Gone phishing
How to beat scammers. Plus: The Publisher Summits & Awards 2025 - save ££ on your ticket [#191]
I've been inundated by phishing emails and texts lately. Maybe it's the M&S/Co-op/Adidas cyberattacks and my details have been sold on, or because I replied to an email from a 'recruiter', and left digital breadcrumbs for scammers.
This month’s exciting opportunities:
A call from 'Indeed HR' (07414 646 571) – an automated message from a teenage girl who sounded manic. "I'm from Indeed HR. I would like to discuss a job with you. Please add my number on WhatsApp." (ignored)
A text from 'Layla at Renaissance Leadership' (07394 290473). "Hello, my name is Layla and I am a consultant with Renaissance Leadership. We have a position open right now. Interested in knowing more?" (emailed Renaissance)
An email from ‘Carmen Tapia at Accounts Payable’ telling me I've been paid for my outstanding invoices – remittance note kindly attached. (deleted)
An email from ‘Sophia Laurier at Project Guild’ offering me a premium B2B consulting gig - via the NUJ Freelance Directory (replied as curious, which might have triggered this avalanche of spam). Foolishly downloaded a docx file.
A WhatsApp from ‘Thomas Hale a recruiter at Outlier AI’ (07537 180711) asking if I was still interested in working with them. “You’ve been approved for the Formal Task Manager Position at Outlier! When I send you the verification link you need to complete the registration. Let me know soon, when you are ready.” He had their logo as ID, so I thought this was legit (emailed Outlier).
Guess us self-employed folks are an easy target, as we’re active online, looking for work, and putting ourselves out there. It's a numbers game – if 1% of us engage, they've won! - some tips from the NCSC.
What I’ve done:
- Sent suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk and flagged them as spam in Google. Forwarded texts to 7726.
- Searched WHOIS to see how long projectguild.org has been registered and if there's a named owner. It's a new registration and anonymous, so I reported it. Sophia's name came up on Subreddits, so she's been busy.
- Ran the docx through Nordvpn.com File Checker – no sign of a virus or malware, thank god.
- Contacted Renaissance Leadership and had a reply from Caroline Tarantino‼️ “Thanks for flagging this, it appears to be a scam that various mobile numbers are calling and texting people portraying to be from us.” I’m about the sixth person to call today about it.
- Emailed Outlier to find out if Thomas is legit, as I couldn't find him online (ever heard of a recruiter not on LinkedIn?). Last time, they wanted to use Google Chat to verify my ID. That's okay, as Chat is secure, but it all feels very invasive.
I don't want randoms sliding into my DMs expecting an instant response. Even WhatsApp HR emailed me about a job!
No reply from Outlier but I see the logo has disappeared from his message so he’s fake news, which makes me wonder how he knew about my application-in-progress.
It reminds me of when I was scammed by Fake IT on my landline. I had a tech issue and was waiting for a callback from TalkTalk. They tried to get remote access to my laptop - it all happened very fast. I came to my senses and hung up when they asked me to log in to my online bank. Felt like a right idiot.
What happened to communication?
I got rid of my landline after this. Mostly sales and scam calls and it made me jump a mile when it rang. I do miss it, though. It was lovely when a friend called for a chat. The quality of sound is so much better than on mobile – it’s a richer conversation, and I'd curl up in my chair and give her my full attention.
There’s something soothing about winding your fingers round the cord – like an umbilical cord to my mate, which tethered me to that point in time. I was more present. My mobile calls are shorter and more functional (except for sister Sam – two hours!!). I worry about my brain and radiation when I talk for too long, and we get cut off, so it feels a bit disjointed.
I told her about the phishing and she said, "what happened to communication?" She used to really look forward to emails from her boyfriend Darren – they felt special. We were on the phone with our mates ALL THE TIME. Even when we'd just seen them. My dad got so fed up with it he had a second line installed.
We had a reporter’s notepad by the phone with a daily log:
NIC, KATIE RANG (16.00)
KATIE RANG AGAIN (18.15) PLEASE CALL HER BACK!
SAM, ELOISE RANG (11.02)
Always connected but it never felt overwhelming. Now, I don't answer my phone unless I recognise the number. I put it on Airplane mode or in a drawer so I can focus. Notifications are turned off. I've tried grayscale to make it more boring. I still feel constantly attached to it though like a limb - running app, podcasts, photos, thoughts.
I feel obliged to respond to DMs and group chats so I’m trying to set boundaries - times of the day, email signature etc and communicate my communication habits so people know what to expect. As my mate Cath used to say, “When I’m out, I’m out!”
And if I'm going phishing and want to wind the scammers up, it’s best to do it from a burner email.
Nika
PS I'm looking forward to the Publisher Summits & Awards on 10-11 June – a look at what leading publishers are doing, from paid newsletters to alternative magazine revenue strategies, and why we're still talking about print in 2025. A refreshingly AI-free agenda!
If you're going let me know, be nice to say hello. You can use my code SHIFT20 for 20% off your ticket. See the full agenda and grab your ticket here.
