Here are some scary facts about fraud and scams . . .
From the Internet Crime Complaint Center's annual report
http://www.ic3.gov/media/annualreport/2008_IC3Report.pdf
The total dollar loss from all referred cases of fraud was $264.6 million with a median dollar loss of $931.00 per complaint. This is up from $239.1 million in total reported losses in 2007.
Of those complaints reporting a dollar loss, the highest median losses were found among check fraud ($3,000), confidence fraud ($2,000), Nigerian (west African, 419, Advance Fee) letter fraud ($1,650).
The Consumer Federation of America released the results of a survey in May 2009 which relates directly to information we at Scam Victims United work to educate people about. They found that fifty-nine percent of the respondents incorrectly believe that when you deposit a check or money order, your bank confirms that it is good before allowing you to withdraw the money. The number goes up to 70 percent among young adults age 18-24, and 71 percent of people with incomes under $25,000 and who did not complete high school. More than 40 percent of those surveyed do not know that they are liable if the checks or money orders they deposit or cash are counterfeit. Fifty-two percent age 18-24 and half of Hispanics incorrectly said the person who gave you the check must pay the bank back. This is precisely the type of information that we at Scam Victims United work to educate people about.
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of ScamVictimsUnited.com
There is strength in numbers!
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more through
http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
Support Scam Victims United by shopping at
http://shopittous.blogspot.com/
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Know your codes
Here is one way to know if a person is trying to pull a fast one on your . . . check and see if their area code matches up with where they say they live. If they are calling from a landline, and they tell you that they are in a certain state, just check here to see if their phone number matches up with where they say they are.
If you go to http://www.whitepages.com/area-codes they make it really easy for you. There is search box where you can enter an area code, and they will tell you what city and time zone that area code is connected to. That would be another good way to check on someone . . . if you have their phone number, ask them what time zone they are in, and then check their answer with that search.
You can also enter a city or a state, and it will search and tell you all of the area codes that would be found in that area.
For international calls, you can go to http://www.countrycallingcodes.com/ and enter the country that you want to call and it will tell you the numbers you would need to dial.
Since many of the internet scams today come out of Nigeria, look for a phone number with a Country Code of +234 http://www.countrycallingcodes.com/country.php?country=Nigeria
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of ScamVictimsUnited.com
There is strength in numbers!
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more through
http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
Support Scam Victims United by shopping at
http://shopittous.blogspot.com/
If you go to http://www.whitepages.com/area-codes they make it really easy for you. There is search box where you can enter an area code, and they will tell you what city and time zone that area code is connected to. That would be another good way to check on someone . . . if you have their phone number, ask them what time zone they are in, and then check their answer with that search.You can also enter a city or a state, and it will search and tell you all of the area codes that would be found in that area.
For international calls, you can go to http://www.countrycallingcodes.com/ and enter the country that you want to call and it will tell you the numbers you would need to dial.
Since many of the internet scams today come out of Nigeria, look for a phone number with a Country Code of +234 http://www.countrycallingcodes.com/country.php?country=Nigeria
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of ScamVictimsUnited.com
There is strength in numbers!
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more through
http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
Support Scam Victims United by shopping at
http://shopittous.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Facebook Login Scam
I was checking my spam folder for scam emails, like I always do, and I found TWO from different email accounts with the same Facebook Login Scam. Below is a copy of the text along with the email addresses that they were sent from.
Subject: new login system
From: update+fronaltlwvdsv@facebookmail.com
From: update+gbidzxt@facebookmail.com
Dear Facebook user,
In an effort to make your online experience safer and more enjoyable, Facebook will be implementing a new login system that will affect all Facebook users. These changes will offer new features and increased account security.
Before you are able to use the new login system, you will be required to update your account.
Click here to update your account online now.
If you have any questions, reference our New User Guide.
Thanks,
The Facebook Team
------------------
If you recieve a similar email, do not click on the links in it. This is how the scammer gets your Facebook account, and maybe other iformation about you.
Be safe!
Subject: new login system
From: update+fronaltlwvdsv@facebookmail.com
From: update+gbidzxt@facebookmail.com
Dear Facebook user,
In an effort to make your online experience safer and more enjoyable, Facebook will be implementing a new login system that will affect all Facebook users. These changes will offer new features and increased account security.
Before you are able to use the new login system, you will be required to update your account.
Click here to update your account online now.
If you have any questions, reference our New User Guide.
Thanks,
The Facebook Team
------------------
If you recieve a similar email, do not click on the links in it. This is how the scammer gets your Facebook account, and maybe other iformation about you.
Be safe!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Spammers Misusing Name of U.S. Attorney General Holder
This press release can be found at http://www.fbi.gov/cyberinvest/escams.htm
SPAMMERS CONTINUE TO ABUSE THE NAMES OF TOP GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVES BY MISUSING THE NAME OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY GENERAL
10/27/09—As with previous spam attacks, which have included the names of high-ranking FBI executives and names of various government agencies, a new version misuses the name of the United States Attorney General, Eric Holder.
The current spam alleges that the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation were informed the e-mail recipient is allegedly involved in money laundering and terrorist-related activities. To avoid legal prosecution, the recipient must obtain a certificate from the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman at a cost of $370. The spam provides the name of the EFCC Chairman and an e-mail address from which the recipient can obtain the required certificate.
DO NOT RESPOND. THESE E-MAILS ARE A HOAX.
Government agencies do not send unsolicited e-mails of this nature. The FBI, Department of Justice, and other United States government executives are briefed on numerous investigations, but do not personally contact consumers regarding such matters. In addition, United States government agencies use the legal process to contact individuals. These agencies do not send threatening letters/e-mails to consumers demanding payments for Internet crimes.
Consumers should not respond to any unsolicited e-mails or click on any embedded links associated with such e-mails, as they may contain viruses or malware.
It is imperative consumers guard their Personally Identifiable Information (PII). Providing your PII will compromise your identity!
If you have been a victim of Internet crime, please file a complaint at www.IC3.gov.
SPAMMERS CONTINUE TO ABUSE THE NAMES OF TOP GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVES BY MISUSING THE NAME OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY GENERAL
10/27/09—As with previous spam attacks, which have included the names of high-ranking FBI executives and names of various government agencies, a new version misuses the name of the United States Attorney General, Eric Holder.
The current spam alleges that the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation were informed the e-mail recipient is allegedly involved in money laundering and terrorist-related activities. To avoid legal prosecution, the recipient must obtain a certificate from the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman at a cost of $370. The spam provides the name of the EFCC Chairman and an e-mail address from which the recipient can obtain the required certificate.
DO NOT RESPOND. THESE E-MAILS ARE A HOAX.
Government agencies do not send unsolicited e-mails of this nature. The FBI, Department of Justice, and other United States government executives are briefed on numerous investigations, but do not personally contact consumers regarding such matters. In addition, United States government agencies use the legal process to contact individuals. These agencies do not send threatening letters/e-mails to consumers demanding payments for Internet crimes.
Consumers should not respond to any unsolicited e-mails or click on any embedded links associated with such e-mails, as they may contain viruses or malware.
It is imperative consumers guard their Personally Identifiable Information (PII). Providing your PII will compromise your identity!
If you have been a victim of Internet crime, please file a complaint at www.IC3.gov.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Vocabulary Lesson - Clear
Quite a while back, I wrote a "vocabulary lesson" about cashier's checks.
I wanted to continue on this to show why I believe the wording used by the banking industry is so misleading and why it is so easy for so many people to become victims of counterfeit cashier's check scams.
So let's say you receive a cashier's check from someone and you are concerned if it is a valid check or not. You want to receive the payment you are entitled to, and you do not want to end up liable for money from a bad check. This is the case with many people who become victims of counterfeit cashier's check scams. Many of them do not know how to make sure that a check is legitimate, so they bring it to their bank. They trust that the people who work with forms of currency every day will know how to make sure that this check is legitimate.
If the bank teller tells you that "the check will be clear in 24 hours" what does that really mean, and why is that confusing to the banking customer? Let's take a look at the definition of the word clear.
From reading these definitions one would think that when the bank tells you that an item, such as a cashier's check, is "clear" that would mean that you are free to use that money with no worry . . . it should be unhampered by restrictions and funds should have been collected from the bank on which the check was drawn according to the definitions I found online from reliable sources. So then why is it that banking employees will tell their customers that the check is "clear" in 24 hours, but then contact them a week later to say that the check was found to be counterfeit? You cannot un-ring a bell. If it is clear one day, it should still be clear a week later.
Maybe the real problem is not the word "clear" but the fact that it takes on average 7 - 10 business days for a check to go through the entire clearing process, but many bank's train their employees to tell people that cashier's checks are "clear" in 24 hours. If it is a legitimate cashier's check, then there would be no problems since it would be drawn against funds of the bank itself, but these checks are counterfeit and they are very good counterfeits, so good that they fool bank employees and bank managers on a daily basis.
So to make the vocabulary fit the situation, wouldn't it be better for bank employees to inform their customers that "it could take over 10 days for the check to clear". I know that the bank that we are currently with does this because I asked them before I opened an account with them. Test your bank out. Go in and ask them if you brought in a cashier's check how long would it take for it to clear. If they tell you 24 hours, you might want to rethink who you are trusting with your money.
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of ScamVictimsUnited.com
There is strength in numbers!
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more through
http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
Support Scam Victims United by shopping at
http://shopittous.blogspot.com/
I wanted to continue on this to show why I believe the wording used by the banking industry is so misleading and why it is so easy for so many people to become victims of counterfeit cashier's check scams.
So let's say you receive a cashier's check from someone and you are concerned if it is a valid check or not. You want to receive the payment you are entitled to, and you do not want to end up liable for money from a bad check. This is the case with many people who become victims of counterfeit cashier's check scams. Many of them do not know how to make sure that a check is legitimate, so they bring it to their bank. They trust that the people who work with forms of currency every day will know how to make sure that this check is legitimate.
If the bank teller tells you that "the check will be clear in 24 hours" what does that really mean, and why is that confusing to the banking customer? Let's take a look at the definition of the word clear.
free from blemishes; unhampered by restriction or limitation; unencumbered by debts or charges; free from obstruction
"clear." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2009.
Merriam-Webster Online. 25 October 2009
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clear
Banking: collection of funds on which a check is drawn, and payment of those funds to the holder of the check
"clear" Business Dictionaries from AllBusiness.com. 2009.
http://www.allbusiness.com/glossaries/clear/4949892-1.html
From reading these definitions one would think that when the bank tells you that an item, such as a cashier's check, is "clear" that would mean that you are free to use that money with no worry . . . it should be unhampered by restrictions and funds should have been collected from the bank on which the check was drawn according to the definitions I found online from reliable sources. So then why is it that banking employees will tell their customers that the check is "clear" in 24 hours, but then contact them a week later to say that the check was found to be counterfeit? You cannot un-ring a bell. If it is clear one day, it should still be clear a week later.
Maybe the real problem is not the word "clear" but the fact that it takes on average 7 - 10 business days for a check to go through the entire clearing process, but many bank's train their employees to tell people that cashier's checks are "clear" in 24 hours. If it is a legitimate cashier's check, then there would be no problems since it would be drawn against funds of the bank itself, but these checks are counterfeit and they are very good counterfeits, so good that they fool bank employees and bank managers on a daily basis.
So to make the vocabulary fit the situation, wouldn't it be better for bank employees to inform their customers that "it could take over 10 days for the check to clear". I know that the bank that we are currently with does this because I asked them before I opened an account with them. Test your bank out. Go in and ask them if you brought in a cashier's check how long would it take for it to clear. If they tell you 24 hours, you might want to rethink who you are trusting with your money.
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of ScamVictimsUnited.com
There is strength in numbers!
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more through
http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
Support Scam Victims United by shopping at
http://shopittous.blogspot.com/
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Medicare Fraud on 60 Minutes
Make sure you watch 60 minutes tomorrow night!
They will be talking about Medicare Fraud. Here is a preview clip
Watch CBS News Videos Online
They will be talking about Medicare Fraud. Here is a preview clip
Watch CBS News Videos Online
Identity Theft
Identity Theft is a growing problem in the world today. It seems like there is a new story in the media every day about some becoming a victim. The site http://www.identitytheft.org/protect.htm has a lot of great information on things that you can do to protect yourself, like using secure passwords and not things like your mother's maiden name, where you went to high school or where you were born as your password or security question.
Every home should own a shredder. If you do not need a document any more and it has information about you on it . . . name, address, email, date of birth, social security number, bank account or credit card account information . . . then it should go in the shredder NOT the garbage.
One program that we would recommend would be The Personal Records Vault.
If you go to http://www.securisphere.us/ and click on the lock you can then view all of the different features of the different levels this program has to offer. Once you decide if you want to go with Bronze, Gold or Platinum level, click on the word Purchase for that level.
You will then be redirected to this site, https://www.thepersonalrecordsvault.com/default.aspx and you will need to click on the ENROLL button on the far right of the screen (under the picture of the key)
It will then ask you if you have an Access Code . . . click on yes.
Once you get to the Enrollment form the first thing you need to enter is the Access Code. Enter SVU as your access code (this will let them know that we referred you)
Here are some other great place to check out for Identity Theft protection.
ID Watchdog Identity Theft Resolution
Instant Free SMART Credit Report
Check your SMART Credit Report Now and
Fix Your Problems Online for Free Today
www.SMARTCREDIT.com
Trusted ID- The Top Name in Identity Theft Protection. Click here for more information & 30 Day Risk Free Trial!
Every home should own a shredder. If you do not need a document any more and it has information about you on it . . . name, address, email, date of birth, social security number, bank account or credit card account information . . . then it should go in the shredder NOT the garbage.
One program that we would recommend would be The Personal Records Vault.
If you go to http://www.securisphere.us/ and click on the lock you can then view all of the different features of the different levels this program has to offer. Once you decide if you want to go with Bronze, Gold or Platinum level, click on the word Purchase for that level.
You will then be redirected to this site, https://www.thepersonalrecordsvault.com/default.aspx and you will need to click on the ENROLL button on the far right of the screen (under the picture of the key)
It will then ask you if you have an Access Code . . . click on yes.
Once you get to the Enrollment form the first thing you need to enter is the Access Code. Enter SVU as your access code (this will let them know that we referred you)
Here are some other great place to check out for Identity Theft protection.
ID Watchdog Identity Theft Resolution
Instant Free SMART Credit Report
Check your SMART Credit Report Now and
Fix Your Problems Online for Free Today
www.SMARTCREDIT.com
Trusted ID- The Top Name in Identity Theft Protection. Click here for more information & 30 Day Risk Free Trial!
Friday, October 23, 2009
Is this a scam?
If you can answer yes to any of the following questions, then the situation that you are involved in is a scam!
Did you receive the check from selling an item online, such as a car, boat, jewelry, etc.?
Is the amount of the check more that the item's selling price?
Did you receive the check via an overnight delivery service (not the US postal system)?
Is the check drawn on a business or individual account that is different from the person buying your item or product?
Have you been informed that you have won a lottery in another country?
Have you been instructed to wire, send or ship money as soon as possible?
Have you been asked to pay money to receive a deposit from another country?
Are you receiving pay or commission for facititating money transfers through your account?
Did you respond to an email requesting you to confirm, update or provide bank or credit card account information?
Are you sending/wiring money to someone that you met on the internet, never in person, who needs your help to get through hard times (relative died, someone is in the hospital, etc.) and they promise to pay you back as soon as they can?
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of http://ScamVictimsUnited.com
There is strength in numbers!
Check out our blog at
http://scamvictimsunited.blogspot.com/
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more through
http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
________________________________________________
Has this site helped you?
Then help us to continue to fight scams by donating at
http://www.scamvictimsunited.com/donations.htm
Did you receive the check from selling an item online, such as a car, boat, jewelry, etc.?
Is the amount of the check more that the item's selling price?
Did you receive the check via an overnight delivery service (not the US postal system)?
Is the check drawn on a business or individual account that is different from the person buying your item or product?
Have you been informed that you have won a lottery in another country?
Have you been instructed to wire, send or ship money as soon as possible?
Have you been asked to pay money to receive a deposit from another country?
Are you receiving pay or commission for facititating money transfers through your account?
Did you respond to an email requesting you to confirm, update or provide bank or credit card account information?
Are you sending/wiring money to someone that you met on the internet, never in person, who needs your help to get through hard times (relative died, someone is in the hospital, etc.) and they promise to pay you back as soon as they can?
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of http://ScamVictimsUnited.com
There is strength in numbers!
Check out our blog at
http://scamvictimsunited.blogspot.com/
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more through
http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
________________________________________________
Has this site helped you?
Then help us to continue to fight scams by donating at
http://www.scamvictimsunited.com/donations.htm
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Do you know what you are sleeping on?
While I was at Scam Jam in Portland Oregon, I was in a presentation by Chuck Whitlock. He has done a lot of investigative reporting over the years, and one of the stories that he shared with us was about a mattress scam.
Stores were purchasing old mattresses that people collected out of dumpsters and paying them cash for them. Then they would take the mattress inside their building and cover it with new foam and new fabric . . . right over the old, dirty mattress! These mattresses were then being sold as new to unknowing customers. I believe that the investigators purchased 7 different mattresses at 7 different locations and when they cut them open to look inside of them they found old, dirty mattresses inside 4 of them!
Kind of makes you want to go and check your own mattress out.
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of ScamVictimsUnited.com
There is strength in numbers!
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more through
http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
Support Scam Victims United by shopping at
http://shopittous.blogspot.com/
Stores were purchasing old mattresses that people collected out of dumpsters and paying them cash for them. Then they would take the mattress inside their building and cover it with new foam and new fabric . . . right over the old, dirty mattress! These mattresses were then being sold as new to unknowing customers. I believe that the investigators purchased 7 different mattresses at 7 different locations and when they cut them open to look inside of them they found old, dirty mattresses inside 4 of them!
Kind of makes you want to go and check your own mattress out.
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of ScamVictimsUnited.com
There is strength in numbers!
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more through
http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
Support Scam Victims United by shopping at
http://shopittous.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
MoneyGram International Reaches Agreement with FTC
This press release can be found at http://www.moneygram.com/MGICorp/InvestorRelations/News/index.htm
MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 20, 2009-- MoneyGram International (NYSE:MGI), a global leader in the payment services industry, today entered into an agreement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to make certain enhancements to its consumer anti-fraud program to further combat consumer fraud perpetrated by criminals who use MoneyGram’s services illegally.
“At MoneyGram, we take the issue of consumer fraud very seriously. Our ability to provide safe and reliable money transfer services for our consumers is critically important,” said Pamela H. Patsley, MoneyGram chairman and CEO. “MoneyGram has committed extraordinary resources to building a state-of-the-art consumer anti-fraud program.”
The company has begun implementing new systems and processes to further bolster consumer protection, which have been effective at stopping millions of dollars in fraudulent transactions every year.
“While we don’t agree with the FTC’s allegations regarding our fraud prevention in the past, we can agree on fraud prevention today and in the future,” said Patsley. “We don’t want our customers being victimized by third-party fraud. What we are announcing today with the FTC is our commitment to enhance our already comprehensive efforts to combat fraud and ensure our customers can continue to rely on MoneyGram for safe, reliable money transfer services.”
MoneyGram provides consumer warnings about the latest scams on its website and money transfer send-forms, and through its 24-hour customer service center. The company also works closely with local, state, federal and international law enforcement to combat this global criminal activity.
“We are committed to be vigilant in our efforts in protecting our customers from fraudulent activity,” said Patsley. “Ensuring safe and reliable money transfers for our customers all over the world is at the forefront of all we do.”
As part of its agreement with the FTC, the company has also agreed to pay $18 million into an FTC-administered fund to refund consumers who have been victimized through third-party fraud.
There is also an article about this topic at
http://www.examiner.com/x-1893-News-You-Can-Use-Examiner~y2009m10d20-A-medium-for-fraud-MoneyGram-to-pay-millions
Brought to you by www.ScamVictimsUnited.com
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more through
http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
Support Scam Victims United by shopping at
http://shopittous.blogspot.com/
MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 20, 2009-- MoneyGram International (NYSE:MGI), a global leader in the payment services industry, today entered into an agreement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to make certain enhancements to its consumer anti-fraud program to further combat consumer fraud perpetrated by criminals who use MoneyGram’s services illegally.
“At MoneyGram, we take the issue of consumer fraud very seriously. Our ability to provide safe and reliable money transfer services for our consumers is critically important,” said Pamela H. Patsley, MoneyGram chairman and CEO. “MoneyGram has committed extraordinary resources to building a state-of-the-art consumer anti-fraud program.”
The company has begun implementing new systems and processes to further bolster consumer protection, which have been effective at stopping millions of dollars in fraudulent transactions every year.
“While we don’t agree with the FTC’s allegations regarding our fraud prevention in the past, we can agree on fraud prevention today and in the future,” said Patsley. “We don’t want our customers being victimized by third-party fraud. What we are announcing today with the FTC is our commitment to enhance our already comprehensive efforts to combat fraud and ensure our customers can continue to rely on MoneyGram for safe, reliable money transfer services.”
MoneyGram provides consumer warnings about the latest scams on its website and money transfer send-forms, and through its 24-hour customer service center. The company also works closely with local, state, federal and international law enforcement to combat this global criminal activity.
“We are committed to be vigilant in our efforts in protecting our customers from fraudulent activity,” said Patsley. “Ensuring safe and reliable money transfers for our customers all over the world is at the forefront of all we do.”
As part of its agreement with the FTC, the company has also agreed to pay $18 million into an FTC-administered fund to refund consumers who have been victimized through third-party fraud.
There is also an article about this topic at
http://www.examiner.com/x-1893-News-You-Can-Use-Examiner~y2009m10d20-A-medium-for-fraud-MoneyGram-to-pay-millions
Brought to you by www.ScamVictimsUnited.com
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more through
http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
Support Scam Victims United by shopping at
http://shopittous.blogspot.com/
Monday, October 19, 2009
ATM Scam
This is one of the videos that Chuck Whitlock showed at Scam Jam over the weekend. This shows how people are willing to trust a man in a security uniform with their bank account information.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Scam Jam
I am home from Scam Jam in Portland Oregon. Even though the weather did not cooperate with us, I think that a lot of people received a lot of great information and learned something about how to protect themselves from scams and fraud.
There is a great article about the event here http://www.kgw.com/business/stories/kgw_101609_con_scam_jam.222e84c6a.html
There were reporters from the local television stations that all shared an investigative reporting or consumer protection segment that they have done. There were workshops all day on the top local scams, Identity Theft, protecting your data, senior fraud, mortgage fraud and more.
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of ScamVictimsUnited.com
There is strength in numbers!
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more through
http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
Support Scam Victims United by shopping at
http://shopittous.blogspot.com/
There is a great article about the event here http://www.kgw.com/business/stories/kgw_101609_con_scam_jam.222e84c6a.html
There were reporters from the local television stations that all shared an investigative reporting or consumer protection segment that they have done. There were workshops all day on the top local scams, Identity Theft, protecting your data, senior fraud, mortgage fraud and more.
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of ScamVictimsUnited.com
There is strength in numbers!
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more through
http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
Support Scam Victims United by shopping at
http://shopittous.blogspot.com/
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Romance Scams
Romance Scams, also referred to at Sweetheart Scams, Dating Scams or Love Scams, usually begin on a legitimate dating website or throughonline classified ads looking to meet people. In theses scams, the scammer plays on the target's emotions. They know that they are looking for love or a strong relationship, so they use all of the right words to convince the target that they truly care for them. Many of the scammers will use pictures found on others profiles or even modeling sites as their profile. They will also use a variety of fake names, and some scammers could be operating several "profiles" and names at once. This is why the name of the person or what they look like is not a good way to determine if they are a scammer or not. It is the situation, not the name that matters.Once they believe that the target is emotionally connected to them, they will tell them that they need money for some reason . . . they were in an accident and have medical and legal fees to pay or simply to pay for a plane ticket so that they finally meet in person. The scammer will ask the target to wire them money, and sometimes will even promise to pay it back as soon as possible. Since the target is emotionallyinvested in this relationship they want to do whatever they can to helpout this person that they love.
The websites Cyber Love Illusions and CyberPaths tell the stories of these scams.You can also read more at http://scamvictimsunited.com/Romance.htm
Phishing Scam Email
Here is a Phishing Scam email that got into my inbox. This is a classic example of how a scammer will try to get your account information, by saying that it is an urgent matter and providing a link for you.
----------------------------------------------
Dear Member,
Your Yahoo Marketing account has expired. You must renew it immediately or your account will be closed. If you intend to use this service in the future, you must take action at once!
To continue click here, login to your Yahoo Marketing account and follow the steps.Thank you for using Yahoo Marketing!
Yahoo Marketing Services DEP.
Please do not reply to this email.
This mailbox is not monitored and you will not receive a respons.
--------------------------------------
Not only are their spelling errors, but if you were to hover over the link they provided (which I removed) you would find that it does not go to yahoo, but to a site that they created which has yahoo in it
marketingservicesweb.yahoo.duebymatteo
----------------------------------------------
Dear Member,
Your Yahoo Marketing account has expired. You must renew it immediately or your account will be closed. If you intend to use this service in the future, you must take action at once!
To continue click here, login to your Yahoo Marketing account and follow the steps.Thank you for using Yahoo Marketing!
Yahoo Marketing Services DEP.
Please do not reply to this email.
This mailbox is not monitored and you will not receive a respons.
--------------------------------------
Not only are their spelling errors, but if you were to hover over the link they provided (which I removed) you would find that it does not go to yahoo, but to a site that they created which has yahoo in it
marketingservicesweb.yahoo.duebymatteo
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Seven years
Seven years ago this month my husband and I became victims of a counterfeit cashier's check scam while selling his 1961 Buick Special online. So much has happened in those seven years.
We found that we were not alone, and that this was happening to others.
We started our website Scam Victims United to share our story with others.
We spoke out in the news about this issue.
We have worked with Consumer Protection Agencies to help spread the word about scams.
In the first two years of our site being operational, we helped to stop over 2 million dollars from going into the hands of scammers.
We have come a long way, but we still have so far to go. The Consumer Federation of America released the results of a survey in May 2009 which relates directly to information we at Scam Victims United work to educate people about. They found that fifty-nine percent of the respondents incorrectly believe that when you deposit a check or money order, your bank confirms that it is good before allowing you to withdraw the money. The number goes up to 70 percent among young adults age 18-24, and 71 percent of people with incomes under $25,000 and who did not complete high school. More than 40 percent of those surveyed do not know that they are liable if the checks or money orders they deposit or cash are counterfeit. Fifty-two percent age 18-24 and half of Hispanics incorrectly said the person who gave you the check must pay the bank back. This is precisely the type of information that we at Scam Victims United work to educate people about.
As you can see by the results of this survey, there is a great need for education in the area of banking terminology and the check clearing process. One of the major reasons that counterfeit cashier's checkscams work so well is that when a bank customer hears the terms "the check is clear" or that it will be "verified in 24 hours" it gives them a false sense of security that the check is legitimate and that they can use the money with no repercussions.
And that is our mission.
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of ScamVictimsUnited.com
There is strength in numbers!
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more through
http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
We found that we were not alone, and that this was happening to others.
We started our website Scam Victims United to share our story with others.
We spoke out in the news about this issue.
We have worked with Consumer Protection Agencies to help spread the word about scams.
In the first two years of our site being operational, we helped to stop over 2 million dollars from going into the hands of scammers.
We have come a long way, but we still have so far to go. The Consumer Federation of America released the results of a survey in May 2009 which relates directly to information we at Scam Victims United work to educate people about. They found that fifty-nine percent of the respondents incorrectly believe that when you deposit a check or money order, your bank confirms that it is good before allowing you to withdraw the money. The number goes up to 70 percent among young adults age 18-24, and 71 percent of people with incomes under $25,000 and who did not complete high school. More than 40 percent of those surveyed do not know that they are liable if the checks or money orders they deposit or cash are counterfeit. Fifty-two percent age 18-24 and half of Hispanics incorrectly said the person who gave you the check must pay the bank back. This is precisely the type of information that we at Scam Victims United work to educate people about.
As you can see by the results of this survey, there is a great need for education in the area of banking terminology and the check clearing process. One of the major reasons that counterfeit cashier's checkscams work so well is that when a bank customer hears the terms "the check is clear" or that it will be "verified in 24 hours" it gives them a false sense of security that the check is legitimate and that they can use the money with no repercussions.
And that is our mission.
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of ScamVictimsUnited.com
There is strength in numbers!
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more through
http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Secret Shopper email
Since the Secret Shopper and Mystery Shopper scams seems to be increasing, I wanted to post an example of the email that the scammer would send to their would be victim.
Dear Representative,
You have been selected for an assignment as a Mystery Shopper. You willearn $300 been a mystery shopper. Your employment packet will includefunds for the shopping, a training assignment which will be sent to youon the same day you receive payment for the assignment. A Pay check would be sent toyou for the assignment in the form of a Check or money order. The paycheck would be for a certain amount which you would be required to cash atyour bank, deduct your salary and have the rest used for the evaluation atthe store that would be given to you to evaluate.Get back with the following details if interested
Email me the below details:
Full Name:
Full Address (Not P.o.box):
City:
State:
Zip Code:
Phone Number:
Nationality:A
lternative Email Address:
As a mystery shopper you work and shop together for pleasure and the payis $300 weekly on Part time basis, You only work 2-3hours twice in aweek. Do get back to the recruiting department of Mystery Shopper Inc.
You may contact me at msparecruits01@sify.com
Regards,
Chad Stinson
Personnel Manager
Dear Representative,
You have been selected for an assignment as a Mystery Shopper. You willearn $300 been a mystery shopper. Your employment packet will includefunds for the shopping, a training assignment which will be sent to youon the same day you receive payment for the assignment. A Pay check would be sent toyou for the assignment in the form of a Check or money order. The paycheck would be for a certain amount which you would be required to cash atyour bank, deduct your salary and have the rest used for the evaluation atthe store that would be given to you to evaluate.Get back with the following details if interested
Email me the below details:
Full Name:
Full Address (Not P.o.box):
City:
State:
Zip Code:
Phone Number:
Nationality:A
lternative Email Address:
As a mystery shopper you work and shop together for pleasure and the payis $300 weekly on Part time basis, You only work 2-3hours twice in aweek. Do get back to the recruiting department of Mystery Shopper Inc.
You may contact me at msparecruits01@sify.com
Regards,
Chad Stinson
Personnel Manager
Monday, October 12, 2009
Cyber Threats
re-posted from http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/speeches/mueller100709.htm
Thank you and good afternoon. I am happy to be back in San Francisco, and back at the Commonwealth Club.
Today, I want to talk about cyber threats. So it seems fitting that my remarks are being broadcast on the Club’s national radio program, airing on XM Radio and iTunes, and streaming live to Club members. This is going on all around us, but if Skip hadn’t mentioned it, we would be none the wiser. Our lives are impacted by the Internet all the time, whether we can see it or not.
The Internet has thrown wide the windows of the world, allowing us to learn and communicate and conduct business in ways that were unimaginable 20 years ago. This is the upside of globalization, as author Tom Friedman has noted in best-sellers such as “The World is Flat.” But the downside of our increasingly flat world is that the Internet is not just a conduit for commerce, but also a conduit for crime.
The Internet has created virtual doors into our lives, our finances, our businesses, and our national security. Criminals, spies, and terrorists are testing our doorknobs every day, looking for a way in.
Cyber crime is a nebulous concept. It is difficult to grasp intangible threats, and easy to dismiss them as unlikely to happen to you. So far, too little attention has been paid to cyber threats—and their consequences.
But what if I told you that as you sit here today, strangers were walking through your offices, homes, and dorm rooms? What if they were opening your drawers, reading your files, accessing your financial information, or stealing your company’s research and development?
Well, that is happening, right now, in homes and offices and schools around the world. Intruders are reaching into our networks every day, looking for valuable information. And unfortunately, they are finding it, because many of us are unaware of the threat these persons pose to our privacy, our economic stability, and even our national security.
Most of us assume we will not be targets of cyber crime. We are not as careful as we know we should be. Let me give you an example.
Not long ago, the head one of our nation’s domestic agencies received an e-mail purporting to be from his bank. It looked perfectly legitimate, and asked him to verify some information. He started to follow the instructions, but then realized this might not be such a good idea.
It turned out that he was just a few clicks away from falling into a classic Internet “phishing” scam—“phishing” with a “P-H.” This is someone who spends a good deal of his professional life warning others about the perils of cyber crime. Yet he barely caught himself in time.
He definitely should have known better. I can say this with certainty, because it was me.
After changing all our passwords, I tried to pass the incident off to my wife as a “teachable moment.” To which she replied: “It is not my teachable moment. However, it is our money. No more Internet banking for you!”
So with that as a backdrop, today I want to talk about the nature of cyber threats, the FBI’s role in combating them, and finally, how we can help each other to keep them at bay.
* * *
Let me start by giving you two examples of what the FBI investigates on a daily basis.
In July 2008, a California oil and gas company called Pacific Energy Resources contacted the FBI and the Long Beach Police to report a computer attack. Six computer servers had been rendered inoperable, disabling the critical leak-detection systems on three off-shore oil platforms. This was the last in a series of network attacks, which cost the company over $100,000 in losses.
The investigation led us to a former IT contractor. After he had been let go, he retaliated by remotely accessing the system. His actions could potentially have resulted in significant environmental damage. He pled guilty last month to a federal computer intrusion charge, and faces up to 10 years in prison.
And this past April, someone hacked into the database of the Virginia Department of Health Professionals. The intruder blocked over 8 million patient records—records that hospitals, doctors, and pharmacies depend on in order to accurately prescribe and dispense medication. Those records are no longer blocked, and our investigation continues.
As you can see, cyber cases can have costly—and potentially deadly—consequences.
Again, most of us assume our systems have nothing that would interest a hacker or spy. But we never know exactly what information might have value to a criminal. Information is power, period.
Whenever an intruder opens a door to our networks, there is a clear risk to individual privacy and intellectual property—not to mention economic and national security.
My eyes were first opened to these risks back in the early 1990s, when I read a book called “The Cuckoo’s Egg.” It chronicles the electronic adventure of Cliff Stoll, then a systems manager at a Berkeley laboratory. In the mid-1980s, he noticed an accounting disparity of 75 cents. This was before the Internet as we know it existed. Cyber threats were just beginning to appear on our radars.
He tracked it to an unauthorized user who had repeatedly broken into the system and then used the lab’s computers to tap into military networks. He eventually traced the attacks to a German hacker who was part of an espionage ring.
The book was prescient. Twenty years later, the whole world is online. And because the web offers near-total anonymity, it is that much more difficult to discern the identity, motives, and location of an intruder.
At the start of a cyber investigation, we do not know whether we are dealing with a spy, a company insider, or an organized criminal group. Something that looks like an ordinary phishing scam may be an attempt by a terrorist group to raise funding for an operation. An intrusion into a corporate network could be the work of a high-school hacker across the street, or a hostile foreign power across the ocean.
Cyber threats present a unique challenge to law enforcement because we have a tendency to compartmentalize our investigations. Criminal cases are usually separate from espionage cases, which in turn are separate from counterterrorism cases. But when it comes to cyber threats, there is almost always some overlap.
The FBI is both a law enforcement and national security agency, which means we can and must address every angle of a cyber case. This is critical, because what may start as a criminal investigation may lead to a national security threat.
Take, for example, a next-generation bank robbery that occurred last fall. A group of cyber criminals orchestrated a highly sophisticated attack on a major financial institution. Hackers found their way into the network of this institution, and altered data to allow them to increase the funds available for a number of accounts. They also stole account data and created duplicate ATM cards. Then, one day in early fall, they struck.
Within 24 hours, the thieves targeted more than 2,100 ATMs in 280 cities around the world. They inserted their phony ATM cards, and then walked away with more than $9 million. Arrests have been made internationally, and our investigation continues.
To put it in perspective, imagine for a moment that these groups had simultaneously entered dozens of banks, armed with assault weapons, and emptied the vaults. It would have been one of the most notorious bank heists in history. But instead, the attack was planned and executed under the radar, using computers and fiber-optic cables as weapons. They did it without a shot being fired, and then disappeared back into the ether.
Such techniques make global deterrence a challenge, to put it mildly. The perpetrators can be anyplace in the world. And so can the victims. And, for that matter, the evidence.
At a minimum, piecing together a case requires close collaboration with our counterparts in other countries. But actually prosecuting one requires harmonizing different criminal justice systems, all of which work according to the laws of their own lands.
The global scale and scope of such attacks puts law enforcement at a disadvantage. The investigative challenges may seem insurmountable.
But we do have a significant advantage: partnerships. Partnerships with law enforcement and intelligence communities across the world. Partnerships with universities, corporations, and small businesses. Partnerships with citizens such as yourselves.
* * *
After the September 11th terrorist attacks, the FBI’s mindset and mission changed fundamentally. We could no longer focus our efforts on investigating terrorist attacks after the fact; we had to prevent them from happening in the first place. The only way to do that is to gather and analyze intelligence, and share it with those who need it.
The same mindset is true for our cyber responsibilities. The FBI can bridge both criminal and national security cases. So we are uniquely positioned to facilitate joint investigations that cross both local and international jurisdictions.
Within the government, the FBI has established the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force. This task force brings together law enforcement, intelligence, and defense agencies to focus on high-priority cyber threats.
But cyber threats take us well beyond partnerships with government alone. The FBI runs a program called InfraGard, which is one of our most important links to the private sector. We exchange information with partners from a host of industries, from computer software companies to chemical corporations. They are the experts on our critical infrastructure, the majority of which rely on computer networks. We have 32,000 members and counting, and those relationships have helped us to prevent risk from becoming reality.
And our partnerships stretch beyond our borders. For example, a substantial amount of cyber crime originates in Eastern Europe. And so we have embedded FBI agents in several police agencies there, to assist full-time on cyber investigations. Our relationship with the Romanian National Police is an example of the results of such cooperation: In the past year alone, we have dismantled organized criminal groups and arrested over 100 individuals, both here and in Romania.
And just this morning, we announced a major takedown in an international cyber investigation. A group of criminals in the United States and Egypt was engaged in a wide-ranging “phishing” scam. They targeted American financial institutions, and also approximately 5,000 American citizens. The FBI, the Secret Service, and state and local law enforcement cooperated closely with our Egyptian counterparts. As a result, earlier today we arrested over 50 subjects in the United States and Egypt.
This is the first joint cyber effort between the United States and Egypt. It is the largest international “phishing” case ever conducted. And it shows the power of our global partnerships in the face of global cyber criminal networks.
Those are just a small sampling of our many partnerships. Yet we are still outnumbered by cyber criminals. And that is where you come in.
Just as the police cannot come by every home or business, every night, to make sure the doors are locked, we must all take ownership of cyber security.
Cyber crime might not seem real until it hits you. But every personal, academic, corporate, and government network plays a role in national security. And given the extent of the damage cyber attacks can cause, it is important for all of us to protect ourselves, and each other.
If you are a basic user, then make sure to enable basic protections for your network—firewalls, anti-virus software, strong passwords, and security patches. And if you are part of a large corporate or academic network, start thinking of cyber security as a mission-critical component, and not an afterthought.
Investing in cyber security is akin to buying hazard insurance for a house. You invest relatively little to guard against losing everything.
Finally, talk to us. The more information we have, the more effective we can be at preventing you from becoming a victim of cyber crime. Whenever companies or institutions inform us of a potential breach, we have the chance to gather, analyze, and share critical intelligence. You never know when a single scrap of information may lead to the takedown of a global ring of cyber criminals, or even a terrorist cell. Remember the example of Cliff Stoll: a 75-cent billing disparity was no mere accounting error. It was the key to uncovering an international espionage ring.
* * *
For better or worse—and I generally think for better—cyberspace is here to stay. We live in a wireless world, and we have grown accustomed to its convenience.
We are all used navigating with GPS, checking our e-mail at the airport, trading stocks online, and—for most of us, anyway—paying bills online. “Tweeting” or updating your Facebook status from anywhere is no longer a luxury but an expectation.
There is no going back. Technology will continue its march forward, and criminals will take full advantage of it. We in the FBI liken our challenge to a “cyber arms race,” where both sides are competing to stay ahead of the other.
We have to bring the fight to them. We have to work together, as a united front—government, private industry, and the public.
We know the game plan of our adversaries. They will keep twisting doorknobs and picking locks until they find a way in. But we must not let them in. We must change the locks. We must bar the doors. And we must sound the alarms when we notice anything out of the ordinary.
We are all citizens of the Internet, and we must also be its stewards. We all have a responsibility to protect the infrastructure that protects the world. It will not be easy. But together, we are up to the task.
I will leave you with just one more warning. Many of you may be familiar with the Nigerian e-mail scam, which offers the recipient the “opportunity” to make millions—if they could just help the author with a few illegal money transfers.
If you ever receive a similar e-mail purporting to be from me—as has happened in the past—delete it! Especially if it asks you for money. Take it from me—having to memorize all those new passwords is no picnic.
Brought to you by
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of ScamVictimsUnited.com
There is strength in numbers!
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more through
http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
Thank you and good afternoon. I am happy to be back in San Francisco, and back at the Commonwealth Club.
Today, I want to talk about cyber threats. So it seems fitting that my remarks are being broadcast on the Club’s national radio program, airing on XM Radio and iTunes, and streaming live to Club members. This is going on all around us, but if Skip hadn’t mentioned it, we would be none the wiser. Our lives are impacted by the Internet all the time, whether we can see it or not.
The Internet has thrown wide the windows of the world, allowing us to learn and communicate and conduct business in ways that were unimaginable 20 years ago. This is the upside of globalization, as author Tom Friedman has noted in best-sellers such as “The World is Flat.” But the downside of our increasingly flat world is that the Internet is not just a conduit for commerce, but also a conduit for crime.
The Internet has created virtual doors into our lives, our finances, our businesses, and our national security. Criminals, spies, and terrorists are testing our doorknobs every day, looking for a way in.
Cyber crime is a nebulous concept. It is difficult to grasp intangible threats, and easy to dismiss them as unlikely to happen to you. So far, too little attention has been paid to cyber threats—and their consequences.
But what if I told you that as you sit here today, strangers were walking through your offices, homes, and dorm rooms? What if they were opening your drawers, reading your files, accessing your financial information, or stealing your company’s research and development?
Well, that is happening, right now, in homes and offices and schools around the world. Intruders are reaching into our networks every day, looking for valuable information. And unfortunately, they are finding it, because many of us are unaware of the threat these persons pose to our privacy, our economic stability, and even our national security.
Most of us assume we will not be targets of cyber crime. We are not as careful as we know we should be. Let me give you an example.
Not long ago, the head one of our nation’s domestic agencies received an e-mail purporting to be from his bank. It looked perfectly legitimate, and asked him to verify some information. He started to follow the instructions, but then realized this might not be such a good idea.
It turned out that he was just a few clicks away from falling into a classic Internet “phishing” scam—“phishing” with a “P-H.” This is someone who spends a good deal of his professional life warning others about the perils of cyber crime. Yet he barely caught himself in time.
He definitely should have known better. I can say this with certainty, because it was me.
After changing all our passwords, I tried to pass the incident off to my wife as a “teachable moment.” To which she replied: “It is not my teachable moment. However, it is our money. No more Internet banking for you!”
So with that as a backdrop, today I want to talk about the nature of cyber threats, the FBI’s role in combating them, and finally, how we can help each other to keep them at bay.
* * *
Let me start by giving you two examples of what the FBI investigates on a daily basis.
In July 2008, a California oil and gas company called Pacific Energy Resources contacted the FBI and the Long Beach Police to report a computer attack. Six computer servers had been rendered inoperable, disabling the critical leak-detection systems on three off-shore oil platforms. This was the last in a series of network attacks, which cost the company over $100,000 in losses.
The investigation led us to a former IT contractor. After he had been let go, he retaliated by remotely accessing the system. His actions could potentially have resulted in significant environmental damage. He pled guilty last month to a federal computer intrusion charge, and faces up to 10 years in prison.
And this past April, someone hacked into the database of the Virginia Department of Health Professionals. The intruder blocked over 8 million patient records—records that hospitals, doctors, and pharmacies depend on in order to accurately prescribe and dispense medication. Those records are no longer blocked, and our investigation continues.
As you can see, cyber cases can have costly—and potentially deadly—consequences.
Again, most of us assume our systems have nothing that would interest a hacker or spy. But we never know exactly what information might have value to a criminal. Information is power, period.
Whenever an intruder opens a door to our networks, there is a clear risk to individual privacy and intellectual property—not to mention economic and national security.
My eyes were first opened to these risks back in the early 1990s, when I read a book called “The Cuckoo’s Egg.” It chronicles the electronic adventure of Cliff Stoll, then a systems manager at a Berkeley laboratory. In the mid-1980s, he noticed an accounting disparity of 75 cents. This was before the Internet as we know it existed. Cyber threats were just beginning to appear on our radars.
He tracked it to an unauthorized user who had repeatedly broken into the system and then used the lab’s computers to tap into military networks. He eventually traced the attacks to a German hacker who was part of an espionage ring.
The book was prescient. Twenty years later, the whole world is online. And because the web offers near-total anonymity, it is that much more difficult to discern the identity, motives, and location of an intruder.
At the start of a cyber investigation, we do not know whether we are dealing with a spy, a company insider, or an organized criminal group. Something that looks like an ordinary phishing scam may be an attempt by a terrorist group to raise funding for an operation. An intrusion into a corporate network could be the work of a high-school hacker across the street, or a hostile foreign power across the ocean.
Cyber threats present a unique challenge to law enforcement because we have a tendency to compartmentalize our investigations. Criminal cases are usually separate from espionage cases, which in turn are separate from counterterrorism cases. But when it comes to cyber threats, there is almost always some overlap.
The FBI is both a law enforcement and national security agency, which means we can and must address every angle of a cyber case. This is critical, because what may start as a criminal investigation may lead to a national security threat.
Take, for example, a next-generation bank robbery that occurred last fall. A group of cyber criminals orchestrated a highly sophisticated attack on a major financial institution. Hackers found their way into the network of this institution, and altered data to allow them to increase the funds available for a number of accounts. They also stole account data and created duplicate ATM cards. Then, one day in early fall, they struck.
Within 24 hours, the thieves targeted more than 2,100 ATMs in 280 cities around the world. They inserted their phony ATM cards, and then walked away with more than $9 million. Arrests have been made internationally, and our investigation continues.
To put it in perspective, imagine for a moment that these groups had simultaneously entered dozens of banks, armed with assault weapons, and emptied the vaults. It would have been one of the most notorious bank heists in history. But instead, the attack was planned and executed under the radar, using computers and fiber-optic cables as weapons. They did it without a shot being fired, and then disappeared back into the ether.
Such techniques make global deterrence a challenge, to put it mildly. The perpetrators can be anyplace in the world. And so can the victims. And, for that matter, the evidence.
At a minimum, piecing together a case requires close collaboration with our counterparts in other countries. But actually prosecuting one requires harmonizing different criminal justice systems, all of which work according to the laws of their own lands.
The global scale and scope of such attacks puts law enforcement at a disadvantage. The investigative challenges may seem insurmountable.
But we do have a significant advantage: partnerships. Partnerships with law enforcement and intelligence communities across the world. Partnerships with universities, corporations, and small businesses. Partnerships with citizens such as yourselves.
* * *
After the September 11th terrorist attacks, the FBI’s mindset and mission changed fundamentally. We could no longer focus our efforts on investigating terrorist attacks after the fact; we had to prevent them from happening in the first place. The only way to do that is to gather and analyze intelligence, and share it with those who need it.
The same mindset is true for our cyber responsibilities. The FBI can bridge both criminal and national security cases. So we are uniquely positioned to facilitate joint investigations that cross both local and international jurisdictions.
Within the government, the FBI has established the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force. This task force brings together law enforcement, intelligence, and defense agencies to focus on high-priority cyber threats.
But cyber threats take us well beyond partnerships with government alone. The FBI runs a program called InfraGard, which is one of our most important links to the private sector. We exchange information with partners from a host of industries, from computer software companies to chemical corporations. They are the experts on our critical infrastructure, the majority of which rely on computer networks. We have 32,000 members and counting, and those relationships have helped us to prevent risk from becoming reality.
And our partnerships stretch beyond our borders. For example, a substantial amount of cyber crime originates in Eastern Europe. And so we have embedded FBI agents in several police agencies there, to assist full-time on cyber investigations. Our relationship with the Romanian National Police is an example of the results of such cooperation: In the past year alone, we have dismantled organized criminal groups and arrested over 100 individuals, both here and in Romania.
And just this morning, we announced a major takedown in an international cyber investigation. A group of criminals in the United States and Egypt was engaged in a wide-ranging “phishing” scam. They targeted American financial institutions, and also approximately 5,000 American citizens. The FBI, the Secret Service, and state and local law enforcement cooperated closely with our Egyptian counterparts. As a result, earlier today we arrested over 50 subjects in the United States and Egypt.
This is the first joint cyber effort between the United States and Egypt. It is the largest international “phishing” case ever conducted. And it shows the power of our global partnerships in the face of global cyber criminal networks.
Those are just a small sampling of our many partnerships. Yet we are still outnumbered by cyber criminals. And that is where you come in.
Just as the police cannot come by every home or business, every night, to make sure the doors are locked, we must all take ownership of cyber security.
Cyber crime might not seem real until it hits you. But every personal, academic, corporate, and government network plays a role in national security. And given the extent of the damage cyber attacks can cause, it is important for all of us to protect ourselves, and each other.
If you are a basic user, then make sure to enable basic protections for your network—firewalls, anti-virus software, strong passwords, and security patches. And if you are part of a large corporate or academic network, start thinking of cyber security as a mission-critical component, and not an afterthought.
Investing in cyber security is akin to buying hazard insurance for a house. You invest relatively little to guard against losing everything.
Finally, talk to us. The more information we have, the more effective we can be at preventing you from becoming a victim of cyber crime. Whenever companies or institutions inform us of a potential breach, we have the chance to gather, analyze, and share critical intelligence. You never know when a single scrap of information may lead to the takedown of a global ring of cyber criminals, or even a terrorist cell. Remember the example of Cliff Stoll: a 75-cent billing disparity was no mere accounting error. It was the key to uncovering an international espionage ring.
* * *
For better or worse—and I generally think for better—cyberspace is here to stay. We live in a wireless world, and we have grown accustomed to its convenience.
We are all used navigating with GPS, checking our e-mail at the airport, trading stocks online, and—for most of us, anyway—paying bills online. “Tweeting” or updating your Facebook status from anywhere is no longer a luxury but an expectation.
There is no going back. Technology will continue its march forward, and criminals will take full advantage of it. We in the FBI liken our challenge to a “cyber arms race,” where both sides are competing to stay ahead of the other.
We have to bring the fight to them. We have to work together, as a united front—government, private industry, and the public.
We know the game plan of our adversaries. They will keep twisting doorknobs and picking locks until they find a way in. But we must not let them in. We must change the locks. We must bar the doors. And we must sound the alarms when we notice anything out of the ordinary.
We are all citizens of the Internet, and we must also be its stewards. We all have a responsibility to protect the infrastructure that protects the world. It will not be easy. But together, we are up to the task.
I will leave you with just one more warning. Many of you may be familiar with the Nigerian e-mail scam, which offers the recipient the “opportunity” to make millions—if they could just help the author with a few illegal money transfers.
If you ever receive a similar e-mail purporting to be from me—as has happened in the past—delete it! Especially if it asks you for money. Take it from me—having to memorize all those new passwords is no picnic.
Brought to you by
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of ScamVictimsUnited.com
There is strength in numbers!
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more through
http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
Sun City man loses more than $1,500 in 'Grandson Scam' - Phoenix Arizona news, breaking news, local news, weather radar, traffic from ABC15 News | ABC15.com
Looking for victims willing to be interviewed
I received and email from someone that is putting together a PSA on scams and is looking for scam victims to interview. If you fit the following criteria, please contact me so I can get you in touch with her as soon as possible.
She is looking for victims who are:
1) In Washington DC – we will be in Washington DC Wednesday November 4th and 5th – ideally we would like to film them during these 2 days.
2) In California – in either LA, Orange or San Diego Counties – we will be filming in California over the next 2-4 weeks.
3) Available to take half a day to film / interview, preferably at their home.
4) That speak English and/or Spanish
5) From different socioeconomic backgrounds and ethnicities (i.e. white collar workers/ executives, janitors, teachers, middle managers, etc.)
6) Victims of scams where they specifically were looking for a job, paid a service that guaranteed them a job and then were never placed in a new job and were unable to either reach the company or get a refund.
Thanks,
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of ScamVictimsUnited.com
There is strength in numbers!
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more through
http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
She is looking for victims who are:
1) In Washington DC – we will be in Washington DC Wednesday November 4th and 5th – ideally we would like to film them during these 2 days.
2) In California – in either LA, Orange or San Diego Counties – we will be filming in California over the next 2-4 weeks.
3) Available to take half a day to film / interview, preferably at their home.
4) That speak English and/or Spanish
5) From different socioeconomic backgrounds and ethnicities (i.e. white collar workers/ executives, janitors, teachers, middle managers, etc.)
6) Victims of scams where they specifically were looking for a job, paid a service that guaranteed them a job and then were never placed in a new job and were unable to either reach the company or get a refund.
Thanks,
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of ScamVictimsUnited.com
There is strength in numbers!
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more through
http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Shop with us!
I just set up a new blog where I will post links to retailers called http://shopittous.blogspot.com/
If there is a retailer that you shop at on a regular basis, let us know and we will try to add them.
Also, if one of the retailers we are affiliated with is running a sale or has a special coupon we will post those also. Subscribe to the blog to get all of the updates!
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of ScamVictimsUnited.com
There is strength in numbers!
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more through
http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
If there is a retailer that you shop at on a regular basis, let us know and we will try to add them.
Also, if one of the retailers we are affiliated with is running a sale or has a special coupon we will post those also. Subscribe to the blog to get all of the updates!
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of ScamVictimsUnited.com
There is strength in numbers!
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more through
http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
Have Banks No Shame?
I saw this article by Joe Nocera of The New York Times and I had to share it with you.
Lobbies representing the banking industry are opposing the creation of a consumer financial protection agency.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/10/business/10nocera.html
Brought to you by
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of ScamVictimsUnited.com
There is strength in numbers!
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more through
http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
Lobbies representing the banking industry are opposing the creation of a consumer financial protection agency.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/10/business/10nocera.html
Brought to you by
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of ScamVictimsUnited.com
There is strength in numbers!
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more through
http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Be warned about Google Revolution!
Be warned about Google Revolution! This site is not affiliated with Google and is a big scam.
Because I am always looking for new innovative ideas and trends for our newsroom this one looked interesting. I read about how great Google Revolution was from a column on a large news website.
I visited the site recommended and the information they were offering looked like it might be worth the download charge of $1.88. This is when they got me.
I provided a credit card number for this charge at the end of June and thought everything was fine.
In August I started to receive charges from four web companies all related to Google Revolution.
I called Visa and they said there was nothing I could do about it and to call the companies involved.
I then called the companies listed on my bill and they all said I had agreed to these charges when I downloaded the $1.88 information.
During the call I could hear the background buzz from call operators explaining to others just as shocked as I was. It seemed like the four companies were all operating out of the same call centre.
Can you imagine the money they must be receiving from other innocent victims.
I thought I was pretty savvy about watching out for scams but this one got me good. Hopefully these charges of several hundreds of dollars will not appear on my credit card next month.
Lesson learned.
The above information is reposted with the permission of
Wendy Nordvik-Carr
http://www.linkedin.com/in/wendynordvikcarr
Follow Wendy on Twitter http://twitter.com/wendynordvikcar
Because I am always looking for new innovative ideas and trends for our newsroom this one looked interesting. I read about how great Google Revolution was from a column on a large news website.
I visited the site recommended and the information they were offering looked like it might be worth the download charge of $1.88. This is when they got me.
I provided a credit card number for this charge at the end of June and thought everything was fine.
In August I started to receive charges from four web companies all related to Google Revolution.
I called Visa and they said there was nothing I could do about it and to call the companies involved.
I then called the companies listed on my bill and they all said I had agreed to these charges when I downloaded the $1.88 information.
During the call I could hear the background buzz from call operators explaining to others just as shocked as I was. It seemed like the four companies were all operating out of the same call centre.
Can you imagine the money they must be receiving from other innocent victims.
I thought I was pretty savvy about watching out for scams but this one got me good. Hopefully these charges of several hundreds of dollars will not appear on my credit card next month.
Lesson learned.
The above information is reposted with the permission of
Wendy Nordvik-Carr
http://www.linkedin.com/in/wendynordvikcarr
Follow Wendy on Twitter http://twitter.com/wendynordvikcar
One week to Scam Jam
It is only one week until Scam Jam in Portland, Oregon.
Please join us at Reed College on Saturday, October 17th from 9am to 3pm.
Learn how to protect yourself from ID theft, investment fraud, repair scams, financial exploitation . . . plus speak with Shawn Mosch of Scam Victims United!
http://portlandscamjam.com/
You can also go to http://www.chuckwhitlock.com/scamjam.html to see footage from past events.
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of www.ScamVictimsUnited.com
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more through
http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
Please join us at Reed College on Saturday, October 17th from 9am to 3pm.
Learn how to protect yourself from ID theft, investment fraud, repair scams, financial exploitation . . . plus speak with Shawn Mosch of Scam Victims United!
http://portlandscamjam.com/
You can also go to http://www.chuckwhitlock.com/scamjam.html to see footage from past events.
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of www.ScamVictimsUnited.com
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more through
http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Scammers and Social Networking Sites
This information is re-posted from the FBI Press Release Page
Fraudsters continue to 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.
Another technique used by fraudsters involves applications advertised on social networking sites, which appear legitimate; however, some of these applications install malicious code or rogue anti-virus software. Other malicious software gives the fraudsters 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 websites posted on their webpage without their knowledge. Friends are then more apt to click on these sites since they appear to be endorsed by their contacts.
Tips on avoiding these tactics:
Adjust website 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."
You can select those who have "limited" access to your profile. This is for those whom you do not wish to give full friend status to or with whom you feel uncomfortable sharing personal information.
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.
Those interested in becoming a user of a social networking site and/or current users are recommended to familiarize themselves with the site's policies and procedures before encountering such a problem.
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.
Individuals who experienced such incidents are encouraged to file a complaint at www.IC3.gov reporting the incident.
---------------------
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of ScamVictimsUnited.com
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more through
http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
Fraudsters continue to 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.
Another technique used by fraudsters involves applications advertised on social networking sites, which appear legitimate; however, some of these applications install malicious code or rogue anti-virus software. Other malicious software gives the fraudsters 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 websites posted on their webpage without their knowledge. Friends are then more apt to click on these sites since they appear to be endorsed by their contacts.
Tips on avoiding these tactics:
Adjust website 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."
You can select those who have "limited" access to your profile. This is for those whom you do not wish to give full friend status to or with whom you feel uncomfortable sharing personal information.
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.
Those interested in becoming a user of a social networking site and/or current users are recommended to familiarize themselves with the site's policies and procedures before encountering such a problem.
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.
Individuals who experienced such incidents are encouraged to file a complaint at www.IC3.gov reporting the incident.
---------------------
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of ScamVictimsUnited.com
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more through
http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
Monday, October 5, 2009
Fraudulent emails - FBI
There have been several press releases about fraudlent emails that appear to be coming from the FBI. I will just post all of them here, with the links to the press releases.
http://www.ic3.gov/media/2009/091005-3.aspx
Fraudulent e-mail claiming to contain an FBI Intelligence Bulletin from the Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate
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 malicious software.
Below is an example of the fraudulent e-mail message:
CLASSIFIED
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate
HANDLING NOTICE: Recipients are reminded that FBI Intelligence Bulletins contain sensitive terrorism and counterterrorism information meant for use primarily within the law enforcement and homeland security communities. Such bulletins shall not be released, either in written or oral form, to the media, the general public, or other personnel who do not have a valid need-to-know without prior approval from an authorized FBI official, as such release could jeopardize national security.
http://www.ic3.gov/media/2009/091005-2.aspx
Fraudulent E-mail Claiming To Contain FBI "Intelligence Bulletin No. 267"
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.
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 email official reports. Consumers should not respond to any unsolicited e-mails or click on any embedded links, as they may contain viruses or other malicious software.
Below is an example of the fraudulent e-mail message:
INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN No. 267
Title: New Patterns in Al-Qaeda Financing
Date: August 15, 2009
THREAT LEVEL: YELLOW (ELEVATED)
THE INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN PROVIDES LAW ENFORCEMENT AND OTHER PUBLIC SAFET= OFFICIALS WITH SITUATIONAL AWARENESS CONCERNING INTERNATIONAL AND DOMES=IC TERRORIST GROUPS AND TACTICS.
HANDLING NOTICE: Recipients are reminded that FBI Intelligence Bulletins =ontain sensitive terrorism and counterterrorism information meant for us= primarily within the law enforcement community. Such bulletins are not =o be released either in written or oral form to the media, the general p=blic, or other personnel who do not have a valid ?eed-to-know?with=ut prior approval from an authorized FBI official, as such release could jeopardize national security.
http://www.ic3.gov/media/2009/091005-1.aspx
Fraudulent E-mail Claiming To Be From DHS And The FBI Counterterrorism Division
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.
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.
One example of this fraudulent e-mail message is as follows:
Subject: New DHS Report
New Usama Bin Ladin Speech Directed to the People of Europe Prepared by DHS/I&A Intelligence Watch and Warning Division and the FBI Counter Terrorism Division
(U//FOUO) Media outlets are reporting the release of a new audio tape on Al Jazeera today from Usama Bin Ladin, in which he states that all European countries involved in the Afghanistan war should end their support of American oppression in Afghanistan. In the audio message, Bin Ladin claims direct responsibility for the 11 September 2001 attacks and emphasizes that neither the Afghan people nor the Afghan government had foreknowledge of the attacks.
////Signed////
Charlie Allen
Chief Intelligence Officer
Department of Homeland Security
This information is brought to you by ScamVictimsUnited.com
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more through
http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
http://www.ic3.gov/media/2009/091005-3.aspx
Fraudulent e-mail claiming to contain an FBI Intelligence Bulletin from the Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate
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 malicious software.
Below is an example of the fraudulent e-mail message:
CLASSIFIED
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate
HANDLING NOTICE: Recipients are reminded that FBI Intelligence Bulletins contain sensitive terrorism and counterterrorism information meant for use primarily within the law enforcement and homeland security communities. Such bulletins shall not be released, either in written or oral form, to the media, the general public, or other personnel who do not have a valid need-to-know without prior approval from an authorized FBI official, as such release could jeopardize national security.
http://www.ic3.gov/media/2009/091005-2.aspx
Fraudulent E-mail Claiming To Contain FBI "Intelligence Bulletin No. 267"
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.
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 email official reports. Consumers should not respond to any unsolicited e-mails or click on any embedded links, as they may contain viruses or other malicious software.
Below is an example of the fraudulent e-mail message:
INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN No. 267
Title: New Patterns in Al-Qaeda Financing
Date: August 15, 2009
THREAT LEVEL: YELLOW (ELEVATED)
THE INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN PROVIDES LAW ENFORCEMENT AND OTHER PUBLIC SAFET= OFFICIALS WITH SITUATIONAL AWARENESS CONCERNING INTERNATIONAL AND DOMES=IC TERRORIST GROUPS AND TACTICS.
HANDLING NOTICE: Recipients are reminded that FBI Intelligence Bulletins =ontain sensitive terrorism and counterterrorism information meant for us= primarily within the law enforcement community. Such bulletins are not =o be released either in written or oral form to the media, the general p=blic, or other personnel who do not have a valid ?eed-to-know?with=ut prior approval from an authorized FBI official, as such release could jeopardize national security.
http://www.ic3.gov/media/2009/091005-1.aspx
Fraudulent E-mail Claiming To Be From DHS And The FBI Counterterrorism Division
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.
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.
One example of this fraudulent e-mail message is as follows:
Subject: New DHS Report
New Usama Bin Ladin Speech Directed to the People of Europe Prepared by DHS/I&A Intelligence Watch and Warning Division and the FBI Counter Terrorism Division
(U//FOUO) Media outlets are reporting the release of a new audio tape on Al Jazeera today from Usama Bin Ladin, in which he states that all European countries involved in the Afghanistan war should end their support of American oppression in Afghanistan. In the audio message, Bin Ladin claims direct responsibility for the 11 September 2001 attacks and emphasizes that neither the Afghan people nor the Afghan government had foreknowledge of the attacks.
////Signed////
Charlie Allen
Chief Intelligence Officer
Department of Homeland Security
This information is brought to you by ScamVictimsUnited.com
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more through
http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
REI being used in scam emails
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
REI Statement on “Prize Winning Payout” Scam
Kent, WA – A company falsely identifying itself as REI (Recreational Equipment Inc.) recently launched a scam sweepstakes claiming that individuals have won a “Consumer Promotion Drawing.” The company and promotion are not associated with REI in any way and the check included in the mailing is counterfeit.
REI is currently working with the Kent Police Department, the FBI, and the Office of the Washington State Attorney General. REI is also warning consumers in an effort to prevent additional victims of this fraud.
Consumers from several states have reported receiving letters stating that they have won $150,000 but must claim their winnings within 15 days. The mailing also includes a fraudulent check for $3,800 from “Recreational Equipment Inc.” to cover the “Non-Resident Government Tax” allegedly owed to a “British Tax Officer.”
Because the check is fraudulent, consumers themselves are personally responsible for any funds paid over for the check.
REI encourages consumers who have received this letter to contact their local police department and/or state's Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division. The case number with Kent Police Department is 09-101-84. Consumers are asked to use this information with their local law enforcement as a reference.
Questions and concerns can be forwarded to Fraud@rei.com.
This information is brought to you by http://www.ScamVictimsUnited.com
REI Statement on “Prize Winning Payout” Scam
Kent, WA – A company falsely identifying itself as REI (Recreational Equipment Inc.) recently launched a scam sweepstakes claiming that individuals have won a “Consumer Promotion Drawing.” The company and promotion are not associated with REI in any way and the check included in the mailing is counterfeit.
REI is currently working with the Kent Police Department, the FBI, and the Office of the Washington State Attorney General. REI is also warning consumers in an effort to prevent additional victims of this fraud.
Consumers from several states have reported receiving letters stating that they have won $150,000 but must claim their winnings within 15 days. The mailing also includes a fraudulent check for $3,800 from “Recreational Equipment Inc.” to cover the “Non-Resident Government Tax” allegedly owed to a “British Tax Officer.”
Because the check is fraudulent, consumers themselves are personally responsible for any funds paid over for the check.
REI encourages consumers who have received this letter to contact their local police department and/or state's Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division. The case number with Kent Police Department is 09-101-84. Consumers are asked to use this information with their local law enforcement as a reference.
Questions and concerns can be forwarded to Fraud@rei.com.
This information is brought to you by http://www.ScamVictimsUnited.com
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Why do scammers love Craigslist?
Many websites have become infested with scammers, but Craigslist seems to be one of the places that the scammers really love to hang out. Why is that?
Variety of categories - In the past, when a scammer wanted to find a victim for their overpayment scams they had to go to a website were people were selling items, usually of large value. If they wanted to find a victim for an employment scam, they had to go to a site where people were posting their resumes. If they wanted to find a victim for a romance or dating scam, they would have to go to a dating website. If you wanted to find a victim for renter or roommate scam, you had to go to a site where people were posting housing information. With Craigslist, you can find all of those people in the different categories on the same site.
Includes the entire country - There are other classified ad sites that would have the same variety of categories that Craigslist has, but they are usually for a certain geographic location. If the scammer wants to try and find more victims, they would have to go to another classified ad site that is targeted towards another geographic location. With Craigslist all the scammer has to do is click on a new city and state for their search location and they have a entirely different group of victims to try and bring into their scam.
It's free - Not only is Craigslist free for people to post or creating listings, but it is also free to people looking at those listings. This
works to the scammer's advantage. If the scammer is the one placing the listing, for a Secret Shopper job for example, they do not have to pay anything to place that advertisement. Many of the sites that require you to pay to post have a lower number of scams posted simply due to the fact that the scammer is there to make money, and not to spend it. It works the other way too . . . if the scammer is the one searching the posted ads for their next victim, they do not have to pay anything to have access to those listings.
Craigslist does have warning information on their site, and I think that some of their warnings should hold true if you are using their site or another classified ad site.
Deal with local buyers and sellers. If you sell your item and you need to have it shipped someplace you are taking a greater risk. If you deal locally, you can arrange to meet the person face to face to exchange money and the item for sale.
Never wire funds to someone you only know via email conversations. Scammers use services like Western Union and MoneyGram in their scams because they know that once the money is wired off and picked up on the other end there is no way to recover the money. Also, since they are overseas, our law enforcement in the United States cannot just go and pick them up for taking your money. It becomes an issue for the government and law enforcement in the country that they live in. This all goes back to jurisdiction, which we talked about in the past, and you can review here.
One thing that I think that Craigslist could add to their posted warning is that a cashier's check could take 10 business days or more to go through the clearing process. Just because you take the check to the bank and they tell you that it has cleared, or that it will be verified as good in 24 hours does not mean that the bank knows for sure that this check was written on a good account and has the funds in that account to cover the check. This is the information that is missing from so many of the current internet scam warnings, but is also the piece of information that could save so many scam victims. So why don't the places that post the warnings understand this and include this information? Personally, I feel it is because they are thinking as a "business" and not as a scam victims, and that is one thing that I can do since I have been there myself.
Had we known back in October of 2002 that the check could take up to 10 business days to go through the entire clearing process and that until that happened we would be liable for the entire amount of the check, then there is no way we would have wired any money off any sooner than 10 business days . . . actually, my husband and I had promised each other that what ever amount of time the bank said to wait to be safe we were going to double to be extra safe, so like I said, if they would have been honest with us there is no way we would have become scam victims.
Variety of categories - In the past, when a scammer wanted to find a victim for their overpayment scams they had to go to a website were people were selling items, usually of large value. If they wanted to find a victim for an employment scam, they had to go to a site where people were posting their resumes. If they wanted to find a victim for a romance or dating scam, they would have to go to a dating website. If you wanted to find a victim for renter or roommate scam, you had to go to a site where people were posting housing information. With Craigslist, you can find all of those people in the different categories on the same site.
Includes the entire country - There are other classified ad sites that would have the same variety of categories that Craigslist has, but they are usually for a certain geographic location. If the scammer wants to try and find more victims, they would have to go to another classified ad site that is targeted towards another geographic location. With Craigslist all the scammer has to do is click on a new city and state for their search location and they have a entirely different group of victims to try and bring into their scam.
It's free - Not only is Craigslist free for people to post or creating listings, but it is also free to people looking at those listings. This
works to the scammer's advantage. If the scammer is the one placing the listing, for a Secret Shopper job for example, they do not have to pay anything to place that advertisement. Many of the sites that require you to pay to post have a lower number of scams posted simply due to the fact that the scammer is there to make money, and not to spend it. It works the other way too . . . if the scammer is the one searching the posted ads for their next victim, they do not have to pay anything to have access to those listings.
Craigslist does have warning information on their site, and I think that some of their warnings should hold true if you are using their site or another classified ad site.
Deal with local buyers and sellers. If you sell your item and you need to have it shipped someplace you are taking a greater risk. If you deal locally, you can arrange to meet the person face to face to exchange money and the item for sale.
Never wire funds to someone you only know via email conversations. Scammers use services like Western Union and MoneyGram in their scams because they know that once the money is wired off and picked up on the other end there is no way to recover the money. Also, since they are overseas, our law enforcement in the United States cannot just go and pick them up for taking your money. It becomes an issue for the government and law enforcement in the country that they live in. This all goes back to jurisdiction, which we talked about in the past, and you can review here.
One thing that I think that Craigslist could add to their posted warning is that a cashier's check could take 10 business days or more to go through the clearing process. Just because you take the check to the bank and they tell you that it has cleared, or that it will be verified as good in 24 hours does not mean that the bank knows for sure that this check was written on a good account and has the funds in that account to cover the check. This is the information that is missing from so many of the current internet scam warnings, but is also the piece of information that could save so many scam victims. So why don't the places that post the warnings understand this and include this information? Personally, I feel it is because they are thinking as a "business" and not as a scam victims, and that is one thing that I can do since I have been there myself.
Had we known back in October of 2002 that the check could take up to 10 business days to go through the entire clearing process and that until that happened we would be liable for the entire amount of the check, then there is no way we would have wired any money off any sooner than 10 business days . . . actually, my husband and I had promised each other that what ever amount of time the bank said to wait to be safe we were going to double to be extra safe, so like I said, if they would have been honest with us there is no way we would have become scam victims.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Google it!
I think that Google is a wonderful scam fighting tool. On a daily basis we will have people come to our site and post on our message board that they did NOT become a scam victim because they ran a Google search on something from the scammer's email . . . their name, email address, company, phone number . . . and that search brought them right to a post on our message board. Once they see this information on our message board they know for sure that it is a scam.
If you ask me, it is better to be over cautious . . . Google everything! You never know what information you might find out. It is better to be safe than sorry.
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of ScamVictimsUnited.com
There is strength in numbers!
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more through
http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
If you ask me, it is better to be over cautious . . . Google everything! You never know what information you might find out. It is better to be safe than sorry.
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of ScamVictimsUnited.com
There is strength in numbers!
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more through
http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
Thursday, October 1, 2009
October is Cyber Security Awareness Month
You can find out more about Cyber Security Awareness Month at http://staysafeonline.org/NCSAM
And there is a listing of events going on across the country.
And there is a listing of events going on across the country.
Social Networking Friend Scam
This is from a Press Release from the FBI today
No, Your Social Networking “Friend” Isn’t Really in Trouble Overseas
According to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), there has been an increase in the number of hijacked social networking accounts reported to www.ic3.gov.
One of the more popular scams involves online criminals planting malicious software and code onto to victim computers. It starts by someone opening a spam e-mail, sometimes from another hijacked friend’s account.
When opened, the spam allows the cyber intruders to steal passwords for any account on the computer, including social networking sites. The thieves then change the user’s passwords and eventually send out distress messages claiming they are in some sort of legal or medical peril and requesting money from their social networking contacts.
So far, nearly 3,200 cases of account hijackings have been reported to the IC3 since 2006.
Cyber thieves are also using spam to promote phishing sites, claiming a violation of the terms of service agreement or creating some other issue which needs to be resolved. Other spam entices users to download an application or view a video. Some of these messages appear to be sent from friends, giving the perception of legitimacy. Once the user responds to a phishing site, downloads an application, or clicks on a video link, the electronic device they’re using becomes infected.
Some applications advertised on social networking sites appear legitimate but install malicious code or rogue anti-virus software. These empty applications can give cyber criminals access to your profile and personal information. These programs will automatically send messages to your contacts, instructing them to download the new application too.
Infected users are often unknowingly spreading malware by having links to infected websites posted on their webpage without the user’s knowledge. Since the e-mail or video link appear to be endorsed by a friend, social networking contacts are more likely to click on these links.
Although social networking sites are generally a safe place to interact with friends and acquaintances, keep in mind these suggestions to protect yourself while navigating the Internet:
Adjust website privacy settings. Some networking sites have provided useful options to assist in adjusting settings to help protect your identity.
Be selective when adding friends. Once added, contacts can access any information marked as viewable by all friends.
Limit access to your profile to only those contacts you trust with your personal information.
Disable options, such as photo sharing, that you might not regularly use. You can always enable these options later.
Be careful what you click on. Just because someone posts a link or video to their wall does not mean it is safe.
Familiarize yourself with the security and privacy settings and learn how to report a compromised account.
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.
If your account has been hijacked or infected, report it to by visiting www.ic3.gov or www.lookstoogoodtobetrue.com.
The Internet Crime Complaint Center is a partnership between the FBI and National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C).
No, Your Social Networking “Friend” Isn’t Really in Trouble Overseas
According to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), there has been an increase in the number of hijacked social networking accounts reported to www.ic3.gov.
One of the more popular scams involves online criminals planting malicious software and code onto to victim computers. It starts by someone opening a spam e-mail, sometimes from another hijacked friend’s account.
When opened, the spam allows the cyber intruders to steal passwords for any account on the computer, including social networking sites. The thieves then change the user’s passwords and eventually send out distress messages claiming they are in some sort of legal or medical peril and requesting money from their social networking contacts.
So far, nearly 3,200 cases of account hijackings have been reported to the IC3 since 2006.
Cyber thieves are also using spam to promote phishing sites, claiming a violation of the terms of service agreement or creating some other issue which needs to be resolved. Other spam entices users to download an application or view a video. Some of these messages appear to be sent from friends, giving the perception of legitimacy. Once the user responds to a phishing site, downloads an application, or clicks on a video link, the electronic device they’re using becomes infected.
Some applications advertised on social networking sites appear legitimate but install malicious code or rogue anti-virus software. These empty applications can give cyber criminals access to your profile and personal information. These programs will automatically send messages to your contacts, instructing them to download the new application too.
Infected users are often unknowingly spreading malware by having links to infected websites posted on their webpage without the user’s knowledge. Since the e-mail or video link appear to be endorsed by a friend, social networking contacts are more likely to click on these links.
Although social networking sites are generally a safe place to interact with friends and acquaintances, keep in mind these suggestions to protect yourself while navigating the Internet:
Adjust website privacy settings. Some networking sites have provided useful options to assist in adjusting settings to help protect your identity.
Be selective when adding friends. Once added, contacts can access any information marked as viewable by all friends.
Limit access to your profile to only those contacts you trust with your personal information.
Disable options, such as photo sharing, that you might not regularly use. You can always enable these options later.
Be careful what you click on. Just because someone posts a link or video to their wall does not mean it is safe.
Familiarize yourself with the security and privacy settings and learn how to report a compromised account.
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.
If your account has been hijacked or infected, report it to by visiting www.ic3.gov or www.lookstoogoodtobetrue.com.
The Internet Crime Complaint Center is a partnership between the FBI and National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C).
Scams and Social Networking Sites
The following information was issued by the IC3 and can be found at http://www.ic3.gov/media/2009/091001.aspx
Techniques Used By Fraudsters On Social Networking Sites
Fraudsters continue to 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.
Another technique used by fraudsters involves applications advertised on social networking sites, which appear legitimate; however, some of these applications install malicious code or rogue anti-virus software. Other malicious software gives the fraudsters 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 apt to click on these sites since they appear to be endorsed by their contacts.
Tips on avoiding these tactics:
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."
You can select those who have "limited" access to your profile. This is for those whom you do not wish to give full friend status to or with whom you feel uncomfortable sharing personal information.
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.
Those interested in becoming a user of a social networking site and/or current users are recommended to familiarize themselves with the site's policies and procedures before encountering such a problem.
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.
Individuals who experienced such incidents are encouraged to file a complaint at www.IC3.gov reporting the incident.
Techniques Used By Fraudsters On Social Networking Sites
Fraudsters continue to 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.
Another technique used by fraudsters involves applications advertised on social networking sites, which appear legitimate; however, some of these applications install malicious code or rogue anti-virus software. Other malicious software gives the fraudsters 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 apt to click on these sites since they appear to be endorsed by their contacts.
Tips on avoiding these tactics:
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."
You can select those who have "limited" access to your profile. This is for those whom you do not wish to give full friend status to or with whom you feel uncomfortable sharing personal information.
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.
Those interested in becoming a user of a social networking site and/or current users are recommended to familiarize themselves with the site's policies and procedures before encountering such a problem.
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.
Individuals who experienced such incidents are encouraged to file a complaint at www.IC3.gov reporting the incident.
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