Phishing Emails Exploit Turmoil of Bank Sector

The meltdown of the banking sector is being exploited by scammers in order to trick the users of the banks into giving them their sensitive personal financial information. Phishing emails are commonly used as security checks in the form of a prospective bank. In the latest of these phishing emails, scammers are imitating official announcements about merging banks.

These emails will redirect their victim to a website designed to look like a site for the new financial lender or institution, but it’s not. This is actually a bogus website whose aim is to trick the user into giving them their personal information so that the operator(s) can steal their identity, running up their bills or committing crimes in their name. Their way of getting the information is by asking the user to confirm, validate, or update their account information.

Wachovia seems to be one of their main targets, having the second highest number of attacks during September. There have been over 20,000 of these fake phishing sites established in just the first half of the year, which is an increase of 180% since the first half of last year.

The Federal Trade Commission is advising people as to how to be on guard against these kinds of scams. They are working to prevent deceptive, unfair, and fake business practices and to give out information that will help users to spot, avoid, and stop these practices. All of the internet, identity theft, telemarketing, and other complaints related to fraud that are obtained by the Federal Trade Commission are entered into the Consumer Sentinel, which is a secure database online that is accessible by hundreds of criminal and civil law enforcement agencies around the world.

source http://www.mns.co.uk/0121316.html

FTC warns consumers of increase in Internet scams

E-mail scams that "phish" for personal information may increase amid the current financial crisis, the Federal Trade Commission warned consumers Thursday.

Separately, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation said it has received numerous reports of a fraudulent e-mail that appears to be from the government agency. Its subject line reads, "Funds wired into your account are stolen."

"Scammers are taking advantage of upheavals in the financial marketplace to confuse consumers into parting with valuable personal information," the FTC said in an advisory note on its Web site.

Phishers send e-mails disguised as being from an official institution, such as a bank or mortgage company. The agency said consumers should take extra caution in responding to any e-mails that look as if they are from financial institutions because of the increased likelihood of scams.

"These messages may be from 'phishers' looking to use personal information -- account numbers, passwords, Social Security numbers -- to run up bills or commit other crimes in a consumer's name," the FTC said.

That, according to the FDIC, is what the e-mail that appears to be sent from its offices attempts to do.

"Recipients should consider the intent of the executable file as a malicious attempt to collect personal or confidential information, some of which may be used to gain unauthorized access to online banking services or to conduct identity theft," FDIC said in a statement on its Web site.

Almost no banks or financial institutions request that type of information from their customers.

Source www.businessweek.com

Couple sold short, loses savings in internet scam

By Nikkii Joyce

ONE man's bid to give his terminally-ill wife the world has ended after the couple was scammed out of $8500 through a reputable online trade agent.

Russell Hellyer, 65, said he didn't think twice about buying a camper home through the Trading Post for him and wife of 45 years, Pat.

The Glenore Grove couple, whose recent trials include Pat's breast-cancer diagnosis, was planning to travel the countryside to visit interstate friends and seeking to buy a camper to be their home away from home.

"We used our savings and now it's gone, and my plan to take her back to the UK to make her goodbyes at home is now probably gone as well," the British expat said.

The couple went online with the Trading Post last month and answered an advertisement selling a 1993 Toyota Coaster motorhome being sold for $7200.

Mr Hellyer said initial contact was made with the seller claiming to be a "verified trader" which is a 100-point identity verification process through Australia Post.

He said the "scammer's" depth of cunning was such that he even placed the "verified trader" logo on each of his emails.

Despite further email revelations that the motorhome "owner" was living in the United Kingdom and that he wanted an extra $1300, Mr Hellyer said he didn't doubt the authenticity of the deal.

The money, totalling $8450, was deposited into an account of owner "David Parrat" through a Western Union money transfer.

In an email dated August 23, Mr Parrat said: "I am sorry but I cannot sell you the coaster for $8450 because my ex-wife will not allow me. She told me that if I want to sell the coaster she wants $14,500 for it so if you still want the coaster you will need to send me $6050 more. If this is not okay for you I will send you money back because I already found a buyer for $1500."

Less than 24 hours after they demanded their money back, reality hit hard for the Hellyers.

"I am sorry but I cannot send you the money back because I have paid $3000 for shipping and insurance. If you want the coaster you must send me $6050. If this is not okay, I will send you $5450 back."

Not surprisingly, the $5450 was never sent back and "Mr Parrat" was never heard from again.

"How does this happen on what is supposed to be a secure service? I've been told that there is nothing Trading Post can do, and our money is gone," Mr Hellyer said.

A Trading Post spokeswoman said the scam the Hellyers fell prey to was the result of a customer registering and placing an ad on tradingpost.com.au in the same manner a legitimate user would go about placing a listing.

She said fraudulent sellers obtained photos of vehicles from ads on other sites or libraries and posted contact details (email addresses) in the ads.

"When the buyer contacts the seller, the seller sends back an email much like the one I have attached. This is where the Verified Trader aspect comes in, not in their Trading Post ad," she said.

"As Trading Post is not involved in the transaction between the buyer and seller we are unable to offer any money back guarantees. This is outlined in Trading Post's terms of use."

She said the Trading Post had removed the advertisements as soon as they were detected and there were also numerous site content warnings on tradingpost.com.au in relation to these scams.

Laidley Police officer-in-charge Jim McDonald said there was little Queensland Police could do about the international scam but it had been reported to Interpol.


Article source http://www.thechronicle.com.au/storydisplay.cfm?storyid=3784739

Beware Of Bogus Poetry Contests

Poetry scam contests rake in millions of dollars every year. They do so by promising fame and fortune and then charging 'contest winners' a fee to see their work in print. What is worse, everybody's a winner.

There are legitimate writing contests, and these can be a useful tool to get the attention of literary agents or publishers. Often however they can be scams. One type that dupes thousands of people each year is the poetry contest. This is how it works.

The originators of these scams often can seem to be highly legitimate and respectable. As well as ensnaring people VIA web site adverts and e-mail, you can often find their ads in glossy magazines and major newspapers. You have probably seen them or may even have received on of their e-mails.

The advertisements for poetry scam contests will often promise large cash rewards, even offering a free gift or reward just for entering, they will definitely have no entrance fee and have very easy eligibility requirements. Contestants simply create their poem and e-mail it to the organizers, or drop it in the mail.

Good luck but I bet you win! That's how the scam works because before you know it you get notification that your poem is a semi finalist, and what is more they are publishing it in an anthology. Wow I bet your thinking, I never knew how good I was.

Unfortunately everybody who enters gets the same letter, Yep there are no loosers here. bet you want a copy of your winning poem in print too, here comes the scam. they want $49.95 for the book(plus postage). a plaque with your poem on it will cost you another $40, your bio included with the poem another$20, join the poets society for another $60 the list will go on and on. Some experts estimate that these poetry scam companies make almost 10 million dollars a year!

So how can you spot, and avoid these Poetry contest scams?

If you want to see your poetry published, contribute your poems to legitimate magazines and literary publications. Once you have a collection of published poems, you can put together your own book and submit it to editors for publication.

Legitimate writing and poetry contests are both available and plentiful. If you decide to participate in poetry contests, investigate the organization before you enter. These poetry scam companies operate under a variety of legitimate sounding names. Research each organization before you enter a contest.Search the Internet for warnings about the company holding the contest.

Many legitimate contests do request a small entrance fee to cover administration and financial prizes, however they NEVER request a fee to publish or purchase anything upon winning the contest. Legitimate contests willingly post their guidelines, prizes, judges and contest rules.

Keep your eyes open and ask questions, and you should be safe from this type of scam. Remember as always, if it seems to good to be true it probably is.

Internet conman jailed after web hunt

By Simon Barrett »


An Internet conman has been jailed after his victims launched an online manhunt in a bid to snare him.

Fantasist Adam Dovey, 26, offered cameras, laptops and even tickets to wrestling bouts for sale on internet auction website eBay then pocketed the money from duped customers.

The scheme was launched soon after he was freed early from a three-and-a-half-year jail sentence imposed in 2006 for a similar eBay scam.

Dovey, formerly of Trafalgar Road, Portslade, Brighton, was given a 15-month jail term for 22 counts of deception, netting a total of more than £6,500, when he appeared at Lewes Crown Court.

Furious victims of the latest round of cons launched an online manhunt to snare Dovey – after “Googling” his name and stumbling upon newspaper reports in The Argus of his earlier jail sentence.

On one website, called mirrorofjustice.com, one post read: “I’ve been contacted by other people that have been victims of this eBay seller and I am collating information to hopefully get some justice for I believe a large number of people.

“Adam C Dovey is known to have lived in Brighton in England and has conned a number of people into paying large amounts of money into his bank account.

“If you are a fellow victim or know where he is please contact me.”

But Dovey used a string of fake identities and addresses in a bid to cover his tracks, the court heard.

After serving ten months for 12 eBay deception offences committed in 2005, divorced father Dovey started on another trail of deception last year, even using his mother’s maiden name as a cover and stealing a flatmate’s passport to try and open a bank account.

The court heard that when his mother Suzanne Dovey found out about his con, she threw him out of her house in Brighton and he moved to Liverpool where he continued his scam.

He was arrested in April last year.

Judge Guy Antony said: “eBay is an institution with which many people in this country find very useful as it lets them dispose of unwanted items or buy things they want.

“Its success depends on the honesty of the person who is selling or pretending to sell items.”

Dovey was jailed for 14 months for deception and theft and one month for failing to surrender.

Article source http://www.theargus.co.uk

Email hoaxes that millions fell for!

Email hoaxes are rife on the web, but with 30 percent of internet users claiming to have purchased something from a spam email, maybe the scams aren't as obvious as we first thought. Here's our round-up of the eight wackiest email scams that people really did fall for.

Most email hoaxes are pretty far-fetched. From a wealthy oil executive in a far-off land that wants to give you millions of dollars to a host of pretty girls waiting to meet you, most are obviously not for real.

Yet, millions of people every day continue to fall for them. And it doesn't matter how many times reports detailing email hoaxes gone bad or tales of spammers taking people for all they're worth are released, people just keep on clicking.

Why? It's the law of percentages. The response rate for snail-mail spam is between 0.5 and 1 percent. That might not sound like a lot, but if you apply it to email, it means a spammer can send a million messages, without the cost of paper and postage, and 5,000 to 10,000 people will answer. In fact, a study out this month indicates that nearly 30 percent of internet users confessed to purchasing something from spam email.

Here's our round-up of the top email hoaxes that have come through inboxes and fooled millions.

Raise bonsai kittens in bottles

It's amazing how many people were willing to believe this email about a breeder in New York who raised kittens in bottles. Perhaps it's the horrible detail that outraged the recipients so much: the small animals are given a muscle relaxant to pacify them and to allow the breeder to get them in the bottle.

They're fed through straws. Their skeletons take on the shape of the bottle. "Latest trends In New York, China, Indonesia and New Zealand."

A bizarre case of animal cruelty? A sick joke? Actually, it started as a fake website, Bonsai Kitten, the product of MIT students. The idea was so outrageous, it spread like wildfire via email. Plenty of people fell for it, many begging animal-welfare organisations to help the small furry creatures.

Even the FBI investigated it. Perhaps it could happen, after all, you can miniaturise a tree by pruning it and shaping it. But cats? Last time we checked, it's more or less impossible (not to mention probably illegal) to stop an animal from growing simply by keeping it in a small container.

Sign a petition to ban dihydrogen monoxide

Email alerts outlining the dangers of dihydrogen monoxide swept the internet in the late 1990s and still pop up today. Many ask that you sign and forward a petition to ban the chemical, which contributes to global warming, is a major ingredient in acid rain, causes metals to rust more quickly, and has been found in cancerous tumours.

The chemical also contributes to the greenhouse effect and to erosion of our natural landscapes. It's even in food. Sounds pretty dangerous. You're ready to sign right now, aren't you?

Well, let us tell you one more thing about dihydrogen monoxide: it's more commonly known as water. You know, the substance that every single living being relies on to survive? The origins of this item are multifold, from flyers circulated at the University of California at Santa Cruz in 1989 (so 20th century!) to a junior high school student who surveyed 50 classmates in 1997 and got 43 of them to sign his petition to ban the chemical. He then won a prize at his science fair for his project, called 'How gullible are we?'

Several web pages touting the chemical's dangers are still live. Don't feel too bad if you've ever fallen victim to this hoax; even a government official in New Zealand took the bait last year.

Extreme technophobia: pop popcorn with mobile phones

With all the talk of mobile phone dangers, the idea of radiation from them being powerful enough to pop popcorn doesn't seem that far-fetched, at least on the surface. So, why wouldn't you believe the swarm of emails telling you to look at the incredible video of friends popping kernels of corn with their mobile phones?

The group allegedly did it by placing the kernels inside a ring of mobile phones that then rang at the same time. The result - the kernels popped wildly as the mobile phone owners shrieked in delight. It must be true - it was on the internet, and the video was fun to watch. The event set off a wave of imitators attempting to film themselves re-creating it or trying to disprove it.

Unfortunately, as you might expect, it was all fake. A company called Cardo Systems made the video to promote its mobile phone headsets. Cardo's CEO Abraham Glezerman later admitted that the phones were real and the popping popcorn was real, but the video was a composite, with the footage of the popcorn heated over a kitchen stove digitally dropped into the video of the folks with their phones. Oh and the email about mobile phones that can cook eggs isn't accurate either.

Bill Gates wants to give you money

Now Bill Gates is being very generous with his fortune now that he has retired from day-to-day work with Microsoft, you can even get your hands on some it by applying to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. But long before the foundation was created, back in the early days of the internet, emails discussing Gates' or Microsoft's willingness to fork over free cash was widely circulated. In fact they're still being forwarded today.

One version says that Microsoft wants to make sure Internet Explorer remains the dominant browser (which we're sure is true). All you need to do to help out and get money from Microsoft is to forward an email to your friends. Microsoft will track the email for two weeks, and you get paid for every person who receives it through you.

Among the attractive details is a list of differing amounts that will come to you depending on how many referrals you make, one version of the scam says the sender received a check for $24,800 (£12,400) from Microsoft!

Hold on a second. First, if tracking an email like that were even possible, privacy campaigners would be all over it. Oh, and did we mention that the technology to do such a thing probably doesn't exist? But if Microsoft ever really wanted to pay us just for forwarding an email, we're game.

Launch a nuclear strike from your PC

In 2002, Symantec supposedly issued an advisory about certain email messages flying around the country about an "important virus to look out for".

The antivirus-software maker, which does issue warnings on real viruses, allegedly instructed internet users not to open any email with the subject line 'Launch nuclear strike now'. If you did open that email, you would inadvertently end up sending nuclear warheads winging their way toward the former Soviet Union. That's right, you could start your very own nuclear war while in your slippers and bathrobe.

Apparently opening the email would download a virus that would tell your PC to access NORAD computers in Colorado and instruct them to launch a full-scale attack on Russia and former USSR. Needless to say, the virus isn't real, Symantec didn't issue such a caution, and it should be painfully obvious that this one is a hoax. If that isn't clear to you, step away from your PC and don't ever touch it again.

Hello, I'm a lawyer in Nigeria - can you help me?

Let us guess: at one time or another, you've received an email from an earnest resident of Nigeria that starts with a hello and an introduction to the sender. The email then suggests that your help is needed to claim an abandoned sum of money in a foreign account, or something similar.

The message typically promises that you will receive a large amount of money if you simply send a smaller amount of money now.

You didn't fall for it, did you? These convincing missives, which may or may not be from Nigeria, are known as 419 scams (named after a section of the Nigerian criminal code that deals with fraud).

Wikipedia says most of them are advance-fee frauds or confidence tricks. Not only will you not get rich, but you'll also have a very hard time getting back any money you wire the sender up front. We're sorry to report that these types of scams, which are based on versions dating back to the early 1900s, are still popular - variants purporting to be from Russia, Spain, Nigeria and many other countries still pour into email accounts around the world.

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

'Video: watch Angelina Jolie's lips explode!'

No matter how many warnings are issued, people still click on dangerous and fake attachments that purport to be interesting photos or videos but actually turn out to be damaging viruses or Trojan horses. An early star of such email scams was Madonna. Paris Hilton certainly had her day, as did Lindsay Lohan. Poor Britney Spears is still holding strong in this category. But we have to say that in 2008, the uncontested star of creepy download offers appears to be Angelina Jolie.

As well as Ms Jolie's lips, 'Britney Spears and Brad Pitt Naked Video' (does Angelina know?), 'Jolly Jolie Sex Scene', and (with extra points for having both ladies in the same email) 'Angelina Jolie and Britney Spears lesbian sex tape' are among some of the most popular email titles we've seen.

Speaking of jollies, you'll get a lot more than that after nasty viruses trash your PC. (You know deep in your heart, don't you, that the invitation to click on racy photos/videos just opens nasty executable files for malware?) You won't be so jolly when you get the bill to rehab your computer.

Internet Dating Scams

There are a great many quite legitimate dating service websites that allow members to establish online relationships. Often, these online friendships blossom into genuine long-term relationships. An increasing number of people have found life-partners via relationships started online.

Sadly however, scammers have managed to effectively exploit this trend to further their own nefarious ends. Many people around the world have been duped into sending money to Internet fraudsters posing as would-be girlfriends or boyfriends.



A typical Internet dating scam goes like this:

1. A person registers at an online dating service and creates a profile. The profile will include information, and possibly a photograph, of the person along with a way for interested people to make contact.

2. In due course, a scammer contacts the person posing as someone interested in exploring a possible romantic relationship.

3. The victim responds and the pair begins corresponding regularly. They may soon bypass the dating service contact system and start communicating directly, usually via email.

4. Over time, the scammer will slowly earn the trust of the victim. He or she may discuss family, jobs and other details designed to make the correspondent seem like a real person who is genuinely interested in the victim. Photographs may be exchanged. However, the "person" that the victim thinks he or she is corresponding with, is likely to be purely an invention of the scammer. Photographs may not even show the real sender. The victim's apparent love interest may look completely different to the person in the photograph and, in reality, may not even be the same gender.

5. After the scammer has established the illusion of a genuine and meaningful relationship, he or she will begin asking the victim for money. For example. the scammer may claim that he or she wants to meet in person and ask the victim to send money for an airfare so that a meeting can take place. Or the scammer may claim that there has been a family medical emergency and request financial assistance. The scammer may use a variety of excuses to entice the victim to send funds.

6. If the victim complies and sends money, he or she will probably receive further such requests. With his or her judgement clouded by a burgeoning love for the scammer's imaginary character, he or she may continue to send money.

7. Finally, the victim will come to realize that he or she has been duped, perhaps after waiting fruitlessly at the airport for a "lover" who, will, of course, never arrive.

8. Meanwhile, the scammer pockets the money and moves on to the next victim. In fact, the scammer may be stringing along several victims simultaneously.

In many cases, the victim will not only have lost out financially, but will also be left broken-hearted and thoroughly disillusioned. These scammers tend to pray on victims that may be especially lonely, shy or isolated and therefore more vulnerable.

There are a number of variations on the same basic scam. In some cases the scammers may be the one to create a profile on a dating site and wait for a potential victim to contact them. Typically, the profile will include a photograph of a very attractive young woman who will have no trouble attracting would-be suitors.

In other cases, the scammers may simply send out random unsolicited emails professing a desire to begin a relationship in the hope that some gullible recipients will favourably respond. Alternatively, they may strike up a conversation with a potential victim via an Internet chat room.

In some variations of the scam, the fraudsters may not ask for money directly. Instead, they may ask their victim to cash money orders or cheques and wire them the proceeds. The money orders or cheques will turn out to be fake or stolen and the victim will be left out of pocket and possibly held responsible for receiving stolen funds. The scammers may also try to trick victims into revealing sensitive information such as credit card numbers.

If you begin corresponding with a person with a view to a possible romantic relationship, remain cautious even if the relationship seems to be progressing very well. These scammers are very skilled at building trust and know how to make vulnerable victims fall in love with them. Regardless of the strength of your feelings towards a correspondent, you should view any requests for money as highly suspicious. If you do suspect a scam, you may be able to find information on a dating blacklist website such as the Russian women dating scam list . These sites publish information and photographs of known dating scammers. Internet dating scammers often used the same names, family details and cover stories in multiple dating scams. Therefore, you may be able to expose a scam by conducting Internet searches on the names used by the scammers or key phrases from their emails.

Top Internet Scams To Beware Of

.



E-mail Scams

Scammers will use automatic robots to scour the internet for e-mail addresses. They will harvest these e-mails and buy bulk e-mail lists. They will then send you e-mails with offers such as Viagra tablets, have attachments with obscene pictures or ask you to click on links that take you to objectionable websites.

You can reduce the incidence of these internet scams by cloaking your e-mail address on any webpages you write using ASCII code or using a reputable e-mail encryption coder that will automatically do this for you. If you write to forums and newsgroups you should put a spam trap onto your e-mail address and instruct others how to remove this to reply to you. This will dupe the robot who look for the @ sign in a forum or newsgroup.

Do try and avoid opening attachments from people you do not know or from dubious sources - no matter how intrigued you are. Such attachments can contain virus and spyware that will search your computer and harvest information such as your address book or credit card details. Use an anti virus programme such as the free AVG software. Run this in conjunction with a firewall like the free Zone Alarm programme. You can also pre-check your e-mails with a software package like mailwasher that will alert you to possible viruses, scammers and dubious senders. You can then block the e-mails, bounce them back to the sender or delete them. Such programmes will remember your settings and do the same thing to future e-mails.



Phishing

Phishing is the act of someone pretending to be a company or website in the hope that they will gain your log in or account details. It is a common internet scam and you should try to avoid this by being careful when replying to e-mails from your bank or building society. Some act on fear and try and convince you that there has been a security leak and asks you to use the enclosed link to go to the website to change your password. If you do they will be able to use your existing password to access your account.

Other common internet scams include pretending to be from Ebay or Paypal. The e-mails often look exactly like the branding of the company with the same colours. Most are written abroad and often have spelling and terrible grammar mistakes so can be spotted. Others may try and convince you that your bank account is under threat, there has been a technical problem or that your account details have been lost and you may never have had an account with such a bank.

Don't be tempted to click any links on such a Phish e-mail, besides can you really imagine Barclays, BT or other reputable companies losing your account! Ebay and other sites and companies have a specific e-mail account you can forward such phishing attacks to so that they can try and trace the criminals behind the internet scams.

There are also seasonal attempts at phishing scams. For example at times of tax returns such as January, April and September phishers will pretend to be from Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) asking for information to update your tax returns or details. They will commonly try to get your bank account and or credit card details. A similar problem exists in the US with Internal Revenue Service scams.

Phishing can be traced back to the earliest years of the internet as far back as 1996. Hackers attempted to gain access to internet users AOL accounts by e-mailing AOL members asking them to confirm their accounts. Sadly many AOL members replied thinking the e-mails were genuinely from AOL. Those who replied entered their account numbers and passwords and these were obtained by the criminals and accounts were hijacked. Sadly criminals expanded on their success and have continued to phish attack many internet users over the years to obtain account and credit card details to spend innocent people's money and gain access to bank and credit card details or steal identities.

Phishers are patient and will specifically target internet users such as those who use dating, recruitment or personal webspaces like Myspace. They will study a person's profile and use this to build up information about a specific person - you'd be surprised how much information such users give away on public forums and public websites. Information like a date of birth and address can easily be obtained and in the hands of a criminal can be dangerous.


SMiShing

SMiShing is a new form of phishing but by SMS (Short Message System) on mobile telephones. These text messages can contain the scams as discussed in the phishing section above. The intend is the same - to get you to visit a scam website and to obtain your personal details and passwords. This new scam is on the rise and takes advantage of people who think that their mobile phone is free from scams and viruses. SMiShing will increase as more people get internet enabled mobiles.



Pharming

Pharming is a bit like phishing but instead you will happily be using the internet and may go to your favourite shop and log in and go shopping. Unfortunately a pharmer criminal will have put a piece of hidden software onto your computer and instead you could be taken to a site that looks similar but will be run by criminals. They will take and use your credit card details. Avoid this by running an adware and anti-virus scan before shopping. At the website look for the security padlock at the bottom of your screen and the https address. Look at the website carefully and if it looks odd then it could be a pharming site. Click off the site and run the scans again


Keylogging

Keylogging also involves hidden software on your PC. This time the nasty software records every click of your mouse and typing of your keyboard. Criminals use this to gain access to your passwords, bank and credit card details. Avoid this by running anti virus and anti spyware scans. Keep your firewall up to date. Do update your anti virus and spyware programmes at least weekly.

There are some legal keylogging activities and software such as special programmes that parent scan buy to monitor their children's computer activity or employers to monitor their employees.



Nigerian Scam

The Nigerian Scam is a fake money transfer internet scam that should be avoided. People have lost life savings and have had thousands of pounds taken from their bank account. These organised criminals will e-mail you, often pretending to be a member of the Royal Family or an Ambassador from an African Country, asking for help. The long e-mail will talk about being deposed, family members being murdered and having to flee the country for fear of their lives. They then ask you for help to move their wealth and money. They will promise to give you a set fee, often in tens of thousands, or a percentage of money moved. They then ask you for your bank details so that they can safely move their money into your account. Sadly they never have - but have removed money from people's bank accounts. These criminals don't individually target people. Instead they use bulk e-mail lists and hope that one person from millions will be duped. Sadly people still fall for these internet scams. Don't be tempted to read these, open attachments or reply to the e-mails. Delete them and add them to your blocked sender list.

A new type of Nigerian Scam involves a person giving their victim a stolen cheque for a larger amount than they need. The victim innocently banks this and sends the criminal a refund for the extra amount. The criminal asks for this by bank transfer such as through the Western Union International Transfer. The criminal gets their hand on the victim's cash and the cheque usually bounces and proves to be stolen so the victim never gets any money, only loses their own. These often have a double effect. For example criminals commonly target people renting accommodation. If the deposit is say £1000 they will send a cheque for £2000, claiming to have made a mistake. They tell the landlord to cash the cheque and ask the bank to send the overpaid £1000 by the bank transfer. This happens immediately but the cheque takes up to 5 days to process and by this time the criminal is often untraceable. The landlord also looses the income they could have earnt from a reputable tenant.

The same internet scam has been seen on auction sites like Ebay where buyers will send the seller the extra money and repeat the process. Ebay now warn their users to not use such bank transfers and to use Paypal or to wait for a cheque to clear before offering a refund and sending items.

The best advice is to think why has someone sent me a cheque for too large an amount and why can't they simply send me a replacement cheque.



Fake Lottery Win

A modern derivative of the Nigerian Scam is the fake lottery win. This is usually a foreign lottery win; though we have seen some UK fake lotteries creep in. It goes to say that if you can't remember entering a lottery in Florida then you probably have not won! All these criminals want is your bank details - not to pay in your lottery win, but to remove as much of your money as they can before being caught or found out. Play safe and just do the Monday Lottery or the National Lottery - you could win and safely get your money and a share of your ticket price goes to good causes and charities.

Some criminals do the same for competitions and scratchcards. It can extend to having to pay an "import tax" or "administration fee" to get your "prize". Holiday prizes are a common ruse. Others ask you to ring a premium rate telephone number to claim a prize. Such calls can cost about £1.50 a minute and take some time to complete. You may never receive a prize. Enter competitions at reputable websites and favourite stores - we have won plenty of these free prizes and have received them. There is more advice about this on the Competitions Page.



Fake Surveys

We earn a good income from surveys. We only join reputable UK companies. Sadly there are some who will promise you rewards and entice you to complete a telephone or website survey. As the questions progress they will discretely slip in questions that make you reveal personal details like your bank account details and even passwords. Please let your alarm bells ring and do not give out such information. Most survey companies reward you with vouchers and cheques so do not need such details. Do surveys to make extra cash - but just stick to those companies you trust and always be careful of those who phone you. Ask where they got your info from and don't be afraid to ask for a written survey or to say no. Follow our advice on the Surveys Page.



Matrix Schemes

Fraudsters are now using the internet to perform the matrix scheme. This works (or rather does not) as the pyramid selling seen in the 70s and 80s. It claims that you build a downline and once you have a set number of buyers you get a financial reward. All that realistically happens is that those hoping to be rewarded from such a matrix scheme will help the fraudster profit. Rarely do people get rewarded. Instead they lose friends and family because they have encouraged them to join the scheme and buy products or use services they don't really need and do so in the false hope of getting a reward. Do not be tempted to join such schemes and please do report them to the Office of Fair Trading. There is more information about this type of scam on the Pyramid Schemes page.



False Bank Manager

Criminals can claim to be from your bank and have identified that there has been a security breech on your account or that you credit card has been falsely used. They sound reassuring and will gain your trust by saying things like not to worry we are investigating the incident and you will not lose any money. Sadly you will if you fall for this and reveal your bank or credit card details and password. This is the purpose of the criminal pretending to be your bank or credit card provider. They will ask you to reveal this information for security purposes. Do question them and ask them for proof of identity. Tell them you will ring them back. Use the telephone number on your bank or credit card statements. If it is a genuine phone call from your bank they will not mind you doing this.



Rogue Telephone Dialler

The rogue telephone dialler is a nasty piece of software that downloads onto your computer and allows criminals to use your telephone line to dial international telephone numbers from their phone. They are not normally traced and you end up with an expensive telephone bill for a phone call or calls that you have not made. It only affects dial up internet users and not broadband users who have a fixed dialling number. The software hijacks the affected PC dial up internet connection when the computer is not being used and secretly redirects to premium rate numbers that are run by criminals. They get paid by telephone providers for the cost of each call. Ofcom, ICSTIS and other telephone watchdogs are trying to introduce new laws to stop this type of criminal activity. Dial up users can o some way to protect themselves by using a virus scanner, firewall and adware programs. It is also recommended to ask your telephone providers to make a bar on any premium rate or international numbers.



Pump and Dump Scams

Pump and dump scammers are a bit like e-mail spammers but they will send a specific e-mail bragging and building up a product such as a really obscure share in an unknown company. Before they send this malicious e-mail they will buy lots of the shares at a low cost. They will then pump up the share value by telling as many people as possible, usually via spam e-mail, that this is a great share to buy and will increase in value soon. People innocently buy as many of the shares as they can get or as they can afford and this artificially inflates the value of the shares. The pump and dump scammer then sells all his shares at a huge profit because the share price has artificially gone up and new shares are still in demand. Please do not reply or buy shares from someone who e-mails you out of the blue. Buy your shares from a reputable financial company.



Betting Scams

Beware of horse racing syndicate betting scams that ask for your help to place bets and so called guaranteed accumulator bets that an individual or company may approach you to place on their behalf. They will usually state that they are unable to place bets at bookmakers and online betting websites because they are so well known for winning that they have been banned or that they own too many racehorses themselves and cannot place legal bets.

These rogues falsely claim to have a winning formulae that guarantees that each horse race or similar sporting bet will be won by their choice of horse. They ask you to place the bets on their behalf, but in your name, at your local bookmakers or at certain online bookmakers. In return for learning their secret winning formulae they promise to let you keep a percentage of the winnings (usually 10%) and a reimbursement fee of your bet deposit or stake and give you more winning tips for the next horse race or sports event. They will usually ask for your bank or building society account details so that they can pay this straight into your bank account. Well they say that but the reality is so that they can steal more of your money direct from your account.

The con involves you using your own money, often life savings in the thousands of pounds, and placing your own money on these bets. This is quite a gamble in many ways. The bets may well lose and with it goes your life savings. The criminal behind these betting scams will not refund your money and you will probably not even be able to contact him or her or even trace the person behind the betting scam.

Even if you do win you will loose eventually. In the rare event that you win the criminal will soon be at your home or send one of their colleagues, usually a heavily built man, because they took the precaution of taking your details like name, address, telephone number and anything else you freely gave away like your bank details. They will be really friendly though whilst you are winning and take away their cut of the winning bets, in cash, and encourage you to keep trying their winning betting formulae. If you win again they remain your best friend because they are getting a percentage of your winnings - without ever having spent a penny of their own money or taking any risks. If by some rare chance you do keep winning you may be tempted to bet more and more until sadly you lose everything and your new friends will not be seen again and their tracks will be well covered. Even the best police detective will probably not be able to trace the people behind the betting scams.

Our advice - tear up the letter, hang up the phone or delete the e-mail - do not let these criminals draw you in with false claims of profit and winning bets or risk free betting. The only true winner of betting scams are the bookmakers and the criminals.



070 Premium Telephone Number Scam

Some scammers use an 070 telephone number in their scam correspondence such as e-mails and will encourage you to ring these 070 numbers for more information. These are often high premium rate telephone numbers from which the scammers make money instantly from you because the call charges to you are instant and very, very costly. Whilst callers are on the telephone the person on the other end will befriend them and try and discretely get information such as the callers name, address, date of birth and bank account details.

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and Telecoms Watchdog Ofcom have been aware that these telephone numbers beginning with the dial code 070 are using by scammers, especially phishing gangs because they appear to the caller as if they are a mobile phone number. The phisher will often send an e-mail pretending to be from the bank or building society and when the caller telephones they will pretend that they are the bank telephone exchange and ask the caller to confirm their personal details and bank details.

Ofcom will be closing these telephone numbers by December 2007 to shut down this con. These 070 premium rate telephone numbers can be purchased and operated from anywhere in the world and fall out with the laws of the UK.



Philfing

Philfing or philfy is a term that became popular in 2007 and refers to Purposely Hiding what I'm Looking For (PHILF). Philfing is the internet scam of keeping a customer on a shopping website until they reach the very last stage of buying. Then hidden charges are secretly revealed. Such charges may be sites that say delivery is free but charge a packing and handling fee or a web site that does not make it clear that goods are at prices that do not include Valued Added Tax (VAT). Many internet users will have wasted their time on such sites and log off from the site and look for a clearer more reputable shopping website after such incidences of philfing, others will pay the additional charges, some without realising the extra cost of this internet scam.

Avoiding Internet Scams and Cons an Introduction

Are you sick and tired of all the money-making scams on the web? If you're looking for the real deal when it comes to making money from home, then this may be the most important message you will ever read online!

I've dedicated the last 10 years of my life to researching work at home opportunities and I've made it my personal goal to provide you with the highest paying home jobs along with 100% legitimate opportunities guaranteed to earn you money from the comfort of your own home.

I will help you to find the gems, and avoid the scams.

To our mutual success online, Tony

P.S. My favourite online resource for finding genuine online opportunities,

Click Here!