Search Scamdex & Scamalot
An Email with the Subject "Scamdex, Internet Scambusters Newsletter #295, 8-06-08" was received in one of Scamdex's honeypot email accounts on Wed, 06 Aug 2008 01:22:21 -0700 and has been classified as a Generic Scam Email. The sender shows as "Scambusters Editors" <reply@scambusters.org>.
The email address was probably spoofed. Do not reply to or contact any persons or organizations referenced in this email, or follow any URLs as you may expose yourself to scammers and, at the very least, you will be added to their email address lists for spam purposes.
<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<> Internet Scambusters (tm) The #1 Publication on Internet Fraud http://www.scambusters.org By Scambusters Audri, Jim and Keith Issue #295 August 6, 2008 <>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<> Note 1: Easily change your subscription information by clicking the link at the very bottom of this newsletter. Note 2: Please share this newsletter with 3 or 4 of your friends or colleagues who you think will benefit from it. Hi Scamdex, Two Snippets for you this week: First, an alert about a UPS scam that delivers a deadly Trojan program onto your PC via email that, in turn, can lead to both identity theft and hacker control of your computer. Second, we have a timely warning about online companies who use bait and switch tactics, offering products at bargain prices -- with an expensive catch. As always, we recommend you begin by taking a look at this week's issue of Scamlines -- What's New in Scams? -- here. http://www.scambusters.org/scamlines/20.html We also recommend you check out the most popular articles from our other sites during the past week: Answers to 7 of the Biggest Questions About Fashion Photography: An Interview With Bruce Smith http://www.7photographyquestions.com/audio-podcast/ What First Time Credit Card Applicants Need to Keep In Mind http://www.creditcardwhizkid.com/2008/06/what-first-time-credit-card-applicants-need-to-keep-in-mind.html 5 Common-Sense Tips For Frugal Living http://www.consumersavvytips.org/5_commonsense_tips_for_frugal_living.html How to Overcome the 3 Biggest Quirks on Facebook http://www.photosharingnuggets.com/2008/07/how-to-overcome-the-3-biggest-quirks-on-facebook.html Let's check out today's Snippets... <>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<> A Widespread Convincing and Dangerous UPS Scam <>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<> A UPS scam, where victims are lured into clicking a download link, is sweeping through inboxes. It's happening right now but the lesson it teaches us is good for all time. If you've ever received a package via the parcel company -- and most of us have -- you might be tempted to take seriously an email that seems to come from them, saying they have a package for you. But what if that email also asks you to open an attachment, that appears to be a Microsoft Word document? Would you be suspicious? Would you click on it? Hopefully not. But hundreds, maybe thousands, of people have done just that, only to discover, if they're lucky, the whole thing is a scam and that clicking on the attachment downloads a virus onto their PC. (This does not affect Mac users.) We say "if you're lucky" to make the discovery because, if you don't, the virus will just sit there doing its evil work -- reading your files, including confidential information, then transmitting the details to a server somewhere in Russia. At least if you know it's there, you can do something about it. Actually, this UPS scam malware is not a virus but a Trojan -- the difference being that a virus replicates itself and sends itself to other computers, whereas a Trojan must be sent out by someone (usually in a spammed message) and then actually be installed by the victim. However, that doesn't make it any less lethal once it hits your machine. So far, there seem to be two main variations of the offending spammed email -- both looking like a genuine notification. The first one tells you the parcel service tried but was unable to deliver a package to you due to their having an incorrect address. The subject heading usually has a phony tracking number. The attachment is supposedly a copy of a waybill or invoice for you to print and use to collect the parcel from a UPS office. The second is a customs notification and may even seem to come from "US Customs Service" rather than UPS. It says you have an international package (usually from France) and that you need to complete the attached customs form so it can be delivered. In both this and the UPS scam, the attachment is a compressed ZIP file (that is, one with a name that ends in ".zip"), even though the icon may look like a Word document. As soon as you double click on it, you're doomed. It installs a downloading program that then fetches and installs at least two more files on your system. These may disable your firewall, look for and steal credit card and bank account details, make screen snapshots and allow hackers continued access to your machine. UPS has issued a warning telling customers not to click the attachment. The firm also points out that although it sometimes does send out email notifications, it rarely uses attachments. You can read the entire message here. http://www.ups.com/content/us/en/about/news/service_updates/virus_us.html Similarly, US Customs says it normally contacts people by letter rather than email. Action: One of the worrying aspects of the UPS scam was that, at first, most Internet security software failed to spot the Trojan and allowed it to install. Subsequently, they all issued virus definition updates so, if your program is up to date, you should be OK. If you do get the email, delete it. It shouldn't harm you, provided you don't click the attachment. Of course, this attack underlines the danger of ever clicking on an attached file, even if it appears to come from a person or organization you know or frequently deal with. You just can't be sure. And, although it may take a little more time, it's relatively easy to check out how genuine an attachment is by contacting the sender by phone or email (keying in their email address yourself rather than hitting the 'reply' button!). In the case of the UPS scam, so many people are regular users of UPS they allowed this familiarity to cloud their judgment and clicked on the link. If your machine does become infected, disable system restore, boot your computer into safe mode, update your virus definitions and then run a full system scan. If you're not sure how to do this, check your operating system and security software documents. If you don't have security software installed -- now is the time! <>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<> Watch out for this bait and switch trick <>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<> We reported previously on how the scam technique known as "bait and switch" has been used in the mortgage and credit card markets. http://www.scambusters.org/mortgagescams.html http://www.scambusters.org/zombiedebt.html Now Scambusters' valued subscriber, newspaper columnist David Morris, highlights another example of this trick, when a reader tried to buy a camera. Bait and switch happens when you go for an advertised deal that offers fantastic value (the bait), only to find it's not available as advertised. You're offered a more costly deal that may or may not compare in value (the switch). This might be an alternative product or some enhancement to the original one. In his regular column "In Your Corner" in The Sun newspaper of Port Charlotte, FL, David explains the reader's attempt to buy a camera from an online dealer. The camera was offered at an incredibly low price but the dealer told the buyer he could only have it if he also bought some overpriced accessories. That's a bait and switch. Kind of defeats the purpose, doesn't it? As David says, the price, which was one third below retail, was too good to be true. When you see a deal like this from a company you don't know, he advises, it pays to check them out, both with consumer agencies and online. In this case, a quick Google search would have told the buyer everything he needed to know to steer clear of this seller. "The lesson is to realize the Internet is wrought with scams. Companies like this are apparently trying to lure you in with the bait of low prices only to make up for the discounted price by up-selling highly inflated accessories in a follow-up 'confirmation call,' says David." ...When you don't bite, they catch and release. "So don't be so trusting, always do your homework and don't get hooked!" Thanks, David. You can read his bait and switch column in full here. http://www.sunnewspapers.net/articles/colnews.aspx?NewsID=416490&a=newsarchive2/060908/cl1.htm&code=54 That's all for today -- we'll see you next week - Please Check Out These Offers - They Keep Scambusters Free - - - - - - We Highly Recommend All of These Products - - - - - ----------==========**********O**********==========---------- "Exclusive Car Buying Guide Exposes Insider Secrets and Turns Auto Sales Industry Upside Down... Saving You Up To $5,000 On Your New Or Used Car!" How you can pay less for your new or used car and avoid the typical car buying blunders almost everyone makes: ex-dealership manager tells all... Peter Humleker, the ex-general manager of a popular new car dealership, exposes the best-kept "insider secrets" on how to outsmart any car salesman and stop him from shamelessly siphoning money out of your pockets... In fact, he can help you become a shrewd car-buying expert in just a couple of hours! Here's what two readers have to say about Peter's book: "Greetings, Peter. Well, I went over your ebook and bought a Nissan Altima 3.5 SL for $250 under invoice. And the dealer's invoice was less than the other figures I saw on the Internet... Please accept my heartfelt thanks for your publication. It saved me thousands of my after tax dollars." -- Walter G. Aiello, Ph.D., Manager, Network and Information Services, Duke University Medical Center ... "I was a former Finance Manager in the car business and got your book mostly out of curiosity. I was pretty surprised when I read your section on the Finance Department! You certainly didn't hold anything back. "You exposed every scam in existence plus some I never even knew about. Everyone who reads your book is going to thank you for saving them a lot of money. -- Jerry Goettig, Former Finance Manager, Southern California This is a great time to buy a car or truck -- but only if you know the truth about how NOT to get taken and how to get a great deal. Visit now for details: http://scambusters.org/a/cartips.html ----------==========**********O**********==========---------- ----------==========**********O**********==========---------- Are Credit Problems Driving You Crazy? One of the biggest causes of stress and unhappiness in most people's lives is money -- especially when your debt keeps rising and the bills never stop. In no time flat, you can be buried in extra debt just from credit card interest charges and service fees alone! But no matter how deeply in debt you are, there still is hope. An amazing, eye-opening ebook now reveals everything you need to know to protect, improve and restore your credit -- without lawyers, bankruptcy or costly "credit repair" services. Discover the full story now at: http://scambusters.org/a/credit.html ----------==========**********O**********==========---------- ----------==========**********O**********==========---------- Small Business Owners: Exactly What You Need to Know to Succeed in Any Economy Worried about high gas prices and how deeply they'll affect your profits? Got a plan in place in case the economy heads south? Want a foolproof way to boost sales without boosting costs, no matter what the economy is like? Discover how a handful of savvy small business owners are banking big profits by doing what you're not -- even when the economy is down. Get the full story at: http://scambusters.org/a/rich.html ----------==========**********O**********==========---------- ===== About Internet Scambusters - Administrivia Copyright (c) Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved. To subscribe, visit: http://www.scambusters.org/ To remove yourself or change address options visit: http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?TAwMjEyctMzsDKyMjAystEa0zGwsbIxsLA== (you might have to copy and paste it into your browser) This will take you off the Scambusters list. To send us feedback, do NOT click 'Reply.' Instead, please use our Feedback Form located at: http://www.scambusters.org/feedback.html The information we have on file is: Your name: Scamdex Your email: mark@scamdex.com Please do not send vacation notices or other autoresponders to us. This may take you off the Scambusters list. Scambusters is a public service from Jim and Audri Lanford. Since Scambusters is a public service and we receive thousands of emails, we cannot answer individual emails. For more about our privacy and legal policy, see http://www.scambusters.org/privacy.html Lanford Inc. 197 New Market Center, #115 Boone, NC 28607 To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit: http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?TAwMjEyctMzsDKyMjAystEa0zGwsbIxsLA==