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Internet_Scams_104_ _Particularly_Vicious_Scams
| Internet Scams 104 -- Particularly Vicious Scams
Some scams use the name of organizations we trust, and they are
the most vicious.
Awhile back scammers sent an e-mail supposedly from the FBI. The
address seemed to be fbi.gov, and the message told you that you
had accessed illegal websites and that your Internet use had
been monitored by the FBI’s “Internet Fraud Complaint Center.”
You were then told to open an attachment and answer some
questions. The FBI says that this e-mail is a scam. If you open
that attachment your computer will be infected with a virus,
tracking cookie, or trojan horse.
•Anti-scam rule 1: Even trusted government agencies can have
their addresses stolen. A trusted government agency will not ask
you to open an attachment.
Another extremely vicious e-mail identifies itself as Microsoft
Security Bulletin MS05-039, and offers a link to what it claims
is a patch against the Sober Zafi and Mytob worms. In fact,
there is no such thing as Microsoft Security Bulletin MS05-039,
and real Microsoft security bulletins offer links to a Microsoft
download site, rather than to the patches themselves. If you
click on this supposed patch, you will be infected with
malicious software that gives attackers complete access to your
computer.
•Anti-scam rule 2: If you want to download something from
Microsoft or another legitimate organization, do not click on an
e-mail. Go to their official site and download it there. That’s
the safe way to proceed.
THE “eBAY ATTACK”
The scam e-mails seeking my eBay account information started out
low key. “Dear eBay customer, During our regularly scheduled
account maintenance and verification procedures, we have
detected a slight error in your billing information.”
That one didn’t have an eBay logo, but it apparently brought in
enough innocent victims to warrant an upgrade. Subsequent
mailings grew more alarming and the official eBay logo began to
appear in vivid color: “Dear eBay customer, Due to recent
activity, including possible unauthorized listings placed on
your account, we will require a second confirmation of your
identity with us in order to allow us to investigate this matter
further. Your account is not suspended, but if in 48 hours after
you receive this message your account is not confirmed we
reserve the right to suspend your eBay registration.”
The scammers really, really wanted my eBay account number, but I
was deleting their e-mails without clicking on their link. So
they upped the ante. Because I didn’t reply, the supposed “eBay
Fraud Mediation” people stepped in and got more and more testy
as I didn’t supply them with my eBay account number.
I felt perfectly relaxed through all of this, not only because I
got each notice in triplicate (one from each sucker list I’m on)
but because I DON’T HAVE AN EBAY ACCOUNT! If I had one, I might
have worried, and then done the sensible thing: GONE TO THE
OFFICIAL EBAY WEBSITE AND ASKED THEM IF THEY SENT IT. My husband
did that once and got a form indicating (1) they get a zillion
of these things, and (2) they don’t send e-mails like that. It
was a scam, all right.
•Anti-scam rule 3: eBay and other legitimate organizations are
NOT going to ask you to confirm your account information in an
e-mail.
•Anti-scam rule 4: If you are not sure whether an e-mail is from
a legitimate organization or is a scam, go to the legitimate
organization’s website (rather than clicking on a possibly
infected e-mail link) and ask them if they sent it.
Coming next: the most vicious scam of all.
About the author:
Find the best recipe, food gift, and healthy dieting sites in
Janette Blackwell’s Delightful Food Directory,
http://delightfulfood.com/main.html -- or enjoy her country
cooking at Food and Fiction,
http://foodandfiction.com/Entrance.html
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