I am very embarrassed to admit this, because I consider myself knowledgeable about digital dangers, but employees of this same company infected my computer with malware while keeping me on the phone for 6 hours. It gave them time to raid my bank account and initiate a $2,000 Zelle transfer, buy a $500 Nordstrom gift card, attempt a purchase at something called Offgamers, and make about a dozen other gift card purchases using my PayPal account. I have alerted all the banks, changed dozens of passwords and hopefully halted the raid; lucky for me many of the payees and banks suspected fraud and refused payment. Tomorrow I am taking my computer in for malware cleaning.
How did it happen? In checking out this hydra-headed company called ChicV, I came across a U.S. phone number. I thought perhaps I could get a refund by pleading my case to someone in the U.S. -- or at least get a domestic address for return shipments. I called and no one answered, but about 10 minutes later a man called me back. He told me I did not have to return the merchandise to China and said someone would call early the next week. I was hopeful.
So a man calling himself “John Wilson” (an assumed name, I am sure), contacted me on Monday and explained that the return process was very complicated, because China, and I stupidly agreed to download software that would allow him to control my computer, the kind that IT folks use when your computer is acting up at work. Next came a form that asked for my birth date, which I found odd, but somehow “the servers were not working” over in California, where John was calling from, and we had to try other things. He then had me write down 12 very long tracking/return/whatever numbers – three for each dress I wanted to return. Of course now I realize this was meant to distract me while his buddies raided my computer. Every time I complained about the delay I was asked to be patient.
Then I compounded my stupidity by remaining on the phone, and leaving my computer plugged in, while I went to a doctor’s appointment. When I returned a few hours later, I noticed that my bank account website was open and a $2,000 transfer was pending to an unknown Zelle account. Horrified, I demanded to know what was going on. “You will not lose any money, I promise!” John said, over and over. “It will all be put back!” Why did they need to access my bank account? Complicated return process, “just an advertising thing,” and don’t worry about it. But then came a call from Nordstrom’s fraud department asking me if I really wanted to buy a $500 gift card. It’s a scam, the Nordstrom guy told me, because other customers had the same experience. My heart sank.
So it finally, FINALLY dawned on me that I had to end the phone call and pull out the plug on my computer. I cursed a blue streak at John, who refused to admit what he and his buddies were doing, of course. The rest of the day was spent trying to clean up their mess.
If you've made it to here, sorry for the length. The moral of the story is: don't call any number expecting a refund.
