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Email Scams to Watch Out For |
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As the internet has grown, con
artists have become more adept in tricking targets
into falling for their email scams. The
following are three of the largest identified scams. |
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Best Buy
Scam
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PayPal Scam
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Nigerian Scam
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Other companies like Cti, Bank of America, and AOL have also suffered from
similar variations of scammers pretending to
represent their companies. |
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There are a few things
you can do to protect yourself from such scams: |
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Remember reputable companies will not ask you
to divulge your password. |
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Be safe, always type the URL of the company
rather than clicking on the link within the
email. |
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Be skeptical and use common sense, if
something feels unsafe or questionable then it
probably is a scam. |
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If you want more
information on email scams to watch out for we
recommend visiting the
Federal Trade Commission or
ScamBusters. |
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Best
Buy 'Fraud Alert' Scam |
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You receive
an email with the alarming subject line "Best Buy Order #XXXXXXX.
Fraud Alert."
The email appears to be an official Best Buy communication,
containing appropriate logos and colors. The message informs you
that someone has apparently made an online order with your credit
card that appears to be unauthorized. There is a request, with a
time limit, that urges you to visit the "Fraud Investigation"
department on the Best Buy Website where the transaction can be
confirmed or declined.
To make it look more official, details of the supposed transaction
are provided, along with an official-looking visible URL: http://www.BestBuy.com/fraud_department.html.
This is a new twist on the identity theft scam. The link although
visibly showing BestBuy.com, actually goes to a ghost or hidden
hyperlink that leads the target to the scammers website. There,
confidential information including credit card details are
harvested.The scam is
effective because for two reasons. First, the site visited often
looks official. Second, the scammers are counting on their targets
to be so worried about the safety of their credit cards that they
panic.
The best way to
avoid this particular scam is simply not to click on the link
provided in the email. If you, for peace of mind, want to
confirm the legitimacy of the email then we recommend that you manually
type the main URL of the company (in this example: http://www.bestbuy.com). Once
their you can visit their Customer Service department online or use
their toll free number to find out more information. |
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PayPal Account Scam |
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The following is an example of a
commonly used ploy against PayPal members: Dear PayPal Member,
We at PayPal regret to inform you that we are having problems with
the billing information of your account. In order to resolve this
issue please visit our website PayPal Account Center in order to
ensure the proper information is being used. It is urgent that you
take care of this issue properly in order to maintain your standing
as a PayPal member. Unfortunately, to insure the integrity of our
online clients, if you do not respond to this email within 72 hours
we will be forced to terminate your account.
Thank you for your cooperation,
PayPal Accounts Management
As outlined in our User Agreement, PayPal will periodically send you
information about site changes and enhancements. Visit our Privacy
Policy and User Agreement if you have any questions.
---------------------------------------------------- This scam is effective because usually the scammers have done
their research and the person receiving the email really does have a
PayPal (or Ebay or AOL, etc.) account. Second, the scammers are
counting on the target to panic and click the link, thus the
inclusion of a time limit for response. If you receive an email like this,
do
not click on the link supplied in the email. Instead go directly to PayPal's site by typing in the URL
(http://www.paypal.com) and contact the customer service
department from there. Never follow the instructions contained in
this type of email.
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Nigerian Confidence Scam |
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The Nigerian Confidence Scam is probably
one of the most successful internet scams to date. It involves the
receipt of an unsolicited letter purporting to come from someone who
claims to work for the Nigerian Central Bank or from the Nigerian
government.
The target is informed that the "official" is seeking a reputable
foreign company into whose account he can deposit funds ranging from
$10 to $60 million which the Nigerian government overpaid on some
procurement contract. Often the target is deluded into thinking that
he or she has been singled out to participate in a very lucrative
arrangement and that they are the only ones who can help. If the
target needs reassurance they are often supplied with forged or
false documents including letterhead, seals, letters of credit, and
bank drafts.
Once the target goes for the bait, things begin to go wrong with the
transaction. The target is informed that the success of the whole
venture they have been working towards can only be achieved if money
can be advanced to save it. Each advance paid is described as the
very last hurtle blocking the success of the venture. The scheme may
be stretched out over many months.
This scam works because it plays on
establishing a personal tie with the target. Not only is the target
doing a good deed or service for someone else, but they are making a
profit as well. What could be better? A variation of this scam has
emerged as of late targeting eBay users. Users are contacted by
false foreign companies who claim they need the users assistance to
sell their goods on eBay.
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Back to Computer
Tips |
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| Flagstaff Central is not liable for any damages or repairs due to our tech tip.
Things do happen whenever you work on a computer.
We recommend you be as careful as possible. If you prefer to not handle repairs or
clean up, we recommend you contact a professional.
Click here for a list of local computer repair companies. |
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