scam 419, 419 Fraud, Scam Emails, Money Scam, Email Spam , Scam Videos, Scam News

Helena woman loses $1K in online scam

2011-04-15T11:12:00.000-07:00

A Helena woman is out $1,000 after being caught in an online romance scam.

According to police, the woman thought she was doing a favor for a man she had been communicating with online.

However, that favor turned into a wire fraud scam.

When all was said and done, the woman had transferred a $1,000 for delivery charges through Western Union, only to find out that she would be responsible for wiring money from someone else's credit card.

Lt. Corey Livesay, an investigator for the Helena Police Department, explained, "In this one, they think that they are wiring it to a place in New Jersey, when in fact this money is being picked up by a person in Nigeria. And when they discover this they feel embarrassed, and they feel completely taken advantage of, which they have been. And in a lot of these instances they are going to be the ones ultimately responsible because the individuals in another country fall outside a lot of the jurisdictional boundaries where we can hold them accountable."

Livesay says never wire money to people you don't know for any reason.

Learn more about this type of online scam at RomanceScam.com, including this overview:

You or someone you know may be dating this person online right now. However, be warned. Things aren't what they appear to be. In reality you're talking to a criminal sitting in a cybercafe with a well rehearsed script he's used many times before. He's hunting through chat rooms, dating sites and social networking sites searching for victims, looking to cash in on romance. If you are over 40, recently divorced, a widow, elderly or disabled then all the better in his eyes. Scammers are adept at psychological profiling, and use any weakness they find to their advantage.

It's the newest evolution of the Nigerian advance fee (419) scam. Instead of sending spam letters that promise millions for your assistance, these scammers are targeting single men and women who are searching for love online.

They use psychological tricks to lure their victims in, use poetry and even gifts to get them under their spell, then once you are there, will try to reach for your wallet, all the time declaring their "undying love" for you. The scam may take the form of asking you to cash a cheque for them through your bank account because they are "out of the country" and unable to cash it themselves, or they may come right out and ask you to send money to help them out of a fabricated "financial difficulty" they claim to be experiencing.

Source

Email Security Firm eleven Reports Spam Levels Decreased 36 Percent in March

2011-04-13T08:31:00.000-07:00

(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) -- Email security provider eleven (www.eleven.de) announced on Wednesday that overall scam 419 levels in March were 36 percent below scam levels in the previous month.

The eleven email security report found that the shutdown of Rustock botnet by US authorities with Microsoft on March 16, 2011, led to the reduction in spam levels. Within 24 hours of the shutdown, spam levels fell by 60 percent.

Though scam saw a decrease in March, the level of malware sent via email increased significantly. According to eleven, the amount of malware-infected emails doubled in March compared to the previous month.

Apparently, this is an expected "reaction to botnet takedowns, where spammers attempt to make up for lost infrastructures by sending mass quantities of Trojans." According to eleven, Trojans were primarily camouflaged as notifications from courier services.

eleven says the decline in spam is the first time that it had fallen below the 90 percent mark since 2009.

The report says that the US is the top third spam source country, with India in the lead and Russia in second place.

February and March 2011 saw an increase in targeted phishing campaigns against banking customers. Current events were also used for deceptive objects including the earthquake and tsunami in Japan where spammers set up fraudulent donation sites.

The complete report can be found on the eleven website.

Last month, eleven released its annual survey which found over half of German IT managers say spam levels have considerably increased over the past year.

Ref

Internet scam continues to be a major issue, as 10% of the online UK populations are being victim

2010-11-11T21:19:00.000-08:00

The problem of online fraud has led to eight per cent of victims believing that they will never receive all of their money back.

The figure has doubled over the last 18 months, research by VeriSign Authentication, now part of Symantec, found that British adults are losing almost twice as much money to online fraud in comparison with six months ago.

Although the number of fraud victims remained stable, with ten per cent of the online UK population suffering at the hands of cyber criminals in the last 12 months, the average amount lost to online fraud now stands at £697 per victim, compared with an average of £352 in March 2010.

“Some companies do insurance against fraud and identity theft but you need to read the small print. But they are looking for added credit facilities and they know that the customers are willing to pay for it.

Research Online Fraud  

The research in the online fraud barometer also found that the number of people claiming only to shop from ‘safe sites' has fallen from 82 per cent to 80 per cent in the last six months.

Cyber criminal activity has evolved and as a result the monetary attraction for compromising a computer to steal banking details has also evolved with this. We're now seeing malicious emails and rogue or compromised websites become more difficult for the average consumer to identity.

Online Shopping 

“Online shopping (e-commerce) has become the weak link in the chain, which may explain the increased fraud in this area. Banks absolutely have a role to play in educating customers to be alert to the risks and working with authentic merchants to provide a convenient and secure online shopping customer experience. Educating consumers of the risks and providing the appropriate tools to mitigate against compromised sites is imperative.”

Cyber Monday

2010-11-09T21:07:00.000-08:00

Cyber Monday is coming up. That's when online retailers offer specials the Monday after Thanksgiving. 100 million shoppers took part last year. But as people get more comfortable buying online, it's important not to let your guard down against fraud. 

Every year, millions of dollars are lost through online shopping fraud. The scams range from fake stores selling bogus merchandise you never receive to getting something different from what you ordered to having your personal information compromised.

"You want to verify a website is secure when you do purchases. That's usually what that lock at the bottom or the https within the browser section of the Internet. You want to make sure that's there before you give your personal information," Jim David of the Better Business Bureau said.

Look for HTTPS at the beginning of the URL. This indicates information you share is being encrypted.

Learn more about how your web browser can protect you from unsecure websites:

• Internet Explorer 8 Safety Features

• Firefox Phishing & Malware Protection

• Apple Safari Security & Privacy Features

• Google Chrome Privacy & Security Settings

How to mark a scam 419

2010-11-08T20:37:00.000-08:00

Every day I get at least three different banks emailing me telling me that there has been a change to my online banking details – so I should just visit this web page or download that document.

It makes a change to the banks telling me that their security systems have been updated or someone has withdrawn money from my account, but not much of one. Particularly seen as these generally aren’t the bunch I actually bank with.

419 scammers are also fairly present in this – when they aren’t telling you they want to smuggle money out of their country they are congratulating you for winning a contest you never actually entered.

I know we laugh at herbalists who sell “penis cream” but some of this spam is the exact same stuff – being marketed by Eastern Europeans to Americans. Somehow we get caught in the crossfire.

Which brings me to the following: Never trust an unexpected email or SMS. Scammers want your banking details, and spammers want to verify your email address. If you didn’t know you were going to get it, and it wants you to do something, don’t.

Anchorage con victims track down accused scammer

2010-11-03T21:21:00.000-07:00

An Anchorage man scammed into buying phony concert tickets on Craigslist decided he wanted to do more than file a police report.

Police say he advertised and found two other victims, and together they tracked down a suspect who has been arrested on forgery and theft charges.

"You better be careful who you defraud using the Internet," said Lt. Dave Parker, "because they might be more Internet savvy than you are."

The original victim paid $50 for a ticket last month to a concert by the band Daughtry. The ticket was bogus, Parker said.

The man went back to Craigslist, an online site offering free classified advertising, seeking others who had been ripped off. Two men responded.

Police arrested 21-year-old Shanda Barlow on Oct. 21.

She's charged with three counts of forgery and three counts of theft by deception. She also had an outstanding warrant for $10,000, putting her bail at $15,000. She was not in custody Wednesday. A message left with the public defender's office was not immediately returned.

Police say there may be additional victims and are asking them to call investigators.

Internet users recommend to stay watchful in order to avoid scammers

2010-11-02T22:09:00.000-07:00

The Western Cape Police’s Commercial Crimes Unit on Tuesday said far too many people are still being duped by internet scams.

The Hawks warned criminals are continuously adjusting their modus operandi, making it difficult for unsuspecting consumers to stay a step ahead of con artists.

Police have reminded members of the public they need to be more vigilant when sharing personal information.

The police’s Jerome Hardenberg said the type of fraud involving cloned bank cards and internet banking fraud is expected to rise ahead of the festive season.

Police have arrested several suspects since the start of the year. On Monday two Chinese nationals were apprehended in Kraaifontein for being in possession of equipment used to produce cloned bank cards.

Officers hope to make more arrests in the coming month.

Using e- business potential to reduce Internet fraud in Nigeria

2010-11-01T21:18:00.000-07:00

The need to expose Nigerians to legitimate job opportunities on Internet has been stressed by Nigeria Internet Group (NIG) at its maiden exhibition of business proposals on Internet for Jobs (I4J) Initiative in Lagos.

The foremost Internet body in the country last Friday commenced its search for Nigerians, mostly youths, who possessed e-business concepts. It expressed its readiness to extend N1 million grant to each of the shortlisted candidates.

Event Sponsor 

The event was sponsored by Multi-Links. NIG said with the promotion of e- business and e-government, I4J aims at creating jobs for software programmers, webmasters, database managers, marketers and others in related fields and in addition to growing the business of Internet Service Providers, e-payment companies, cybercafés among others, who are employers of Information Technology (IT) personnel.

The former ATCON and NIG president argued that there is no need for anyone to be involved in Internet fraud. “Those who created Google and Yahoo are youths. Nigerians have what its takes to beat their counterparts to innovation anywhere in the world.”

Having assessed the quality of presentations at the event, Banjo advised youths to sharpen their ICT skills to meet the innovative standard that can lure investors to support them. The Chief Executive of Disk Engineering Communications, who doubles at the chairman of e-Business arm of NIG noted that Nigerians have the potentials to rule the world in ICT and hereby tasked the youth on thoroughness. 

“This event is not about coming here to listen to tales from people, who believe we out to provide them with net to catch fish at the lagoon. We are concerned about the need to encourage those who have ideals and are propelled to do legitimate business on net.  For those who want to play the oratory ostrich, they may as well look elsewhere. Certainly this is a worthy cause and we are for it” Banjo said.

Cal Fire warns residents about phone solicitation con

2010-10-31T22:15:00.000-07:00

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is warning residents of the Bay Area to be wary of a telephone scam in which people are asked to donate money for firefighter training, a Cal Fire representative said.

The suspected scammer solicited one Santa Clara County resident for an undisclosed sum of money that would supposedly fund Cal Fire training, spokesman Daniel Berlant said.

In reality, the training of the state agency's firefighters is funded through their budget, Berlant said.

"We would never call anybody soliciting money," Berlant said. "That's what our taxpayer dollars go toward paying for, training our firefighters."

The resident thought the call was suspicious, Berlant said, so he did not give the caller any money and reported the scam to Cal Fire. He was unable to get the scammer's phone number or any descriptive information, Berlant said.

"Obviously, we hope there aren't other people out there who have been scammed by this suspect," Berlant said.

A similar scam was perpetrated in Mendocino County several years ago, Berlant said. As in this instance, the would-be victim felt the call was a fraud and did not give any money to the caller, Berlant said.

Though the Mendocino County scam artist was never caught, no scam calls were reported to Cal Fire after the public was alerted to the crime, Berlant said.

Source 

miiCard declares Strategic Relationship with Yodlee to distribute Digital Passports

2010-10-28T23:26:00.000-07:00

Banking innovation and the fight against Internet fraud moves forward today with digital identity company miiCard's announcement of a strategic development and distribution relationship with Yodlee, Inc., the leading provider of online and mobile personal finance management (PFM) solutions.

miiCard, a patent pending, global, digital identity solution, is soft launching to the financial services industry in Amsterdam, at Sibos, October 28th. miiCard's aim is to eradicate the final barrier to global trade in financial service products - the often cumbersome and always time consuming need for offline proof of identity before a financial product can be purchased.

Powered by Yodlee, the miiCard Digital Passport enables consumers to prove "they are who they say they are" online, in real-time; enabling them to buy financial products completely online for the first time, in a fashion that meets Anti-Money Laundering laws, Know Your Customer regulations and the Proceeds of Crime Act standards.

Making the announcement at Sibos where miiCard was invited by SWIFT to present at the Innotribe Challenge, James Varga, miiCard's Founder explains: "Online authentication has become the holy grail for all financial institutions. Proving online identity is the final barrier to global trade in financial services products; and while consumers fall victim to fraud every day, it is critical that we as an industry address the issue and offer a solution fast, and that's what miiCard, working with Yodlee, intends to do."

New Zealanders have been targeted by Phone scammers

2010-10-28T04:35:00.000-07:00

New Zealanders being rung from overseas are being duped into allowing access to their computers and bank accounts.

The scammer cold-calls the victim, claiming to be from an IT support help desk, plants malware in the computer through the phoneline and offers to fix it for a fee paid by credit card over the phone.

Christchurch mum Claire Kelly's computer was hacked by a man who rang up offering to fix something on it.

"They said it was quite a major problem, a new problem, and that a lot of anti-virus software people had on their computers was not detecting this virus," Kelly told ONE News.

But she said when she followed the virtual PC doctor's advice, things got weird.

"Windows just kept popping up and the mouse kept moving around and I had this absolute sick feeling in my stomach."

NetSafe believes the scammers are increasing the intensity of the scam, with six foreign calls reported in New Zealand yesterday. Australia has had a tenfold increase in the past two months.

Listen To A Phone Scammer At Work

2010-10-26T22:56:00.000-07:00

$20 Million Fake Documented in Rarely Heard Recordings

The foreign-based scammer behind one of the most relentless telemarketing frauds in recent years have stolen more than $20 million from mostly elderly Americans by playing on their hopes and fears, as evidenced in audio recordings of their calls obtained exclusively by ABC News.

During the hours of recordings, one elderly victim repeatedly pleads with a litany of callers who falsely claim to be from a sweepstakes company in Las Vegas, from the insurance company Lloyds of London, and from such government agencies as the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Commerce, and the Federal Trade Commission. The scammer repeatedly asks her to send more money to pay taxes and fees, and promises a windfall is on its way.

"I don't have the money," she says. "I told you, I've taken it all out of my bank account."

Source 

Security debate grows over Internet voting

2010-10-25T21:59:00.000-07:00

State efforts to let military and overseas voters cast ballots using the Internet have set off warnings from computer security experts that elections could be subject to cyberattacks.

The debate intensified after the District of Columbia tested an Internet voting system for possible use next month and invited computer scientists to try hacking into it. They did, without much trouble.

Arizona and West Virginia will allow military and overseas voters to use the Internet on Nov. 2 with systems the states claim are safe. More than 20 other states let those voters use e-mail, which some election security experts say is just as vulnerable. Congress has asked the Pentagon and the states to conduct pilot projects.

Source 

Nationwide video launched for prevention of online fraud

2010-10-25T05:58:00.000-07:00

People who are worried about becoming victims of fraud are being helped by a new series of videos being launched by Nationwide Building Society.

Card and online banking fraud are estimated to cost over £500 million every year1 across the industry and Nationwide, which is at the forefront of initiatives to protect consumers from the risk of financial crime, has launched three online videos explaining how individuals can safeguard themselves against fraud.

The videos show how fraudsters try to get access to people's money and bank accounts and what they can do to prevent this.

There are videos and articles on:

- Card fraud with tips on protecting yourself if taking money out of a cash machine or using your card in a shop or restaurant

- Online banking fraud showing the clever sites fraudsters set up to try to trick consumers into releasing their bank account details

- Identity theft showing how fraudsters can steal someone's identity and the impact this could have.

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Police nab cheque fraudster at Port Kembla

2010-10-22T00:31:00.000-07:00

A man accused of buying items bought over the internet with fake bank cheques in Sydney and regional New South Wales is to face the Wollongong Local Court today.

The 40-year-old was arrested at Port Kembla yesterday after Police searched a unit on Wentworth Street and a house on Poplar Avenue at Albion Park Rail.

He is facing 30 fraud charges for paying for cars, jewellery and cameras with fraudulent cheques.

The offences were committed over the past six months in the Sydney metropolitan area, the Blue Mountains and Orange.

Chief Inspector Mark Lavis says Police are expecting that the number of charges will rise.

"And they would be asking anyone who suspects they might have been a victim of a similar fraud to contact the Lake Illawarra Detectives," Chied Inspector Lavis said.

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Denver charged for identity-theft and child- porn

2010-10-21T03:13:00.000-07:00

Ralph Landers, 43, of Denver was sentenced to 16½ years in federal prison this week after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography, identity theft, fraud and other charges.

Landers was ordered to repay almost $304,000 he admitted defrauding banks of and also received eight years of supervised probation upon release, according to the Justice Department.

Authorities became aware of Landers in March 2008, when he attempted to buy child pornography over the Internet using a fake credit card, according to court documents.

Investigators eventually learned Landers had tapped 114 bank and credit-card accounts using stolen identities and commercial mailboxes he had rented. He was indicted last year and pleaded guilty in February.

Landers was arrested after U.S. Postal Service inspectors arranged the delivery of an order for child pornography to a post-office box he had rented.

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Developing Nigeria's '419' email scammers

2010-10-19T23:05:00.000-07:00

Lagos, Nigeria  -- The most foolish argument I've heard from the never-ending efforts to discourage young Nigerians from cybercrime is that money isn't everything.

Well, lack isn't everything either. There's also the equally common argument about integrity being worthier than wealth, as if a dichotomy must always exist between the two.

No wonder the many 419 scammers -- for whom the specter of a destitute and unfulfilled future is a daily terror -- don't appear ready to budge from their fraudulent ways.

And so it was with a mixture of curiosity and skepticism that I attended an 'Alternatives to Cybercrime' event organized by Microsoft and Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN). What new doctrine did the anti-cybercrime brigade have to preach this time?

My 419 scams-themed novel had earned me an invitation to address the audience of university and secondary school students. Another guest speaker was Adeolu Akinyemi, a young man who runs Street Skills, an organization that rehabilitates 419 scammers. The more he spoke, the more I found myself sitting straighter in my chair with rapt attention.

No, he doesn't warn the fraudsters against the ills of materialism or notify them that money doesn't buy happiness. That grand sermon may wait until after they can afford three square meals a day.

Source

A LADY arrested on charges of money laundering scam

2010-10-18T23:00:00.000-07:00

A LADY in Honley is being hunted by the FBI.

It can only be a matter of time before she is arrested on charges of money laundering and terrorism, and she seems such a nice young woman, too. What goes on behind the curtains of suburbia, eh?

Mind you, I can’t see Carol losing much sleep about the threat. It’s the latest twist in one of those emails from confidence tricksters.

It used to be called the Nigerian 419 scam. A letter or email suggests the recipient has won or been left a vast sum of money. All they have to do to have it deposited into their bank account, is to provide bank details and, maybe, a few quid up front to facilitate the transfer.

This latest email purports to come from Robert Mueller, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

“This is to inform you that the sum of $10 million was transferred from the Central Bank of Nigeria to the Bank of America bearing your name as the beneficiary.”

The FBI had, says Mueller, placed the funds on hold until Carol obtains a diplomatic immunity seal of transfer certificate, to prove she is not a terrorist or involved in money laundering.

I was actually caught money laundering myself, once. It happened in America when I left a roll of dollars in my shorts pocket by mistake when Maria did the wash. We had to peg them out in the sun to dry. I wasn’t arrested, though. Probably wasn’t worth it for 50 quid.

But in Carol’s case they threaten arrest within 72 hours if she doesn’t supply the details necessary to obtain that official sounding certificate, and she can forget all about that $10 million.

Actually, she forgot about the $10 million when she passed the email onto me. You have been warned. If you get one, have a laugh. And then bin it.

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Facebook Scammer’s Verdict uphold by Court of Canadian

2010-10-17T23:29:00.000-07:00

The scammer who was ordered to pay Facebook over $800 million in damages two years ago refused to pay and let the case go to his local court in Quebec, Canada for enforcement. That court ruled yesterday that Adam Guerbuez must pay the $873 million that was awarded to the social networking site after they sued him for sending over 4 million scam messages to their users. The messages hawked male enhancement products. Facebook also accused Guerbuez of hacking into user accounts and posting explicit messages hawking the products on user’s walls. It’s not clear if this was done through malicious links sent in spam messages or by another method.

Guerbuez insists he is not a scammer and has done nothing wrong, saying if people don’t want a particular email, they should use their delete key. It doesn’t look like the court ruling will be of much help to Facebook as Guerbuez has filed for bankruptcy and listed the site as one of his creditors-a common tactic used by scammers who have had huge judgments levied against them.

His lawyer said the judgment was excessive and that his client had no choice but to file bankruptcy because there is no way he could ever pay such a huge amount, which equals $1 billion in Canadian funds.

Guerbuez says he is a highly skilled internet marketer and says the whole Facebook issue has helped him gain attention and helped his business. He also claims to have both a book deal and a movie in the works.

Source

Dozens charged with largest Medicare scam ever

2010-10-15T14:15:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK – A vast network of Armenian gangsters and their associates used phantom health care clinics and other means to try to cheat Medicare out of $163 million, the largest fraud by one criminal enterprise in the program's history, U.S. authorities said Wednesday.

Federal prosecutors in New York and elsewhere charged 73 people. Most of the defendants were captured during raids Wednesday morning in New York City and Los Angeles, but there also were arrests in New Mexico, Georgia and Ohio.

The scheme's scope and sophistication "puts the traditional Mafia to shame," U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said at a Manhattan news conference. "They ran a veritable fraud franchise."

Unlike other cases involving crooked medical clinics bribing people to sign up for unneeded treatments, the operation was "completely notional," Janice Fedarcyk, head of the FBI's New York office, said in a statement. "The whole doctor-patient interaction was a mirage."

The operation was under the protection of an Armenian crime boss, known in the former Soviet Union as a "vor," prosecutors said. The reputed boss, Armen Kazarian, was in custody in Los Angeles.

Bharara said it was the first time a vor — "the rough equivalent of a traditional godfather" — had been charged in a U.S. racketeering case.

Kazarian, 46, of Glendale, Calif., and two alleged ringleaders — Davit Mirzoyan, 34, also of Glendale, and Robert Terdjanian, 35, of Brooklyn — were named in an indictment charging racketeering conspiracy, bank fraud, money laundering and identity theft.

The indictment accused Terdjanian and others of hatching other schemes involving stolen credit cards, untaxed cigarettes and counterfeit Viagra. It also alleges that during a meeting last year at a Brighton Beach restaurant, Terdjanian pulled a knife on someone who owed him money "and threatened to disembowel the individual if the debt was not paid."

A judge jailed Terdjanian without bail on Wednesday at a brief hearing. Afterward, his attorney said his client denies the charges.

Authorities began the New York-based investigation after information on 2,900 Medicare patients in upstate New York — including Social Security numbers and dates of birth — were reported stolen.

The defendants in the New York case also had stolen the identities of doctors and set up 118 phantom clinics in 25 states, authorities said. The names were used to submit fake bills for care that was never given, they said.

Some of the phony paperwork was a giveaway: It showed eye doctors doing bladder tests; ear, nose and throat specialists performing pregnancy ultrasounds; obstetricians testing for skin allergies; and dermatologists billing for heart exams.

In the New York portion of the case, more $100 million in fraudulent bills were submitted and Medicare paid out at least $35 million, sometimes by wiring it to the clinics' banks accounts, investigators said.

Most of the defendants "were Armenian nationals or immigrants and many maintained substantial ties to Armenia" and criminals there, the indictment said. Couriers would often carry cash proceeds from the fraud back to Armenia, it added.

Prosecutors were seeking forfeiture of real estate in Las Vegas; Palm Springs, Calif.; and elsewhere, and of a 2007 Maserati and a 2006 Jaguar.

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Kristina Svechinskaya world’s sexiest computer scammer to appear in court

2010-10-14T23:01:00.000-07:00

She recognized the ‘world’s sexiest computer hacker’, Kristina Svechinskaya was arrested in New York earlier this month, accused of being a part of an internet fraud ring alleged to have used malware and trojan viruses to steal $35 million from US bank accounts.

It is alleged that the Russian brunette, 21, used fake passports to open a series of accounts flooded with cash plundered from online bank customers.

The racket is also believed to have siphoned £6million from UK victims.

Svechinskaya was among four New York students accused of assisting the plot after investigators held 37 Eastern European suspects said to have been involved.

"Money mules" like Svechinskaya are said to have taken a ten per cent cut of the profits.

Svechinskaya faces up to 40 years behind bars for conspiracy to commit bank scam and false use of a passport and is due to reappear in court tomorrow.

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Warning issued by BG Police against Phone Scam

2010-10-13T22:52:00.000-07:00

BOWLING GREEN -- Bowling green police are warning residents of a phone scam. On Monday several residents received phone calls asking for donations to help disadvantaged children or to fund the program Shop with a Cop.

The caller said he was with the BGPD.  Authorities say this is a scam and do not give them any money or your personal information.

Bowling Green police never solicits donations.

If you've been contacted by this scammer or know anything about the scam call BG police at 419 -352-2571 or  Wood County CrimeStoppers at (419) 352-0077 or (800) 54-CRIME.

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Scammer targets Cape Coral man by sending Lottery scam twice

2010-10-12T23:10:00.000-07:00

It appears a common scam is making its return to Southwest Florida.

A Cape Coral man received two letters in the past week claiming he was a big winner, only he didn't fall for it.

"Never knew I was that lucky, hit it twice in four days," said Donald Stevens. "Different amounts. One's 4950, the other's 4498."

Only Stevens knew better.

"There's a lot of scams out there, and that's exactly what this is."

Two letters with Canadian postmarks and no return address, both claiming Stevens had won a sweepstakes."'Enclosed is a check which you can use to pay the applicable government service tax,'" read the instructions in one of the letters.

Each letter used the name of a real company known in the U.S., but claimed to be based out of Canada or England.  Each letter asked Stevens to deposit a check and wire back the funds as *insurance* for his supposedly even bigger winnings.

"I know darn right well, the minute I cash this check, I'm going to be minus that amount of money in my account."

Stevens says he can understand how the realistic-looking checks can be tempting.

But crime prevention officers warn you're on the hook if you fall for it.

While the scam isn't new, Stevens worries others may not be as quick to catch it.

"There's some older people out there and maybe even young ones who don't realize there are these types of scams going on today, Stevens said.  "I don't want to see anybody else taken advantage of."

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Online Scammers recognized by the Superior Police in the Northland

2010-10-11T23:03:00.000-07:00

Scams recognized by the Superior Police Department Monday, are very similar to those in recent months in the Northland. 

Local businesses like Weichert Realtors told Eyewitness News scammers copy official listings on realty websites, and post them to Craigslist and other marketplace websites.  Weichert Realtors said the scammers claim to own the properties, and put them online to be rented out.

Former Superior homeowner Bob LaBounty told us he put his home up for sale earlier this year through Weichert Realtors.  He told us it wasn't long before people looking to rent out his home, came knocking on his door.

Weichert Realtor's licensed assistant Jessie Pearson said "[LaBounty] got a knock on the door and some people were there to take a look at the house.  They said they saw it on Craigslist for rent and that the owner had said he wasn't going to be there, but that he would be in Africa."

Pearson told us people some potential renters were told they would get the keys for the property, if they sent a payment first.

Pearson said "[the scammer] said ignore the for sale sign in the yard.  He said it was his property and said if they liked it they would just send him the money and he would send them the keys in return."

This isn't the first time online scams have been an issue in the Northland.  According to the Superior Police Department, numerous complaints of online scams have popped up in recent days.  Now they are offering ways internet users can protect themselves from scammers.

Authorities suggested dealing with local folks you can meet in person, and said it is wise to refrain from using money wiring services.  Officials also urged internet users to keep financial information like bank numbers and social security numbers private.

Superior authorities said there are numerous legitimate postings online, but deals that appear too good to be true may very well be a scam.

Craigslist has not yet responded to a request for comment.  If you have been a victim of online fraud, you can report it through the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

21 years old scammer involved in Job scam remand

2010-10-11T03:17:00.000-07:00

Aman who scammed several persons out of nearly US$7,000 after they registered for overseas employment on a nonexistent apple farm in Michigan in the United States, was on Friday remanded for sentencing on November 17 in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court.

Kemar Harrison, the 21-year-old mastermind of the elaborate scheme which saw persons attending job registrations at different hotels across the island, pleaded guilty to three counts of obtaining money by false pretence, reduced from seven counts, when he appeared in court.

The court was told that Harrison placed an advertisement in one of the daily newspapers on August 29, stating that jobs were available at Jay’s Apple Farm. Interested persons who called to enquire were also informed about available jobs at another company, Davidson’s Construction Company.

According to the investigating officer, arrangements were made at the Altamont Court Hotel in Kingston and at other hotels for persons to attend and register.

The investigating officer also told the court that Harrison also employed a bearer and other persons to collect the money and the documents from the job seekers.

Harrison was arrested on September 7 during a sting operation at his home where he was seen collecting money that was collected from some of the complainants. Several documents relating to the fake job scam were seized along with US$1,650, and $13,000.

On Friday, Harrison’s attorney Ian Bishop asked Senior Magistrate Judith Pusey to instruct the police to turn over the money to his client for him to return it to the complainants. But the magistrate told him that the proceeds of crime could not be released to repay the complainants and has been confiscated by the State.

Bishop requested a social enquiry report on Harrison.

The attorney also begged the magistrate to offer his client bail for him to repay the complainants but the magistrate refused his request.

“Let him stay where he is. He is too clever,” she said.

source  

One third of online card scam shrinks in UK

2010-10-08T22:27:00.000-07:00

Online banking scam fell by more than a third in the first six months of this year, according to a leading payments industry body. This is particularly significant since it’s the first time there’s been a fall in the online fraud figure since 2007.

The UK Cards Association, which represents UK credit and debit card issuers, said that online fraud fell by 36% in the first half of 2010 to £24.9m, compared to the same time last year.

It’s thought increased customer awareness of the need to protect computers with anti-virus software and banks’ use of fraud detection software are behind this fall. But the association warns that although there has been an overall fall in this six month period, scam losses over the last five years have been volatile, so this may not be the start of a confirmed trend.

Fraud losses on UK cards 

At the same time total fraud losses on UK cards fell by 20% to £186.8m, the lowest half-year total for ten years. The use of MasterCard SecureCode and Verified by Visa are among the measures credited for this success, along with work with the retail community to raise awareness of how chip and PIN equipment can be protected.

Cheque fraud 

Cheque fraud losses were also on their way down, falling by 13% to £13.5m in the first half of the year. Phone banking losses were the only area to show a rise. They came to £5.8m in total between January and June 2010. Cold calling and fake emails were mostly used to trick customers into revealing security information. The banking industry says its members will never cold call or email customers to ask for login details or passwords.

UK Cards Association

Melanie Johnson, chair of the UK Cards Association, said: “These figures are testament to the importance that the UK’s card companies place on driving down card fraud losses and reducing any inconvenience to customers. We are determined to make sure that customers feel as safe and secure as possible when they use their cards. To that end the banking industry is committed to detecting and preventing card fraud in all its guises.”

Fraud prevention group

David Cooper, chairman of fraud prevention group the Fraud Control Steering Group, said: “The fight against fraud can only be effective with a joined-up approach, so we continue to collaborate with business, consumers, the police and the government whenever and wherever possible.”

Card and banking fraud currently accounts for less than 2% of the £30bn lost to fraud in the UK every year. In addition, UK consumers are protected from payment fraud on their debit or credit card so that they should not suffer financial loss.

Our view: This news will be welcome to retailers – for while, as the UK Cards Association points out, consumers are protected from payment card fraud, it’s often the retailers who end up paying. There’ve been complaints about the sometimes unwieldy nature of internet fraud prevention devices, from 3D Secure onwards, but it will be reassuring to see that these do have a beneficial effect.

But for multichannel retailers, attention will already be on phone fraud, arguably the area now most vulnerable to fraud since all that most retailers require are the details shown on your credit or debit card.

source 

Jewish employee held for selling secrets

2010-10-07T23:46:00.001-07:00

(JTA) -- A Jewish employee of a Boston-area Internet company was arrested on suspicion of selling confidential information to a foreign company.

Elliot Doxer, 42, who works in the finance department of Akamai Technologies Inc., was charged Wednesday with wire fraud for providing confidential business information to an undercover FBI agent that he believed was a foreign government agent. The information included contract details, employee information and customer lists.

The country was identified in the indictment as Country X.

"I am a Jewish American who lives in Boston," Doxer reportedly wrote in an e-mail to a foreign country's consulate in Boston. "I know you are always looking for information and I am offering the little I may have."

Doxer, who had access to invoices and customer contact information, also said in a later message that his goal was "to help our homeland and our war against our enemies."

He informed the agent that his company served the U.S. Department of Defense, Airbus and several Arab companies. Doxer reportedly asked for $3,000 in compensation for his actions.

According to the complaint, Doxer provided the agent with a list of Akamai's customers, several contracts and a list of employees and their contact information. Doxer and the agent first made contact in September 2007. 

Nigerian Prince Scam is back

2010-10-06T23:11:00.000-07:00

In the world of scams, what's old is sometimes new again

Scammers often employ new technology, like the Internet, to separate victims from their money, but other times go back to what's worked in the past. 

Lately, some scammers supposedly operating out of Tanzania have been using the 1980s technology of fax communications to put a new face on that tried and true story of the deposed prince needing to transfer large sums of money out of the country. 

Known as a "419 scam," named for section 419 of the Nigerian penal code, this scheme is normally implemented with an email. Though the butt of numerous jokes, it has nonetheless been enormously effective as victims want to believe that a total stranger in distress is willing to cut them in on millions of dollars. 

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood says his office has begun receiving reports of the 419 scam hitting fax machines in the state. It consists of a message stating that the sender has a large sum of money and needs help transferring it out of a foreign country. As a reward for the consumer's help, the sender promises to pay the consumer a share of the funds. 

Evolution

The scam is always evolving. A sample of the most recent fax regarding Tanzania begins: 

The fax goes on to say that Mr. Taylor's father has a large sum of money - in this case $177 million in bank security vaults in the name of a friend, who has just recently died. The father has supposedly directed the son to use this money for investment purposes in our country. The fax promises funds in exchange for assistance in transferring the funds out of Tanzania. Details are to be conveyed once contact information is received. 

"Don't assist these criminals in the transfer of funds, regardless of what is promised, or you will become the victim," said Hood. 

Tips

Hood also offers the following tips to help consumers avoid becoming victims of these and other common scams:

• Never reply to a fax, email, pop-up, telephone or text message that asks for personal or financial information. Legitimate companies will not ask for this information in that format. 

• Always contact the organization asking for your personal information using a telephone number you know to be correct to inquire why the information is needed. Never call or text the number left in the message, and never follow an Internet link to a site. 

• Never fax or email personal or financial information. Review credit card and bank statements as soon as you receive them to determine whether there are any unauthorized charges. 

• Keep your anti-virus software up to date. In addition, use a firewall, which helps to make you invisible on the Internet and blocks communication from unauthorized sources. 

• Be cautious about opening attachments or downloading files from emails you receive, regardless of the sender. 

Source

A Nigerian scammer to be sentenced next week

2010-10-05T23:06:00.000-07:00

A Nigerian national will be sentenced for scam and money laundering next week after extracting over US250 thousand from a Saudi Arabian man in a "419" scam, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) says. 

Peter Maxson Anyanyueze was convicted in the Johannesburg Regional Court on Friday, said NPA spokesman Mthunzi Mhaga.

He was also found guilty of contravening the Immigration Act for being married to a South African woman he was not in a relationship with, for citizenship.

According to evidence presented during the trial, he snared Dr Abdulazziz Alheiraqi Nwasser, a Saudi Arabian citizen, with the customary email associated with such scams, stating that he had US10.5 million which he had realised from sales of gold dust and other precious metals.

He said the money was lodged in a security company in South Africa and that he needed someone to move it and invest it abroad for him and his family, preferably in Europe.

"Instead of transferring the amount to the complainant, he demanded that small payments be made into nominated bank accounts worldwide to cover capital flight tax and currency fluctuating margins, amongst others. 

Nwasser paid US295,364 to various bank accounts furnished to him by the accused, but the accused never deposited the US10.5 million intended for an overseas investment.

Named after Section 419 of a Nigerian law that deals with advanced fee fraud, the scam deceives a victim into making advance payments to bank accounts before a transaction is concluded, through unsolicited communication. They are usually offered a generous payment for being the go-between.

The woman he was supposedly married to was living with her South African boyfriend, which whom she had a child.

Mhaga attributed the arrest and conviction of Anyanyueze to the "excellent work done by the South African Police Service and prosecutors in this two-year long trial". 

Source  

HDFC ® Bank Alert : Account Registration Error Code :- HRT-098(scam)

2010-10-05T22:49:00.000-07:00

Dear Valued Customer , (spam email)

As part of our security measures, we regularly screen activity in the our Online Banking System.

We recently noticed the following issue on your Account:

- A recent change in your personal information ( i.e.change of address)

- Submiting invalid information during the initial sign up process.

- An inability to accurately verify your selected option of payment due to an internal error within our processors.

Unusual account activity has made it necessary to limit sensitive account features until additional verification information can be collected.

To Resolve this, Download and Open the Account Verification Form we attached to this email . Fill it and submit it to us Online as we await your responce.

Please understand that this is a security measure intended to help protect you and your account. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Sincerely,

HDFC Account Review Department. 

Always scammers try to get your bank information at any cost. This is also one of the ways to get your bank details. Please don’t replay or download the attachment file .

HSBC Bank : Customer Satisfaction Survey( Scam email)

2010-10-04T23:03:00.000-07:00

HSBC Bank will add £ 50 credit to HSBC account just for taking part in our quick 5 question survey.

Always scammers try to get your bank information at any cost. This is also one of the ways to get your bank details. The above image is online survey, once you fill this online survey you will be caught by spammers and you may lose your money too. So don’t fill this survey, just ignore it and move on.  This is also one of the types of Nigerianspam.  

'Cyber Sopranos' an online fraud threat warns top policeman

2010-10-04T07:04:00.000-07:00

The threat posed by online scammers is greater than ever before, Britain's top policeman has warned.

Metropolitan police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson said families were increasingly being targeted by cyber gangsters.

He wrote in a Sunday newspaper: "The modern Tony Soprano-style crime lord will have a cyber expert."

Sir Paul also warned any ConDem cuts to policing that undermined specialist units tackling online crime would be "fundamentally misguided". He added: "Uniform officers alone will not keep the streets safe."

He revealed that out of 385 online officers, only 60 specialised in web fraud. The rest tackled child porn and people trafficking.

Source 

37 people charged in U. S. for their alleged role in an international con

2010-09-30T22:35:00.000-07:00

37 people are being charged in the United States for their alleged role in an international fraud ring based in East Europe that stole more than $3 million from bank accounts belonging primarily to small businesses and municipalities, according to indictments released Thursday.

The sophisticated ring included a multitude of East Europeans who entered the United States on student visas and fake passports to operate as so-called “money mules,”  laundering funds stolen from U.S. accounts and sending the money overseas.

Hackers believed to be in East Europe ran a botnet that used variants of the Zeus malware delivered to victims via e-mail. Zeus infected the victims’ computers to steal bank login credentials. The scammers then took over the accounts to initiate illegal bank transfers to other accounts controlled by the mules.

Last January, for example, about $130,000 was siphoned from the California bank account of a hospital.

The charges, filed in the Southern District of New York, are the culmination of a year-long investigation, dubbed Operation ACHing mules. “ACH” refers to Automated Clearing House, the system under which funds can be electronically transferred from one financial account to another.

The thieves recruited mules who entered the United States on J1 student visas, then provided them with the fake foreign passports. The mules used the passports to open fraudulent bank accounts in the United States under aliases to receive stolen funds transferred out of victim accounts. The mules then forwarded the funds to other bank accounts overseas or withdrew the cash at ATMs and smuggled the money out of the country.

The charges target 37 people in 21 separate cases. Nearly all of the suspects are in their 20s. Ten people were arrested in the United States in a coordinated takedown that coincided with the indictment release; 10 people were previously arrested. Another 17 (pictured above) are still at large. Those who have been arrested are mostly mules, but they also include managers and recruiters of the mules, as well as an individual, Sofia Dikova, who allegedly obtained the fake passports.

A shipment of fake passports was intercepted by authorities at Newark Liberty International Airport last January, which included a false Yugoslavian passport under the name Vesna Jelkovic, which bore Dikova’s photo.

The defendants are Lilian Adam, 21; Kasum Adigyuzelov, 25; Konstantin Akobirov, 25; Lorenzo Babbo, 20; Jamal Beyrouti, 53; Dorin Codreanu, 21; Catalina Cortac, 21; Natalia Demina, 23; Sofia Dikova, 20; Alexander Fedorov, 24; Adel Gataullin, 22; Nikolai Garifulin, 21; Kristina Izvekova, 22; Ilya Karasev, 22; Alexander Kireev, 22; Yulia Klepikova, 22; Ruslan Kovtanyuk, 24; Maxim Miroshnichenko, 22; Marina Misyura, 22; Victoria Opinca, 21; Marina Oprea, 20; Margarita Pakhomova, 21; Maxim Panferov, 23; Sabina Rafikova, 23; Almira Rakmatulina, 20; Stanislav Rastorguev, 22; Dmitry Saprunov, 22; Artem Semenov, 23; Julia Shpirko, 20; Julia Sidorenko, 22; Alexandr Sorokin, 23; Krintina Svechinskaya, 21; Alina Turuta, 21; Artem Tsygankov, 22; Vincenzo Vitello, 29; Ion Volosciuc, 19; Anton Yuferitsyn, 26.

Garifulin allegedly helped smuggle $150,000 from the United States to Russia to pay three hackers.

Adigyuzelov allegedly placed ads on Russian-language websites to recruit students who had J1 visas then obtained fake passports for the recruits.

Federov allegedly coordinated the activities of mules through Russian social networking sites.

Beyrouti, Babbo and Vitello worked with scammers who breached brokerage accounts at E-Trade and TD Ameritrade. The hackers then executed fraudulent sales of securities and transferred the proceeds from the sale to the mules’ accounts. The receiving accounts were set up in the names of shell companies and linked to the hacked accounts.

Meanwhile, the victims’ phones received a barrage of calls to prevent the brokerage firms from contacting them to confirm the legitimacy of the transactions. When the victims answered their phone, they would hear silence or a recorded message. About $1.2 million was transferred to shell accounts opened by the suspects, who then transferred the money to other accounts in Asia or withdraw the money from ATMs in the New York area.

Last May, authorities in Florida revealed a number of cases they were investigating involving similar telephony denial-of-service attacks. In one case, a Florida dentist had $400,000 taken from his Ameritrade retirement account while the thieves flooded his home, work and mobile numbers with repeated calls.

According to documents in the New York case, Semenov, Rakmatulina and Shpirko – all Russian nationals – entered the United States on J1 visas in 2009 and 2010. Semenov recruited the other two and was arrested last December in New York while attempting to open a fraudulent bank account at a Manhattan Bank of America branch.

He was released on bail and four days later opened another fraudulent bank account. Some $70,000 was wired to fake accounts he controlled from the accounts of five different victims.

Marina Oprea, Catalina Cortac, Ion Volosciuc, Lilian Adam, all citizens of Moldova entered the United States this past summer. Oprea allegedly opened six accounts that received more than $250,000 in stolen funds.

The ring is connected to another case in the United Kingdom disclosed this week. On Tuesday 20 people were seized in London for allegedly stealing more than $9 million from British banks HSBC, the Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclays Bank and Lloyds TSB.

According to the indictment, New York investigators became involved in the international case after receiving reports of a suspicious $44,000 withdrawal from a Bronx bank in February.

The charges vary among the defendants and include bank fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, production of false identification documents and fraudulent use of

passports, conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

source

Greedy men’s are still getting con, In spite of all scam awareness

2010-09-29T22:39:00.000-07:00

Despite constant reports of 419 scam swindles in the media, people continue to be fooled. It should be noted that con artists have been perfecting their scams skills for decades. It may be hard to believe but this type of scam has been around since the 1920s when it was called the Spanish Prisoner Con. 

Back then the letter requesting funds were mailed the old fashioned way rather than arriving via email. The schemes were somewhat different in that they involved breaking the heir of a wealthy family out of a Spanish prison. Large sums of money were usually promised to anyone willing to help finance an operation designed to smuggle the heir out of the jail. The plan was in place but money was needed to bribe the guards, provide a means of transportation or whatever else the scammers might dream up. Each attempt in this escape plan ordeal would end in failure but the next one was certain to succeed! , as usually promised by the artist.

The specific details of the fraud may differ but it's essentially the same thing as every other 419 scam we see in recent days. Every year there is a new angle to play and it's a sure bet that

someone will take the bait. 

Scam -Get rich quick proposals

In this classic scam someone from another country needs your help. They claim to have an extraordinary amount of money that needs to be transferred to the country of origin.

For your trouble, you can keep a hefty percentage of the loot. To get the money into your account someone needs to be bribed. That's where you come in. Once you send this advance fee the money will be deposited into your account. At least that's how it's supposed to work. In reality, you'll never see a dime. Nigerian scams take many forms. The bottom line is that you need to send a little money to get a lot in return. One variation involves an internet lottery you never knew you entered. Another is a bid on your online auction for far more than your item is worth. They'll pay with a money order that will be for more than the agreed on price. They will quickly realize their mistake and ask you to return the extra funds to them. If you decline the request will turn into demands or threats. They'll want you to pay quickly because their initial payment will turn out to be a counterfeit money order. These scams are often easy to spot. Some are more elaborate. Just remember, no one in their right mind sends a stranger a large amount of money over the internet. Don’t be greedy. Don’t fall for such con.  Visit us at Codewit.com for more advice on how to prevent yourself to be conned from internet scam perpetrators.

Source 

Online bank fraud for £20m, nineteen arrested

2010-09-28T22:56:00.000-07:00

A multi-million pound internet banking fraud which drained thousands of pounds from the UK accounts of innocent victims was cracked by police yesterday.

A gang of Eastern Europeans made £2 million a month from online accounts by stealing victims log-in details using sophisticated software which can be bought for just £300 over the internet.

They made £6m in just three months and detectives believe they could have reaped as much as £20m in the highly organised scam

Arrested: One of the alleged suspects is led away from his home following an early morning raid by police from the Police Central e-crime unit.

Handcuffed: Another suspect is taken away for questioning over the alleged £20m scam

The mastermind, who detectives believe is an adept IT expert, was among 19 arrested yesterday in a series of dawn raids across London.

He and his team targeted hundreds of victims who had weak security on their computers and accessed their user names and passwords despite tight security systems put in place by the banks on their internet sites.

Police were alerted by high street banks who were alarmed a sudden surge in fraud.

Investigators from Scotland Yard’s e-Crime Unit [pls keep unit name] discovered that the gang were hitting vulnerable computers using software which is described in the industry as a ‘Trojan horse’ because it infiltrates the computer without the user realising.

The system called ‘Zeus’ or ‘Zbot’ infects victims’ personal computers, waits for them to log onto a list of specifically targeted banks and financial institutions and then steals their personal credentials, forwarding the data to a server controlled by criminals.

Scammer's den: Paraphernalia from the flat where the arrests were made. Those involved are alleged to have use 'trojan horse' software to commit their crimes

After the gang had taken over victims’ online bank accounts, they would take out several thousands pounds and place it in a ‘drop’ account before withdrawing the cash.

They recruited dozens of ‘mules’ who would allow them to use their accounts to pay the money into in return for payment.

By using scores of different bank accounts to deposit the money, they hoped to evade being caught.

Detectives have so far pinpointed over 600 British bank accounts which were defrauded but believe hundreds have been targeted.

Unremarkable: Despite the money made from the fraud, the ringleaders lived in a three-bedroom house in Chingford, Essex

The ringleader, in his 20s, and his wife, an accomplice in the scam, were arrested in an unremarkable third-floor flat in Chingford, Essex, yesterday morning.

Another couple, also part of the gang, were also arrested at the property.

The ‘nerve centre’ where the ringleader ran his empire from was simply a laptop on a desk in his front room. In front of it lay a notebook where figures of money had been carefully written in pencil. 

In all, officers arrested 15 men and four women aged between 23 and 47 on suspicion of the Computer Misuse Act, Proceeds of Crime Act and Fraud Act offences . Inquiries are ongoing to ascertain whether they are in the country illegally.

Among them, two were also arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm found at one of the properties. They are all in custody for questioning.

Detective Chief Inspector Terry Wilson, who led the investigation, [pls keep name and as much of quote as possible] said: ‘We’ve worked closely with UK banks through our Virtual Taskforce approach to gather information and evidence which has resulted in today’s arrests.

Wake up call: Detectives ram their way in to arrest the fraudsters. In total 15 men and four women were taken into custody

'We believe we have disrupted a highly organised criminal network, which has used sophisticated methods to siphon large amounts of cash from many innocent peoples’ accounts, causing immense personal anxiety and significant financial harm - which of course banks have had to repay at considerable cost to the economy.

'Online banking customers must make sure their security systems are up to date and be alert to any unusual or additional security features requested which is at variance with their normal log-on experience. Greater public awareness and education will make it harder for personal details to be compromised and for this type of fraud to be carried out.'

Martin Muirhead, chairman of the Virtual Task Force, said: 'This is an excellent example of how to bring to bear the resources and expertise of multiple agencies and public / private organisations in the UK. This is pioneering work led by the Metropolitan Police Service.”

source

Scammers Targeting Cell Phone Users

2010-09-28T01:59:00.000-07:00

Advance-fee scammers are targeting UK mobile users in a scam that involves impersonating employees from Samsung, NatWest Bank and the Financial Services Authority (FSA).

An outfit called Scam Detectives reports that this particular scam starts with an SMS message, informing potential victims that they won a prize and asking for their email address.

After responding with the email address, the SMS recipients are contacted by someone claiming to be a prize administrator for Samsung Electronics UK.

This alleged Samsung employee tells victims that they won £550,000 as part of a promotion and sends them an award certificate, which appears to be signed by the company's own chief executive officer.

Users are also informed that the money are being held in a temporary account at NatWest and are instructed to contact the bank at a certain phone number.

When calling the number, victims are told that they need to obtain a "Fund Release Order" from the FSA, which requires them to provide a copy of their passport and pay the sum of £950.

They are then contacted via email by the alleged head of the FSA, which provides them with an application form to fill in and an account number to deposit the fee.

If they pay up, users receive a fake fund release order and then find the alleged NatWest phone number disconnected.

"NatWest would NEVER contact a customer by email or SMS asking them to contact us in this manner, regardless of the nature of their business with the bank.

"If you are asked to contact NatWest by any party, you should visit our website at Natwest.com and call us on the most appropriate telephone number for your enquiry," a bank spokesperson said.

A Samsung representative has also confirmed that the "Samsung Mobile International Promo," that touts large cash prizes, is a scam.

Source 

Scottish council fraud case throws scams into focus

2010-09-26T23:06:00.000-07:00

Scottish council fraud case throws scams into focus

A Scottish council has been conned out of more than £100,000 by a fraud gang which posed as one of its suppliers.

The scam, involving South Lanarkshire Council, has thrown into sharp focus the threat posed by fraud activity across Scotland and the rest of the UK. 

Report 

According to the government-funded Consumer Direct, some three million people in the UK fall victim every year, losing an average of £850 each.

Lottery Scam 

Fake lotteries and prize draws, bogus psychic predictions, get-rich-quick investments and "miracle" health cures are among tricks that scammers try. 

Victim 

In one case in January of this year, an elderly woman from Aberdeen was cheated out of £24,000 in a Euromillions scam.

But businesses, whether public or private, are no more immune to being conned than individuals, according to the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA).

Expert’s view

SOCA fraud expert Colin Woodcock said he could not discuss specific cases.

But he did warn businesses and public bodies to keep a watchful eye out for scams.

Exercise caution

He said: "Businesses are as vulnerable as anyone else. 

"Common scams are a false bill, or hijacking an account. Smaller companies, for example, might pass a bill on to their accountant and tell them to pay it without checking it too much. 

"They should exercise caution and ask themselves if they remember this company or person, and give them a ring and check."

Dr Ian Ferguson, a digital forensics expert at the University of Abertay, said crime had well and truly moved into the computer age.

He commented: "Traditional crime has migrated and now uses the internet as its vehicle. 

"People are still in awe of modern technology and they fail to look at the details around the edges - the technology gets in the way of their common sense."

A clearer picture is beginning to emerge of the scale and nature of scams in the UK, following the creation earlier this year of Action Fraud, a national fraud reporting centre run by the National Fraud Authority.

Mr Woodcock said inheritance fraud (a scam which cons people into believing they have been left a lot of money in a will) and romance scams, were of particular concern at the moment.

"People should remember that if something is too good to be true, then take it from me - it is," he added.

Here is a look at some of the most common scams as outlined by Consumer Direct:

Source

Top 7 Most Common Online Scams of the Decade

2010-09-24T22:24:00.000-07:00

With 2010 drawing to a close, PandaLabs has released a ranking of the decade’s most widespread scams on the Internet, including 419 scam, ploys involving beautiful foreign women, and money-mule schemes based on too-good-to-be-true job offers.

“As with all the classic scams that predate the Internet, many of the numerous users that fall for these tricks and lose their money are reticent to report the crime,” said PandaLabs Technical Director Luis Corrons. “If recovering the stolen money was difficult in the old days, it is even harder now because criminals’ tracks are often lost across the web. The best defense is to learn how to identify these scams and avoid taking the bait.”

Typically, online scams follow a similar pattern: Cyber criminals contact their victim through email or on a social network. The intended victim is then asked to respond by email, phone, fax or some other medium. Once the user takes the bait, the criminals will try to gain their victim’s trust, finding any excuse to ask for money.

The most frequent scams identified by PandaLabs over the last 10 years, based on their distribution and the frequency, are as follows:

Nigerian Scam: The 419 scam–named after its origin’s zip code–was the first Internet scheme to appear. It usually begins with victims receiving an email, claiming to be from someone who needs to move a lot of money out of a country, often Nigeria. Targeted victims are promised a hefty reward if they help. However, if they take the bait, they will be asked to forward an initial sum to help pay bank fees, often up to $1,000. Once they have sent the money, their contact disappears–along with their heard-earned money.

Lotteries: Similarly to the Nigerian scam, victims receive an email claiming they have won the lottery. The email asks for individuals’ details in order to transfer the winnings. As seen with 419 scam, victims are asked up front for $1,000, or a similar sum to cover bank fees and other expenses.

The Girlfriend Ploy:
A beautiful girl, often from Russia, contact male victims, wanting to get to know them better. She will always be young and desperate to visit the victim in his home country. She wants to come immediately, but at the last moment, a problem arises and she needs money for her flight ticket or other travel expenses. Not surprisingly, after she receives the money, she disappears.

Job Offers:
Victims receive a message from a foreign company looking for financial agents in their country. The work is easy; they can do it from home and earn up to $3,000 for just three or four hours of work. Once victims accept the offer, they will be asked for their bank-account details. In this case, they will be used to help steal money from people whose bank-account information has been stolen by cyber criminals. The money will be transferred directly to the victim’s account, and they will then be asked to forward the money via Western Union. Victims unknowingly become money mules, and when police investigate the theft, victims will be considered accomplices.

Facebook/Hotmail:
Criminals obtain logins to access an account on Facebook, Hotmail or a similar site. They then change the passwords so that the real user can no longer access the account, and send a message to all contacts saying the account holder is on vacation and has been robbed just before coming home. They still have flight tickets, but need between $500 and $1,000 for the hotel.

Compensation:
This more recent ruse originates from the Nigerian scam. The -mail claims a fund has been set up to compensate victims of the Nigerian scam, and their address is listed as among those possibly affected. Victims are offered money, often up to $1 million. Naturally, as in the original scam, they will need to pay an advance sum of roughly  $1,000.

The Mistake:
Fueled by the financial crisis and the difficulty some have selling their homes and other high-value items, this scam has become very popular in recent months. The criminal contacts someone who has published a classified ad on a site such as Craigslist who is selling a house or other high-cost item. With great enthusiasm, the scammers agree to buy whatever it is and quickly send a check, but for an incorrect amount that is always more than the agreed sum. The seller will be asked to return the difference. The check will bounce and the victim will lose any money they transferred to the criminal.


Source  

UK National Lottery - Spam Email

2010-09-22T22:41:00.000-07:00

This is Lottery scam. So don't replay this email . This letter may Embrace you. Don't replay or don't provide any proof or documents. Scammers will miss use it.  

Ghanaian national in 419 scam

2010-09-22T02:19:00.001-07:00

A Ghanaian national, Nanah Kofi aka Asante, who claimed being the son of a Paramount Chief in one of the Asante Kingdoms in Ghana, has sneakily duped some 60 thousand farmers across Sierra Leone. Investigation carried out by this medium revealed how Nanah Kofi told farmers he was working for a Micro Finance Organization abroad.

The name of the undisclosed organization was never told to the farmers by the Ghanaian at all.

Wanting to galvanize trust, Nanah Kofi, entered into partnership with the New Harvest Development Office (NEHADO) in Bo.

It disclosed that the scammer told farmers he will support embarking on paper cultivation, confidently informed them containers of equipments and fertilizers his overseas company has shipped.

Upon this, he was able to receive the sum of Le 4,000 and four passport pictures from all 60 thousand farmers. Investigation has further revealed that the scammers opened an account with the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank in Njala and Bo. That he also opened an account in with First International (FiBank) in Magboraka.

It is reported that Nana Kofi has abandoned his residence at Mano Desse in Moyamba and cannot be found anywhere.

Sources Kofi duped are not just farmers but members of the New Harvest Ministry who acted as his hosts.

This press was told that police have mounted an investigation into the matter.

Source 

Scammers calling about virus

2010-09-20T22:42:00.001-07:00

Scammers are demanding and devious and are trying to fool Southern Downs residents into giving them access to their personal information.

However, a Rose City woman wasn’t coned last week after she received a phone call on her home phone during the day from a woman with a foreign accent claiming to be from the Windows Service Centre.

It is yet another scam where criminals try to trick residents by telling them the victim’s computer has been infected with a virus and it has been brought to their company’s attention.

Police from the scam and Corporate Crime Group have issued a warning after a dramatic increase in reports of these scammers in Queensland.

The Warwick resident who was targeted last week said the caller told her to go to her computer immediately and gave her a list of instructions to allegedly fix the problem.

If the resident had followed the instructions, she would have inadvertently given the scammer remote access to her computer – allowing them to access her personal details.

“We have people at work who are older and not as aware about computers who might get caught out,” the concerned Rose City resident said.

“I knew it was dodgy – I wrote it all down so I could warn people.”

Detective Superintendent Brian Hay of the State Crime Operations Command’s Fraud Corporate Crime Group said giving someone you don’t know remote access to your computer is basically the same as handing your credit card details over to them.

“With this access, an offender can easily search your computer for banking or personal details or quite easily load software onto your computer,” Det Supt Hay warned. “You may as well give them the key to your front door.”

Microsoft has confirmed they are not cold-calling members of the community regarding viruses, computer problems or other issues.Visit www.police.qld.gov.au.

source

Scam 419 Work Plan

2010-09-19T22:51:00.000-07:00

The scammers first recognize a real company and obtain positive corporate information, possibly through mail theft. They then adopt the company's identity and build counterfeit websites for the business, complete with help-wanted notices and online job applications.

Next, they send fake help-wanted e-mails to job seekers whose names they obtain from online employment sites. The unsuspecting job hunters are directed to the fake business websites — such as those discovered by Design 2 Keys — where they are asked to enter personal data into online job applications. This gives the thieves their first opportunity to profit financially from their victims through identity theft.

The applicants are then offered jobs that involve processing checks sent to them, often from abroad, by unexplained "customers" of their new employer. The new "employees" are instructed to deposit the checks in their personal bank accounts, keep a 5 percent commission, write a check on their account for the remainder, and send it on to a bogus address for the company.

Source 

More than 12 years jail for $1.3 Million scam

2010-09-17T22:38:00.000-07:00

A Nigerian man has been sentenced to more than 12 years in U.S. prison for masterminding a 419 scam that siphoned more than $1.3 million from victims.

Okpako Mike Diamreyan was sentenced to serve 151 months in federal prison and pay a little more than $1 million in restitution to the 67 victims he scammed from 2004 and 2009. The conviction was the result of his relocation to the United States in 2008, when he married a U.S. citizen who according to court documents supported him by working two jobs and going to school at night.

“i want to forget america and come back home . . . once i take like 1m or half m i don forget this place,” Diamreyan told an accomplice, according to court records. Oftentimes, he referred to his victims as “mugu,” which means “fool” in Nigerian pidgin.

According to prosecutors, Diamreyan’s scheme involved sending email messages to potential victims about large sums of money or other assets. In one of his emails, he claimed to be in a refugee camp in Ghana, trying to move a consignment worth $23.4 million out of the country and offering 20 percent of the money in return.

In the sentencing document, prosecutors wrote how the defendant had abused an opportunity sought by millions — the opportunity to become a legal, productive member of U.S. society.

“The defendant hoped to become rich through fraud; what he deserves, instead, is a lengthy term of incarceration,” they added.

source  

A lesson from victim of email scam

2010-09-17T03:51:00.001-07:00

This case is a prime example of the scams that are taking place on the Internet every day.

An 82 year old entrepreneur from Tredyffrin Township is attracted over the incident, but wanted to warn the world.

Victim said, 

"They sent me an e-mail and said, 'Do you want to be a mystery shopper?" It's the latest scam emails in the inbox these days, but our victim didn't know it. 

Scammers purporting to represent marketing companies looking for people who want to make easy money being mystery shoppers. 

"'We'll pay you $200 for every transaction and all you have to do is go in to certain places and do it,'" the victim said. 

This victim decided to do it. Eventually, they sent him what he thought was and positively looked like a cashier's check for $3,300. He was to deduct the $500 he was owed and wire the difference $2,800 to a certain name and person, but this victim thought he'd be smart. 

"I waited until I thought the check had cleared and I even called the bank, Chase bank over in New Jersey, to see if it had been paid and they said it had been paid," the victim said. 

So he sent $2,800 from his account as he was instructed to do. But a few days later, as the cashier's check worked its way through the banking system, it was discovered to be a scam. 

"It totally destroyed everything in my account and $3,000 worth of checks," the victim said. 

It took 5 months of legwork by Tredyffrin Police Detective Todd Bereda to track down one of a number of scammers believed involved in the scam, Sheila Oletta Myers of La Plata, Maryland. 

Myers was arrested on August 31st. approximately $110,000 worth of counterfeit checks was secured along with computers and check making materials. 

The victim learned a painful lesson and has this advice for anyone who gets e-mail promising easy money. 

"Throw it away, doesn’t respond to it," the victim said. 

Myers scammers are being held on $25,000 bail. 

Police say Myers scammers is part of an international network with connections to China, Vietnam, Canada, Ecuador, England and others that has targeted real estate agents, the elderly and others through the use of the internet and attempting to lure victims in to becoming "mystery shoppers". 

Residents are asked to report scam to their local police and/or the US Postal Inspection Service.

source  

scammers use gmail email account to trick domain owners out of cash.

2010-09-16T00:13:00.000-07:00

Domain name owners around the World are being tricked out of thousands of Dollars by con men.

The fraudsters send out unsolicited emails to domain name owners seeking fees for non existent "Domain name search engine registration"

Domain name owners are asked to fax their details to a number in the USA where the scammers will make contact and ask them for their credit card details.

Beware of their fraud. There is no such thing as  "Domain name search engine registration".

There is no company identity on the emails and a disclaimer at the bottom is intended to prevent victims from passing on the email to authorities or complaining if they have parted with up to $999.00 USD after falling victim to the scam.

The Fax number where victims are asked to send their details is 1-646-385-7542 and they use a cloaked free email service to disguise their address which is globedomainservices at gmail.com which is disguised as globedomagbd77782 at gmail.com

if victims seek more information from the scammers before sending their money the email bounces back from the server.

Do not send money to these people without seeking advice from police in your area.

This is the subject line for the scam phishing emails”

Domain Notification: xxxxxx This is your Final

Notice of Domain Listing

The emails look like this. The email pretends to be an official form making it more likely that people will send money without asking questions.

Attention: Important Notice
DOMAIN SERVICE NOTICE

Complete and return by fax to:
1-646-385-7542

47-47 36th Street #16452
Long Island City, NY 11101
United States of America

Attn: xxxxxxxx
As a courtesy to domain name holders, we are sending you this notification for your business Domain name search engine registration. This letter is to inform you that it's time to send in your registration and save.

Failure to complete your Domain name search engine registration by the expiration date may result in cancellation of this offer making it difficult for your customers to locate you on the web.

Privatization allows the consumer a choice when registering. Search engine subscription includes domain name search engine submission. You are under no obligation to pay the amounts stated below unless you accept this offer. Do not discard, this notice is not an invoice it is a courtesy reminder to register your domain name search engine listing so your customers can locate you on the web.

This Notice for: WWW.xxxxxx.com will expire on September 6,2010 Act today!

This is Scam email

Source

Scammers Targeting Soldiers in Online Scams

2010-09-14T22:29:00.000-07:00

Columbia, SC (WLTX) - If you are in the military or have a loved one serving, being the victim of a scammer may be the last thing you are concerned about.

It seems unimaginable, but consumer experts say con artists are preying on soldiers and their families. But you don't have to be in the military to be a victim. 

The same scammers are using the military's good reputation to con everyday folks as well.

While our military men and women are battling on the war front, online con artists are using their names here on the home front to scam unsuspecting victims.

"Why would somebody pay to send money overseas to somebody you've never seen a picture of,"said Brandy Pinkston with the South Carolina Consumer Affairs Department.

Pinkston says some folks are falling for the online dating scams. Officials say the con artists use real military photos, even those of dead soldiers, to create fake dating profiles.

"Even if they flash the photo, how do you know it's them,"said Pinkston. 

Recently in Indiana, 43 year-old James Schuder was charged with deception and panhandling after police say he took nearly $500 from 7 people while masquerading as a down-on-his-luck soldier.

And in Illinois, scammers are using Craigslist, pretending to be soldiers selling cars and even laptops.

Several people actually sent money to the con artists.

"It's a very low life thing to do," said 1st Lieutenant Dutch Grove. "This person is dragging the Illinois National Guard's name through the mud in an attempt to rip people off."

In some cases, soldiers and their families have become the actual targets of military loan scams and even housing scams.

"The one thing that the scammers know is that there's a predictable paycheck,"said Pinkston.

Source

Nigerian scam 419

2010-09-13T23:04:00.000-07:00

Panda Security's anti-malware laboratory, PandaLabs, has just released its list of the most common online scams of the past 10 years and the Nigerian scam (419) is that the top of the list based on based on distribution and frequency. The Nigerian scam or Advance Fee Fraud is popularly called "419" after the section of the Criminal Code of Nigeria that references it. 

PandaLabs called the Nigerian scam the first type of scam to appear on the Internet and it continues to be broadly used by cybercriminals today. It also said that the scam normally begins with a person receiving an e-mail claiming to be from someone who needs to get a very large sum of money out of a country, often Nigeria. 

Targeted victims are then promised a considerable reward if they offer help. However, if they take the bait they will be asked to forward an initial sum to help pay bank fees, often to the tune of $1,000. Once they've sent the sum, their contact disappears and their money is long gone.

Another variation of the Nigerian scam, the compensation scam, also made the top list. With the compensation scam victims are told that there has been a fund set up to compensate victims of 419 and are asked to send fees to start the process. 

Luis Corrons, technical director of PandaLabs, "As with all the typical scams that predate the Internet, many of the numerous users that fall for these tricks and lose their money are reserved to report the crime. If recovering the stolen money was difficult in the old days, it is even harder now because criminals' tracks are often lost across the Web. The best defense is to learn how to identify these scams and avoid taking the bait."

Other scams that topped the list most frequent online scams with the Nigerian scam are 

Lottery Scam: Similar to the Nigerian scam. Victims typically receives an e-mail that states that the individual won a lottery, and asks for their personal and account details in order to transfer the substantial winnings. Just like the Nigeria scam, victims are asked for an upfront fee to cover bank fees and related expenses.
The Girlfriend Scam: Here the scammers typically claim to be a beautiful girl, often from Russia, who wants to get to know her victim. She will always be young and desperate to visit the victim in his home country. She wants to come immediately, but at the last moment there is a problem and she needs money for her flight ticket or other travel expenses. Unsurprisingly, after she receives the money, she vanishes.
Job Offers: Victims typically receive a message from a foreign company looking for employees or financial agents in their country. The work is somtimes potrayed as easy work that can be done from home and they are promised earnings of up to $3,000 for working just three or four hours a day. If the victim accepts the offer, they'll be asked for their bank account details. In this case they will be used to help steal money from people whose bank account information has been stolen by cybercriminals. The money will be transferred directly to the victim's account, and they will then be asked to forward the money via Western Union. Victims then become "money mules," and when the police investigate the theft, they will be seen as an accomplice.
Facebook / Hotmail/Yahoo: Criminals obtain details to access an account on Facebook, Hotmail or a similar site. They then change the login info for the site so that the real user can no longer access the account, and send a message to all the people in the victim's contact list saying that the account holder is on holiday and has been robbed or attacked just before coming home and needs a substantial amount of money to pay for hotel or hospital bills.
Compensation: This is a variation of the Nigerian 419 scam. The e-mail claims that a fund has been set up to compensate victims of the Nigerian 419 scam, and that their name or address has been listed amongst those possibly affected. Victims are offered compensation, often to the tune of $1 million but will need to pay an advance sum of around $1,000.
The Mistake: Here the criminal contacts someone who has published a classified ad on a site such as Craigslist to sell a house or other high-cost item. With great enthusiasm, the scammers agree to buy whatever it is and quickly send a check, but for an incorrect amount that is always more than the agreed sum. The seller will be asked to return the difference. The check will bounce and the victim will lose any money they transferred to the criminal.

 Source 

Nigerian Frauds First among Decade’s Internet Scams

2010-09-12T23:23:00.000-07:00

PandaLabs the anti-malware laboratory of Panda Security recently published one list of Internet scams that occurred most often during the current decade, while placing Nigerian scams (419) first on the list in terms of frequency and distribution.

Said PandaLabs that the Nigerian scam, which emerged before any other online scam, was still a highly-favored scheme amongst the present-day cyber-criminals. The company explained that the scam involved an e-mail sent to a person, with the sender stating that he required a huge amount of cash to get out of Nigeria.

The sender then promised the victim a major payment in return for his assist. But, once the recipient accepted the lure, another e-mail followed directing him to remit a preliminary fund for submitting bank fees. Normally this amount was $1,000, which once remitted was followed with snapping of all contacts and the disappearance of the money altogether.

Alongside Nigerian 419 scam, a few others also made it to the list. These are "The girlfriend ploy," "Lotteries," "Facebook/Hotmail scam," "Job offers," "The mistake" and "Compensation."

States Panda, these scams most typically work in a similar manner. First, the criminals make an acquaintance with the target user on a website for social networking or via e-mail after which the user is directed for sending a reply through e-mail, fax, phone or any other means. Gradually after acquiring the victim's trust, the criminals approach him with a false reason and plea for money.

Thus for anyone who has been victimized with any of the above mentioned scams, PandaLabs advises that he quickly contact the police.

Technical director Luis Corrons of PandaLabs explains that similar to all the frauds which happened before the Internet-age, numerous people who get trapped into these tricks as also lose precious money act with restraint towards reporting the offense. While, it was previously hard to regain the stolen funds, the same is even more difficult at present, as criminals' tracks frequently vanish in the expansive Web. So says Corrons that the best way for remaining protected is by recognizing these scams while not accepting the lure.

Source  

HSBC: Internet Banking Updates!!!

2010-09-02T22:02:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, September 1, 2010 11:19 PM

From: "HSBC" 

To: undisclosed-recipients

Dear Valued Customer,

Due to  the drastic increase on online fraud, HSBC has developed a 

new security system. This is highly recommended security system which 

is linked with your registered phone number with HSBC.

HSBC will automatically call you when You attempt to log-in to your 

online banking account  or an attempt to make paymets. Access to your 

Online Banking has been suspended untill you upgrade to the recommended security system

Click the link below to restore access

Click here to upgrade and restore access. 

Best Regards

HSBC Bank Plc Security Department 

                                  
This is spam email; spammers are trying to hack your system. So don’t link the above link. It’s very dangers 

Scammer Gets Prison Time For E-Mail Scam

2010-09-01T21:44:00.000-07:00

For the past six years, Okapo Mike Diamreyan portrayed a doctor, an airport director, a diplomat and a prince in scamming at least 64 victims out of $1.3 million.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall handed Diamreyan another title -- federal inmate.

The judge sentenced Diamreyan, the first Nigerian e-mail scammer caught by federal authorities in Connecticut, to 12 years and seven months in prison. She also ordered him to pay $1,021,560 in restitution to his victims.

However, the mostly elderly victims -- who thought they would earn a good payout by helping move millions from an African bank, company, custom office or warehouse into their accounts -- probably will never see any restitution.

That's because once Diamreyan is released from prison he will be deported back to Africa. He owns what has been described as a comfortable house with a car in Ghana.

And the U.S. government can't access his bank accounts there.

Hall noted that it "is very difficult to catch someone involved in these scams" because "its all done facelessly" over the Internet.

"They'll throw out a net to hundreds of thousands by hitting the send button on the computer and they only need to catch one or two," the judge said.

Diamreyan was caught because he married a woman in Massachusetts, which allowed him to come to the U.S. His mistake was continuing to commit these crimes, particularly by victimizing Michael Pandelos, an elderly, infirm Shelton man.

When advised of the term imposed, Antje Pandelos, Pandelos's wife happily remarked "good" and then "this is wonderful ... I am very grateful."

But she doubts the sentence will give other scammers second thoughts. "It's too profitable," she said of the Advance Fee frauds also known as 419 scams. "They learned a lesson, but that is not to come here."

Her husband, who underwent eye surgery Wednesday, lost $71,587 over several years to various schemes involving Diamreyan.

She said the only way she could stop her husband from sending money was by shutting down her home phone, disconnecting the internet and giving away their computer.

During the sentencing, Hall did hear from a Connecticut doctor identified only as victim 49 who lost $92,142 to schemes in which he thought he was helping African refugees. The doctor, who spoke with a German accent, said he was a refugee during World War II.

"I began to fantasize that I could start a foundation for refugees ... I stopped sending money, but I still have a problem giving up that idea," he said, adding that he became "a laughingstock" among friends and colleagues.

Diamreyan, speaking through an interpreter, showed little remorse for his conviction on three wire fraud charges all involving Pandelos. Instead he took Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Chang and agents from the U.S. Defense Criminal Investigative Service to task. DCIS became involved because one of the scams involved money allegedly stolen by U.S. soldiers in Iraq.

E-mails seized by Richard Lauria and Christopher Mehring of DCIS disclose that Diamreyan has portrayed himself as a government secretary, a doctor, an airport director, a diplomat and even a prince in the schemes. They offer to share millions in oil contracts, inheritances or boxes of stolen money. All the victim has to do is provide upfront fees to help process the movement. Except after the initial payment is made, the fee request never ends. There's money needed for transportation, lawyers, documents, custom costs and more.

Source

Scammers get scammed by Scambaiters

2010-08-31T23:01:00.000-07:00

Bristol Trading Standards Warn Over Cash Promise Scam

2010-08-30T23:05:00.000-07:00

Trading standards officers in Bristol are warning of scammers operating on the city's Southmead estate.

It follows the hand-delivery of a letter to the home of a man with learning difficulties.

The scam involved the promise of a cut in an $18.5m (£12m) inheritance in Japan which required the man to contact the writer to obtain the money.

Officials said it was the first step scammer used as a ruse to obtain the bank account details of their victims.

A spokesman said the type of scam was known as a 419 or advanced fee fraud.

Hand-delivered

Phil Parkyn, from trading standards, said: "The letter made a great deal of the need for secrecy - a typical sign of a 419 scam - and gave an AOL e-mail address and a Japanese fax number.

"Luckily, the resident took the letter to his local housing office where a member of staff spotted immediately that it was a scam.

"He was able to warn the victim who has since made a complaint to trading standards."

This type of scam was said to be very common but normally came by e-mail or post.

Source  

Top 10 spam Sending Countries

2010-08-29T23:41:00.000-07:00

TrendLabs Researchers reported that the top 10 spam sending countries comprised 85.67 percent of the total number of spam messages circulated. India ranks no. 2 and comes after the U.S. in the Top 10 List of researchers with about 12.55 percent of the messages circulated worldwide.

U.S., Brazil and India retained their positions as the top 3 spam-sending countries, a trend consistent since three months. Both U.S. and Brazil posted an increase in their spam numbers, while India has posted a decline.

Spam-Sending Countries

Rank	Country	Percentage
1	United States	24.93%
2	India	12.55%
3	Brazil	12.00%
4	United Kingdom	11.30%
5	Germany	8.66%
6	Vietnam	7.71%
7	France	6.17%
8	Republic of Korea	6.09%
9	Italy	5.46%
10	Romania	5.13%

Recognizing that attacks are now carried out using three primary vectors - email, Web, and file - researchers have drawn on some of the highlights from the past month.

HSBC has become the top phishing target this month via email. It leaped from the bottom of the list to the top spot in July, while PayPal remained part of the top 3 phishing targets. A new entrant in the top 10 list is ABN Amro Bank.

 Top 10 Phishing Targets

Rank    Via Email                        Via Site Spoofing 

1           HSBC                                  PayPal
2           PayPal                                eBay
3           Banco de Bradesco        Yahoo!
4          World of Warcraft              HSBC
5          Bank of America           Bank of America
6          Amazon                         Banco de Bradesco
7          Chase Bank                 Halifax Bank
8         ANZ                               World of Warcraft
9         Halifax Bank                    Chase Bank
10       Standard Bank of South Africa    Amazon 

"User account information and credit card credentials reap good profits for cybercriminals. As such, cybercriminals continued to leverage on the widespread use of social networking sites, search engines, and redirectors this July," said Amit Nath Country Manager India and SAARC Trend Micro.

This month, ATM malware, botnets and online gaming related threats were particularly noteworthy, says TrendLabs Researchers. The notorious KOOBFACE botnet also launched another notable attack in July using the old technique of sending out direct messages (DMs) via Facebook.

Two notable ZeuS/ZBOT malware were found in July - one targeting Russian banks and/or Yandex services, the other was TSPY_ZBOT.CQJ, which steals information by inserting malicious code into legitimate banking websites. The malicious code works when the said sites are viewed using Internet Explorer or Firefox. The report also notes that the continued proliferation of online gaming threats has made the gaming sector a consistent cybercriminal target. This is particularly true in China where online gaming is very popular and where cybercriminals have created XWM, the popular Chinese Trojan kit.

 Source

Scammers Attitude

2010-08-26T22:29:00.000-07:00

When Contact is First Made

Scammer immediately want to get off the website and onto Yahoo IM or MSN IM
Their profile seems to disappear off the website immediately after conversation begins
They claim it was destiny or fate and you are meant to be together
They immediately ask for your picture and they send you a picture of themselves
They immediately want your address so as to send you flowers, candy, and teddy bears, often purchased with stolen credit cards
They claim to love you either immediately or within 24-48 hours
They immediately start using pet names with you: hon/hun baby/babe sweety/sweetie
They claim God brought you to him/her
Scammer typically claim to be from the US (or your local region) but they are overseas, or going overseas mainly to Nigeria, sometimes the UK for business or family matters

Communication Skills

scammer spelling is atrocious
Their grammar is not consistent with how Americans speak, French speak etc.
They appear uneducated with their speaking/writing skills
They over-use emotions
They are notorious for using BUZZ
They are notorious for using “i” instead of “I”
They consistently use webspeak or abbreviations; u r ur cos pls/plz ma sry brb div
They often mix up their phrases: “i” will like to heer from you soonest, I am kool, Do you have any man you care to meet, Do you have any man you planning to meet, Looking for someone to love and care for in life, Am cheerfull in life, I will like to meet someone that is careing and loveing for real in life, “i” am too young for my age if you don’t know, Ok so how will you feel if i says i dont mind you, i will like you to be my best friend, You are so pretty for my likeness
They misunderstand our slang or comparisons such as night owl/early bird, poker face

 Scammer Habits

Scaammer are not usually around on the weekends to IM
They IM at unusual hours for your time zone
There are times they are gone from the conversation for a length of time and will sometimes come back at you with a different name, they’re usually conversing with more than one person at a time
If you ask them a question they don’t know they will usually be offline for a length of time so they can go look up the answer on the internet always claiming they had a phone call or had to go to the bathroom etc.
They like to send you poems or love letters, most of which can be traced back to lovingyou.com. Sometimes they even forget to change the name in the poem or letter to match your name
They send you flowers, teddy bears, and candy within the first few weeks of talking
They typically ask you to get on your web cam yet they never seem to have a web cam of their own
They ask for your phone number but when they call you can barely understand a word they say because of their accent and back ground noise
They may give you a phone number but it’s typically a calling card or a call center, you can rarely get them on the phone
They do not like to answer personal questions about themselves and tend to ignore questions
They often do not know the correct time difference between where you are and where they claim to be
They often claim to have one parent that is of African descent
A majority of them claim to have lost a spouse/child/parent in a horrific traffic accident or airplane accident or any of the above are sick or in the hospital
They have no close family or friend or business associates to turn to, even the US embassy, instead they can only rely on a stranger they picked off the internet
To them love equals financial assistance…if you do not send them money or help them out with what they ask, you do not love them
If you deny them or question them they become verbally abusive and will resort to threats
They will insist you keep the relationship a secret until “they” come to you live with you
Above all, if you call them a Scammer they are highly offended and some will start throwing words at you in their native language

Source

Roque scammer arrested under Identity theft by the Police.

2010-08-25T23:46:00.000-07:00

A man was arrested in association to a credit card-skimming fruad, which recorded credit card information from customers at least four Alachua County gas stations.

Luis Orlando Martinez Roque, 24, was arrested in Orange County on Tuesday and awaits banishment to Alachua County.

During a joint investigation by the Gainesville Police Department, the Alachua County Sheriff's Office and the United States Secret Service, Roque was recognized as a suspect by observation video and witness accounts, according to a GPD press release. Roque (scammer) is accused of using the stolen credit card numbers to buy gas and other items, the release stated.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office arrested him while he was sleeping in his girlfriend's house. He was found with two fake cards yet to be linked with any known victims, the release stated.

The Scammer is charged with identity theft and scheme to defraud and is held on $100,000 bond.

Authorities continue to warn locals to use caution when paying for gas with credit cards. There is still a lot of work to be done while the investigation continues, the release stated.

Beware of Grandprent Scam

2010-08-24T23:42:00.000-07:00

A local elderly couple learned the hard way that things aren't always what they seem.

The couple, who asked not to be identified, wired nearly $3,000 to an address in Spain to spring their grandson from a Canadian jail.

But the young man had never been arrested. In fact, he never went on the "fishing trip" to Canada described by the man impersonating him on the phone.

The Androscoggin County Sheriff's Department released information about the Aug. 10 incident Tuesday as a warning to residents — especially older ones — to beware of the latest scam to hit the country.

A search on the Internet reveals that elderly people are falling prey to a particularly cruel type of scam known as "the grandparent scam" or the "grandma scam." An April 5 article from the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. detailed the case of an 86-year-old Vancouver woman who fell victim to a similar scam, to the tune of nearly $10,000.

According to the article, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said the scam is sweeping its way across North America, affecting hundreds of senior citizens. Much like the local couple, the woman answered the phone call — which came from Area Code 514 — from a young man claiming to be her grandson.

The local victim asked which grandson she was speaking to and the man asked her who she thought he was. When she guessed a name, he told her she was right and launched into a story about how he was arrested while on a fishing trip in Canada with two guys he'd just met.

The woman wanted to help her grandson. The man on the other end told her he needed bail money, and she agreed to pay.

Shortly after hanging up with the man she believed to be her grandson, the woman received a call from another man claiming to be a sergeant with the Canadian police. This man instructed them to take a cash advance on their credit card and to send it via Western Union from the Hannaford on Spring Street in Auburn.

It wasn't until the couple talked with their grandson later that they realized they were victims. They told authorities that they thought they were speaking with a legitimate police officer because the sergeant answered the number when they called.

But a call to the telephone number provided in the statement released by the Androscoggin County Sheriff's Department went directly to a French-speaking voice mail.

A further search on the Internet turned up similar cases being investigated by the Ohio attorney general's office. According to a blog on the attorney general's website, a Columbus grandmother received a call just like the other two women from an alleged grandson claiming to be in a Canadian jail.

In many cases, the grandparents were begged by their alleged grandsons not to tell anyone for fear of further problems. In all cases, people were told to wire money in order to bail their grandsons out of jail.

"If you get a call from this number to help your grandson, call your grandson at his home first," the woman warned. "Don't send money without contacting someone else in your family, or the police."

Source 

Scammers Targetting Victims By Phone, E-Mail

2010-08-23T23:24:00.000-07:00

State and federal agents are investigating a new kind of fraud, that's targeting people across the Valley.

James Recchia is one of the latest targets. The Ahwatukee restaurant owner has been getting strange calls from some scammers accusing him of being an offender.

"Each call is different. One call says they are with the Attorney General's Office," said Recchia. "Another call says they are with internet scam and internet cyber."

Recchia said that for the past few weeks he has been bombarded with calls and messages from someone claiming the Valley businessman has committed a crime and needs to pay a fine.

The calls have been coming in on Recchia's cell phone and business phone.

The caller also threatened one of Recchia's employees, according to the restaurant owner.

"One employee answered and he said he's not here right now and they said you need to find another job because your boss is going away for a long time unless he gets a hold of us with an attorney," said Recchia.

The pizza shop owner did some research over the internet and found hundreds of complaints connected to the phone  number that was calling him.

One victim said the caller, “Threatened to press criminal charges against me if I didn't pay the money."

Another said that the caller was, "Very abusing in tone and frightening."

Recchia has refused to send money and is no longer answering any of the calls.

He said that he only wishes there was more that authorities could do to track these scam artists down.

                                    Don’t become victims of such scammers.  

Government of New South Wales warns against spam emails

2010-08-22T22:36:00.000-07:00

Scam emails are being sent to Sydneysiders allegedly from friends in desperate need of money to get out of trouble overseas, the NSW government has caution.

An alert about the international scam was issued on Friday by NSW Fair Trading Minister Virginia Judge.

"According to the scam email, my friend, Ross Steele, was stuck in Spain, missing a wallet and no funds for accommodation or means to get back to Sydney," she said.

Mr Steele said his email had strangely stopped last month, with his friends starting to get fake emails from him a few days later saying he was stranded in Madrid and needed money to be sent to a Western Union account.

"The email also claimed I was unable to be contacted by phone," he said, adding that at least five of his friends had sent money.

"The worry is that I still have no idea how the scammer was able to hack into my email account."

Ms Judge urged people to protect themselves by checking their privacy settings, be careful about what personal information they put on the internet and check how much information was available.

"If you receive an email that appears to be from a family member or friend claiming to be in trouble look at the way the email is written, ask yourself whether the email sounds like it was written by that person," she said.

"Never send your online account details through an email and think carefully before you give away any personal or financial information."

Three people were sentenced to prison due to the scam targeting tech vendors

2010-08-20T23:45:00.000-07:00

Their roles in a multimillion-dollar proposal targeting payments to IT and consulting services vendors from four state governments, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

Among the companies targeted in the scam were Deloitte Consulting, Unisys, Accenture and EDS, now a part of Hewlett-Packard. The defendants were able to divert state payments totaling US$3.4 million from West Virginia, Kansas, Ohio and Massachusetts to bank accounts controlled by the co-conspirators, the DOJ said in a press release.

The scheme, which began in late 2008, embattled vendors that received large payments from states on a regular basis, the DOJ said. Co-conspirators located in the U.S. filed documents to create dummy entities with names similar to legitimate vendors, as well as fake bank accounts in the names of the targeted vendors. With information acquired from the Internet and other sources, the co-conspirators completed direct deposit authorization forums for the embattled vendors.

The scammers then mailed electronic payment authorization forums to the states, allowing the defendants to hijack legitimate vendor payments, the DOJ said. The group wired more than $770,000 to bank accounts in Kenya.

Sentenced Thursday in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia were Robert Otiso, 36, of Elk River, Minnesota, to 72 months in prison for conspiracy to commit mail and wire scam; Paramena Shikanda, 35, of Minneapolis, to 46 months in prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering; and Collins Masese, 21, of St. Paul, Minnesota, to nine months in prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering. The defendants are all natives of Kenya.

Jay Vincent Is Indicted in Internet Jobs Scam

2010-08-20T22:53:00.001-07:00

Jay Vincent, a former National Basketball Association and Michigan State player, was charged in an Internet employment scam that was said to have bilked 20,000 job seekers out of about $2 million. The United States attorney’s office in Lansing, Mich., said Vincent, 51, and Anthony Portee, 53, were charged with mail scam and Vincent with an income tax violation.

Romance scam ends in suicide

2010-08-19T21:33:00.000-07:00

Yonkers, NY (WABC) -- A New York father is dead and his family believes it's all because he was sucked into an international romance and money scheme (419), causing him to lose everything and even steal from relatives.

"I saw him sitting in a chair with a bullet in his head," Peter Circelli said.

Circelli believes his father, Al, felt he had no way out, committing suicide in the living room of his Yonkers home after realizing a romance to riches fantasy he'd bought into was a scam.

It was only after Peter started going thru his father's belongings that the son discovered his dad's shocking secret, starting with a pile of western union money transfers to the country of Ghana, a notorious location for romance scams.

"They say Ghana, $300. Ghana, $200," he explained. "We've added them all up and they come to the sum of $50,000." On Circelli's laptop, his son discovered email photos and messages supposedly from a woman calling herself Aisha, who promised to come here and start a new life, giving the divorced retired businessman a future and a fortune.

"She had money in a bank and was going to transfer the money to him," Circelli said. 

But first, she claimed she needed money transferred to her in Ghana via someone named Nulu Suleman for expenses. At some point, Al Circelli ran out of his own money, and started taking it from his son.

He took out credit cards in his son's name and got advances. Peter's credit is "above and beyond destroyed."

Peter is a respected small business owner who runs a successful body shop and towing company in Englewood, New Jersey. He owns the home his father lived in, and just discovered his father had stopped making mortgage payments.

"This house is in foreclosure. I'm most likely going to lose this house," he said. "It's destroyed me. It's destroyed my family."

The day Al Circelli killed himself, he thought Aisha would be arriving on a Delta flight. She, of course, never showed up.

"What he did because of something like this, I can't even imagine it," Circelli said.

And in one final bizarre twist on Tuesday, Peter found a message on his dad's laptop from Nulu Suleman saying Aisha, or Shanda, had killed herself -- "blown her head off in Chicago."

"It can't be tracked. These people are like ghosts and the damage these people have caused, they shouldn't be able to cause in other people's lives," Circelli said. "To see him go down like this, to think there are other families who might have to go through something like this, I have to open my mouth. I can't hide no more."

Source 

Online Job Application Scams - Job Offer from Internet Criminals

2010-08-18T21:42:00.000-07:00

The Federal Trade Commission warns of acai weight loss scam

2010-08-17T22:06:00.000-07:00

The Federal Trade Commission is suing the marketers of AcaiPure and colon supplement colopure for consumer fraud.

The products advertised on radio, television and the Internet for as little as 99 cents shipping feature fake endorsements by U.S. television talk show diva Oprah Winfrey and celebrity lifestyle host Rachel Ray. 

"Too many 'free' offers come with strings attached," David Vladeck, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a release. "In this case, the defendants promised buyers a 'risk free' trial and then illegally billed their credit cards again and again -- and again. We estimate about a million people have fallen victim to this scam."

Vladeck said he would not use the supplement because the pills do not always contain acai, a purple berry smaller than a grape harvested from the acai palm tree.

The acai berry, native to South and Central America, is touted for its antioxidant properties but there is no scientific evidence it can contribute to rapid weight loss. The ads claimed weight loss of 25 to 30 pounds in the first month.

Since 2007, more than 2,800 complaints have been filed against Phoenix-based Central Coast Nutraceuticals Inc. with law enforcement agencies and the Better Business Bureau, the FTC said. 

Consumers allegedly were scammed out of more than $30 million in 2009 through deceptive advertising and unfair billing practices.

Source  

Health Insurance Fraud

2010-08-16T23:40:00.000-07:00

A new kind of scam is spreading involving health insurance scam, and it's costing the unemployed thousands. 

Scammer companies are trying to get consumers to buy discounted plans, promising discounted coverage which is comparable to reputable companies. "They even go so far as to claim that any place that accepts Blue Cross or Blue Shield will accept these cards," says Ric Herrold with the Better Business Bureau. 

For an registration fee, consumers receive a realistic insurance card in the mail, usable at doctors, pharmacies, dentists, vision care centers. The fee can be up to $200, along with a monthly fee. Then when they need it most, Herrold says they understand their coverage isn't what they thought. "They might go to the doctor for a luxurious procedure...only to find out, 'sorry, we don't carry this.'" 

Consumers should be on the lookout for persistent robo-calls with no option to ask questions and high pressure phone tactics. Also, scammers are targeting the unemployed and those with pre-existing cfsssonditions. 

If you suspect a scammer is trying to get you, contact the Better Business Bureau at 419-531-3116. 

Online banking fraud on the rise

2010-08-15T21:33:00.000-07:00

Customers have expressed dissatisfaction in the manner in which some banks have been handling reported scam cases on internet banking and Automated Teller Machines (ATM).

Tochukwu Onyiuke, a lawyer at Punuka Attorneys & Solicitors, said of the over 1,000 internet banking scam and ATM con cases his firm is handling, “none of the banks involved has shown authentic interest in rendering assistance to the victims.”

Mr. Onyiuke said many of these victims are customers of Intercontinental Bank, Bank PHB, and Union Bank.

Moses Adeogun, a postgraduate student in a university in the United Kingdom and an Intercontinental customer, recently narrated how he lost all his savings of N429, 000 in the bank to online scam.

Experts say the perpetrator must have had access to Mr. Adeogun’s username, password and transaction code -the three details needed in internet banking -before money could be successfully transferred from his account.

Meanwhile, the victim said he never disclosed any of that information to anyone as “all these information are only known by me and the internet banking office.”

Findings exposed that the Olufunmi Olusanya’s account belongs to a female youth corps member. A transaction was made from Mr. Adeogun’s account to hers and she later withdrew the money through an ATM.

However, Mr. Onyiuke said how scammers managed to get into people’s accounts through internet banking is a question banks should answer since the position of law says “banks have a mandatory duty to protect customer’s fund.”

The legal practitioner said banks are to protect their customers’ money by ensuring that there is no handling on customers’ account or unauthorized withdrawal. “In the event that customer losses money, or occasions that the bank fails to protect the fund, the customer can bring a legal action of a breach of contract against the bank,” he said.

“Banks in Nigeria are fond of pushing blames to the customers even before investigating. Banks always claim that the customers compromised their passwords. But most times, we have discovered through investigations, that the claims were false,” said Mr. Onyiuke

Contacted over Mr Adeogun’s allegation, after several phone calls and electronic mails to the Intercontinental Bank went unreturned, Bridget Chinasa, a receptionist at the bank front office who tried to cover her name tag, said a reporter cannot speak to any official in the bank’s Corporate Communication office since no appointment was made. “Just keep trying the office number to book an appointment,” Ms. Chinasa said.

Tips for dealing with malware

2010-08-12T21:09:00.000-07:00

Computer users may never be foolproof against Trojans or other malicious software, but here are a few tips that could be useful before or after a cruel advertisement has been clicked or a malware-carrying e-mail has been opened:

Though some malware can circumvent virus detection software, users should still strongly consider purchasing packages with a built-in firewall.
Users should immediately power down their computers if a pop-up indicating the need for a machine scan appears. As some have found out, attempting to close this box can still prompt the installation of a Trojan.
While e-mail scams originating from Nigeria, Switzerland and other countries appear more complicated than other spam pieces, unfamiliarity with English language and grammar can still shine through. Before acting, take your time and read through an e-mail and discuss whether the writing matches the personality of the sender.

If you have already been victimized, file a complaint on www.IC3.gov, the website for the partnership among the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National White Collar Crime Center and the Bureau of Justice Assistance that fights Internet crimes.

419 phishing scam leads to $400,000 loss of Minister series

2010-08-11T21:27:00.000-07:00

Ebay Fraudulent Phishing Email Messages

2010-08-10T21:56:00.000-07:00

Password change required!

Dear sir,

We recently have determined that different computers have logged onto your eBay account, and multiple password failures were present before the logons. We strongly advice CHANGE YOUR PASSWORD.

If this is not completed by Aug 15, 2010, we will be forced to suspend your account indefinitely, as it may have been used for fraudulent purposes. Thank you for your cooperation.

Click here to Change Your Password

Please do not reply to this e-mail. Mail sent to this address cannot be answered.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Thank you for using eBay!

Please do not reply to this e-mail. Mail sent to this address cannot be answered.

I get so many phishing fraud email messages from Ebay, that I have come to the point where I am not sure.

Watching a Facebook scam in action

2010-08-06T20:47:00.000-07:00

I WILL LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOU

2010-08-05T08:57:00.000-07:00

From: Evan Jacob 
Date: Tue, Aug 4, 2010 at 12:43 AM
Subject: I WILL LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOU,
To:me

Dearest one,
Darling i'm very sorry to keep you long, please forgive me.  I am more than happy to read your reply to my mail, How is your day?i hope you are very fine and healthy.
i promise to tell you more about me in my next mail,my name is Miss Evan Jacobs, i am single and have never been married, i am from Sudan in East of Africa, i am 25 yrs and 5in8ft tall,58kg weight.

Earlier i was residing in Darfur refugee camp in Chad on July 2006, at a time there was a division and dispatch of some of the refugees due to the over population of the people in Chad, i was taken to Senegal in West African on 10th August 2007 where i'm presently residing in N'dioum refugee camp due to the civil war in my country. i am suffering in pains in this camp and i really need to have a man by my side to encourage me.  i am willing relocate from this country.

My late father Dr Col Daniel Jacobs was the industrial Managing director of (JACOBS AND INDUSTRIAL COMPANY LTD) in KHARTOUM the economy capital of my Country(Sudan) and he was also the personal adviser to the former head of state before the rebel attack our house one early morning and killed my mother and father in cold blood. i escaped death because i was in school when the rebel attack our house. i was the only issue of my late parents,i have no brother nor sister. This Refugee Camp is headed by a Reverend Father am using his office computer to send you this email and i only enter his office when he is less busy in his office.

I would like to know more about you and your hobbies and what you are doing presently. my dream is to meet sincere, faithful, kind and trustworthy person.  i will tell you more about my family background in my next mail. Attached here is my picture and i am Hoping to hear from you soon.
Miss Evan.

Be aware of her. She is scammer . I got her details while scam baiting .

Crime World Wide - 419 Fraud

2010-08-04T08:22:00.000-07:00

Cross-border crime is an unnecessary aspect of the globalization of the economy and communications. 

Law enforcement authorities around the world are on the alert for the "419 fraud," also known as the "Nigerian Letter." 

The scam originated with a Nigerian-based network that has since gone quite global. Normally, e-mails are sent to potential victims overseas, inviting them to invest in a money-laundering scheme or some other business scheme. 

Receivers who show an interest are asked to travel to a third country or remit a considerable "investment" to a bank account in a foreign country. Once the money is in the account, the scammers immediately transfer the money to an account in a different country. 

Investigators in each country get to work only on one piece of the puzzle, so to speak. They are helpless to track down suspects who remain in their home countries. Cases of 419 fraud cases started to be reported in Japan a few years ago. 

One vengeance of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) is a crime ring nicknamed the Pink Panthers. They are jewelry thieves believed to be typically from the former Yugoslavia and have robbed numerous jewelry stores around the world, including Europe, the Middle East and Tokyo. 

Alarmed by this trend, the National Police Agency used the expression "globalization of crime" for the first time in this year's white paper. 

In the past, foreign criminals in Japan were typically groups of relatives and those from the same region, or those who fled to their home countries after committing the crimes. 

But recently, international criminal organizations of an entirely different nature have begun sensitive Japan. Also quite disturbing is the recent spread of cyber crimes and crimes related to child pornography. The threats of drug trafficking and international terrorism are growing, too. 

Can any national police force actually fight crimes that cross national borders? 

So far, more than 800 people who have committed crimes in Japan have eluded capture by fleeing the country. Even when Interpol is concerned, the outcome of the investigation varies from country to country, and arrests and extraditions are rather rare. 

For successful operations that cross national borders, Japanese law enforcement authorities must forge close working relations with their complement in as many countries as possible. 

For example, if a Japanese citizen is kidnapped, and a payment demand has been confirmed coming from abroad, Japanese police should be able to ask investigators in that country to trace the call. 

Close international collaboration will also enable concurrent pursuit of members of a criminal group scattered around the world. 

Japan already has two-sided treaties on mutual assistance in criminal matters with such countries as the United States, China and South Korea. But the treaties need to be multilateral. 

To create a worldwide law enforcement network, the functions of Interpol, whose members consist of 188 nations and regions, need to be unbreakable. But criminal laws vary from country to country, as does the authority and capacity of law enforcers. Obviously, the rule of each country must be respected, which renders really close collaboration a bit of a challenge. 

But we must remember that criminals often slip through this sort of "ambiguity." 

It is time for the international community to take a good, hard look at the traditional ideas of law enforcement and determine what needs to be updated. 

Lucky Winners of LACASERA (SMS)

2010-08-02T09:32:00.000-07:00

lucky winners of LACASERA

I got a fraudulent SMS from an unknown number sometime last week and after a lot of thinking, I decided to share the experience with you and get some reactions. The SMS goes thus; 'Congratulation! You have won #250,000.00 Your no is among the 42 lucky winners of LACASERA (A popular soft drink in Nigeria) DRINK PROMO. Ticket no, GXB30. Call 08131889692. To claim your prize. (Please note I reconstructed the SMS verbatim).

It didn't help that I was in a bad mood when it came in and I couldn't help replying the scammers with some choice words that my mom spent close to 20 years trying to prevent me from learning. My response; ' You muthafuckers must be really dumb to think anyone will fall for you scam… Lacasera promo,my arse!you dumb fucks can't even spell right. (Also reconstructed verbatim).

I know I shouldn't have done it, but I was at the end of my tether. I get an average of 13 fraudulent proposals every year; an average of one per month. The pretty imaginative proposals range from purchase of oil refineries to inheritances left by dead relatives, with astronomical figures being dangled in front of you in the frenzied bid to separate you from your cash. I have had people call me up and address me by my first name, claiming to have met me in the past and offering me deals which promise fantastic returns. Depending on my mood, I play along until I feel I've burnt enough of their airtime and then I hang up and refuse to pick subsequent calls. In the past, it was just foreigners that were being targeted but with increased surveillance by anti-fraud authorities (local and International), the fraudsters switched their focus to the local scene with varying degrees of success.

The sentence structures of the proposals are nearly always filled with grammatical errors. Most 'yahoo boys' (local parlance for scammers) are school dropouts and they invariably expose their lack of education when they try to communicate with people. Another trait of yahoo boys is to offer fantastic returns on a seemingly easy business deal. I had a guy call me up one day, claiming to be a Port-Harcourt based staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. He offered me a return of N15,000,000 (approximately 99,000 dollars) if I would agree to bribe his boss with N200,000 (approximately 1,400 dollars) so he would award me a contract to supply NNPC with some office equipment. I told him to stick it up his arse and cut the call!

On the streets of Lagos, it is common to see young lads who have no verifiable source of income driving flashy cars, wearing expensive clothes, and sporting the latest communication and entertainment gadgets. In clubs they buy the most expensive bottles of liquor and hold court in the center of their sycophant friends who more often than not, find 'other' friends when the pipeline goes dry. Really, if I were a cop and I saw a 20-year old kid driving a Honda Accord 2008 model and carrying a blackberry, I would shoot him in the leg and drag him to my station and ask questions later. The '419' (local slang for advance-fee fraud) boys, in their 'pursuit of happiness', go to great lengths to snag a 'maga' (local slang for victim of these schemes) including employing diabolical means. Stories abound of scammers who patronize witch-doctors for 'special powers' to help them fleece their targets of their money.

This group of individuals, who represent less than 0.0001% of Nigeria's population, have given the country a terrible reputation in the community of Nations. Nearly every form of communication that emanates from Nigeria or a Nigerian is scrutinized with a fine tooth comb. Nigerians who travel out of the country are usually separated from boarding or arrival lines and frisked to the point of embarrassment at airports. I seriously am not looking forward to travelling out of the country anytime soon, especially after the Christmas Day bomb scare by that dumb-ass Abdulmutallab fella which has gotten international airport security teams paranoid about Nigerians.

I'm not defending the actions of these people, but how come the world behaves like Nigerians are the scum of the earth? America has one of the highest crime rates in the world, ranging from gang violence to drug wars. Britain is home to crackpots and skinheads who stab people on the streets. The Russian mafia is one of the most feared in the world and they have some really heavy scam artists too. So, why is Nigeria so vilified? It gets my goose whenever I read any negative report about Nigeria on the internet. Sony released an advert for the new PS3 and in the ad, a guy said; 'If you believe everything you hear on the internet, you'll be a Nigerian millionaire.' Come on! After some ranting by the Nigerian Government, the material was withdrawn and a high-powered delegation from Sony visited Nigeria and met with Information Minister, Dora Akunyili to apologize. Why was it allowed to air in the first place? That goof almost made me NOT buy the PS3 console after my xbox 360 packed up (But I'm too much of a game freak to let that get to me! Sony, behave or… …)

Ok… I'm outta breath! I don't know why but I just felt the need to let out some steam. Not a very prudent first piece but I hope you guys will understand and bear with me… See you next week, be safe.

This article has been taken from http://www.modernghana.com/movie/8293/3/a-fraudulent-sms-and-a-disjointed-rant-w.html 

PayPal Scam Do not be con

2010-07-29T08:27:00.000-07:00

419 Scam

2010-07-29T08:22:00.000-07:00