| |
| |
|
Security Information |
|
|
|
Money Mule Email Scam Hits U.S.
Imagine this - you open up your email box and an international company is offering you a dream job - you can be an agent for them - a financial intermediary - receiving payments for them and transferring money to them, and, naturally, keeping a commission on each transaction. There's no investment, no money required. They are just looking for people with a good reputation that they can trust with their money. The company needs a local agent because US banking laws restrict the accounts that a foreign company has, unless they have a U.S. citizen as a registered agent of the company. It sounds really good. After all, the company is overseas and it needs a U.S. Agent to receive payments and all you have to do is wire-transfer the money to the company account overseas, less your commission. There seems to be no way to lose, since you won't be putting out any of YOUR money and YOU have control over all incoming and outgoing payments. You can't lose, can you? Unfortunately you can. Take this job and you become a "money mule" - an unwitting participant in a scheme to defraud others. Here's how it works: The company may or may not have a good looking website with what sounds like a legitimate name, "Techhydraulik" and says it's based in Germany. Sounds like it is a technology company having something to do with hydraulics, doesn't it? However, it is really an Internet front for Bad Guys who need to be able to transfer money out of the United States from people that they have defrauded through "Phishing." Phishing is the practice of setting up fake bank sites that look just like the real bank site (for example, Wells Fargo) and sending emails to millions of people saying that there is an irregularity in their Wells Fargo account and to "click on the link to confirm your information or your account will be closed". When you click on the link and fill out the fields for your account number, username and passwords, it sends the information to the Bad Guys who empty your account. Believe it or not, tens of thousands of people fall for this each year. The Bad Guys then send the payment to their agent (you), and you wire-transfer the money, less your commission, to their overseas account. Several weeks or months later, perhaps, there is a knock at your door and the FBI wants to know why you are receiving stolen funds. You explain that the funds are not stolen, they are payments for equipment purchased by people from Techhydraulik, and you are their legitimate agent. You may not be held criminally liable since you were an unknowing dupe, but you may certainly be liable for repayment of all of the money that passed through your hands. And of course, the real perpetrators have long ago closed that overseas account and disappeared. How can you protect yourself? Go to www.betterwhois.com and look up the information about the company's website. You'll be able to see when the .com was registered. Typically, the names are registered just a few days before the email is sent out, because the individual websites are generally only up for a few days or weeks, to make it hard for authorities to trace. For example, techhydraulik.com was registered on August 2nd and the fraudulent email was sent out on August 15. Chances are the website will be gone shortly. The techhydraulik.com website is hosted by computers in Russia where laws are lax and recovery is unlikely. It's also possible that if you did visit the techhydraulik site, your computer would be infested with password stealers, key loggers and spyware. The Internet is a wonderful tool. It is also a place where you need to protect yourself from becoming a victim. Sign up for the free "The Blinking Cursor News" to stay on top of the latest scams and shams on the Internet. © Steve Freedman, Archer Strategic Alliances 2005 All Rights Reserved http://helpprotectmycomputer.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Security - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
A New Low A new variation of the Nigerian Scam theme The scam artists are employing the Nigerian Scam to fleece unwary sellers who advertise pets for sale.This is particularly despicable because not only are people losing their money but dogs are being abandoned in freight terminals or being killed to get rid of them. Its War I Tell You! There are ways to insure security though. You can get the Windows Update CD from Microsoft and install that before you get online, You can also get most Antivirus Definitions downloaded and save them to disk, then install those before you go online, (of course you have to be using that Product in the first place), and you can get Anti-Spyware on a disk and do the same. Just Whos Computer is this Anyway? Well, this is an article I never thought I would have to write. Computer ownership was just not something I thought people would get confused over but, after overhearing a number of conversations last week from my co-workers, I realized that quite a few people just don't know how cut and dry this topic is. Click Here To Defeat Evil Microsoft routinely releases new security updates, many of which are given it's highest severity rating "critical". Here's a typical announcement:"A security issue has been identified that could allow an attacker to compromise a computer running Internet Explorer and gain control over it. Spyware, What It Is, What It Does, And How To Stop It Spyware is software that runs on a personal computer without the knowledge or consent of the owner of that computer. The Spyware then collects personal information about the user or users of the infected computer. A Basic Introduction To Spyware Spyware is the most troublesome software to appear on the Internet in recent times. When spyware infects a computer system, it may be relatively harmless or it may be devastating. Wells Fargo Report Phishing Scam First off I should explain what phishing is. Phishing is basically the act of tricking a victim into divulging information. Data Security; Are Your Company Assets Really Secure? Is your data secure? Think again. Securing data is unlike any other corporate asset, and is likely the biggest challenge your company faces today. Securities NETWORK SECURITIES: IMPORTANCE OF SECURITIESComputers and securities must form a strong partnership to keep information safe and secure. It is important for people who spend time surfing the web to understand much of the information given out is easily accessible by individuals who desire to eavesdrop on the data. With the Rise of Internet Crimes, Users are Turning to High-Tech "PI's" for Solutions High-tech private investigators are becoming the answer for many Internet users who have been victimized online. The use of e-mail by that unethical element lurking in cyberspace rings all too common these days. Spyware - Your Web Browser is the Culprit! My first experience with a spyware BHO based infection was several months ago. I had gone through all of the usual steps with the client's machine to clean it. Dialing Up a Scam: Avoiding the Auto-Dialer Virus For many, the daily walk to the mailbox evokes mixed feelings: The glee that your favorite monthly magazine - or a friend's hand-written letter (quite a surprise in the e-mail age) may be waiting is countered by anxiety of how many bills the postman left you.Now, imagine coming across your phone bill, thicker and heavier than normal. Is My PC Vulnerable on the Internet? No longer are viruses the only threat on the internet. In recent years other threats have evolved which include spyware, adware, hacking, identity theft, information theft, pop-ups and the loss of information. Parental Control - Dangers To Your Child Online & Internet Child Safety Tips Did you know.. Free Spyware Removal - Its Not As Easy As It Sounds Nobody wants to pay to remove spyware. At the very least, I don't. HackAttack P C. owners are constantly at risk from attacks by hackers. Identity Theft Offline -- So Many Possibilities Chris Simpson, head of Scotland Yard's computer crime unit was unpleasantly surprised to learn how easy it is to cheat anybody out of his or her personal info -- by means of a fake survey.This survey wasn't a scam; in fact, it was an experiment. Firewall Protection - Does Your Firewall Do This? The first thing people think about when defending their computers and networks is an up-to-date antivirus program. Without this most basic protection, your computer will get a virus, which could just slow it down or potentially bring the pc to a complete standstill! So anti-virus software is the answer? An anti-virus solution on it's own is not the answer to all of your problems, it can only protect you so much; in fact test have shown that a new pc running Windows XP if left connected to the Internet unprotected will be infected with viruses and remotely controlled via unauthorised persons within 20 minutes! To protect you against hackers and often to prevent spyware and 'scumware' from communicating directly with their servers about information it may have picked up from your pc, a firewall should form the key part of your e-security solution. Is the Internet Insecure Because of You? Long gone are the days that we could feel secure and know for certain that we had privacy. With the digital age upon us we can no longer be so sure that our privacy is secure. Computer Viruses and Other Nasties: How to Protect Your Computer from These Invaders Can you protect your computer from all possible viruses and other invasions?The quickest answer to this is "no." It's just flat impossible to protect your computer from all viruses, registry attacks, worms, spyware, malware, popups, and other such nasties.
|
|
home | site map Visit our other sites: GamesBlog | GamingDepot | GimmeaRide | GimmeNetwork | Golf Biz | HotorNotGame | I Want Computers | I Want Games | I Want Hosting | I Want Music | I Want Security | JokeBox | ScriptShock | Wantedfonts | Webalize |
| © 2006 |
