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Phishing expeditions...don't get caught
In April 2004 there were 1,125
unique schemes going around...double from just the month before!
If you've had email for any length of time
you've been invited to be duped by a scam. The scams are easy over the
Internet because they can reach across oceans and it's almost impossible to
catch the perpetrator. The term 'long arm of the law' doesn't work on the
internet when most of the scams come from people and/or systems in Asia and
Africa.
Like anything else in life, free just doesn't
happen often, and not everyone is a good person. Not that you should be
paranoid about everything you do on the net. You should be cautious
however. For example, if you haven't gotten your
letter from Nigeria
yet offering to split $40 million dollars with you if they can use your bank
account to transfer funds just wait, you will. Or the message from Ebay,
Paypal, CitiBank, or Bank of America stating that if you don't verify your
information your account will be closed, only to find that by verify it means
entering all of your credit card information into an official looking web site.
If you do this you are probably giving your credit card information directly to
the Russian mafia for safe keeping.
You get the idea. Never ever give your
personal information to anyone who asks for it in any manner. That's the
only way to stay safe from a phisher. Just remember, any web site can look
as official as the real one. It can be done by anyone in a matter of
minutes.
Most larger companies hesitate to use email
to gather any information from you anymore for this exact reason. And many
have ID and passwords that you log in with to help protect you from fraud.
Even that can be risky. For example, you get an email from Ebay telling
you that you need to log in and change your credit card information...and they
provide you with a link of http://www.ebay.com
and you figure it's safe. So, you click on it and it takes you to the Ebay
site. You log in and then enter your credit card information.
Everything looks right. Ooooops, you've just been phished!
Here's what happened...
That link that looked like
www.ebay.com in the message was actually a
front for a link that went somewhere else. Try clicking on any of the ebay
links in this page and you'll see what we mean. Now, knowing that we
actually went to a phisher site let's see what they did. You logged in.
They would have accepted any ID and password you entered and they captured your actual Ebay ID and Password by doing this. Then they take
you to a form that looks exactly like the personal information form on Ebay and
you happily enter your credit card information along with your home address,
full name, date of birth, everything... When you were done they captured
your information to their database in Russia (or some other place you really
don't want to even think about) and whisk you off to the real Ebay
home page so you don't suspect a thing.
The newest scam is that they then high bid on
expensive items using your credit card on Ebay, win, and have them shipped to someone
who has been hired as a re-sender. They get things with instructions where
to resend them...usually to Russia, Germany, or some off shore location.
The re-sender is another scam victim that they actually pay to do this and they
rarely know what they are doing is illegal.
So, what should you do if some company does
ask you to update your information?
Don't use their link. Type it into your
browser directly so you know where you are going. And don't hesitate to
call them and ask if it's a real request.
And always use common sense.
Learn more about scams and phishing:
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2003/tc20031021_8711_tc047.htm
http://www.fbi.gov/cyberinvest/escams.htm
http://www.ifccfbi.gov/strategy/pressroom.asp
Sample Nigerian hoax - for your enjoyment:
FROM MARYAM ABACHA
LAGOS
NIGERIA
WEST AFRICA
DEAR RESPECTED ONE,
First I will like to solicit your confidence in this transaction, this is
by virtue of its nature as being utterly confidence and top secret. Though
I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one
apprehensive and worried but I am assuring you that, all will be well at
the end of the day. I have decided to contact you due to the urgency of
this transaction.
Let me start by introducing my self properly to you, I am Mrs. Hajia Maryam
Abacha, and also the wife of late President of Federal Republic of
Nigeria,General
Sanni Abacha .I came to know you yesterday when I came across your profile
through internet. I am contacting you
for a confidential transaction, which involves the a huge sum of money,This
transaction requiring maximum confidence.
However the fund was deposited by my late husband with GLOBAL SECURITY COMPANY
NIGERIA LIMITED,under this new present regime headed by President Olusengu
Obasanjo, who fact victimize during my husband regime. The
present President have sized all my Husband Properties here in Nigeria and
also froze all his personal account both in Nigeria and Abroad with the
help of America, British and Swiss Government.I was instructed by The company
to look for any Foreign Partner out side
Nigeria who they will Deliever the fund with their Diplomat to you in your
country.
The Chairman and Members of the Directors of the Security Company promise
to help,arrangement has being made for the fund to be deliever under the
company's care to any foreign Land for self keeping and Investment porposes.In
order to maintain this positive
development, I now seek your permission to stand as a Beneficiary so that
the fund US$75.5million will Deliever to you in your Country.
Meanwhile, all Documents and proves to enable you get this fund will be
carefully worked out by the Company. I am assuring you that this business
is 100% risk free, Your shares stays while the rest be for my family for
investment purpose in your country which will be under you care.
Please, if you are interested to assist me, you are here by advice to furnish
me your Personal Contacts Via your Residential Address, Telephone and Fax
numbersm and your company name to enable me send it to the company for the
for the process and delivering of the fund to you in your Country.
As soon as I receive the acknowledge of receipt of this mail message, I
am going to instruct the Company to release more information to you, concerning
this
transaction.
Thanks, May Allah bless you.
Mrs. Hajia MARYAM ABACAH,
Former First Lady,
Federal Republic of Nigeria
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