Publishers Clearing House Scam Alert

Everyone wants to win the lottery!  There’s a dream within all of us that wins a ginormous amount of money or a major sweepstakes.

Sometimes people get too caught up in the idea of becoming a millionaire and lose touch with reality.

There’s something about the chance of winning something great that gets us to fantasize the possibility of it really happening.

This is an avenue that con artists take advantage of.







Often, Publishers Clearing House, a legitimate business, is used as bait.

The multi-million dollar giveaway from Publishers Clearing House are among the highest paying sweepstakes that receives millions of entries weekly.

So how do you know if you are entering into a legitimate sweepstakes or a scam?

• If you receive an email, telephone call, or bulk mail letter saying that you’ve won a big prize, it’s a scam.  If you actually won anything from PCH, you would receive a certified or express letter or get an in person visit!
• Receiving a check does not mean it’s a valid.  It’s nothing more than a piece of paper.
• Never trust anyone asking you to send them money.  PCH will not ask you to send them money in order to receive money.

Here are a few emails received from the fake PCH:

“I just received a notice in the mail supposedly from Publishers Clearing House. They are saying that I have won a sweepstakes. Is this real?”
“I received a win letter along with a check from Publishers Clearing House to cover expenses. Did I really win?”
“Publishers Clearing House keeps calling and saying I’ve won $100,000,000. They say I have to pay 1% in taxes before they release the prize. What should I do?”

You can go directly to the site to get more tips  from PCH.com here.
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References:
Lawrence, Shelby
Publishers Clearing House Scam Alert – ArkLaTex
http://www.arklatexhomepage.com/story/d/story/publishers-clearing-house-scam…

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Hoax Alert: Facebook to Start Charging Membership Fees?

  Even Nigerian Scammers Admit Advanced Fee Schemes Are All “Lies and Deceit”

  PayPal Transaction 

USPS Email Scam

A USPS email scam leads users to malicious computer malware.

A woman has claimed that she cant get rid of the malware that was put on her computer from a bogus U.S. Postal Service email came through.

The woman received an email with a shipping label link in it.  She clicked on the link for the shipping label and realized she may have done something wrong.  With the uneasy feeling of potentially clicking on something that isn’t trusted, she ran a computer scan and found that her device was infected with a data-stealing virus from the bogus link.

The woman said she received an email from USPS.com claiming that a package could not be delivered to her residence.

“Your parcel has arrived at May 24, 2014. Courier was unable to deliver the parcel to you,” stated the email.
“Print your label and show it in the nearest post office to get a parcel.”

The email had the link, “Print Shipping Label” to get the proper package identification, displayed at the bottom.

The real USPS email states that they do not contact customers via email if a package could not be delivered.

USPS is aware of this scam along with others like it.  They have posted a warning on their website cautioning customers about the situation.

Clicking the link activates a virus, which can steal personal information like user names, passwords, and other private data stored on your computer.

If you receive this email, delete the message and report the spam at abuse@usps.gov.

This marketing scam has already been uncovered by the Postal Inspection Service where fraudsters mask themselves as USPS employees and calling residents requesting D.O.B. along with SSN for package deliveries.

Always check suspicious emails for; poor grammar, spelling errors, funny formats, and security symbols in the url.

The email received by residents, states that a parcel has arrived “at” May 24th.  Also, the sender information on the “From” line for the email address states “donotreply?id85@kestrelgymnastics.co.uk, not a USPS.com.

It is advised for anyone who received on of these scam email to forward it to spam2uspis.gov.  Or recipients may call the postal inspection service at 1-877-876-2455.

Don’t miss out on the latest tech news and computer security alerts! Follow us on Twitter at @hyphenet,  “Like” us on Facebook or add us to your circle on Google+.

References:
Marquez, Homer
Fake USPS email leads to malware – MyPlainview
http://www.myplainview.com/news/article_4679a566-e6a4-11e3-b32a-001a4bcf887a.html

Related posts:

Don’t Click Links in “Your American Express Forgotten User ID” Spam

 

  Fake Facebook Cancellation Account Email Links to Malware Posing as Adobe Flash Update 

AICPA Spam Threatens to Revoke License, Launches Malware Attack

 

  Citibank Spam Luring Users into Drive-by-Download Attacks

The Scam is on You!

Because they care so deeply for the thousands of people they reach out to every day, scammers are now offering the “cheapest” and most “affordable” loans to help you buy that new car you’ve always wanted or maybe even refinance your company.

Isn’t that sweet?

Of course, if you were silly enough to reply, let alone send them whatever information they ask for, you will soon find out that you’ve been conned by crooks most likely based in Malaysia or the Philippines.

Here’s a copy of the spam advertising business and personal loans:

From: Metrejon, Rachelle [Rachelle.Metrejon@bristolcc.edu]
To: [empty]
Subject: [no subject given]
Do you need business or personal loans?
Do you need to refinance your company?
You can get the cheapest and affordable loan from our financial firm. We give out loan to any individual and company at 3% interest rate yearly. For information, contact Email: e.groups@hotmail.my
Note: Please forward your reply only to this Email : e.groups@hotmail.my
Regards,
Benito Salvatore.

As you can see, this spam email displays all of the classic tall-tale signs of a scam.

• The email claims to come from a “Rachelle Metrejon”, yet it’s signed off by a Benito Salvatore.
• You’re asked to reply to a different email address than the one used to send you the email.
• Despite advertising a loan, they’re using a free Hotmail email account vs. an email address from a legitimate financial institution. Btw, “.my” is a top-level domain for Malaysia.
• You’re offered some amount of money – even though you’ll supposedly have to pay the amount you take back.
• Poor grammar is used.
• The email does not have a subject line or recipients listed.

So, what are your options if you receive this spam email?

1. Mark it as spam (if it wasn’t caught by your spam filter) and delete it.
2. Report it to SpamCop.
3. Ignore it and delete it.

Don’t bother replying to the spam email or – God forbid – apply for a loan through a scammer. If you need a loan, either head over to your closest bank or credit union and apply there, or apply directly on their website.
Always be skeptical of offers you receive via email that appear “too good to be true” and always look out for red flags indicating that it’s a scam.
Be sure to follow us on Twitter at @hyphenet or “Like” us on Facebook to stay up-to-date on the latest security threats.

How to keep your email safe…

Spam isn’t only annoying but it is also dangerous to users.  Attackers often send vast broadcasts with misleading IP addresses and email addresses.  Over 27 million Americans have been a victim of identity theft in the past five years.  More than 9 million people found their identities were stolen last year alone.
If a spammer gets a hold of both a company’s email and IP adress, the impact can be disastrous.  The company’s Internet connection would be terminated by it’s Internet Service Provider (ISP) if its an email that is added on the black list of spamming addresses.  It is very important to guard all gateways of a network.  Having a firewall and anti-virus software sometimes isn’t enough to keep you safe.  An intrusion detection system(IDS) is good to have, this system makes sure nobody is able to access your network without permission.
We have gotten a little wiser when it comes to email spams and scams.  Cybercriminals are also doing their homework and becoming more clever with these scams.  An email scam might start out with a bill that’s owed or even a wedding invitation from a friend.

Here are a few tips for keeping your email safe:

• Look at the IP address

Check the link from the sender by hovering over the email address, make sure the link looks legit and makes sense.

• Be careful with shortened URLs

Twitter uses URL shorteners but be cautious if you receive one in your email. Ask yourself why would anyone not want to show the company they are sending an email from.

• Telephone numbers aren’t guaranteed

Even if the email looks professional and has a telephone number, it can be a cyber-criminal trick. The phone number may lead you to a scammer requesting for personal information.

• Don’t give out your email address

Giving out your email address is a bad idea. Electric companies in the U.S. were targeted with a “spear phishing” attack, which used information on company websites. Also be aware of the uncertainty of putting your email address public to social networks or Craigslist.

• Don’t auto load images

Don’t configure your email settings to where images are automatically downloaded. This will send a signal to spammers and the images sent to you are stored onto their servers with your email connected to them.

• Don’t spam yourself

Be mindful of filling out internet forms. Don’t click on the “I want to receive information”, box unless you truly trust the company. Even if the company is reputable, your email could possibly be passed on to other lists.

• Don’t store important information in your “Sent” folder

Bank account information, credit card numbers, and passwords are not safe in your “Sent” folder. These details can be picked up by spammers very easily.

• Make recovery questions hard

Questions like your first job or your mothers maiden name can be found very easily. Choose something harder, or if possible  make up your own question.

Unless we are aware of the possibilities of how these cyber criminals are take our identity and personal info, we will not know who to prevent it from happening.  Make sure you always have strong passwords and an up-to-date anti-virus on your computer.  Be cautious when connecting to open Wifi spots and consider a multi-factor authentication to add extra security to your system.   Fortunately, the U.S. Federal Government and email service providers have been taking steps to reduce and hopefully eliminate spam email.

References:
Bulletproof Inbox: Tips for staying safe (and sane) on email – WeLiveSecurity
http://www.welivesecurity.com/2013/08/02/bulletproof-inbox-tips-for-staying-safe-and-sane-on-email/
August 2, 2013
Ten Scariest Hacking Statistics – StopTheHacker
http://www.stopthehacker.com/2012/04/20/ten-scariest-hacking-statistics/#.UgUTM2009qY
April 20, 2013
Email hacking – Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Email_hacking
What is Email Spam? – Comm100
http://emailmarketing.comm100.com/email-marketing-ebook/email-spam.aspx

Thumbnail image courtesy of [Stuart Miles] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Infographic: Top 10 Internet and Email Scams

Online internet scams are still on the rise, taking innocent people for their money every second.  With most of the population browsing the internet on a daily basis, we sometimes forget their are lurkers out there waiting to catch us off guard.  These internet scammers are more tricky and smarter than ever.  Here is an Infographic of the top 10 internet and email scams we are seeing today.




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This Bank of America Phishing Email Hopes to Steal Your BofA Login Information

Was a “slight error” detected in your Bank of America account information during routine account maintenance and verification process?

Of course not, but spammers are hoping you believe otherwise when their latest phishing email hits your inbox.

The email, titled “Online Banking Alert” looks like a legitimate email from BofA that’s been peppered with a few typos, misspellings and multiple links to a Russian domain (abc.kursksu.ru) with a spoofed Bank of America login page.

Here’s the (unedited) email:

From: Bank of America (update2[at]bredderbud.de)
Subject: Online Banking Alert!

Message from Customer Service

Dear Valued Customer

During our regularly scheduled account maintenance and verification procedures, we have detected a slight error in your account information.

This might be due to either of the following reasons:

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

2. Submiting invalid information during the initial sign up process.

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

As a result, we require you to click the link below and confirm your account information.

Click here to continue

However, If your account information is not confirmed and verified within a certain period of time then your ability to access your account would become restricted.

Thank you

Want to get more alerts? Sign in to your online banking account at Bank of America and within the Accounts Overview page select the "Alerts" tab.

Because email is not a secure form of communication, this email box is not equipped to handle replies.

If you have any questions about your account or need assistance, please call the phone number on your statement or go to Contact Us at www.bankofamerica.com.

Official Sponsor 2004-2008 U.S. Olympic Teams Bank of America, Member FDIC.

© 2012 Bank of America Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

How to Deal with Bank of America Phishing Emails

If you receive a copy of this email (or one similar to it), it is recommended that you:

• Do NOT click any of the embedded links or reply to it.


• Report the email to Bank of America by forwarding the email to abuse@bankofamerica.com.


• Delete the email immediately.

Protect Yourself from Phishing Email Schemes

To avoid falling for similar phishing emails that are bound to hit your inbox eventually, it’s always recommended that you:

• Type the address of the website you wish to visit directly into your browser’s address bar versus clicking on any email links.


• Always check the URL in the address bar BEFORE entering any sensitive information.


• Do not download any files attached to unsolicited emails.

Don’t miss out on the latest tech news and computer security alerts! Follow us on Twitter at @hyphenet,  “Like” us on Facebook or add us to your circle on Google+.

Even Nigerian Scammers Admit Advanced Fee Schemes Are All "Lies and Deceit"

We must always take the time to appreciate the little things in life.

Like the irony of the Nigerian scam email shown below, posing as a letter from Carman Lapointe-Young, Under-Secretary General at the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services, who’s allegedly reached out to return $10 million that was taken by corrupt bank officials once we pay the “Approved Notarization fee.”

Why is that ironic? Refer to the end of the first paragraph in the email. You know, where she explains how it was “all lies and deceit” when top bank officials request that you pay/send money to help them retrieve your funds:

From:    Mrs. Carman Lapointe-Young <INFO[at]UN.ORG>
Reply-to: mrs.carmanlapointe_young[at]yahoo.com.hk
Subject: UNITED NATIONS OFFICE OF INTERNAL OVERSIGHT SERVICES

UNITED NATIONS OFFICE OF INTERNAL OVERSIGHT SERVICES
Internal Audit, Monitoring, Consulting and Investigations Division

From: Mrs. Carman Lapointe Young,

To: Fund Beneficiary,

This is to officially inform you that sequel to the recent high rate of criminal acts like scam, fraud, impostors and drug trafficking in Africa and sub-African regions, the United Nations secretary-general has delegated me (Mrs. Carman Lapointe-Young) as the Internal auditor, monitoring & investigation division of the Office of the Internal Oversight services (OIOS). I was delegated and nominated to come down to Nigeria to make sure that fund beneficiaries like you get their funds because the rate at which fund beneficiaries are being treated in this country is not good, some of them has lost everything they have, rendered homeless and some declared bankrupt because the top bank officials continuously ask beneficiaries to pay/send money to them as they claimed that they are from one big offices & will help you get your fund but all these was just lies and deceit to make you believe them.

As of last two days I arrived in Abuja, Nigeria and I have met the president Goodluck Ebele Jonathan as directed by the UN secretary-general Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, the president has issued an approvals for me to work in collaboration with the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission to make sure you get your compensation & approved fund urgently, it was resolved by the president and UN that you are only required to pay only the Approved Notarization fee before you will get your compensation fund valued US$1O MILLION by the British government and the International Credit Settlement (ICS).

Sincerely, as I just arrived the country, I went through your payment file to discover that the top Nigerian & British officials/bank that was supposed to pay you rather decided to embezzle the fund, divert it to their personal account and they are working with some top political officers to frustrate you but you must be rest assured 100% that once I hear from you with the required Notarization fee, you must get your fund because every other fee has been waived off by the United Nations and the president.

I have been given few weeks to make sure you get your fund, so it will be better if you respond to this email urgently and I will advise you on how best to get your fund urgent after the notarization fee payment’s settled.

Yours Sincerely,

Mrs. Carman Lapointe Young
United Nations Under-Secretary
General for Internal Oversight.

Although Carman Lapointe-Young is a real person that actually works for an organization called  Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), she's not really the person that's emailing you. Nigerian scammers often use the names and details of real officials in hopes of building credibility & help persuade targets to do as they're asked.

With that said, if you receive the email above or one similar to it, it's strongly recommended that you do NOT respond, do NOT give out any of your personal or financial information and do NOT send any money.

Instead, you are advised to do one of the following:

• Ignore the email and delete it.


• Forward the email to SpamCop. Be sure to include the full email headers.


• Forward the email to the Federal Trade Commission at spam@uce.gov. Again, be sure to include the full email headers.

If you’ve fallen for a Nigerian scam, you can file a complaint with the FTC.

Follow us on Twitter at @hyphenet or “Like” us on Facebook to stay up-to-date on the latest tech news and PC security alerts.

Photo Credit: janetgalore