A few days ago I got this scam letter in the mail, good old-fashioned snail mail.
It was one of those folded over single sheet of paper letters with the sides that you have to tear off in order to open it up. It had "Personal and Confidential" printed on the front.
As soon as I opened it up I knew it was a scam. Here were the clues that tipped me off:
- No logo at the top.
- "December 11th, 2012" & "December 31st, 2012" - most people don't write the "th" & "st" part.
- "the Continental U.S." - continental isn't usually capitalized.
- Too good to be true. $1400 free, for me?
- Tried contacting me? And never once left a message?
- Pressure for immediate action (without thinking?)
If those clues were not enough, a simple search online confirmed it's a scam. I just searched for the phone number and the name of 'vice president.' 'Scam US Airways letter' also did the trick.
So if you see something like this in the snail mail then please do not fall for it. I'm sure if you call the phone number they will try to get a credit card number or bank details from you "in order for you to get your free plane tickets."
I think the scammers may have gotten my address from my domain registration, so be especially careful if you have registered a web address.
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