Scammers use fear to get money

When a potential victim thinks that they might be on to the scammer, the scammer may use fear to try and get the person to send them the money.  Sometimes it is the fear of "I know where you live" and sometimes it is the fear of arrest, as once scammer tried to use in the email below . . . .

From: Charles Boothe ;hondaprelude7188@gmail.com

This is to inform you that due to your illegal action in the process of the Cleaner job offer to you concerning the check issued to you. I was informed by my bank that the check issue has been cleared and yet i haven't got any reply from you,
For your information as you know all your contact details is with me so i have get the FBI informed,i also gave them your contact details for them to locate you. You may have any explanation to tell them and any information you may be holding for them concerning the payment i sent to you.I know they will get you soon,You may think that i have acted so rude by doing this but i am very sorry.You make me act like that because you never let me know what is going on.
I am very sorry for any inconvenience that i might have cause concerning this job offer and the way i act. Get back to me to confirm you get this email.
Best Regard

No matter what the scammer says, do not send them the money.  They did not contact the FBI, because the check that you were sent was counterfeit.

My two internet lives ~ Be SAFE!

The readers of this blog know that I have my scam fighting internet life, but you might not know about my "other" internet life.

I also operate a crafting blog and, along with my husband, created the website CricutSearch.com


Now, this is where my two internet lives will collide . . .

With many of the crafting blogs that do contests and give aways they will ask people to post a comment on the blog to "enter" and to leave their email address so that they have a way to get a hold of these people to let them know that they have won.  I totally understand that the blog owners/operators need a way to contact these people, but I am hoping that I can help to share a SAFER way than posting email addresses.

First, posting email addresses on the internet in response to a blog post or on an open message board is one of the things that we warn people NOT to do at ScamVictimsUnited.com. Why is that?  The people that create the spam and scam "mailing lists" have programs that basically surf the net looking for email addresses. When you post your email address in a comment, on a blog or a message board you are opening the door for your name to be added to these mailing lists.  This will increase the amount of spam that you get, and some of the people who operate scams and send out the spam will attach a virus to the email, so you are opening yourself up for the potential of a virus on your computer.

I know that the people running these contests need the email address to contact people, but can I suggest a SAFER way for people to do so? If in your post when you ask for email addresses, you warn people about posting email addresses and encourage them to write it like I will write mine below

admin at cricutsearch dot com
and
admin at scamvictimsunited dot com

Since these are all separate words they will NOT get picked up by the computer programs that troll sites for addresses.  This allows the person to have the information that you need but also keeps them safe.  And on message boards, if you are registered to the message board you should NEVER have to post your email address.  All of the good message boards have a Private Message button or an Email button at the bottom of your profile which shows up on every message you post.  If someone needs to get a hold of you, they can click on this button and do so, and your email address is safe from scams and spam.

If you operate a website or blog, I encourage you to review your site and make sure that you are not posting your email address in a way that can be picked up by these programs.  Another way to post your email address on your own blog is to simply say "Email Me" and then make those words "clickable", just like you would if you were inserting a link, but instead of a link you are inserting an email address.  I know that blogger  makes it easy for you . . . when you go to insert a link there is a second check box for inserting an email address.

Also, as a blog or website operator, you can post this information to help to educate your followers and keep them safe.  Ironically, October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, so it is the perfect time to share this message with all of your readers.

Hiding behind the email

You just got an email and it looks like it is really from a local business or organization that you know. Is it possible that it could be from a scammer? The answer is yes. Scammers use a technique called spoofing to do this.

What is spoofing? Well, if you want to go and read the technical definition of it, you can go here, but for those of you who are like me and some of the technical talk starts to sound like "blah, blah, blah" here are the spoofing basics.

Spoofing is when the person who sent the email makes it appear like the email cam from a different email address. One of the clues would be if the From line in the email has a different address than the Reply To line of the email.

Why would anyone want to do this? Well, the scammers take on many different profiles, and since they are trying to gain your trust, and your money, they have to make it LOOK like they really are who they say that they are. If they can spoof an email address of a well know business, and in their email they say they are with that business, there are some people who are not as internet savvy that will believe that the scammer is really who they say they are or associated with the company they claim to be with simply because the email address appears to be from that company.

Email spoofing is a common tool used by internet scammers, since it allows them to hide behind the identity of another person or company.

It starts with an email

Here is a typical email that could show up in your inbox and start you down the path of becoming a scam victim if you don't know what to look for.

Subject: You Have A Package

From: Brenda.Kellen@marshall.k12.mn.us

Reply To: info@fedexdelivery.com

You have a bank draft of $580,000.00 USD , which await the outstanding payment of $95.00 Contact our dispatch unit for dispatch immediately. Contact person: Mr. Celin Smith, Email: fdexcourierdeliveryltd01@gmx.com  Tell: +234 807 363 6733

How do I know that this is a scam from just this small amount of information? Let me show you.

First, they tell you that you have a large amount of money just sitting there waiting for you, and all you have to do is just send them some money and they can release these funds to you.  This is used in inheritance and lottery scams on a regular basis.  If you really did have a large amount of money owed to you, and the only thing holding that money from getting to you was some sort of payment, they could take that payment from the amount owed and just send you your money.

Second, there are WAY too many email addresses going on in this email.  There is the one in the From line, which is probably spoofed or this person could have had their email account hacked into.  We will talk about spoofing and hacking later on this week.  Then there is a different email address in the Reply To line, which includes the term FedEx, but is not a legitimate FedEx extension . . . a simple Google search verified this.  Then, within the email there is a third email address, again with terms referring to FedEx, but if you look they are on the front part of the email address, the part after the @ is from gmx.com which is a free email service.  With free email services the person setting up the account has full control over the letter that appear before the @ in the email address.  I could go and create one right now that said WaltDisney@(insert free email service here) but that does not mean that the people who I am emailing are getting emails from Walt Disney.

Third, look at the phone number provided . . . Tell: +234 807 363 6733 . . . that is WAY too many numbers to be a United States phone number.  Another Google search tells me that 234 phone numbers are from Nigeria, and Nigeria is the number one country of these types of scams.

So what have we learned today?  Google is our friend, look at the email address and see if it is a free email service, and check your phone numbers.

Are you inviting people to rob you?

Re-posted from The Informant


Social networking has become wildly popular. It seems everyone’s tweeting, Google Buzzing, Foursquaring or Facebooking nowadays. It’s all about what you’re doing right now and where you’re doing it.

But this apparently insatiable appetite we’ve developed for information “as it’s happening” carries with it a hidden danger. When you “tweet” a friend or “Foursquare” a business associate that you’re en route to your favorite vacation destination, you’re also sending a message to criminals that you’re not at home and that your place of residence and all of its contents are theirs for the taking. That’s right. Thieves are keeping close tabs on status updates to help them select their targets. It’s been dubbed “Internet shopping for burglars.”

A new website called pleaserobme.com helps to highlight the potential dangers of location-sharing by simply combining publicly shared check-ins. In a hypothetical bid to accommodate would-be burglars and thus, raise awareness of the problem, check-ins are referenced as “recent empty homes” and “new opportunities.” With an estimated 40% of social network users routinely sharing information about their whereabouts, it’s no surprise that criminals regard these platforms as “target rich environments.”

When you share your location via a social network like Google Buzz or Foursquare, you are putting yourself and your family at risk. It’s probably best to skip on the details regarding your whereabouts and always refrain from sharing your address anywhere online. It’s either that or start telling everyone that your cousin- the Navy Seal- is staying at your place while he decompresses from his recent tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Google and the hackers

Reposted from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35231454/ns/technology_and_science-washington_post/

The world's largest Internet search company and the world's most powerful electronic surveillance organization are teaming up in the name of cybersecurity.

Under an agreement that is still being finalized, the National Security Agency would help Google analyze a major corporate espionage attack that the firm said originated in China and targeted its computer networks, according to cybersecurity experts familiar with the matter. The objective is to better defend Google — and its users — from future attack.

Google and the NSA declined to comment on the partnership. But sources with knowledge of the arrangement, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the alliance is being designed to allow the two organizations to share critical information without violating Google's policies or laws that protect the privacy of Americans' online communications. The sources said the deal does not mean the NSA will be viewing users' searches or e-mail accounts or that Google will be sharing proprietary data.

The partnership strikes at the core of one of the most sensitive issues for the government and private industry in the evolving world of cybersecurity: how to balance privacy and national security interests. On Tuesday, Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair called the Google attacks, which the company acknowledged in January, a "wake-up call." Cyberspace cannot be protected, he said, without a "collaborative effort that incorporates both the U.S. private sector and our international partners."

But achieving collaboration is not easy, in part because private companies do not trust the government to keep their secrets and in part because of concerns that collaboration can lead to continuous government monitoring of private communications. Privacy advocates, concerned about a repeat of the NSA's warrantless interception of Americans' phone calls and e-mails after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, say information-sharing must be limited and closely overseen.

"The critical question is: At what level will the American public be comfortable with Google sharing information with NSA?" said Ellen McCarthy, president of the Intelligence and National Security Alliance, an organization of current and former intelligence and national security officials that seeks ways to foster greater sharing of information between government and industry.

On Jan. 12, Google took the rare step of announcing publicly that its systems had been hacked in a series of intrusions beginning in December.

The intrusions, industry experts said, targeted Google source code — the programming language underlying Google applications — and extended to more than 30 other large tech, defense, energy, financial and media companies. The Gmail accounts of human rights activists in Europe, China and the United States were also compromised.

So significant was the attack that Google threatened to shutter its business operation in China if the government did not agree to let the firm operate an uncensored search engine there. That issue is still unresolved.

Google approached the NSA shortly after the attacks, sources said, but the deal is taking weeks to hammer out, reflecting the sensitivity of the partnership. Any agreement would mark the first time that Google has entered a formal information-sharing relationship with the NSA, sources said. In 2008, the firm stated that it had not cooperated with the NSA in its Terrorist Surveillance Program.

'Deficiencies'

Sources familiar with the new initiative said the focus is not figuring out who was behind the recent cyberattacks — doing so is a nearly impossible task after the fact — but building a better defense of Google's networks, or what its technicians call "information assurance."

One senior defense official, while not confirming or denying any agreement the NSA might have with any firm, said: "If a company came to the table and asked for help, I would ask them . . . 'What do you know about what transpired in your system? What deficiencies do you think they took advantage of? Tell me a little bit about what it was they did.' " Sources said the NSA is reaching out to other government agencies that play key roles in the U.S. effort to defend cyberspace and might be able to help in the Google investigation.

Jan 13: Washington has demanded an explanation from Beijing over claims by Google that the internet accounts of human rights activists have come under concerted attack from hackers.

These agencies include the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security.

Over the past decade, other Silicon Valley companies have quietly turned to the NSA for guidance in protecting their networks.

"As a general matter," NSA spokeswoman Judi Emmel said, "as part of its information-assurance mission, NSA works with a broad range of commercial partners and research associates to ensure the availability of secure tailored solutions for Department of Defense and national security systems customers."

Despite such precedent, Matthew Aid, an expert on the NSA, said Google's global reach makes it unique.

"When you rise to the level of Google . . . you're looking at a company that has taken great pride in its independence," said Aid, author of "The Secret Sentry," a history of the NSA. "I'm a little uncomfortable with Google cooperating this closely with the nation's largest intelligence agency, even if it's strictly for defensive purposes."

The pact would be aimed at allowing the NSA help Google understand whether it is putting in place the right defenses by evaluating vulnerabilities in hardware and software and to calibrate how sophisticated the adversary is. The agency's expertise is based in part on its analysis of cyber-"signatures" that have been documented in previous attacks and can be used to block future intrusions.

The NSA would also be able to help the firm understand what methods are being used to penetrate its system, the sources said. Google, for its part, may share information on the types of malicious code seen in the attacks — without disclosing proprietary data about what was taken, which would concern shareholders, sources said.

Greg Nojeim, senior counsel for the Center for Democracy & Technology, a privacy advocacy group, said companies have statutory authority to share information with the government to protect their rights and property.

The Non-Technical Guide To Finding An Email IP Address

James Bigglesworth (CyberCrimeOps.COM)
January 30, 2010

Being an anti-fraud activist for a number of years, and frequenting many different types of anti-fraud communities, I have heard many questions (and answers) about locating IP Addresses from an email. This article is for non-technical explanations into how to find it, and then how to figure out what it means.

MEET THE IP ADDRESS

Before we get started, let us look briefly at what an IP Address actually is.

Simply put, an IP (Internet Protocol) Address is a series of numbers assigned to a device that is part of a computer network. The IP Address can be thought of in the same light as a street address, giving a unique reference to a geographical location.

The IP Address is a set of 4 numbers separated by periods like this; nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn. Each number will be between 0 and 255 like this; 192.168.0.1.

When you connect to the internet, your ISP gives you an IP Address, and it stays with you as you surf the world-wide-web. You may get a different one from your ISP the next time you connect, or you may get the same one. When you send an email, each machine between you and the recipient makes their mark in the email header. These marks give a roadmap of how the email has travelled through the internet.

WHY IS AN IP ADDRESS IMPORTANT?

As mentioned above, an IP Address gives unique geographical pointers, and in the case of email communications can show you where an email actually came from, and the route travelled before it gets to your inbox.

This information can be vital in figuring out whether someone talking to you via email is being truthful about their location or not. For example; if someone you are about to purchase something from says they are in the UK, but their IP Address says Nigeria, then clearly you may be on the verge of being defrauded.

CAN EMAIL IP ADDRESSES BE MANIPULATED?

In short, yes. There are a few ways that an IP Address can be altered when sending an email. Spammers for example, use an Email Relay systems to obfuscate their originating location. So instead of an email really being sent from Russia, it may appear to come from the United States of America. Typically this kind of email is sent in bulk via specialised email software designed just for this task.

Other techniques are to send emails using scripts on a website, probably one that has been hacked into. These may only give the starting IP Address which relates to the machine on which the script was hosted.

Another technique is to use a webmail account that either does not give out the originating IP Address, or the webmail account is logged into whilst using a piggyback machine (Internet Proxy) to hide the real location.

HOW DO I FIND THE EMAIL IP ADDRESS

Locating the IP Address requires that you look at the header information embedded into the email itself. How you get to that information will depend on what you use to read your emails.

Rather than reinvent a wheel, I have chosen to incorporate information already published elsewhere. SpamCop.NET (anti-spam organisation) carry a large list of information regarding the revealing of email header information. The page is part of the SpamCop.NET FAQ [link] and covers many of the more popular software applications and webmail providers.

READING THE EMAIL HEADER

The email header contains a great deal of information, and for our purposes most of this is useless. Due to the possible wealth of information it is very easy (and common) for people to get completely confused.

First obstacle is realise that you must read the header from bottom to top and not top to bottom! This common mistake could mean the difference between identifying someone in Africa, or saying they are in Sunnyvale California and work for Yahoo!

As you read up the header, look for the first IP Address. You may be lucky as the header may have a special field called X-Originating-IP (or similar). If not, keep reading until you spot something, then look this number up using a WHOIS service (see below).

LOOKING UP AN EMAIL IP ADDRESS

As mentioned above, we need to use a WHOIS lookup service once we have located an IP Address. There are literally many hundreds of these on the internet that can be used.

I will recommend only two, as I use both of these myself. The first is called Domain Tools [link] and is my personal favourite. The other is called DNS Stuff [link]. DNS Stuff contains a lot more geeky tools, but look for the "WHOIS/IPWHOIS Lookup" and enter the IP Address.

The information you get back may give you the information your seek, such as the company & country that is allocated to that IP Address.

Some things to think about when getting results you don't understand. Some foreign countries, especially Africa, use satellite connections to get onto the internet. This means that the IP Address will relate to the first landfall that is made from the satellite. This could be in any number of countries, such as UK, Canada, USA, Israel, or others.

It takes more investigation at that point as you then have to visit the corporate website and try and find their coverage map, if they publish it. This will indicate what satellite services they utilise, and what areas of the world it covers.

IS THE ORIGINAL IP ADDRESS ALWAYS IN THE HEADER?

Unfortunately no. Some email services do not log the original IP Address in the header. Typically this would be done from a WebMail provider. Three of the best known IP hiders are GMail, FastMail and HushMail.

GMail and FastMail allow their users to send emails directly from their email application of their computer, instead of using the webmail interface. This mechanism does not hide the original IP Address, so it is always worth having a look at the header, just in case.

ITS TOO COMPLICATED, IS THERE AN EASIER WAY?

Fortunately there are people out there who like to help, by providing tools we can use for free. If you find reading an email header too confusing or complicated then try copying and pasting the whole header into the following web-page; http://headertool.apelord.com/. I have no idea who owns it, but it has been around for many years.

This very useful tool will read the header for you and display all those it finds, along with a probable country of origin. The email header will be displayed to you again, but all IP Addresses will be highlighted so you can see where they all are. This can be very useful if you are learning to read the header yourself.

The ApeLord tool will also have links to DNSStuff, to enable you to look at details in closer detail.

Further Reading

• Wikipedia - IP Address [link] | Private IP Address [link]
• Wikipedia - Email Relay [link]
• Wikipedia - Internet Proxy [link]
• SpamCop.NET - Reveal the full, unmodified email. [link]
• Wikipedia - Email Headers [link] | E-Mail Message Header [link]
• ApeLord - Header Analysis [link]
• WHOIS Lookup - Domain Tools [link] | DNS Stuff [link]

Original article written for Shawn Mosch, co-founder of ScamVictimsUnited.COM

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Cyber - Education/Awareness

From http://calendar.bollearningconnect.com/main.php?view=event&eventid=1260215055941
You offer internet banking because it is cost effective for the bank and convenient for the customer.

And when you complete a risk assessment, you review E-SIGN rules and logon credentials and disclosures you give your customers. But have you evaluated your customer awareness program? The FFIEC authentication guidance issued several years ago tells us "Financial institutions have made, and should continue to make, efforts to educate their customers. Because customer awareness is a key defense against fraud and identity theft, financial institutions should evaluate their consumer education efforts to determine if additional steps are necessary." It goes on to say that management should both implement a customer awareness program and evaluate its effectiveness periodically.

Banks are being sued by their customers when a loss is incurred via internet banking. While some banks look to Reg E for guidance, it isn't always there, and it won't apply when your customer isn't a consumer. Have you taught your customers how to act and react when there is a threat? In this webinar we will discuss:


What should be in your customer awareness program?

How to educate customers about phishing;

What you need to do when a phishing attack occurs;

Is mobile banking safer than using a PC?

Are customers required to practice safe surfing?

What is safe surfing?

Is multifactor authentication "required" for all customers?

What is a strong password, and how often should it be changed?

And much more.

About the speaker:

Andy Zavoina Mr. Andy Zavoina, CRCM, is a consultant with the Glia Group, best known for its involvement with BankersOnline.com.

Andy has been in finance and banking for 22 years. Over 20 years were with a holding company with two Central Texas community banks that had $534 million in assets, 89 branches spanning Texas and nearly 500 ATMs. After starting in loan workouts, Mr. Zavoina has been a consumer, commercial and real estate lender and managed those departments as well as being the banks first Webmaster. He was responsible for compliance- management, -auditing, and -training for both banks.

Andy is a past Chairman of the American Bankers Association's Compliance Executive Committee. He was the 2003 recipient of the American Bankers Association's Distinguished Service Award for his involvement and accomplishments in the field of regulatory
compliance management. He currently serves on the Editorial Advisory Board for the ABA's Compliance Magazine, Compliance Action magazine, is a member of the ABA's Compliance School Board and is a BankersOnline Guru. He also served on the
Texas Bankers Association's Compliance Committee.

He is a graduate of the ABA National Commercial Lending School, National Compliance and National Graduate Compliance School and is a Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager with the Institute of Certified Bankers. He has written numerous articles and
lectured on compliance, the use of the Internet and technology as a tool, as well as compliance in cyberspace to local, state and national associations. Internet policies and other compliance related programs are made available on his personal Web site.

ONLINE CHECK WRITING

ONLINE CHECK WRITING

The FTC has charged the operators of an Internet-based check creation and delivery service with violating a 2009 court order. The FTC has asked the court to impose a daily fine or imprisonment to make Neovi, Inc., its principals and affiliates stop their illegal actions, compensate affected customers, and give up their ill-gotten gains. According to the FTC, the defendants allowed people to create and email checks via the Internet without verifying their identities or their authority to withdraw money from the accounts they were using.
Press release: www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/11/neovi.shtm.

The Facebook Email

More Facebook login scam emails . . . I had 19 of them in my SPAM folder!

Below are the email addresses from this scam email. I like to post these in case someone does a google search on them.

Subject: New login system
From: update+rgogqpctttsr@facebookmail.com
Reply To: disorient47@sira.net
From: update+dliugby@facebookmail.com
Reply To: codependent465@sssheet.com
update+lnncltkgyzup@facebookmail.com
From: update+ghswbfz@facebookmail.com
From: update+ljeuhyagcq@facebookmail.com
update+yvesfftsiqywhv@facebookmail.com
update+wraywxbjjgz@facebookmail.com
update+mzbdzhlqdfz@facebookmail.com
update+pzgxnjof@facebookmail.com
update+gmgnlbscafdv@facebookmail.com
update+ibwxqcwwrlfnm@facebookmail.com
update+aqcavrtnuzbik@facebookmail.com
update+oinecjo@facebookmail.com
update+opuhqlwsknknf@facebookmail.com
update+mxwiwbc@facebookmail.com
update+vbizdtnyxnt@facebookmail.com
update+gpksidnvuak@facebookmail.com
update+ydvejcd@facebookmail.com
update+clvwaojhtxpilz@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.

Please click on the link below to update your account online now:

If you have any questions, reference our New User Guide.

Thanks,
The Facebook Team

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

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

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

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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.

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).

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.

Scam Jam 2009

Please join us in Portland, Oregon for Scam Jam 2009!

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 ScamVictimsUnited.com

Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more through
http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch

More on reporting scams

Often when victims ask "Where can I report these scams?" what they really want to know is how they recover the money that they lost. The sad truth is that there is no place that you can report this scam to that will be able to recover your money. To the scam victims, at the moment that they realized that they have been scammed it seems like it would be easy to find and arrest the scammer, and recover the money lost . . . you have their name, email address, phone number and maybe even a mailing address . . . but most if not all of those items are fakes that they use for their "profile", and the other issue that comes up is jurisdiction, which we spoke about earlier.

So then what can be done?

Different scam fighting websites have different approaches to how they "fight back" against these scammers.

At Scam Victims United we take the approach of providing information about scams in order to try and educate people before they become a victim. We have created a Facebook Fan Page in order to bring our message where people "hang out". We would like to see scam education brought into the school systems so that we can give the next generation the tools and resources that they need to recognize and avoid these scams. We allow people to post scam emails that they receive so that then names, email addresses and company names being used in the scams will come up in search engines. We also encourage people to report these scams, as we talked about earlier.


“Scam Baiting" is another way of fighting back, and there are websites devoted to this. Scam Baiting is pretending to be interested in the scammer's offer in order to waste their time, and money, by having them send you counterfeit checks. The site that I would recommend on this topic is 419eater.com because they will assist new "baiters" in learning the best way to go about this in order to
protect yourself.

Other sites focus on different ways of shutting down the scammers fake websites and closing the emailing accounts that they use by reporting them to the hosting sites or mail providers. One of these sites would be http://report-online-scams.com

While these sites cannot help you recover your money, they can help you to do something to fight scams. Education is the key to fighting scams, so talk about it with your friends and family and share sites like this with people you know.


Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of ScamVictimsUnited.com
There is strength in numbers!

Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more!

Reporting Scams

"How do I report that I have been a victim of an online scam?" is a question I hear on a regular basis, either on our message board, through emails or left as comments on other sites.

There are plenty of places that you can report that you have been a victim of an online scam. The main place that I would recommend would be the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) which is a combined effort by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C) and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). As you can see, you get the resources of three larger agencies all from one place, and to me, that much better than reporting with multiple agencies individually. To file a complaint with the IC3, go to http://www.ic3.gov/complaint/default.aspx

The following information is right from the IC3 site Frequently Asked Questions section . . .

Q: How are complaints resolved?

The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) thoroughly reviews and evaluates each complaint so that we may refer it to the appropriate federal, state, local, or international law enforcement or regulatory agency. Every complaint that is referred is sent to one or more law enforcement or regulatory agencies that have jurisdiction over the matter. Once we refer a complaint to the appropriate agency, it may then be assigned to an investigator. We, therefore, ask that you provide a telephone number in the event an investigator needs to contact you for additional information.

IC3 cannot guarantee that your complaint will beinvestigated.

Why can't they guarantee that your complaint will be investigated? It all comes down to jurisdiction . . . who has the power and authority to address this sort of crime in the location that the crime was committed. Now, you might say that the crime was committed in what ever city or state that you live in, but since this person did not come to your home and take the money from you that is not true. They were sitting in front of a computer in another country and through the information sent to you over the internet they defrauded you. Being that the crime took place over the internet, with the place of origin being the foreign country where the scammer is, it would be the law enforcement and government in that country that would have to address this crime. (why other countries do little to nothing is an issue for another time)

Now, I am not in ANY way discouraging anyone from filing a complaint . .. quite the opposite! I feel that it is VERY important for every victim of a scam to report it. This will bring more attention to the growing problem and history shows us that when enough people feel that something is a problem they will try to do something to change it. So if you area victim of a scam please report it. http://www.ic3.gov/complaint/default.aspx

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

Barclays bank London UK

I wish I had a dollar for every one of these emails I get . . .


Subject: RE: US$800,000.00 INTEREST PAYMENT:
From: joeythebag@sbcglobal.net
Reply To: infodesk.bbplc@sify.com

Barclays Bank Plc.
26th Floor 1 Churchill Place,
London, E14 5HP Reg. No: 1026167.
United Kingdom
From: The Desk of Mr.Chris Lucas
Barclays bank London UK

Dear Esteeemed Client,
RE: US$800,000.00 INTEREST PAYMENT:

I am Mr. Chris Lucas Head of Financial Services and Global Head of Banking and Capital Markets. Payment Director, Corporate Services Division and Head of Swift Transfer Unit of Barclays bank London UK.

Sometime ago, in our bank your fund was brought to our bank from National Lotto Group here in England and after some period, the money was taken back to their treasury. But for the period of time this money was in our bank, it generated an interest of US$800,000.00 which we are about to pay you Via International Bank wire transfer through one of our corresponding bank in US.

For your information and advice, you need to hasten up to pick this Fund because from time to time the National Lotto Group auditors do come to our bank to cross-check our files and our financial update, the earlier you comply with the demands of the transfer of the fund, the faster the action, because when the auditors arrive and find out that his interest fund is still in our bank they will call back the accrued interest to the lotto treasury account.

What we need from you now is any form of your identification for example;your International passport or your driver license,your telephone and fax numbers for easy communication to you with your receiving bank details and address,or if you wish to have this fund paid to you through any other means that you find more suitable kindly indicate meanwhile, forward your banking detaisl to us.As a matter of fact we dont have enough time to waste since we have wasted time in trying the best way to reach you since we do not have your contact phone number, so try and comply with the entire necessary requirement for the transaction to be completed by contacting the gentlement below for the payment.

Contact : Mr. Terry Jones (Customer Adviser Case Officer)
Email: infodesk.bbplc@sify.com
Phone No: +447035973996
Fax Line: +448704795431

Note all effort to reach you failed and I had to send you a mail on this email address, which I guessed belongs to you.

Expecting your immediately response.
Yours Sincerely,
Mr.Chris Lucas
Barclays bank London UK.

*********************************************************************
Barclays Bank Plc London
UK CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE:
This transmission may contain confidential information protected by state or federal law. The information is intended only for use consistent with the state business discussed in this transmission.If you are not the intended ecipient,you are hereby notified that any isclosure,copying, distribution,or the taking of any action based on the contents is strictly rohibited.If you have received this transmission in error, please delete this email and notify the sender immediately.Your cooperation is appreciated