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Scam Alerts

 
 
The Scam Alerts page is designed to provide quick, brief updates on the latest scams. Some of the topics will not deserve a page to themselves because they are so small, whereas others will be covered in more detail elsewhere on the site.

The latest warnings are at the top of the page, and older items will drop off the bottom.

Bank of America Scam and National Health Anti-Fraud Scam

You may receive an email claiming to be from technical services of the Bank of America stating that due to a planned software upgrade you need to confirm your banking details online by clicking on a link in the email.

This email is similar to many variations targeting online banking customers, and attempting to steal their personal and financial information.

If you click on the link in the email you will be taken to a fake website that looks identical to the genuine banking site of the bank named in the email. The details you enter on that fake website will be used by internet scammers to commit fraud and identity theft.

To get a higher number of people to click the link, the email states that it is 'obligatory' for all bank customers to reconfirm their details this way or the account will be suspended!

By stating the reason as a software upgrade, the scammers also ask you to update personal information once you have logged in. This provides them with you logon information so they can steal your funds, and also provides your personal information so they can commit identity theft.

So be wary of any email claiming to be from your bank [or any financial institution] that requires you to logon using a link in the email to provide any personal information.

You should always enter the bank's details directly in the address bar yourself instead of clicking a link. If you are unsure, ring the bank using a phone number out of the directory. Fake websites usually don't show the 'https' in the address indicating it is a secure site.

An email claiming to be from the National Health Anti-Fraud Association is circulating that claims a complaint has been made against you, and strongly recommends that you read the complaint that is in an attached document to the email.

The goal of the email is to get you to open the attachment, and in doing so, install malicious software on your computer.

This email is one of a variety of 'complaint' emails designed to panic you into opening the attachment containing the details, in the hope that you can resolve the complaint before it goes further.

Be wary of any 'complaint' email as most legitimate organizations will write a letter. If you are unsure, contact the orgnanization directly using information from a phone directory, not from an email. Do not follow any links in the email.


Romance Scams


We have recently received many complaints about online dating and romance scams.

The scammers target you by creating fake profiles on genuine internet dating sites, chat rooms or introductory service classifieds.

Scammers then spend a lot of time forming a strong and trusting relationship with you. Their goal is to prey on your emotions and any vulnerabilities you may have.

Once they have gained your trust, they will use a variety of excuses to ask for your money. Common reasons include medical bills for sickness and unexpected accidents, airfares to come and meet you, and family related illnesses.

Money and gifts sent to scammers are usually impossible to recover. In addition to the lost money, hearts are usually broken with long-lasting emotional effects due to having been betrayed by someone they thought they loved and trusted.

Warning Signs

1. The profile photo of your date doesn’t match up to the description they provided, or the photo looks like it is from a magazine

2. Your potential date expresses strong emotions after only a few letters or emails

3. You are asked for money, your bank account details or gifts

4. The emails become more desperate, persistent or direct if you don’t send money straightaway

5. You are asked to go straight from on-site messaging to off-site messaging such as regular email or instant messaging [to prevent the dating site administrators seeing the evidence of the scam and kicking them off the site]

6. The scammer will shun live video chat because the photo is fake

How to Protect Yourself

1. Only give personal details to people you know and trust

2. Be wary of anyone who you have not personally met that asks you to send them money, gifts or your banking and credit card details

3. Be very careful about how much personal information you share on social network sites. Scammers can use your information and pictures to create a fake identity

4. Carefully assess people’s profiles

5. When you agree to personally meet, tell family and friends where you are going

6. Keep your computer updated with the latest anti-virus and anti-spyware software and use a good firewall

Safe advice is: Long distance love + request for money = scam!

 

Apples New Tablet Computer

Apple chief executive Steve Jobs recently revealed the company's latest device, a touchscreen tablet computer called the iPad.

The iPad, which resembles an oversized iPhone, begins shipping worldwide in March.

Speculation and anticipation regarding Apple's latest creation built in the months prior to the iPad unveiling, only to be replaced afterward by intense online debate about the device's strengths and weaknesses.

Scammers have been cashing in on iPad fever by luring the curious to booby-trapped websites with false promises of information about Apple's new tablet computer.

Even before the first user can buy the latest and upcoming Apple technology, the iPad, cybercriminals are already making profit from its popularity.

Hackers and criminals "poison" online searches by rigging websites with words likely to be used as query terms to assure prominent ranking on results pages.

When people seeking iPad information interact with links on trick pages their machines are infected with "scareware" software that tries to get them to pay to fix computer virus problems that don't actually exist.

In the coming weeks you can also expect to see iPad-related spam and phishing attacks hitting consumers hard so be on your guard.

Online criminals routinely take advantage of hot topics such as the Haiti earthquake or the death of a celebrity to lure people into visiting trick websites or opening booby-trapped files.

 

Mystery Shopping Scams Increase

Recently we have received increased reports of employment schemes relating to mystery/secret shopper positions. Scammers are taking advantage of the fact that many retail and service corporations do hire people to evaluate themselves or their competitors.

We have been advised that the victims have been contacted by e-mail and U.S. mail to apply to be a mystery shopper and asked to send a resume and are supposedly subject to an extensive background check before being accepted as a mystery shopper.

The employees are then sent a check with instructions to shop at a specified retailer for a specific length of time and spend a specific amount of money on merchandise from the store. The employees receive instructions to take note of the store's environment, color, payment procedures, gift items, and shopping/carrier bags and report back to the employer.

The second evaluation is to evaluate the ease and accuracy of wiring money from the retail location. The money to be wired is also included in the check sent to the employee.

The remaining balance is the employee's payment for the completion of the assignment. After the merchandise is purchased and the money is wired, the employees are advised by the bank that the check cashed was counterfeit, and they are responsible for the money lost in addition to bank fees incurred.

In other versions of the scheme, applicants are requested to provide bank account information to have money directly deposited into their accounts. The scammers then have gained access to these victims' accounts and can withdraw money, which makes the applicant a victim of identity theft.

Here are some tips you can use to avoid becoming a victim of employment schemes associated with mystery/secret shopping:

•Do not respond to unsolicited [spam] e-mail

•Do not click on links contained within an unsolicited e-mail

•Be cautious of e-mail claiming to contain pictures in attached files, as the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders. Virus scan all attachments, if possible

•Avoid filling out forms contained in e-mail messages that ask for personal information

•Always compare the link in the e-mail to the link you are actually directed to and determine if they match and will lead you to a legitimate site

•There are legitimate mystery/secret shopper programs available. Research the legitimacy of companies hiring mystery shoppers. Legitimate companies will not charge an application fee and will accept applications on-line

•No legitimate mystery/secret shopper program will send payment in advance and ask the employee to send a portion of it back.


Haitian Earthquake Relief Fraud Alert

Reports have already been coming in of Haitian earthquake relief scams.

Fraudulent websites have sprung up overnight, and there have been mass appeal emails sent out with fake postal and website addresses to send donations to.

If you intend to donate money in the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti, you need to be very alert and do your due diligence before responding to those requests. Past tragedies and natural disasters have triggered many scams that are promoted through mass emails as well as advertisements on the Internet and newspapers.

So, before making a donation of any kind, consider these guidelines:

• Do not respond to any unsolicited [SPAM] incoming emails, including clicking links contained within those messages

• Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as surviving victims or officials asking for donations via e-mail or social networking sites

• Verify the legitimacy of nonprofit organizations by utilizing various Internet-based resources that may assist in confirming the group's existence and its nonprofit status rather than following a supposed link to the site

• Be cautious of e-mails that claim to show pictures of the disaster areas in attached files because the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders

• Make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf to ensure contributions are received and used for intended purposes

• Do not give your personal or financial information to anyone who solicits contributions: Providing such information may compromise your identity and make you vulnerable to identity theft


Identity Theft

With just under 9 million identity theft attempts online every day, you need to be on the alert to avoid becoming a victim.

The theft of your identity occurs by either tricking you into providing your personal information such as login details, credit card numbers or social security numbers, or by physically stealing your wallet etc.

The most common way to get your personal details is by sending you a message via text, email or phone, indicating there is a problem with your account. The message tries to get you to call a number or visit a website and enter your details.

Within the message you receive is usually a link to the website they want you to login to, which is usually a fake replica of the real website you think you are going to.

You can avoid this type of scam by never clicking on a link in the message, and always typing the name of the business into the address bar yourself. If you are asked to ring a phone number, always look it up in the directory.

Although the physical theft may include your purse or wallet, sometimes it includes your written personal details recovered from your trash cans on a variety of accounts, invoices and credit card invitations.

The way to avoid this is to shred all documents with your personal information on them.

There are instances of identity theft that you can't prevent such as large scale hacking of business computers that store your personal details, or where your credit card is taken out of your sight for processing [restaurant] and the staff can record your details and the security number on the back.

You can minimize the effects of this type of theft by monitoring your accounts online and subscribing to an ID theft protection service.

 

Social Security Scam Email

This email appears to be sent from "Social Security Administration" and claims that your annual Social Security statement may contain errors. It urges you to click a link in the message so that you can review a copy of your statement and look for possible calculation errors.

The email is a scam and is not from Social Security Administration. It is designed to collect social security numbers and fool you into installing a trojan that will steal information from your computer.

If you click on the link you will be taken to a fake website designed to look like the genuine United States Social Security Online website.

You are first asked to enter your Social Security Number and then click a "Continue" button, upon which you will be taken to a second fake webpage where you will be instructed to click another button that will supposedly generate your annual Social Security statement.

By clicking the button however you do not generate a statement, but instead download a trojan called the Zbot.P trojan. Once it is installed on your computer, the trojan can collect information such as your passwords and send them to Internet criminals.

Scammers often use government department names on their emails in an attempt to trick you into giving up personal information or downloading malware.

Always be wary of unsolicited email from government departments if they are asking you to enter private information. If you need to access the government department's website, do so by typing the address into your browser's address bar, instead of clicking a link.

 

Hotmail and Yahoo Email Scam

You may receive an email that appears to come from Hotmail, Windows Live, or Yahoo and claims that you must reply within 48 hours or your email account will be closed.

The message states that they are having 'congestion' problems due to anonymous registrations and so they need to delete some accounts to deal with this problem.

To prevent your email account being closed, you are instructed to reply to the email and provide your username and password. Some emails ask for additional information.

This email is not from Hotmail, Windows Live or Yahoo. It is a phishing email scam designed to steal your account login details. If you reply, you will be handing over your email account to the scammers for them to do as they wish.

One of the scammers main uses of these email accounts is to gain access to the contact list. Once they have the contact list they can send emails to those contacts on the list,and it will appear to come from the account owner.

A common strategy is for the scammers to send an email to the contact list [which will be in the account holder's name], stating they are stuck in an overseas country, or had an accident in an overseas country, and they need money to be sent to them.

Some of the recipients will likely believe it and send money because it will come from the original account holder's account with their email signature etc.

The real owner of the email account is unlikely to know that this is happening.

Although the scammers can use different reasons to get you to send your login details [such as the email account exceeding its storage limit, or increased security changes or system upgrade] the result is always the same – they want you to send your login details.

Be cautious of any messages asking for login details as they are almost always a scam.

 

Anti Virus Software Scams

While browsing the Internet, you may receive pop-up security warnings that state that your computer is infected with numerous viruses.

These pop-ups [known as scareware] look authentic and may even display what appears to be real-time anti-virus scanning of your hard drive. The scareware will show a list of reputable software icons; however, you cannot click a link to go to the actual site to review or see the recommendations.

The scareware is intimidating to most users and extremely aggressive in its attempt to lure you into purchasing the rogue software that will allegedly remove the viruses from your computer.

Once the pop-up appears it cannot be easily closed by clicking "close" or the "X" button. If you click on the pop-up to purchase the software, a form is provided that collects payment information and you are charged for the bogus product.

In some instances, whether you click on the pop-up or not, the scareware can install malicious code onto your computer.

Downloading the software can result in viruses, Trojans and/or keyloggers being installed on your computer.

The assertive tactics of the scareware has caused significant losses to users and the FBI has an estimated loss to victims in excess of $150 million.

Be cautious — cyber criminals use easy to remember names and associate them with known applications. Beware of pop-ups that are offering a variation of recognized security software. It is recommended that you research the exact name of the software being offered.

Take precautions to ensure your operating system is updated and security software is current.

If you receive these anti-virus pop-ups, it is recommended you close the browser or shut the system down. It is suggested that you run a full, anti-virus scan whenever the computer is turned back on.



Festive Season Scam Alert

With the festive season approaching, the Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] is reminding people that cyber criminals continue to aggressively create new ways to steal money and personal information. Scammers use many techniques to fool you including fraudulent auction sales, reshipping merchandise purchased with a stolen credit card, and sale of fraudulent or stolen gift cards through auction sites at a discounted price.

Fraudulent Classified Ads or Auction Sales

Internet criminals post classified ads or auctions for products they do not have. If you receive an auction product from a merchant or retail store, rather than directly from the auction seller, the item may have been purchased with someone else's stolen credit card number. Contact the merchant to verify the account used to pay for the item actually belongs to you.

You should be cautious and not provide financial information directly to the seller, as fraudulent sellers will use this information to purchase items for their scheme from the provided financial account. Always use a legitimate payment service to protect purchases.

With product delivery, unfamiliar Web sites or individuals selling reduced or free shipping to customers through auction sites many times are deemed to be fraudulent. In many instances, these Web sites or sellers provide shipping labels to their customers as a service. However, the delivery service providers are ultimately not being paid to deliver the package; therefore, packages shipped by the victims using these labels are intercepted by delivery service providers because they are identified as fraudulent.

Diligently check each seller's rating and feedback along with their number of sales and the dates on which feedback was posted. Be wary of a seller with 100% positive feedback, if they have a low total number of feedback postings and all feedback was posted around the same date and time.

Gift Card Scam

Be careful about purchasing gift cards from auction sites or through classified ads. If you need a gift card, it is safest to purchase it directly from the merchant or another authorized retail store. If the gift card merchant discovers the card you received from another source or auction was initially obtained fraudulently, the merchant will deactivate the gift card number and it will not be honored for purchases.

Phishing and Smishing Schemes

Be wary of e-mails or text messages you receive indicating a problem or question regarding your financial accounts. In this scam, you are directed to follow a link or call the number provided in the message to update your account or correct the problem. The link actually directs you to a fraudulent Web site or message that appears legitimate where any personal information you provide, such as account number and PIN, will be stolen.

Another scam involves victims receiving an e-mail message directing them to a spoofed Web site. A spoofed Web site is a fake site or copy of a real Web site and misleads the recipient into providing personal information, which is sent to the scammer's computers.

Tips

Here are some tips you can use to avoid becoming a victim of cyber fraud:

•Do not respond to unsolicited [spam] e-mail
•Do not click on links contained within an unsolicited e-mail
•Be cautious of e-mail claiming to contain pictures in attached files, as the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders. Virus scan the attachments if possible
•Avoid filling out forms contained in e-mail messages that ask for personal information
•Always compare the link in the e-mail to the link you are actually directed to and determine if they actually match and will lead you to a legitimate site
•Log on directly to the official Web site for the business identified in the e-mail, instead of "linking" to it from an unsolicited e-mail. If the e-mail appears to be from your bank, credit card issuer, or other company you deal with frequently, your statements or official correspondence from the business will provide the proper contact information
•Contact the actual business that supposedly sent the e-mail to verify if the e-mail is genuine

 

Email Account Deactivation Warning, and Facebook Password Reset Confirmation 

The Email Account Deactivation Warning email advises you that your email account has been deactivated due to unusual activity being detected.

The email instructs you to extract and run an attached "mailbox utility", supposedly in order to restore your email service.

The email however is not from your ISP or hosting company and the attachment does not contain a mailbox utility. In fact, if you open the attachment, it will install a copy of the Mal/EncPk-LP trojan on your computer.

The email messages use fake sender addresses to make it look like they originate from your service provider [if your email address was yourusersname@provider.com, the malware email will arrive with an address like automailer@provider.com and will also end with a line such as "best regards, provider.com technical support"].

This is done to trick more people into opening the email by trying to look legitimate.

The Facebook Password Reset Confirmation email states that your password has been changed as a security measure, and that your new password is in the attached document.

The goal of the email is to get you to open the document to read your new password, and if you do this, you will in fact be launching a copy of the Bredolab Trojan. Once installed, this trojan is able to download and install other malware components such as keyloggers and password stealers and allow Internet criminals to control your computer from the other side of the world.

If you receive an email like this or the one above, don't open any attachments or click on any links in the message. It is quite easy for criminals to make it appear that an email is legitimate by using fake "from" addresses, disguised links, and logos or other graphics stolen from the genuine company's website.

Remember You will never be sent any new passwords in an attachment.

Be aware that the Bredolab Trojan is also distributed via emails that include fake shipping confirmation messages and messages supposedly confirming the order of goods bought online.

 

Flu Pandemic Counterfeit Antiviral Drugs Making Scammers Rich

Sophos, a British security software firm has said it has intercepted hundreds of millions of fake pharmaceutical spam adverts and websites this year, with many of them trying to sell counterfeit antiviral drugs like Tamiflu.

Tamiflu is an antiviral marketed by Switzerland's Roche Holding and known generically as Oseltamivir and is the frontline drug recommended by the World Health Organization to treat and slow the progression of flu symptoms. GlaxoSmithKline makes another antiviral for flu, known as Relenza.

Sophos said many of the gangs behind the websites were based in Russia and the top five countries buying fake Tamiflu and other medicines on the internet were the United States, Germany, Britain, Canada and France.

"The criminal gangs working behind the scenes at fake internet pharmacies are putting their customers' health, personal information and credit card details at risk."

Sophos said criminal gangs were operating medicines websites branded as the "Canadian Pharmacy" to try to appear genuine.

It said its research showed that on one network operated out of Russia, called Glavmed, it was possible to earn an average of $16,000 a day promoting pharmaceutical websites.
"But the criminals can be members of more than one affiliate network, and some have boasted of earning more than $100,000 per day," it said in a statement.

The pandemic H1N1 flu virus has now spread to 206 countries since it was first discovered in March. There have been more than 6,250 deaths to date, mostly in the Americas.

 

Banking Fraud Combined with Work at Home Scams

The FBI has recently seen a significant increase in fraud involving the online banking information belonging to small and medium size businesses, municipal governments, and school districts.

One of the most common ways is when the targeted organization receives a 'spear phishing' email which either contains an infected attachment, or directs them to an infected web site.

Once you open the attachment or visit the web site, malicious software [malware] is installed on your computer.

The malware contains a key logger which will harvest your business or corporate bank account log-in information. Shortly after, the scammer either creates another user account with the stolen log-in information, or directly transfers your funds out of your accounts.

The next step is for your money to be directed to the bank accounts of people within the United States. Most of these people are unaware of what is happening and have been recruited through work-at-home advertisements, or have been contacted after placing resumes on well-known job search web sites.

These people are often hired to 'process payments', or 'transfer funds' and are told they will receive wire transfers into their bank accounts. Shortly after the funds are received, they are directed to immediately forward most of the money overseas using wire transfer services such as Western Union and Moneygram.

Protecting your computer against malicious software is an ongoing activity and, at minimum, all computers need to have antivirus and firewall software, that is regularly updated.

Further information is available at http://www.us-cert.gov/nav/nt01/.

 

Microsoft, Google, Yahoo Lottery Scam


We have been advised of an email circulating that claims you have won a lottery organized by Microsoft, Google and Yahoo. The email claims that you have won 500,000 pounds in the draw that was sponsored by the three computer giants.

The message states that your email address was randomly selected using a computer draw system that harvested email addresses from the Internet. To claim your prize, you are requested to contact the 'Fiduciary Claim Agent' named in the email as Mr. Michael Walker. To receive your prize, you are required to provide personal details for 'verification purposes'.

If you provide these details [name, address, date of birth etc], you will be contacted back and asked to provide 257 pounds to cover fees for insurance, bank fees, taxes and administration. The message states that the fees cannot be deducted out of the winnings, as they are required to pay out the full value of the prize.

This email is a scam.

The goal of the email is firstly to capture your personal details so the Internet criminals can commit identity fraud. The second goal is to steal your money in the form of fees for a non-existent lottery.

You should be suspicious of any notification that you have won a lottery that you didn't enter. This applies also to lotteries that claim to be random draws of email addresses from the world wide web. Legitimate lottery organizers are aware of the issues around collecting information without the knowledge or permission of the owner.

A legitimate lottery won't require you to pay any sort of 'fees' to claim your prize.

The scammers use fake names and disposable email addresses, and usually target countries they don't live in. Once they have made their money, they pack up their tent and disappear into the Internet ether. This makes it almost impossible for police to catch them or return your money.

Although it sounds obvious to most people that it is a scam, it continues to catch people every day! It is the hope of 'something for nothing'. You can read more on our page of Lottery Scams

It may sound tempting, however don't reply, or provide any personal information, or send any money!



Vishing Attacks

Many people have received an email, text message, or telephone call, supposedly from their credit card/debit card company directing them to contact a telephone number to re-activate their card due to a security issue. This type of scam is known as "vishing".

Vishing operates like phishing by persuading you to divulge your personal information, claiming your account was suspended, deactivated, or terminated. You are directed to contact your bank using a telephone number provided in the email or by an automated recording. When you call the number, you are greeted with the "Welcome to the bank of ……" and then requested to enter your card number in order to resolve a pending security issue.

For authenticity, some fraudulent e-mails even claim the bank would never contact customers to obtain their personal information by any means, including e-mail, mail, or instant messenger. These e-mails further warn you not to provide sensitive information when requested in an e-mail and not to click on embedded links, claiming they could contain "malicious software aimed at capturing login credentials."

However, beware of spam e-mails as they may actually contain malicious code which can harm your computer. Do not open any unsolicited e-mail and do not click on any links provided.

A new version recently reported involves the sending of text messages to cell phones claiming your on-line bank account has expired. The message instructs you to renew your on-line bank account by using the link provided.

Because the scammers are constantly developing new approaches and strategies, it is impossible to include every scenario. Therefore, be cognizant and protect your personal information and beware of emails, telephone calls, or text messages requesting your personal information.

If you have a question concerning your account or credit/debit card, you should contact your bank using a telephone number obtained independently, such as from your statement, a telephone book, or other independent means.

 

Fraudulent Email Claiming to be from the FBI

Fraudulent e-mails containing the subject line "New DHS Report" have been circulating since August 15, 2009. The e-mails claim to be from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the FBI Counterterrorism Division.

The e-mail text contains information about "New Usama Bin Ladin Speech Directed to the People of Europe," and has an attachment titled "audio.exe." The attachment is purportedly an audio speech from Bin Ladin; however, it actually contains malicious software intended to steal information from the recipient's system.

A fraudulent e-mail message claiming to contain a confidential FBI report titled "New Patterns in Al-Qaeda Financing" has been circulating since August 15, 2009. The e-mail has the subject line "Intelligence Bulletin No. 267," and contains an attachment titled "bulletin.exe." This message, or similar messages, may contain files that are harmful to the recipient’s system and may try to steal user credentials.

A fraudulent e-mail, initially appearing around June 16, 2009, claims to contain a confidential FBI report from the FBI "Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate." The subject line of the email is "RE: Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate," and contains an attachment "reports.exe". This message and similar messages may contain a file related to the "W32.Waledac" trojan software, which is designed to steal user authentication credentials or send spam messages.

DO NOT CLICK ON ANY LINKS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS E-MAIL OR SIMILAR E-MAILS, IT IS A HOAX.

The FBI does not send unsolicited e-mails or e-mail official reports. Consumers should not respond to any unsolicited e-mails or click on any embedded links, as they may contain viruses or malware.

 

Social Networking Scams

The Internet Crime Complaint Centre [IC3] has recently released a report covering how scammers hijack accounts on social networking sites and spread malicious software by using various techniques.

One technique involves the use of spam to promote phishing sites, claiming there has been a violation of the terms of agreement or some other type of issue which needs to be resolved. Other spam entices users to download an application or view a video. Some spam appears to be sent from users' "friends", giving the perception of being legitimate. Once the user responds to the phishing site, downloads the application, or clicks on the video link, their computer, telephone or other digital device becomes infected.

Some of the malicious software installed gives the scammers access to your profile and personal information. These programs will automatically send messages to your "friends" list, instructing them to download the new application too.

Infected users are often unknowingly spreading additional malware by having infected Web sites posted on their Webpage without their knowledge. Friends are then more likely to click on these sites since they appear to be supported by their contacts.

How to Avoid the Social Networking Scams:

Adjust Web site privacy settings. Some networking sites have provided useful options to assist in adjusting these settings to help protect your identity

Be selective of your friends. Once selected, your "friends" can access any information marked as "viewable by all friends"

Disable options and then open them one by one such as texting and photo sharing capabilities. Users should consider how they want to use the social networking site. If it is only to keep in touch with people then perhaps it would be better to turn off the extra options which will not be used

Be careful what you click on. Just because someone posts a link or video to their "wall" does not mean it is safe

Each social networking site may have different procedures on how to handle a hijacked or infected account; therefore, you may want to reference their help or FAQ page for instructions.

 

Virus Protection Scams

There is an increasing incidence of 'scareware' surfacing on the Internet. You may have been browsing on Internet sites when you received a pop-up window warning that your computer has an infection or a warning flashing that offers a free scan to see if your computer is infected. You may even receive the equivalent of a 'blue screen of death' which advises your computer has crashed.

These are virus protection scams that may offer to sell you software to remove the infection, or scam your computer and remove it for you. The costs vary but generally fall in the range of $30 -50.

However the scam arises if you purchase the software as it doesn't work. When you download it, you may even receive malicious software as part of the download. This software may try to steal personal information and passwords, or it may install 'ransomware' that makes some of your data unavailable until you pay a fee to receive the unlock code.
It has been reported that there are over 16, 000 varieties of these scareware programs who are trying to extract your money or personal information.

You may receive this scareware in various ways that can include a message offering what appears as a legitimate update for software on your computer [such as a Flash player], by clicking on fake links in emails, Google ads or hijacked web pages.

The end result is the same however – you receive a warning with the option of a download. To complicate the problem, even if you suspect it is a fake message, trying to escape can be difficult. If you close the warning window, you may activate another one, or worse, you may not be able to close the browser window or use your back button!

To prevent finding yourself in this situation:

• Ensure you have quality internet security software that is updated regularly

• Ensure you schedule regular scans of your computer, and if you think you have been infected, run a full-system scan

• Don't click on pop-ups that claim your computer is infected, or accept offers to scan your computer to check it for viruses. Don't click on the 'no' option in the pop-up box – use the 'X' in the top right corner, or if it doesn't work, right click on the program icon in the taskbar and choose close. Failing that, simultaneously press Control-Alt-Delete keys that will bring up the Windows Task Manager and then select the browser and choose 'end task'.

 

Ponzi Schemes

The recession is causing a sharp rise in the number of Ponzi schemes. This is due mainly to low interest rates for investors causing them to look elsewhere for better returns, and also workers losing their jobs and receiving a payoff from their employer and then looking to invest that money.

In a Ponzi scheme, potential investors are attracted by promises of very large returns or dividends over a very short period of time, due either to skill of the investor, or the secret nature of the investment.

And according to the Better Business Bureau, there are at least 23,000 of them being promoted online in YouTube videos!

The returns are repaid, at least for a time, out of new investors’ principal, not from profits. This can continue as long as new investors line up with cash, and old investors don’t try to withdraw too much of their money at once.

A few people invest in the scheme, then as news of the offer spreads, more investors are drawn in. Usually there is no actual investment involved, contrary to your understanding, just money being shipped in from new investors to pay the earlier ones.

The scam will continue for as long as payments are regularly made to 'earlier investors' to provide credibility. Those fortunate few are known as 'songbirds' since they sing the praises of the scam to others.

The goal of the scheme is to keep investors from knowing they are being cheated for as long as possible, so more investors can be lured in.

The scheme can only continue for as long as new gullible investors can be found.

Red Flags of Investment Scams

  • It offers high rewards with little or no risk, or 'safe' or 'risk free', or 'guaranteed results'

  • You are advised to take up the offer immediately or you will lose the opportunity

  • You have been selected from a small group for a 'private' offer

  • There are few, if any details of the person or company making the offer

  • The offer arrives via unsolicited email [spam] and promises huge results with no risk. Remember brokers and traders aren't going to give away good tips for free

  • An offer to share 'inside' information along with pressure to invest before you can do any research

 

Fraudulent Charity Scams

In recent times there have been several natural disasters around the world including plane crashes, tornadoes, earthquakes, wildfires, and floods — that have devastated lives and property.

When people hear about these types of events that can cause emotional distress and great financial loss to numerous victims, individuals across the world often feel a desire to help, frequently by donating money. These tragic events have prompted some people with criminal intent to solicit contributions supposedly for a charitable organization and/or a good cause. They are trying to capitalize on people's generosity to others during times of crisis.

You may receive an email directly asking for donations, or the email may be directing you [by getting you to click on a link in the email] to a fraudulent website set up to take the money.

Don't be fooled - the websites can look very professional, and may even copy a genuine charitable website. It is important therefore, before making a donation of any kind, to follow some guidelines, that include:

Do not respond to unsolicited (spam) e-mail

Be skeptical of people representing themselves as officials soliciting through e-mail for donations

* Do not click on links contained within spam e-mail

* Be cautious of e-mail claiming to contain pictures in attached files, as the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders

* To ensure contributions are received and used for intended purposes, make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf

* Validate the legitimacy of the organization by directly accessing the recognized charity or aid organization's website rather than following an alleged link to the site

* Attempt to verify the legitimacy of the non-profit status of the organization by using various Internet-based resources, which also may assist in confirming the actual existence of the organization

* Do not provide personal or financial information to anyone who solicits contributions as providing such information may compromise your identity and make you vulnerable to identity theft  



Work at Home Scams


It is important to be vigilant when seeking employment online. There are many scams targeting people who want to work from home. The work at home scams cover a variety of opportunities that can include jobs requiring you to "process payments", "reship products", or "transfer funds".

These job scams involve you receiving and cashing fraudulent checks, transferring illegally obtained funds for the criminals, or receiving stolen merchandise and shipping it to the criminals.

Another common job scam is the "mystery shopper", which usually involves you receiving a fraudulent check with instructions to cash the check and then wire the funds so you can test the company's services. You are advised that you will be compensated with a percentage of the check or the merchandise.

Work-at-home schemes attract innocent people who then can become part of criminal schemes without realizing they are engaging in illegal behavior.

A further aspect to consider is that these job scams often provide criminals with the opportunity to commit identity theft when you provide your personal information, sometimes even bank account information, to your potential "employer". The criminal/employer can then use your information to open credit cards, post on-line auctions, register websites, etc., in your name so they can commit additional crimes.


Phishing Attacks Targeting EPPICard Users

We have received reports of phishing attacks on users of EPPICards. The EPPICard is similar to a debit card and is issued by a state agency for the purpose of receiving child-support payments. EPPICards are currently used in 15 states.

Some people have reported receiving e-mail messages indicating a problem with their account. They are directed to follow the link provided in the message so they can update their account or correct the problem. The link is fake and actually directs you to a fraudulent web site where your personal information is stolen.

We have also been advised that some people have received an e-mail message asking them to complete an online survey. When they complete the survey, they are asked for their EPPICard account information to allow funds to be transferred to their account as an appreciation for completing the survey. Providing this information will allow criminals to fraudulently use your identity and financial details.

EPPICard providers have indicated that they are not affiliated in any way with survey web sites and do not solicit personal information via email or text messages.

Remember, do not open e-mails from unknown senders because they often contain viruses or other malicious software [malware], or click on links in e-mails received from unknown senders as this is a very popular way of directing you to phishing websites.

 

Threat and Extortion Scams

There is a new variation on threatening emails. The traditional emails claim that the sender has been paid to kill you; however, they will cancel their contract on your life if you pay them a large amount of money.

The new variation of email claims to be from the FBI in London. In the email there is an explanation that a person has been arrested recently for the murders of three people of United Kingdom and USA citizenship. When the suspect was searched, information was found on him that indicated that you were to be the next victim.

You are then asked to contact the FBI in London via a link in the email to assist with the investigation. If you reply to the email you will be asked to provide proof of identification before any further information is provided to you about how your name is involved, and the future risks to you.

The link of course is fake and doesn't take you to the FBI in London, and the goal is to commit identity theft by stealing your personal details.

Identity theft can be accomplished through many variations of storyline, names or agencies involved.

Providing your personal details in reply to an unsolicited email is very risky and can leave you open to identity theft.

There is also a more serious threat currently being targeted at ethnic business owners, mostly of Asian origin using the telephone to deliver threats of violence. The telephone calls appear to originate from foreign countries and the caller appears to possess a reasonable amount of open source information about the victim by using Internet searches. As a result, the victims may believe the caller has personal knowledge about them.

The victims are requested to provide money to prevent the violence happening. There have not been any reported incidents of violence actually carried out to date.

If you have received emails of this nature that contain threats or that contain personal details about you, contact the police and file a complaint at www.ic3.gov.



Sports Investing Scheme

The sports investing scams usually work by victims purchasing prediction software or they may join a betting syndicate and sometimes it also includes a subscription to a tipping service.

Despite being called an investment scheme, they are a gambling scam and are also know as sports trading, sports betting, sports arbitrage, sports tipping and sports wagering.
The scam is marketed on the basis that the software uses methods to capitalise on different odds offered by different bookies with the final analysis providing a risk-free way to becoming wealthy.

The salespeople show graphs that suggest amazing returns for little work and no risk. It all sounds too good to be true – and it is!

Some of the victims have complained that:
  • They paid their money and the software was never sent, or if they did receive it, it didn't work
  • It was almost impossible to contact anyone about the scheme once you have purchased the software
  • If they do reply, there are always reasons why the software is not working well
  • They start demanding more money from you
  • "Investment" money you have paid in can't be withdrawn from the syndicate
  • If a refund is advertised with the system, it is impossible to claim
  • The tipping information has been taken directly from the newspapers and betting publications
  • Money disappears from betting accounts without you placing any bets

If you receive unsolicited offers [spam] to join these get-rich investment systems, just delete them. The only people who get rich from these systems are the scammers.

Common sense will tell you that if these systems worked as advertised, the newspapers would be full of success stories and people would be leaving their jobs on a large scale to become rich - the easy and risk-free way!

Also the owners of the software probably wouldn’t be selling it either – they would just be using it to make themselves and their friends richer and richer!



Millionaire Contest

There is a fraudulent email circulating, allegedly from The Oprah Winfrey Show, notifying you of your nomination for the 'Oprah Millionaire Contest Show.'

To participate, you are requested to mail your contact information such as full name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address. Verified contestants are then required to purchase airfare and a ticket to attend The Oprah Winfrey Show, as well as complete a forthcoming contest form containing personal questions.

As a contestant you are then promised a seat for The Oprah Winfrey Show and asked to provide your responses to the personal questions for a chance to win a million dollars.

You should always be on the alert for unsolicited e-mails. Do not open unsolicited e-mails or click on any embedded links, as they may contain viruses or malware. Providing your personally identifiable information will compromise your identity!



Twist on Vehicle Sale Scams

The FBI is receiving reports of people who have been victimized while attempting to purchase vehicles through the Internet. The victims find attractively priced vehicles advertised at different Internet classified ad sites.

Most of the scams include some type of third-party vehicle protection program to ensure a safe transaction. The victims then receive convincing e-mails from the phony vehicle protection program, and are then directed to send either the full payment, or a percentage of the payment, to the third-party agent via a wire payment service.

No vehicles are ever delivered.

In a new twist, scammers are posing as members of the United States military. The fictitious military personnel in the scam have either been sent to a foreign country to improve military relations, or they need to sell a vehicle quickly and cheaply because of their upcoming deployment to either Iraq or Afghanistan.

You are advised to do as much due diligence as possible before purchasing vehicles advertised online.




Celebrity Scams

Scammers are capitalising on the recent media coverage of celebrities such as Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett.

You may receive an email claiming to have images, video and songs as a tribute to the celebrities. The attachments contain viruses and spyware onto your computer or removable drives if that is where you save them.  Another email variation contains a link to the images, video and songs.

Some of this malicious software [malware] is designed to steal personal information from your computer through accessing your files, or by monitoring your keystrokes [using keylogger software] and sending your credit card information and passwords back to the scammers.

Remember: DON’T open emails from people you don't know, and don't open attachments or click on links in emails from people you don't know.

 

Swine flu scams

Be on the look out for scammers trying to profit from the recent swine flu health threat.

Cyber criminals are sending billions of spam emails mentioning swine flu to trick people into opening messages. Spammers are exploiting the virus to sell fake pharmaceuticals or infect computers with malicious software.

Scammers have created fake websites to provide information about swine flu and to sell pills or survival kits. The scammers may also try to trick people into sending money or providing personal information.   

Remember not to open spam emails. You are also advised not to send money or to provide personal details to people you don’t know and trust.

 

Scam Email

Currently there is a spam e-mail being circulated claiming to be from the former CBP Assistant Commissioner Thomas S. Winkowski. This follows several fraudulent emails recently that are trying to defraud you using the name and reputation of a federal government official to create an air of authenticity.

The content of this spam e-mail indicates the CBP has stopped a Diplomat who is carrying a consignment to be delivered to your residence. This consignment allegedly contains millions of dollars, which is stated to be an inheritance for you.

As is typical with these type of 'your chance to get rich quick' scams, this e-mail advises you that you will be permitted to access this inheritance once you have given the sender of the e-mail your personal information.

The U.S. CBP does not send unsolicited e-mails. You should not respond to unsolicited e-mails or click on any embedded links, as they may contain viruses or malware.

It is imperative that you guard your personally identifiable information such as date of birth, credit card numbers, social security number, and bank account numbers. Providing this information will compromise your identity.

 

 

 

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