Hoax emails and funny spam

TimW · Jun 27, 2010

Re: HEADS-UP: Skype phishing email

Done deal!!

DavidGP · Jun 28, 2010

Re: HEADS-UP: Skype phishing email

TimW said: ↑

Actually the first time I have seen that post, Mimsy. I think your protection post deserves to be included as a seperate sticky in the software forum. I may bring this up for review. :major
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More for the main Guides and Frequently asked Questions forum area, imho, too many stickies and folk dont read them, the Guides area threads can quickly be referenced in a thread for a member and the guides get a fair anount of hits as its the very top forum area.

TimW said: ↑

Would you consider re-writing it as a more general form than just aimed at games? Although some of it is referenced by M.A.'s link/guide, it does need to encompass all the ways you can be scammed in all forms, such as email, games, banking, etc. Perhaps it would be a good addition to the malware forum as a sticky, as we have a relatively constant plea from people with hacked games or emails.
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I'd go for that.

Buck_nekid · Jun 28, 2010

I like this one. I got it about a year ago from a friend, for some reason I didn't feel threatened.

http://i45.tinypic.com/30ldp4n.jpg

hrlow2 · Jun 28, 2010

Haven't received that one,Buck, but I did see it on one of the funny picture sites that I enjoy.
It was a hoot then,too.

ACE 256 · Jun 30, 2010

Re: HEADS-UP: Skype phishing email

I got a kick out of this one...I just won (£1.750Million) on the MICROSOFT Internet User!!! :-D
I mean really did they just stop trying or what? :confused

MICROSOFT Internet User said:

You have won (£1.750Million) on the MICROSOFT Internet User
April,2010 in Manchester.United Kingdom.Send us Your.
Name...Tel...Address...Country
Mr. Moses Scott
Tel: +44-702-404-4729.
E-mail:scott011916@upimail.be
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Fred_G · Jun 30, 2010

I got a phone call yesterday, "Phone Scam" showed up on my caller ID! I answered it, and it was a recording telling me I needed to call or something and give them my credit card number... :-D

silas · Jun 30, 2010

I don't know if this has came up or mentioned. But I call it the new computer scam on the phone. Now instead of you getting scam and playing money for "fixes" things promise you online or paying for someone to fix it at your home or you taking your computer to there building/house to fix. Well someone I know had this happen. They now call your house and say. We have been noticing there is a lot of things on your computer like traffic and blah blah we indeed know your computer is infected. Now you at home don't know unless your computer expert. But then your like okay not knowing. They send a guy out and he comes they said they didn't know what was going on but at the end guy said "your all fixed" and should be going faster even. Now she pays him 200.00 dollars and computer was the same. Then she took it over to real computer place later on and they said its a newer scam. So my finish is if someone calls you about your computer be cautious.

bigbazza · Jul 25, 2010

Here is a link to an on-line publication/email for the latest news on the current scams, etc., doing the rounds. You may find them interesting. I have been a FREE subscriber to their newsletter for years. There is no charge to participate.

Bazza

You can now find the current issue of Internet Scambusters
online at:

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=OB1Wm&m=1d525IyeDmtWfo&b=XnAOhH12h2CkvwEOpk_R0A
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dyamond · Jul 25, 2010

Fred_G said: ↑

I got a phone call yesterday, "Phone Scam" showed up on my caller ID! I answered it, and it was a recording telling me I needed to call or something and give them my credit card number... :-D
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I got a call the other day, I didn't answer it because I didn't recognize the number but the on the voicemail, the lady didn't tell where she was calling from but urgently requested I call her back because she had a "great surprise" for me. You can imagine how quickly I called her back.. rolleyes :-D

hrlow2 · Jul 25, 2010

Hope she's holding her breath while waiting.

bigbazza · Aug 27, 2010

Learn A Lesson From These College Scam Tricks and Hoaxes

For you parents who are considering college soon, for your children.

Back to School Means Beware of College Scam Tricks
http://www.scambusters.org/collegescam1.html

It turns out that Facebook now also hosts another sneaky college scam -- part of a huge sweep to harvest email addresses for sending out spam.

In this college scam, crooks set up what appear to be legitimate profile pages for well-known colleges, targeting would-be students of future years.

For example, a profile might be labeled "(College Name) Class of 2012."

It may even include the college's logo and campus photos, inviting prospective students to become Facebook "friends" and provide contact details.

In another case, reported by the Toronto Star, a student who set up a similar but genuine site received a bribe offer to pass information to a supposed marketing company. He refused.

Once these phony outfits are identified, Facebook usually deletes their accounts, but the lesson here is to contact the college and make sure a site is genuinely theirs before "friending" it.

Another common trick for harvesting student email addresses uses the lure of a scholarship.

It's cunningly simple. You apply for a scholarship promoted in the mail or online and must provide contact information.

The scholarship may be legit but the award is usually small -- $250 or so -- which goes to one student, while the promoter ends up with thousands of student email addresses..
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Get the latest copy of Scambusters.org newsletter at:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=OB1Wm&m=1eUB3HaH1mtWfo&b=bpLHkltLa6r.TcfzwM.pog

Bazza

bigtrucks · Aug 31, 2010

Got this from a friend. I mean come on people how do you know they have the HTK4S virus if you don't know the password to get access to their account that you asked for?roflmao
That's almost as funny as my sisters phone company telling her that she would have to pay them for a better firewall for them to protect her router from infections.(truth) People just amaze me with their Lack of their thought process.:-D

Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 10:26:00 -0700

Subject: Fw: Dear SBCGLOBAL.NET User

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Sbcglobal.Net Web Technical Team <goodrumwrecker@att.net>

An HTK4S virus has been detected in your Sbcglobal email folders
Your Sbcglobal email account has to be upgraded to our new
F-Secure R HTK4S anti-virus/anti-Spam version
2010 to prevent damage to our webmail log
and your important files.

Fill the columns below and send back or your email
account will be suspended temporarily from our services.

EMAIL ADDRESS:
PASSWORD:

Sbcglobal.Net Communication Administration Web Technical Team

bigbazza · Sep 14, 2010

Re: Latest update of Scams, Tricks, and Hoaxes

Russian criminals have masterminded a new Amazon scam involving spoof emails that phish for your password and other account details.

They're also the brains behind a hack attack on firms that archive checks, enabling them to launch a convincing counterfeiting scheme.

Other hackers meanwhile have found the easiest route to steal credit card information -- through hotel computer systems.

We cover all of these crimes, with tips on how to spot and avoid them, in this week's Snippets issue.

Check your accounts to identify this Amazon scam, check forgeries and credit card identity theft: Internet Scambusters #404
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http://www.scambusters.org/amazonscam.html

You can now find the current issue of Internet Scambusters
online at:

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=OB1Wm&m=1fv6G1pj1mtWfo&b=hhA3CNLZVZ4HipNAyr5ymA
Click to expand...

Beware, if you purchase items from Amazon.

Bazza

bigbazza · Sep 15, 2010

Halo, I'd like to propose this thread to be made a "sticky", if possible. It will bring to attention the latest scams, etc., in a standard place, and will make it easier to consolidate MG members contributions.

Bazza

DavidGP · Sep 16, 2010

No sorry I hate stickies, too many of them look horrid on a webforum and in the end what would we have to do, scroll past 10-20 stickies that have little traffic to get to the latest new thread, plus scams come and go, majority of members here know many of them by now and how they morph and change over the years. Any updates to new relivent ones can be added and that bumps the thread up.

Yes new users may not but in the main they will have come here and joined as its too late and they are infected or have other issues from the scam or hoax email etc

Best practice is to sign up to a few security newsletters and monitor these sorts of new issues as they arrise, posting the 100s that appear each month is futile and wont resolve this issue, only have to see that folk still cannot read and follow the Read and Run Me malware guide we have properly.

I gain a few updates each week on Security matters, and their is a Hotmail and UPS scam doing the rounds again.

Great blog to read http://blogs.msdn.com/b/securitytipstalk/ and have as a bookmark

bigbazza · Sep 16, 2010

Thanks Halo, I know scrolling past heaps of stickies is a PITA and appreciate your views.

I was just suggesting a "sticky" to keep the info in front of MG'ers and visitors.
Maybe there should be a "Hoaxes and Spam" Forum?

I am sure it would get ay least as many reads as the Collectors Forum gets, for example.

Bazza

One item I have used is on your link, http://blogs.msdn.com/b/securitytipstalk/ , to keep track of friends/workmates I had in West Africa.

Another way is harvesting. We've all received a forwarded email joke or similar message where the first hundred lines are a historical list of everyone that clicked FWD. That very email will end up in the hands of a spammer. Spammers "harvest" all of the visible addresses out of the email, likely using an automated tool. All the addresses harvested are then permanently added to their spammer database, courtesy of your friend who didn't have the courtesy to Bcc (blind copy) you.
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Baz

bigbazza · Oct 13, 2010

A new Craigslist scam that's appeared in the last few months highlights the need for extra caution when using the renowned online classifieds site.

With an estimated 50 million users in the US alone, and an astronomical 20 billion page views of its online ads per month, it's no surprise that Craigslist has become a popular site for crooks. While the vast majority of transactions are perfectly honest and trustworthy, the sheer scale of the site-use means that anyone using Craigslist should be extra wary.

In the latest scam, a friend who was moving and selling lots of his stuff on Craigslist got this message in reply to one of his ads:

(Begin message extract -- wording exactly as he received it)

I just want to make sure I am going to buy the same which I am looking for. I can't afford another mistake as i did in the past. Please check the video and confirm it's the same u have

(end of extract)

The message then provided a link and promised that if the item was the same as in the video, the sender would buy it.

But when you follow the link, which, happily, our savvy friend did not, you arrive at a site which then invites you to download a viewer-type program so you can supposedly watch the video. Now you smell a rat, don't you?

The download is really a piece of malware that, according to Internet security specialists Prevx, hijacks the PC and sends information back to the scammer.
It also takes over your Internet browser, changing the home page to one full of ads and a search box that, when you do a search, takes you to yet another stack of ads. In fact, it does seem to be just adware, but, theoretically, could be used for any malicious purpose, including information theft.

Trying to return everything to normal and uninstall the program is a messy business. The perpetrator of this scam does provide details of how to do this on its website but we are reluctant to point you towards it. If you're already a victim, you'll know the name of the host site, so key that in, followed by "/movies/uninstall.html" (without the quotes).

For everyone else: Just don't fall for this scam.
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From Scambusters On-line Newsletter 10/10/2010
To subscribe, visit: http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=OB1Wm&m=1ask67iMmmtWfo&b=eMy.BJ7qoGiU6m2MnZii7Q

Bazza

hrlow2 · Oct 13, 2010

I just wish I actually got all the I-Phones that people "send" me or the Laptops I get requested to try and get to keep.
I could start my own store and retire.

bigbazza · Oct 23, 2010

You can now find the current issue of Internet Scambusters online at:

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=OB1Wm&m=1dNhquJNgWtWfo&b=9Qzw4cbjrmSVTK4jEPBv9w

How to stand up the crooks who run online dating scams:
Internet Scambusters #410
http://www.scambusters.org/onlinedatingscams2.html

Bazza

Dave2h · Nov 15, 2010

here is a new one .............<snip>............. this came from my hotmail.co.uk account and sent to all my contacts but not by me!

bigbazza · Aug 24, 2011

From the current issue of Internet Scambusters online at:
http://www.scambusters.org/

Before we get into the subject of this week's Scambusters issue, we wanted to sound an alert about a clever and nasty email that's currently circulating under the guise of a New York state speeding ticket notice.

Titled "Uniform Traffic Ticket" and disguised so it appears to have been issued by the city (the bogus address looks like it's from "nyc.gov") it carries a harmful attachment, masquerading as the ticket.

DO NOT CLICK ON IT!
The attachment, called "ticket.zip", contains malware that installs on your PC.

And watch out for similar emails purportedly from other states.
Remember, they don't send out traffic offense notices by email.
Please pass on this warning to others.

To subscribe, visit: http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=OB1Wm&m=ItSLUOZPgGtWfo&b=dq4scQoHS3eNwC0QcAwh5Q
Click to expand...

Bazza

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Hoax emails and funny spam

TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

Buck_nekid Specialist

hrlow2 MajorGeek

ACE 256 MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Overclocking Expe

Fred_G Heat packin' geek

silas MajorGeek

bigbazza R.I.P. 14/12/2011 - Good Onya Geek

dyamond Imelda Marcos of Majorgeeks

hrlow2 MajorGeek

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DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

bigbazza R.I.P. 14/12/2011 - Good Onya Geek

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hrlow2 MajorGeek

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Dave2h Private E-2

bigbazza R.I.P. 14/12/2011 - Good Onya Geek