No Good Deals Weblog

TD BANKNORTH PHISHING SCAM EMAIL

Posted by admin under All, Bank, Email, Fraud, Physhing, Scam, Spam

      

 

 

 

 

The following email is one of the best examples of a phishing email. It utilizes the bank TD Banknorth to attract victims and obtain their account information. It accomplishes this by informing account holders and none account holders to click on a link to update their personal information.

However, all it takes to understand that this is a scam is to carefully examine the link provided in the email. The link is directing us to a URL that begins with a WWW1 and then TDBANKNORTH.COM. WWW1 is a signal that the link is not related to tdbanknorth. Most URLs, especially from banks, begin with the correct World Wide Web url acronym (WWW).  

Below is the actual phishing email (Click to enlarge): 

If you receive an email like the above, forward it immediately to Spam@uce.gov. On the other hand, if you are a victim to the above scam, make a complaint here at UC3.gov.

 

---

Man Charged in Conspiracy to Infect 100,000 Computers Worldwide

Posted by admin under All, Bank, Credit Card, Fraud, Scam, Technology

It is not only the government that wants to take hold and learn the information we have in our computers. Crooks are also doing the same. They are using new technology to obtain our personal information, banks and credit cards accounts. Thankfully, the Department of Justice, five days ago, made great strives to prevent the latter.

A Brazilian man was charged by a federal grand jury in New Orleans for his role in a conspiracy to sell a network of computers infected with malicious software, Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich of the Criminal Division and Jim Letten, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana, announced today.

Leni de Abreu Neto, 35, of Taubate, Brazil, is charged with one count of conspiracy to cause damage to computers worldwide. The indictment alleges that more than 100,000 computers worldwide were damaged. If convicted, Neto faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and up to three years of supervised release. Neto also faces the greater of a $250,000 fine or the gross amount of any pecuniary gain or the gross amount of any pecuniary loss suffered by the victims.

According to the indictment, Neto participated in a conspiracy along with others, including an unindicted co-conspirator, Nordin Nasiri, 19, of Sneek, Netherlands, to use, maintain, lease and sell an illegal botnet. As defined in the indictment, a botnet is a network of computers that have been infected by malicious software, commonly referred to as “bot code.” Bot code is typically designed to permit an operator or controller to instruct infected computers to perform various functions, without the authorization and knowledge of their owners, such as launching denial of service attacks to disable targeted computer systems or sending spam e-mail. Installation of bot code is typically accomplished by “hacking” computers with particular security vulnerabilities. Bot code typically contains commands for infected computers to search local networks or the Internet for other computers to infect, thereby increasing the botnet’s size and power.

The indictment alleges that prior to May 2008, Nasiri was responsible for creating a botnet consisting of more than 100,000 computers worldwide, and that Neto used the botnet and paid for the servers on which the botnet was hosted. According to the indictment, between May and July 2008, Neto agreed initially with Nasiri to broker a deal to lease the botnet to a third party. The indictment alleges Neto expected the botnet to be used to send spam through the infected computers. Subsequently, Neto agreed with Nasiri to broker the sale of the botnet and underlying bot code to the third party for 25,000 euros.

Neto was apprehended by Dutch authorities on July 29, 2008, in the Netherlands and is currently in confinement in the Netherlands pending resolution of extradition proceedings. Nasiri was also apprehended by Dutch authorities and is being prosecuted by Dutch authorities in the Netherlands.

[Source]

UK 10 BIGGEST SCAMS

Posted by admin under All, Email, Fraud, Internet, Mortgage, Scam, Spam

Scams, like high prices of gasoline, are everywhere. It is important to be aware of them to prevent falling victims to them. We should be aware of the ones taking place at home and abroad. Thus, this post is about the 10 biggest scams to watch out for according to the UK Guardian.

1. Phony jobs: The hiring company asks you to pay a fee in order to get the job.
2. Racing Tipsters: The tipster states that he/she knows how to beat the system and has had very good success doing it.
3. Car Scams: The buyer offers you 30% to 40% more than the market price of your vehicle. However, the catch is that he is going to pay you with a fraudulent check. The check will bounce and you will lose the car and the money.
4. Spanish Lotteries: “You have just won £800,000 in the El Gordo Lottery.” How can you win a lottery that you have never played?
5. Phony Psychics: “If you don’t send me $$$, you will die tomorrow.” “The only chance to survive is by sending me the amount of money requested above.” You should not believe them. They don’t know you. Thus, you should not be afraid of them.
6. Mail Order Brides: Lonely men and women are the targets of this scam. Scammers look for these people and offer them love through the Internet. They create fake profiles and use fake pictures to attract their victims. Once the victims fall, they ask them to send them money for tickets, families and to keep off old boyfriends.
7. Boiler Rooms: Investment schemes where the scammers sell shares of companies that don’t exist.
8. The Nigerian Scam or 419 Scam: You know it. You are offered part of a large sum of money from a Nigerian official. However, you must pay many fees in order to obtain your part. The latter is where they scam you. You never see the money promised to you or the money you paid in fees.
9. Land Banking: Victims are told that the area in which they are buying land is going prosper due to new rezoning changes. However, the victims end up buying land where the land can only be use for agriculture.
10. The Next Big Thing: Scammers use people’s concern for the environment to make them invest in bogus carbon technologies and carbon stocks trading.

[Source]

LATEST SCAM EMAILS (PICS)

Posted by admin under All, Bad Deal, Email, Fraud, Physhing, Scam, Spam

Scam emails come in all forms and with all different titles. The best way to demonstrate this is by providing you with the most recent scam emails through the next pics. The following gallery has the eighth most recent scams circulating the internet and clogging your email inboxes. You should keep clicking on the thumbnails until you see them on their full scale.

If you are a victim to any of the above scams, file a complaint at IC3.gov. On the other hand, if you receive any of the above scam emails, forward them immediately to Spam@uce.gov.

NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT: “INCARCERATE SCAMMED VICTIMS TOO”

Posted by admin under All, Email, Fraud, Physhing, Scam, Spam, Vishing

The Federal Republic of Nigeria is getting a very bad reputation because of the now very famous Nigerian scam emails, which are emanating from the country. These scam emails are oriented to attract people by offering them part of large sums of money that need to be claimed.

The twist to the story is that the person who is sending you the email can’t claim or obtain the money because he/she is a member of the company that is withholding the money. Thus, he/she needs you to help him/her withdraw the money. However, he/she, in the process of obtaining the money promise to you, is going to request money from you to pay for bogus fees. The latter is where the scammers make their killings. You, the victim, never get to see the money promised to you nor do you get the money invested back.

In a twist of events, the Nigerian government now states that people who are ripped off by the so called Nigerian scams are just as guilty as the scammers and should be jailed. Specifically, this response was directed to Australians. Australians have fallen victims the most times to the Nigerian scam. Australian news outlets report that Australians lose at least $36 million a year to the online scams. A professor named Olu Agbi said, “Greedy Australians who tried to partake in these crimes-even though they are scams-should be arrested as well.” “People who send their money are as guilty as those who are asking them to send the money.”

Facts about Nigeria (reference from Wikipidia):

1. Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and the eighth most populous country in the world with a population of over 140 million.
2. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the West, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in the north. Its coast lies on the Gulf of Guinea, part of the Atlantic Ocean, in the south.
3. Former colony of Portugal and Great Britain.
4. Nigeria four main religions are Islam, Christianity, Orisha and Animism.

CREDIT CARDS SECURITY ENHANCEMENT

Posted by admin under ATM, All, Bank, Credit Card, Fraud, Scam, Technology

Canada is getting ahead of the game in regard to credit cards security. A new credit card is currently being tested to protect people from credit card and debit fraud.

The new credit card is called chip card. It is called chip card because it has a microchip and the information is encrypted. These two security features will make it impossible to copy the information on the card by swiping the magnetic stripe. Furthermore, users will have to enter a pin number rather than using a signature.

The card will still have a magnetic stripe to enable users to still use the card in places where the chip can not be used. However, the card main security is the chip. The chip will allow people to scan the cards rather than swiping them and input a pin rather than a signature. Moreover, the information will be encrypted. The latter is very important because the information on the credit cards and debit cards are mostly stolen in stores or places where crooks have tampered with the magnetic stripes on the credit card readers.

Read full story [here]

PUERTO RICO GOVERNOR CHARGED WITH WIRE FRAUD

Posted by admin under All, Fraud

 
The US Department of Justice informs us of the indictment of the current Governor of Puerto Rico Aníbal Acevedo Vilá. Governor Anibal Acevedo Vila was charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

The following are the details:

WASHINGTON – A federal grand jury in San Juan, Puerto Rico, today returned an indictment against Puerto Rico Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá, a senior aide and a former campaign director for wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez announced. Today’s indictment follows an earlier indictment, returned on March 24, 2008, which charged these same defendants and others with related crimes.

The five-count indictment returned today in U.S. District Court in Puerto Rico, charges Acevedo Vilá, 46, of San Juan; Luisa Inclán Bird, 47, of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico; and Miguel Nazario Franco, 61, of San Juan with honest services wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Acevedo Vilá was Puerto Rico’s Resident Commissioner in the U.S. House of Representatives between 2001 and 2005, and has been the Governor of Puerto Rico since 2005. Inclán Bird, a lawyer, was a legal advisor for the San Juan Resident Commissioner Office when defendant Acevedo Vilá served as Resident Commissioner and a volunteer in the finance department for Acevedo Vilá’s 2004 gubernatorial campaign. Currently, Inclán Bird is a senior advisor for Governor Acevedo Vilá. Nazario Franco, a businessman in Puerto Rico, was director of the finance department for Acevedo Vilá’s 2004 gubernatorial campaign.

According to the indictment, the charges are focused on two related courses of conduct. The first, in counts one through four, alleges that the defendants deprived the citizens of Puerto Rico of the honest services of Acevedo Vilá as Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Specifically, the indictment alleges that during his campaign for governor, and continuing after he was elected and inaugurated, Acevedo Vilá and others connected with his campaign solicited and received approximately $250,000 from a local businessman, referred to as “Collaborator 18,” for the benefit of Acevedo Vilá and his campaign. Furthermore, the indictment alleges that during his term as governor, Acevedo Vilá participated in official actions intended to aid the business interests of Collaborator 18, while failing to disclose the nature and extent of his financial relationship with Collaborator 18.

In the indictment, count five sets forth the second related course of conduct and alleges that the defendants conspired to conduct financial transactions with the illegal funds provided by Collaborator 18. These transactions were designed to conceal and disguise the nature and the source of the money, which constituted the proceeds of the honest services fraud alleged in the earlier counts. The indictment further alleges that the media company used by Acevedo Vilá’s campaign created approximately $250,000 in fake invoices, which were provided to Collaborator 18’s company under the guise that the media company had provided bona fide services when, in fact, it had done no work for Collaborator 18 or his company. These invoices were designed to conceal the fact that the $250,000, which was subsequently paid by Collaborator 18’s company and used to offset debts incurred by the campaign, was the proceeds of the honest services fraud perpetrated by the defendants.

If convicted on counts one through four, each defendant faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. If convicted on the fifth count, each defendant faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of twice the value of the property involved in the transaction or $500,000 – whichever is greater.

[Source]

REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT SCHEME LANDS WOMAN IN JAIL

Posted by admin under All, Fraud, Mortgage, Scam

 
The FBI informs us of the arrest and indictment of a woman who perpetrated a real estate scheme to still in excess of $10 million dollars from hundreds of investors who thought they were investing in real estate.

The following are the details:

Marcia Sladich, 50, was arrested this morning by Special Agents of the FBI and Postal Inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at her home in Clifton.

A criminal Complaint charges Sladich with one count of mail fraud, which carries a maximum statutory prison term of 20 years and a fine of $250,000. Sladich is expected to make an initial appearance and bail hearing at 2:15 p.m. today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patty Shwartz.

The Complaint alleges that beginning in 2004 and continuing through at least August 2007, Sladich solicited hundreds of investors, most of them fellow members of her church, to invest money with her and her company, Kay Services, LLC. According to the Complaint, Sladich told these investors that she was partnering with a successful businesswoman who would be responsible for investing their money in real estate in the United States and abroad. Sladich promised investors that the investments were safe and secure and guaranteed 100 percent annual returns.

The Complaint alleges that, contrary to her representation to investors, Sladich did not have a successful business partner. Rather, she forged that individual’s signature on numerous investment contracts to deceive investors. Further, the Complaint alleges that there were no bona fide investments made on behalf of the investors during the course of the fraud. To perpetuate her fraudulent scheme, Sladich simply used new investor money to make required payments to existing investors

Sladich misappropriated at least $400,000 of investor funds to purchase real estate in Florida and in Brazil for her personal benefit, and used other investor funds to pay for numerous personal expenses, including paying personal credit card bills and various everyday expenses, according to Justin W. Arnold, the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is handling the prosecution.

If you are planning to buy a home or want to invest in real estate, you should be aware of schemes like the above to avoid falling victim to these predators.

[Source]

LOTTO EMAIL AND MAIL SCAMS: VIDEO

Posted by admin under All, Bad Deal, Bank, Email, Fraud, Scam, Spam, Tickets, Videos

TOP ELEVEN (11) OLYMPIC SCAMS

Posted by admin under All, Bad Deal, Email, Fraud, Internet, Physhing, Scam, Spam, Technology, Virus, Vishing

The Beijing Olympic games are taking place at full speed. Everyone is pulling for their respective countrymen and countrywomen to win the most goals. Josh Phelps, from the US swimming team, has already won seven eight goal metals.

On the other hand, there are big threats that come with the excitement and popularity of the Olympic games. These threats are in the form of viruses, schemes, malware, phishing scams, ticket scams and spams. Thus, you should be aware of the following scams related with the Olympic games.

1. Spam emails with catchy subjects (The Olympic Games have been cancelled).
2. Legitimate looking emails containing malware.
3. Good sites infected with malicious code.
4. Sketchy Subjects with phishing links.
5. Bogus Olympics online ticket sites.
6. Olympic tickets sites used to phish your personal information.
7. Infected videos with important news.
8. Pop ups with important news filled with malicious code.
9. Fictitious Olympic lotteries.
10. Infected PowerPoint presentations and images.
11. Tibet and other Quasi-Olympic spam.

The above scams are very dangerous because through them scammers could damage your computer, obtain your personal information and steal your money. If you want to learn more about the above scams, please visit the source of the above information here.