Harry Potter - Had to happen and this is a window on the future of scamming

Harry Potter hit by hi-tech conmen

Many of the scams surround early access to the Pottermore website

Cyber conmen are cashing in on interest surrounding the Pottermore website.

Through Pottermore, JK Rowling will release more stories and background from the world of Harry Potter.

Pottermore officially opens in October, and scammers are selling fake accounts for the site that claim to give fans early access.

They are also using search engine poisoning to direct Potter fans to sites that are seeded with viruses and other malicious programs.

Discovered by veteran security researcher Chris Boyd, the scams largely revolve around early access to the Pottermore website.

The public at large will be able to sign up in October but early, or beta, access is being granted to people before then if they are among the fastest to complete a magical quill challenge on the Pottermore site.

The challenge runs every day from 31 July to 6 August and about one million beta accounts will be given away.

Scammers are now offering to register people for this challenge and are getting hold of their personal details as a result. Also, Mr Boyd discovered, some scammers are supposedly selling Pottermore accounts for about $100 (£60) via eBay.

While many of these are likely to be fake, some are being offered by fans who have set up more than one account for Pottermore.

The administrators of the Pottermore website have noticed the trade in accounts and have issued a warning about the practice.

In a blog post, the Pottermore administrators said buying and selling accounts was "expressly prohibited" in the terms and conditions. Also, it added, signing up with a view to selling an account "deprives genuine fans the chance to gain early access".

It added: "We have the right to terminate any Pottermore accounts that are sold online."

Videos of people successfully signing up to Pottermore are being posted on YouTube but, found Mr Boyd, many lead to surveys tied to affiliate marketing schemes. Those who fill in the surveys get the offer of a download as a reward that is often found to be full of malware or adware.

Scammers are also starting to poison search engine results associated with Pottermore to direct people to sites loaded with malicious programs.

One site found by Mr Boyd is known to have harboured fake security software that claims to find viruses on a PC and asks for cash to clean up the non-existent problem.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14418007

Amy Winehouse death video scams hit Facebook

Very often 'significant' events bring the scammers out of the woodwork. The death of Amy Winehouse just like the death of Osama Bin Laden have brought them out again. Our interest in prurient video, photos etc can cause many to click on a link purporting to be from a reliable source.

As far as we know, there is no video footage of her death. The only thing you will get is possibly a computer virus.

Don't click on any links saying you can see such video.

By Rosa Golijan (MSNBC.Com)

As soon as the news that singer Amy Winehouse was found dead in her London home hit the Internet, the usual reactions began flooding in. There were plenty of touching tributes, a handful of cruel jokes, and a wave of emotional tweets. And now there's the almost obligatory series of Facebook scams which seems to follow a well-publicized death.

Sophos reports that the first scams started popping up barely four hours after the 27-year-old singer's death was confirmed. The only comforting news is that the schemes are simple and familiar: Scammers attempt to lure individuals into clicking a link out of sheer morbid curiosity.

Just as many were tricked into compromising the security of their Facebook accounts or computers by links claiming to lead to photos or videos of Osama bin Laden's death a few months ago, folks are now being lured into helping cold-hearted and malicious scammers profit by following links offering video footage taken hours before Winehouse passed away:

Sophos

This is how one of the links related to the Amy Winehouse death video scam might look on Facebook.

As Sophos explains, these links most certainly do not actually contain videos of the deceased singer's final hours, but instead lead to online surveys from which the scammers earn a commission — as well as a pop-up message which tricks victims into exposing their friends to the scam.

So what can you do to protect yourself? Think twice before clicking a link you discover in your News Feed — is the friend who shared it really the type who would "like" a video like that? — and keep an eye out for peculiar pop-ups.

And if you get suckered into a scam like this despite being careful? It's ok, it happens to the best of us. But there are a few things you should do:

• Check the security settings on your Facebook account. Did you really authorize all the apps and websites which are interacting with your Facebook account? No? Take access away from the ones which look unfamiliar.

The Hitman - Pay Up or I Will Kill You!

This is a classic - one that continues to surface year in and year out, I guess it's a perennial. We call it 'The Hitman Scam'.

This is a straight forward advanced fee fraud as many are. In this case, the scammer purports to have been hired by a 'friend' of yours to rub you out and will be paid $50,000 to do the deed.

However, having a good social conscious, our friend the scammer has decided to let you live - but you must pay him $80,000 for the privilege if you will give him a $20,000 'down-payment'.

THIS IS WITHOUT A DOUBT A SCAM

The way it will work is after contact is made back with the alleged hitman, he will give you concrete instructions on how to pay him. It will either be through the scammers preferred method - Western Union or perhaps Moneygram. If you do not respond he may make one or more feeble attempts to scare you which often escalates to blood curdling proportions sometimes also saying he will kill your family as well if he is not paid.

As we said before, this is a scam, just delete it after having a chuckle or two and don't worry about the dark shadows or what may be lurking behind those big bushes near your front door.

By the way - the use of language in his email is quite amusing as well. LOL

Good Day,

I want you to read this message very crefully, and keep the secret with you till further notice, You have no need of knowing who i am, where am from,till i make out a space for us to see, i have being paid $50,000.00 in adbance to terminate you with some reasons listed to me by my employer,its one i believe you call a friend,i have followed you closely for one week and three days now and have seen that you are innocent of the accusation,

Do not contact the police or F.B.I or try to send a copy of this to them, because if you do i will know, and might be pushed to do what i have being paid to do,beside this is the first time i turned out to be a betrayer in my job.

Now listen,i will arrange for us to see face to face but before that i need the amount of $80,000.00 and you will have nothing to be afraid of.I will be coming to see you in your office or home dtermine where you wish we meet,do not set any camera to cover us or set up any tape to record our conversation,my employer is in my control now,

You will need to pay $20,000.00 to the account i will provide for you, before we will set our first meeting,after you have make the first advance payment to the account,i will give you the tape that contains his request for me to terminate you, which will be enough evidence for you to take him to court(if you wish to), then the balance will be paid later.

You don't need my phone contact for now till am assured you are ready to comply good.

Lucky You.

UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA - NEEDS OUR HELP! SCAM!

Looks like we can make a cool $850,000 (or so) by helping the good Barrister James Wilson and the United Bank For Africa fight fraud - but we will have to pay a 'diplomat' money to use his immunity to deliver the cash to us.

This is advanced fee fraud and is a SCAM! STAY AWAY

Great spelling and grammar - LOL!

mrjames_williams207@yahoo.com.br
UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA NIGERIA
ZARIA STREET, GARKI
P.M.B. 0187, GARKI, ABUJA
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
UNITED BANKFOR AFRICA (UBA)

ATTENTION BENEFICARY,

IAM BARRISTER JAMES WILLIAMS DIRECTOR CASH PROCESSING UNIT UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA [UBA] THE ONLY BANK APOINTED BY ALL AFRICA PRESIDENT LED BY OUR NEW PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN BECAUSE OF FRAUD GOING ON IN REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA WERE AN INNOCENT CREDITORS WERE ASK TO PAY CHARGES BEFORE THEY WILL RECEIVE THEIR MONEY OWN TO THEM BY AFRICAN COUNTRIES.WE RECEIVE YOUR FILES FROM I.M.F.

I WILL WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR TO YOU THAT WHAT YOU ARE PAYING TO THE DIPLOMAT WHOM WE ARE GOING TO USE HIS IMUNITY FOR THE SHIPMENT IS $50,000 FIFTY THOUSAND UNITED STATE DOLLAR IMEDIATELY YOU RECEIVE YOUR FUND AND CONFIRM IT NOT IN ADVANCE. AND I ALSO RECEIVED A SECURITY REPORT THAT YOU ARE PAYING MONEY TO SOME FRAUDSTER WHO

ARE DECIVING YOU TELLING YOU THAT THEY ARE GOING TO SEND THIS YOUR MONEY TO YOU.AS

A MAN OF GOD AND AN ORDAINED REVERND I ADVISE YOU IN SPIRITY NOT TO WASTE YOUR MONEY PAYING ANY BODY TILL YOU FOLLOW MY INSTRUCTION AND IF YOU DIDN'T GET YOUR MONEY IN NEXT THREE WORKING DAYS.LET GOD TAKE MY LIFE IF I AM NOT TELL YOU THE TRUTH.

OUR SECURITY REPORT SHOWN THAT THIS PEOPLE IS DEMANDING MONEY FROM YOU AND YOU WANT TO WASTE YOUR MONEY BY PAYING THEM MONEY IN ADVANCE. DO NOT PAY TO ANYBODY BECAUSE THEY ARE FRAUDSTER AND IT IS BECAUSE OF THEIR FRAUD ACTIVITIES THAT WE HELD MEETING IN

REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA IS NOW RESOLVE TO PAY ALL OUR CREDITORS CASH THROUGH THIS MEANS OF DIPLOMATIC COURIER SERVICEIN ALL AFRICA COUNTRY. IF ANY BODY TELLS YOU THAT HE IS PAYING YOU IN BANK DRAWFT OR ATM CARD DO NOT LISTEN TO HIM BECAUSE DUE TO THIS FRAUD NO INTERNATIONAL BANK HONOURS OUR REMITANCE INSTRUCTION. THAT IS WHY WE HAVE TO PAY YOU THROUGH THIS MEANS AND KNOWN OF OUR BANK

DRAFT IS WORKING BECAUSE OF THIS THIEVES IN REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA YOUR FUND HAVE BEEN PACKAGED TODAY WHICH IS ATTACH TO THIS MAIL AND I WILL TAKE THE BOXES TO THE DIPLOMATIC COURIER SERVICE AND SEND THE KEYS TO THE BOXES SEPERATELY TO YOU BY DHL TO AVOID THE COURIER SERVICE STAFF TEMPERING WITH THE CONTENT OR DIRVERT IT TO ANOTHER PLACE. PLEASE STOP COMUNICATING WITH THIS FRAUDSTERS FOR YOUR OWN INTEREST AND ALSO IF YOU HAVE SENT MONEY TO THEM JUST LET ME KNOW

SO THAT OUR SECURITY AGENT WILL RETRIEVE IT BACK TO YOU BUT THAT WILL BE AFTER YOU HAVE RECEIVED YOUR FUND.I WILL SEND YOU MORE MAILS TO GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION WITH MY INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT FOR YOU TO KNOW THE GENUINE OF THIS TRASACTION. PLEASE FORWARD YOUR PHONE NUMBER TO ME FOR QUICK INFORMATION BECAUSE TIME IS NOT IN OUR SIDE.

ALL THE DOCUMENT WILL BE SENT TO YOU IF I AM ASURED THAT YOU HAVE STOPED SENDING MONEY TO THOSE FRAUDSTER AND FACELESS AFRICAN. BUT GOD WILL JUDGE ALL OF THEM WHO LIVES BY CHEATING. MY BIBLE SAYS WHAT DOES IT PROFIT A MAN WHEN YOU GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD BUT LOOSE YOUR SOUL.I WANT YOU TO TAKE NOTE THAT MR SUNDAY BEN HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED TO STOP ALL MEANS OF ASSOCIATING HIMSELF WITH

THIS FRAUDSTER OR FACE JAIL, AS $15,000 FIFTEEN THOUSAND UNITED STATE
DOLLAR HAVE BEEN MAPED OUT FOR ALL EXPENSES OF SENDING THE MONEY TO YOU THROUGH GEINUNE DIPLOMATIC COURIER SERVICE AND HOW IT WAS SPENT WILL BE DETAILS TO YOU. THIS IS FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT YOUR TOTAL FUND IS NO MORE $850.000.00 EIGHT HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND USD BUT $835,000.00 EIGHT HUNDRED AND THIRT FIVE UNITED STATE DOLLAR.

IAM WAITING TO HEAR FROM YOU AND MR SUNDAY BEN AS HE HAVE BEEN COMUNICATED ABOUT THIS ARRAGEMENT . MR JAME WILLIAMS DIRECTOR CASH PROCESSING UNIT UNITED AFRICA BANK PLC. BAR. JAME WILLIAMS DIRECTOR CASH PROCESSING UNIT UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC

BARRISTER JAMES WILLIAWS
DIRECTOR CASH PROCESSING UNIT
UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC
mrjames_williams207@yahoo.com.br

Facebook Scams Part 1

The social networking sites such as Facebook, Myspace and others are fertile ground for scammers. Scammers lurk in every corner of these sites and develop scams that appeal to the demographics of the users in different sections of 'the space'.

As you will read below please remember - THERE IS NOTHING FREE ON THE INTERNET - A PERFECT STRANGER IS NOT GOING TO GIVE YOU ANYTHING OTHER THAN HEARTACHE AND LOST MONEY (AT THE VERY LEAST)

READ THINGS CAREFULLY AND STEP BACK BEFORE RESPONDING - ASK YOURSELF - "HOW LIKELY IS IT THAT THIS COULD BE REAL"? PROBABLY NOT MUCH!!

The month of May 2011 was marked by a number of Facebook survey scams baiting users with offers of free airline tickets, as well as exclusive video footage of Osama Bin Laden’s death. In May, users also faced the continued threat of rogue antivirus attacks around the Web, including a fraudulent Brad Pitt fan club website.

“Surveys are an increasingly common tactic used to disguise a wide range of security threats lurking on Facebook and other social networking sites”

“Surveys are an increasingly common tactic used to disguise a wide range of security threats lurking on Facebook and other social networking sites,” said Christopher Boyd, senior threat researcher, GFI Software. “Scammers also have improved their ability to immediately hijack high-profile news for their attacks. By exploiting breaking and developing news stories, they are catching users off guard. Users should always be wary of promises of free items or sensational content, and they should never share personal and financial information online unless they are dealing directly with a known, trusted and secure website — not a Facebook or Twitter post claiming to represent a recognized business or organization.”

Online scammers employ a number of lures to entice victims to participate in their surveys. Offers of free merchandise are often enough to trick users into reposting messages to their Facebook wall, which then redirect their friends to the same surveys. At best, those filling out the survey will be on the receiving end of high volumes of spam. At worst, any personal information they shared will be exploited by identity thieves, and their PCs will be infected with a broad range of malicious malware.

In addition to traditional scams offering free merchandise or preying upon public curiosity by offering fake exclusive content such as video footage of Osama Bin Laden’s death, GFI also uncovered a viral spam attack on the popular microblogging site Tumblr. Taking advantage of the ease of Tumblr’s reblog feature, spammers tricked users into reblogging a phony message meant to keep their account from being deactivated. GFI recommends that users always investigate the original source of an “official message” to avoid such attacks.

Source: http://www.linkedin.com/groupAnswers?trk=EML_anet_di_pst_ttle&gid=1948032&viewQuestionAndAnswers=&discussionID=57705418

Click on Links at Your Own Peril!

One very strong recommendation we have and continue to hammer home is that: You should not click on links contained in emails unless you know with 100% certainty where it will take you. Sometimes it is easy to see but often it is not. 

Clicking on a link can take you deep into a rat's nest of infected websites and your computer can become infected with a variety of computer viruses or other malware.

It is better to be safe than sorry later - don't click links. Often, when we are sent an email with a link we will simply send a note back to the sender saying 'I do not click on links in emails, can you kindly tell me what that link goes to, is for etc'.?

More time, effort being devoted to stopping spam e-mails

In a scenario all too familiar to many, Highlands Ranch resident Ron Gabbert's computer went haywire shortly after he clicked on a link that appeared in one of a slew of unsolicited e-mails."I opened something, and all of a sudden it would go to another screen," said Gabbert, a retired teacher. "It would start taking you through things, and you'd try to get out of it and it'd just ignore you."
Despite federal and state laws enacted in recent years to help cut down on spam, junk e-mails continue to flood inboxes. In 2010, the global spam rate increased slightly from a year earlier to 89.1 percent, meaning nearly nine out of 10 e-mails sent were junk, according to a report by Symantec, a maker of antivirus software.

Source: Denver Post: http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_18403584

 

You won 1 Million Dollars from Publisher's Clearing House Lotto - SCAM

You have won $1,000,000 from Publishers Clearing House - great news isn't it?

This is of course a SCAM.

It is an advanced fee fraud. They will tell you that to collect 'your' winnings you will need to have it either certified by a fake lawyer, pay filing fees, pay to have the money sent to you or perhaps pay to open a bank account in a far away land to put the money in (with a set up fee for sure).

If you Google the name 'Mr. Todd Sloan' or 'Publishers Clearing House Lotto' you will see many references to this scam. Also, look at the 'from' address and the 'Reply To' Address - they are different - a good tip-off that it is a scam.

DO NOT BE FOOLED BY THIS SCAM!

There is a real Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes. Information can be found at: http://www.pch.com/

From: Mr Todd Sloan [mailto:info@ngi.it]

Sent: Fri 01 Jul 2011 1750
To:

Reply-To: <pch.dept@3mail.ie>

Subject: Pch Winning No:FL 654/29/75.

We are please to announce to you that your email address emerged
along side 4 others as a category winner in this year's weekly
Publishers Clearing House PCH lotto
You have won One million dollars and have been approved for a

total pay out of One million dollars ($1,000,000.00 USD)
The following particulars are attached to your lotto payment

order:winning number: 7-1-4-8-7-3
email ticket number: FL 654/29/75

Contact claims officer with the Contact info below
Mr. Todd Sloan
Email: pch.dept@3mail.ie


Winner you must send their
1.Name in full:
2.Address:
3.Sex:
4.Nationality:
5.Age:
6.Occupation:
7.Phone number:
8.Present Country:

This information is to process the immediate payment of your
winning prize.

Best Regards,
Mr. Dave Sayer
Publishers Clearing House