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Hi folks Slim here. From time to time people send me emails of the latest frauds and scams taking place in our world today. I have compiled all such stories and post them permanently for our viewers to see and be aware. Please pass this information on to as many people as you can. I want to bring to your attention some growing trends that are potentially harmful to internet users. We are living in what is called "The Information Revolution Era" and with that comes a lot of good and bad. The inception of the internet really had a major impact on this revolution and made life much easier. Unfortunately, internet virus, frauds, scams and lots of other negative elements grew in comensurate proportions. Most people are very cautious when opening their emails and scam artists knows this and consequently are much more clever at infiltration than before. If you bank online, pay bills online, have a Yahoo, Ebay, Amazon or Paypal account etc, you are targets for fraud. Be on the look out for emails from imposters posing as the customer service department from some of the companies mentioned above. They appears to be legitimate by providing warnings about people trying to infiltrate your yahoo email system or your Paypal account etc. They continue by saying that your account was placed on temporary hold and that you will need to log into your respective accounts enter your username and password to remove the hold. The big thing here is they provide the link that you should click to access your account. This is a link that was set up by the scammers designed to get your information. The minute you enter your info you have just given them what they wanted. I was sent such alert messages by scammers but did not fall prey. I have also spoken to Yahoo and Paypal CSRs who confirmed that they never sent out any such email warnings and these are scams. Also, as you continue further down you will read about actual stories.
Additionally, sometimes you are sent emails that are virus free and appears to be harmless but not really. There are sophisticated softwares designed to extract personal and other disired info through email systems. The perpetrators who are trying to extract this info will then send out email blast with catchy and calculated subject matters hoping to get a large number of people to bite on this scam and when you do, bam! they got cha!
So what now, should we be afraid to use the internet? Well, with information technology and communication getting more sophisticated daily it sure makes our lives much easier and fun too. Its just unfortunate that all these scams and frauds happens to be a bi-product. However, the internet is the way of the future and so we just have to exercise a little more caution, be more alert and internet savy. Be sure to protect your computer with the best anti virus software, ad/pop up blockers and firewalls. If you are still not comfortable with the available security systems then you may have to resort to old fashion techniques.
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SCAM
#1 - The Email Scam
I got an email from a friend who lives in Georgia
saying that she was stuck in Africa where
she went to help with the Aids/HIV fight.
The email continued to say that she left her
hand bag with all her credentials and money
in a taxi and needed $2500.00 to pay for hotel
and food as she try to make her way back home.
I thought this sounded a bit strange and called
her home in Georgia. Not only did she answer
the phone and informed me that she was at
her home in Georgia but also said that someone
had infiltrated her email system and emailed
everyone on her email list with the same message
trying to scam money from them.
SCAM
#2 - The Credit Card Scam
This
one is pretty slick since they provide YOU
with all the information, except the one piece
they want. Note, the callers do not ask for
your card number; they already have it. This
information is worth reading. By understanding
how the VISA & MasterCard Telephone Credit
Card Scam works, you'll be better prepared
to protect yourself.
One
of our employees was called on Wednesday from
"VISA", and I was called on Thursday from
"Master Card". The scam works like this: Person
calling says, "This is (name), and I'm calling
from the Security and Fraud Department at
VISA. My Badge number is 12460. Your card
h as been flagged for an unusual purchase
pattern, and I'm calling to verify. This would
be on your VISA card which was issued by (name
of bank). Did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing
Device for $497.99 from a Marketing company
based in Arizona ?" When you say "No", the
caller continues with, "Then we will be issuing
a credit to your account. This is a company
we have been watching and the charges range
from $297 to $497, just under the $500 purchase
pattern that flags most cards. Before your
next statement, the credit will be sent to
(gives you your address), is that correct?"
You say "yes". The caller continues - "I will
be starting a Fraud investigation. If you
have any questions, you should call the 1-
800 number listed on the back of your card
(1-800-VISA) and ask for Security. You will
need to refer to this Control Number. The
caller then gives you a 6 digit number. "Do
you need me to read it again?"
Here's
the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works.
The caller then says, "I need to verify you
are in possession of your card". He'll ask
you to "turn your card over and look for some
numbers". ; There are 7 numbers; the first
4 are part of your card number, the next 3
are the security Numbers' that verify you
are the possessor of the card. These are the
numbers you sometimes use to make Internet
purchases to prove you have the card. The
caller will ask you to read the 3 numbers
to him. After you tell the caller the 3 numbers,
he'll say, "That is correct, I just needed
to verify that the card has not been lost
or stolen, and that you still have your card.
Do you have any other questions?" After you
say No, the caller then thanks you and states,
"Don't hesitate to call back if you do", and
hangs up.
You
actually say very little, and they never ask
for or tell you the Card number. But after
we were called on Wednesday, we called back
within 20 minutes to ask a question. Are we
glad we did! The REAL VISA Security Department
told us it was a scam and in the last 15 minutes
a new purchase of $497.99 was charged to our
card.
Long
story short we made a real fraud report and
closed the VISA account. VISA is reissuing
us a new number. What the scammers want is
the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the
card. Don't give it to them. Instead, tell
them you'll call VISA or Master card directly
for verification of their conversation.
The
real VISA told us that they will never ask
for anything on the card as they already know
the information since they issued the card!
If you give the scammers your 3 Digit PIN
Number, you think you're receiving a credit.
However, by the time you get your statement
you'll see charges for purchases you didn't
make, and by then it's almost too late and/or
more difficult to actually file a fraud report.
What makes this more remarkable is that on
Thursday, I got a call from a "Jason Richardson
of Master Card" with a word-for-word repeat
of the VISA scam. This time I didn't let him
finish. I hung up! We filed a police report,
as instructed by VISA. The police said they
are taking several of these reports daily!
They also urged us to tell everybody we know
that this scam is happening.
SCAM #3 -
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE SCAM
I dialed '0' and asked the operator who confirmed that this was correct
so please pass it on . . . (l also checked out Snopes.com..this is true, and
also applies to cell ! phone s!)
PASS ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW
I received a telephone call last evening fro m an individual identifying
himself as an AT&T Service Technician (could also be Telus) who was
conducting a test on the telephone lines. He stated that to complete the
test I should touch nine(9), zero(0), the pound sign (#), and then hang
up. Luckily, I was suspicious and refused.
Upon contacting the telephone company, I was informed that by pushing
90#, you give the requesting individual full access to your telephone line,
which enables them to place long distance calls billed to your home phone
number.
I was further informed that this scam has been originating from many
local jails/prisons
DO NOT press 90# for ANYONE.
The GTE Security Department requested that I share this information
with EVERYONE I KNOW.
After checking with Verizon they also said it was true,
so do not dial 9 0# or 09# for! anyo ne !!!!!
SCAM #4 - Jury Duty Scam / Identity Theft
This
has been verified by the FBI (their link is
also included below).
Please pass this on to everyone in your email address book.
It is spreading fast so be prepared should
you get this call.
Most of us take those summons for jury duty
seriously .
a new and ominous kind of fraud has
surfaced.
The caller claims to be a jury coordinator.
If you protest that you
never received a summons for jury duty,
the scammer asks you for your
Social Security numbe and date of birth
so he or she can verify the
information and cancel the arrest warrant.
Give out any of this information and bingo,
your identity was just stolen.
The fraud has been reported so far in 11
states,
including Oklahoma , Illinois , and Colorado
.
This (swindle) is particularly insidious
because they use intimidation over the phone
to try to bully people into giving
information
by pretending they are with the court
system.
The FBI and the Federal Court System
have issued nationwide alerts on their
web sites, warning consumers about the
fraud.
Snopes site: says this is real fraud.
http://www.snopes.com/crime/fraud/juryduty.asp
FBI site: warns about
the fraud.
http://www.fbi.gov/page2/june06/jury_scams060206.htm
SCAM #5 - "WANNA SMELL THIS REALLY NICE PERFUME?" THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ
A friend reported the following:
When I was leaving, a young girl followed me out and asked what kind of cologne I
was wearing. Well, after 7 hours in the car sweating, I don't think you could tell if
I was or was not wearing any cologne. We just got in the jeep and said no
thanks.
Then it was about 3 weeks ago, I was at a service station in Birmingham
getting gas. It was about 9:30 PM. I was approached by 2 men and 2 women
in a car. The man that was driving asked me 'What kind of perfume do you
wear?'
I was a bit confused and I asked him 'Why?' He said, 'We are selling
some name brand perfumes, at cheap prices.' I said I had no money. He then
reached out of the car and handed me paper that was laminated; it had
many perfumes on it. I looked quickly at it and gave it back. I said, have no
money. He said it is OK, we take check, cash, or credit cards. Then the
people in the car began to laugh. I just got in my car and said no
thanks.
Then I received this e-mail yesterday and it sent chills up my spine.
Please read this. It is no joke. Here is the e-mail I was sent:
"Dear Friends:
I know not all of you are women that I am sending this to, but am hoping
you will share this with your wives, daughters, mothers, sisters, etc. Our
world seems to be getting crazier by the day. Pipe bombs in mail boxes and sickos
in parking lots with perfume. Be careful. I was approached yesterday
afternoon around 5:30 PM in the Wal-Mart parking lot by two males asking
what kind of perfume I was wearing. Then they asked if I'd like to
sample some fabulous scent they were willing to sell me at very reasonable
rate. I probably would have agreed had I not received an e-mail warning of a
"Wanna smell this neat perfume?" scam.
The men continued to stand between parked cars, I guess to wait for
someone else to hit on. I stopped a lady going towards them, pointing at them
and told her about how I was sent an e-mail at work about someone walking up
to you at the malls or in parking lots and asking you to SNIFF PERFUME that
they are selling at a cheap price or at least compare to which one you
like best.
THIS IS NOT PERFUME...IT IS ETHER!
When you sniff it, you'll pass out. They'll take your wallet, your
valuables and heaven knows what else. If it were not for this e-mail, I probably
would have sniffed the 'perfume' but thanks to the generosity of an e-mailing
friend, I was spared whatever might have happened to me. I wanted to do
the same for you.
PLEASE PASS THIS ALONG TO ALL YOUR WOMEN FRIENDS AND PLEASE
BE ALERT AND BE AWARE. IF YOU ARE A MAN AND RECEIVE THIS, PASS
IT ON T O YOUR WOMEN FRIENDS.
Ladies, this happened to me yesterday and I didn't smell the perfume
either, thanks to this email. This is true. Believe me, I know. I was over by
Big Lots in the parking lot at lunch time when I was approached.
So wether day or night, it does not matter. There were 3 guys together
when I was approached. I called the police when I got back to my desk.
Please pass this on to all your family and friends. By informing each other,
we protect each other.
SCAM #6 - CAR JACKING
WARNING FROM POLICE BEWARE OF PAPER ON THE BACK WINDOW OF YOUR
VEHICLE - NEW WAY TO DO CARJACKINGS (NOT A JOKE)
.
Heads up everyone! Please, keep this circulating... You walk across the parking lot,
unlock your car and get inside. You start the engine and shift into Reverse.
When you look into the rearview mirror to back out of your parking
space, you notice a piece of paper stuck to the middle of the rear
window. So, you shift into Park, unlock your doors, and jump out of your
car to remove that paper (or whatever it is) that is obstructing your
view. When you reach the back of your car, that is when the carjackers
appear out of nowhere, jump into your car and take off. They practically
mow you down as they speed off in your car.And guess what, ladies? I bet
your purse is still in the car. So now the carjacker has your car, your
home address, your money, and your keys. Your home and your whole
identity are now compromised! BEWARE OF THIS NEW SCHEME THAT
IS NOW BEING USED. If you see a piece of paper stuck to your back window,
just drive away. Remove the paper later. And be thankful that you read this
e-mail. I hope you will forward this to friends and family, especially to women.
A purse contains all kinds of personal information and identification
documents, and you certainly do NOT want this to fall into the wrong
hands. Please alert everyone you can.
SCAM #7 - ATTEMPTED KIDNAPPING
Please take a minute to read this. This is very scary and could happen to any of us.. Seems like every nice thing people do for one another can be perverted. A new twist on kidnapping from a very smart survivor:
About a month ago there was a woman standing by the mall entrance passing out flyers to all the women going in. The woman had written the flyer herself to tell about an experience she had, so that she might warn other women. The previous day, this woman had finished shopping, went out to her car and discovered that sh e had a flat.
She got the jack out of the trunk and began to change the flat. A nice man dressed in a business suit and carrying a briefcase walked up to her and said, 'I noticed you're changing a flat tire.
Would you like me to take care of it for you?' The woman was Grateful for his offer and accepted his help. They chatted amiably while the man changed the flat, and then put the flat tire and the jack in the trunk, shut it and dusted his hands off.
The woman thanked him profusely, and as she was about to get in her car, the man told her that he left his car around on t he other side of the mall, and asked if she would mind giving him a lift to his car. She was a little surprised and she asked him why his car was on other side.
He explained that he had seen an old friend in the mall that he hadn't seen for some time and they had a bite to eat, visited for a while, and he got turned around in the mall and left through the wrong exit, and now he was running late. The woman hated to tell him 'no' because he had just rescued her from having to change her flat tire all by herself, but she felt uneasy . (Trust that gut feeling!)
Then she remembered seeing the ma n put his briefcase in her trunk before shutting it and before he asked her for a ride to his car. She told him that she'd be happy to drive him around to his car, But she just remembered one last thing she needed to buy. (Smart woman!!)
She said she would only be a few minutes; he could sit down in her car and wait for her; she would be as quick as she could be. She hurried into the mall, and told a security guard what had happened, the guard came out to her car with her, but the man had left. They opened the trunk, took out his locked briefcase and took it down to the police station.
The police opened it (ostensibly to look for ID so they could return it to the man). What they found was rope, duct tape, and knives. When the police checked her 'flat' tire, there was nothing wrong with it; the air had simply been let out. It was obvious what the man's intention was, and obvious that he had carefully thought it out in advance. The woman was blessed to have escaped harm. (Amen.thank you, God!)
How much worse it would have been if she had children with her and had them wait in the car while the man fixed the tire, or if she had a baby strapped into a car seat? Or if she'd gone against her judgment and given him a lift?
PASS THIS ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW
SCAM #8 - INCAPACITATING VICTIMS
Share with your sisters, daughters, nieces, mothers, and female
friends. This incident has been confirmed in Katy, TX.
A woman was getting gas at a service station when man came over
and offered his services as a painter to a female putting gas in her car
and left his card. She said no , but accepted his card out of kindness
and got in the car. The man then got into a car driven by another
gentleman. As the lady left the service station, she saw the men
following her out of the station at the same time.
Almost immediately, she started to feel dizzy and could not catch her
breath. She tried to open the window and realized that the
odor was on her hand; the same hand which accepted the card from
the gentleman at the gas station.
She then noticed the men were immediately behind her and she felt
she needed to do something at that moment. She drove into the first
driveway and began to honk her horn repeatedly to ask for help.
The men drove away but the lady still felt pretty bad for several
minutes after she could finally catch her breath.
Apparently, there was a substance on the card that could have
seriously injured her.
This drug is called 'BURUNDANGA' and it is used by people who wish
to incapacitate a victim in order to steal from or take
advantage of them.
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