The Casualty of Replacing Your Debit Card After a Scam

Over the weekend, the Prophet Driller of Drillimation Systems fell for a real surprise on Pixiv. While this incident resulted in no real damage being done, it could have left a scar on the company’s finances, and it did result in his debit card having to be replaced. Pixiv has since suspended the scammer and is in the process of suspending all impersonation accounts tied to this new phishing scheme that started a few weeks ago.

Messages from scammers impersonating a website’s support system are a common type of phishing scam designed to steal money and personal information. These messages often create a false sense of urgency by pressuring you to act quickly on certain tasks, such as verifying your account or enabling multifactor authentication.

The Aftermath

After the Prophet’s card was canceled, most of Drillimation’s other payment methods moved to PayPal which is much more secure than using a debit or credit card. You don’t have to worry about cards expiring. Debit and credit cards are designed to last only a few years in order to curb fraud, make sure the card doesn’t become worn out from heavy use, be in line with current technology and security upgrades, and update branding.

Most scam sites never accept PayPal, and using the site for the purpose of scamming users would essentially violate their Terms of Service, as scamming is also illegal in the common sense. This also keeps your card numbers private and reduces risk of them getting stolen in the event of a data breach. It has been decided that all payments would be done through the site in the past, similar to how PR campaigns for previous Drillimation games have been done, or commissions have been made for FanTouhouMusic.

How Security Scams Work

Scammers create accounts using a website’s name and the word “support” appended to the end to troll users into thinking they are official communication messages from the site itself. They often use fake notices such as asking for passwords, verifying your account via credit card information, or enabling multifactor authentication. This can lead to large, unauthorized charges on your account.

If you click the link and fill out the form, the scammer could end up gaining remote access to your computer, phone, tablet, or other devices, persuade you into downloading security software that is actually malware, or trick you into sharing personal and financial information.

How to Detect a Scam Message

There are six key factors that can help you detect whether or not the message is a scam:

• Messages often pressure users to act immediately to avoid security threats or large charges.
• Messages claim you purchased something for a large sum of money and usually include a fake invoice.
• Pixiv never asks for your personal information or passwords in unsolicited messages.
• Messages often contain typos, misspellings, or awkward phrasing.
• While the message may use Pixiv’s branding, the sender is usually from an unknown or fake source.
• Don’t click on any links or download attachments from that message.

How to Deal With Pixiv Scam Messages

• The first thing you do is delete the message immediately and not click on any links.
• Calling any numbers or sending messages to email addresses in the message can connect you with scammers. This means you should not respond to anything in the message.
• Go directly to Pixiv settings to enable multifactor authentication instead. Never use the links from the message.
• You can report suspicious messages to Pixiv, and the staff can deal with the scammers by means of suspending the accounts.
• Be aware that scammers can sometimes create fake websites that appear in search engine results for “Pixiv support”. Always use the official website if you need help on how to do something on Pixiv or if you have a problem with the site.

What to Do If You Have Fallen For a Scam

• The first thing to do is change out all of your passwords for all important accounts, including bank, email, and other websites.
• Do a full virus scan of your computer or device to check for and remove any malware.
• If you need to do a more intensive scan for deeply embedded threats, we recommend you use Norton Power Eraser.
• If the scammer got ahold of your debit or credit card or bank information, you will need to contact your financial institution immediately to report any fraudulent charges and potentially cancel and replace the card.
• Report the scam to either the Federal Trade Commission or Internet Crime Complaint Center.