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April 3rd, 2024

Hi, Reader,
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​I was almost scammed a couple of weeks ago!

I waited this long to share because I wasn't certain that the scam had ended!​​​​​​​​
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I often work with brands to share about their products on social media. I received an email from an upscale company. It's not one that I recognized but the items were very nice designer items. So I responded to the email. They sent over an application and I was quickly approved ( a little suspicious). They then sent instructions to pick out 10 items that I would be sharing throughout the year. I've had campaigns like this so I wasn't surprised.​​​​​​​​
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But then suddenly they sent over an email that said the items had shipped and provided a tracking code. ALL of the items shipped at one time? And with no instructions about which to share first, what hashtags to use, a coupon code or a website link. That was odd. ​​​​​​​​
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So I searched my inbox to see if I had missed something and that's when my heart almost stopped. The email was from a Gmail address! They had disguised it. OMG! ​​​​​​​​
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But what was the scam? I had read the contract thoroughly and didn't see a problem there but I did click on a link to get to the contract! I immediately started changing all my passwords and shutting down my bank accounts and credit cards. Thankfully, I have 2-factor identification on almost everything.​​​​​​​​
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I went searching the web for any instances of scams from this company and found a lot about them. This is a very detailed scam! They set up their own look-alike website and their own shipping company website. When I Googled the shipping website, I saw incorrect grammar in their web description. ​​​​​​​​
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​The scam is that they send an email stating that you have to pay customs or taxes (I saw both instances) on the items being sent. Because these are expensive items, that would amount to quite a bit of money. The "shipping website's" tracking code is actually a password so that they can see that you have logged in to check the location.​​​​​​​​
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it looks like they move the item around and then it gets stuck. That’s when they ask for money.
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They sent me a reminder to check the location of my items and when I didn't respond, they stopped sending emails.

Here are some tips to help you avoid being scammed.​
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• Look at the return email address. It should be from a company, not a Gmail or Yahoo address. In the case of Facebook "warnings" about deleting your account, they never send warnings; they just delete your account. But do check the return address as well. If you receive something from your bank or PayPal, don't click the link, sign on to your account and see if there are any notifications.
• Search the subject line in your inbox to find the correct email address because they can be pretty tricky at hiding the email address.
• Don’t click on any links. (This can be tricky though.)
• Beware of “Intersend Shipping” as scammers are using this fake shipping website with other scam campaigns as well. (Intersend Shipping is a real shipping company but they create an entirely fake website.)
• Avoid to-good-to-be-true offers.
• Look for poorly written or generic communication.
• DON’T SEND MONEY. For anything!
• Use 2-factor authentication, especially on your email, social media and financial institutions.
• Be smarter than me!

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​​That's it for now! Stay safe!
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XoXo Shelley
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In case you forgot why you joined our community:
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I’m well into midlife and maybe, just like you, I’ve worn a lot of different hats in my lifetime! I worked as a nurse for over 30 years, raised my two children who I’m very proud of, and launched a second career as a blogger and social media strategist in my fifties. For a time, I was also a caregiver to my father and a long-distance caregiver to my mother.

But also, maybe just like you, there was a time in my life when I had no sense of purpose. When I worked as a nurse, I knew what my purpose was. When I stayed home to care for my kids, I knew what my purpose was. And when I cared for my parents, I also knew my purpose… for a little while.

But somewhere in midlife, I lost that. The kids grew up. They didn’t seem to need me much at all. That threw me into a crisis (but that’s a whole other crazy story). My job as a nurse was not fulfilling anymore and I couldn’t figure out what to do next!

I know what it is like to feel empty, insignificant, unloved and unfulfilled. I know what it is like to feel terrified to end up alone, lonely and financially stressed as I enter my senior years.

But I also knew there was a way out of all of that. There were new people to meet, significant relationships to establish, dreams to pursue, perhaps new businesses to begin! I’ve learned how to move past those fears in order to reach some of my biggest, scariest goals, like starting my own business, speaking on stage, becoming a brand ambassador for O, The Oprah Magazine and planning and hosting a 3-day social media conference.

And if you’re hoping to find a way out of that loss of purpose, as well, then I just want to let you know that you are in the right place and that I’m truly excited and grateful that you’re here.

It's never too late to create a life you love!

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