How can we verify if an email survey request from a 3rd party is valid?
boucains
Newbie

Today I received an email from a company called GfK asking me to fill out a confidential survey. It said if I had questions about whether this request was authorized, I should contact an email address at GfK. That's silly - why would I ask the company sending the email whether their own request was valid?

In today's online security environment, in the (immediate) future Verizon should have a page already available that can be used to validate these requests.

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Re: How can we verify if an email survey request from a 3rd party is valid?
SuzyQ
Community Leader
Community Leader

How many thousands (?) or even hundreds of thousands of "companies" send out surveys?  How is Verizon, or any carrier, or email provider, supposed to keep track of legitimacy of these surveys?  The onus is on us, as comsumers, to be wise and discerning - just because it was received on a Verizon phone, or even at a Verizon.net email address, does not make it Verizon's responsibility to screen what you receive.

There are tools on nearly all email providers to identify obvious spam, and you can configure it further to screen out addresses that you don't want to receive. 

From the other side - in my business I'll occasionally send surveys to customers for feedback - through survey monkey or something similar, and it comes from my small business name .... no email provider can possibly track ALL the possibilities.  If you are suspicious and don't think it's legitimate, delete it and move on. 

Re: How can we verify if an email survey request from a 3rd party is valid?
boucains
Newbie

I'm sorry; I left out an important part to this because I expected VERIZON to answer it.

This survey is purportedly in partnership with Verizon. If effect, it is an official Verizon activity, and therefore Verizon should be able to say whether they are, in fact, doing a survey through this company.

I hope this clears up the misunderstanding.

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Re: How can we verify if an email survey request from a 3rd party is valid?
GZRX
Contributor - Level 3

You could Google GfK and Verizon.  It led me to something called the Verizon Foundation which displays a red box with the word Verizon and the check mark as display at the top of this page.  Not sure what that is all about.  Seems to me if the big dogs at Verizon Wireless were seeking customer input they would frequent this forum.   Likely the only thing that would prompt positive changes would be a mass exodus of customers.

Me, I would toss the email.

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Re: How can we verify if an email survey request from a 3rd party is valid?
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

We take your security very seroiusly here at Verizon Wireless. We never solicit account information via email. If a customer does get an email like this, we advise the customer to not click any of the links and delete the email. If you want to report the fraudulent email you may forward the text to 7726 (SPAM). We also have blocking options at veriznowireless.com/spamcontrols. If there is anything else we can help you with please feel free to contact us. http://vz.to/1ExQF3c


AllisonC_VZW Follow us on TWITTER @VZWSupport


If my response answered your question please click the _Correct Answer_ button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!

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Re: How can we verify if an email survey request from a 3rd party is valid?
Jabrelol
Newbie

My recent email claimed to be from Verizon. With subject "Important Notice: Please Verify Your Email Address"   including a link to verify my email. I don't click on links like this.  Is this a legitimate VZW email?  If so, very poor form to send some thing out like this.

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Re: How can we verify if an email survey request from a 3rd party is valid?
Jabrelol
Newbie

Sorry, this email purported to be from  verizon-notification@verizon.com

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