Joe Maring / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Verizon is offering $20 account credits after a major service outage affected many customers.
- However, scammers are also allegedly exploiting the situation by sending phishing messages pretending to offer these credits.
- Authorities advise using the official Verizon app or website directly rather than clicking links in emails or texts.
Verizon’s outage last week left many subscribers unable to connect to the network for many hours. This not only impacted personal communication, but also left people like gig workers high and dry. Verizon announced that users would receive $20 in credits per account, and while some people have had success requesting higher amounts, scammers are now cashing in on the opportunity by baiting users with promises of credit.
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Georgia’s Jones County Sheriff’s Office is warning citizens to be extra cautious if they receive a text or email claiming to be from Verizon offering a credit for their account, especially if there’s a link in the message. There’s allegedly a scam going around that lures people with promises of Verizon credit, steals their personal info and account details, and potentially infects devices with malware.
It seems scammers got the perfect opportunity, as Verizon is indeed rolling out account credits to users. Several users have mentioned in the comments that they received a message from Verizon that redirected them to Verizon’s real website. However, the nature of such scams is that these sites often mimic links and website appearances, so most people wouldn’t be able to tell a fake website from a real one. It’s best to stay cautious and avoid clicking on links in messages.
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