In early March 2022, we reviewed several scam emails that usually began with the subject line, "Welcome to CarShield." Most of the messages we looked at bunched the words together like this: "WelcomeToCarShield."
CarShield is a car insurance company that provides extended warranty coverage for automobiles. On the company's website, it says: "We specialize in shielding our members from the high cost of automobile repairs."
CarShield Scam Email Addresses
The scam messages did not come from official CarShield email addresses. Instead, we saw the following email addresses in the "from" column in seven different messages:
qgffYVk-iytDUQ55xSE-noreply@diodlzja.chaffyfit.com
helencarr1971@gmail.com
zvbSbpU-iytDUQCEN1-noreply@sdcby.sapientexit.com
markmyers753@gmail.com
jakeh7u121996@gmail.com
jeanlucca90@gmail.com
chebra17@gmail.com
None of these was an official email address for CarShield.
We found one example of an official email address for CarShield: cs@carshield.com. Messages coming from this address can be trusted as coming from the company.
Don't Click Links in Scam Emails
Each scam message contained only a few words and a link.
One of the CarShield emails said: "Confirmation: Save Now On Potential Car Repairs." Another read: "Auto Protection for You and Your Family. Get a FREE Quote Today." A third message claimed: "Cover Your Vehicle with Flexible Pricing from Carshield." We also reviewed a scam email with the CarShield name that simply said: "You Could Save $1000s on Repairs."
If readers receive one of these scam emails that shows the CarShield name, we especially advise against clicking any links. Opening the email might not be dangerous, but clicking on links is another matter entirely.
We tested several of the links in private browsing windows. Upon clicking the links, we saw a number of redirects through unfamiliar websites. Some of these automatic redirects appeared suspicious, to say the least. It's unclear if any of this involved phishing attempts, but it was a possibility.
Further Reading
In the past, we've covered other topics on the same subject of misleading claims about automobiles and car insurance. We once reported on false online ads that claimed there were new policies or guidelines for insuring vehicles that are driven less than 49 or 50 miles per day.
We also published two stories that involved misleading claims about automatic headlights.
In sum, no, the "welcome to CarShield" emails were not genuine. They were scams. Always check the email address at the top of messages to find out where the message came from before clicking links. It’s advised to click or tap any arrows or dropdowns next to the email address at the top of the message. Once that area is expanded, it’ll show if the displayed email address matches the real one. It's also good to trust the built-in safeguards that came with email services that warn users of potentially hazardous messages.
Source:
“Who Is This For?” CarShield, https://carshield.com/how-it-works/who-is-this-for/.