A Cybersecurity Scam Story: I Was Scammed

My wife sent me the link late Saturday night. I was exhausted from driving non-stop through fog and rain for 13 hours and then hitting the gym for a run to loosen up. The product was perfect: all the parts for a swing set my kids would love. It was almost too good to be true, but the online store was set up on a major site that I assumed would back me up if it wasn’t real. So I charged my AMEX and went to sleep. Three days later, I went to check on my order, and the site was cleared out. Ghost town. I was scammed.

No swing set parts for my kids. And I was out $173. I contacted support for the major site, who told me—in essence—that this was not their problem. I popped open my American Express app on my phone—from a Starbucks between meetings—and told support what happened. Five minutes later, a new AMEX was being overnighted, and I was refunded my $173. There are lessons for leaders at any level of any organization.

Takeaways

• None of us are too smart to fall for a scam. Not you, not me, no one. I catch a lot of this stuff for a living, but at the right moment, I was still susceptible
• Long-term risk mitigation matters. I use American Express because of its reputation for extraordinary customer service. When I chose the card, I chose one that would back me up when it mattered. One great decision made years ago continues to protect me.
• Vendors matter. I’ve had to work with American Express on fraud issues before. They’ve never let me down. That’s why I stay with them. Who is there for you when it matters?