I think.
Today I received a phone call (went to my answering machine), allegedly from Canadian Border Service about a package to me that they have intercepted and blocked from entry, and for me to call them. The problem though … their message was in both English and Chinese. I’m pretty sure Chinese isn’t an official language of Canada.
Trust your instinct. IT IS A SCAM. If you think it is for real, do more independent investigation first.
I’m always getting scam calls about my apple device. I don’t have an apple device.
Yes, scams are so authentic looking now. My hubby has preached “Don’t click the link” and “check out the sender info”. Now they have redirects or such that the sender info might be deceptive. Always go the direct route.
We stopped using Norton a few years ago because it was (at that time) unreliable and expensive. We went with a free Microsoft version. If you’re happy with Norton, then keep it.
I will recommend a password program for you, though. We have so many complex passwords and our program (subscription, of course) keeps track of them everywhere we go. We use Lastpass but I’ve heard good things about 1password, as well.
You did the right thing going directly to the Norton web site rather through the link. I have Norton and I have been very happy with it, but I don’t use the VPN or the password manager. Asking for your id sounds like something one of those features would need for a secure connection. Why would you need VPN unless you were connecting to an outside site?
I remember passbooks for banks. A passbook is how my MIL emptied my husband’s little hometown savings account while we were overseas, to buy cars for his sisters. We were counting on it for moving expenses when we got back and had to drive to San Diego.
I get scam calls all day about cars I don’t own, prizes I didn’t apply for; it’s good to be leery of links. But honestly we’re all more likely to fall for scams by family claiming extreme poverty only to find they suddenly took an Instaworthy vacation with a sudden windfall.