'Tis the Season

I just got my first fake email stating that my bank account had recent activity originating from several locations, and to click on the security link provided in order to update account details. Failure to reply would suspend my account. I immediately called my bank, Chase, and sure enough, it was a fake email. The email looked so darned official, with logos and everything.

'Tis the season, 'tis the season. You all be alert for scams so prevalent at this time of year.

Thank you vossner. Good to bring up this topic. This pfishing attempt has been going on at least all year and longer. One should never give personal information over the Web that has not been initated by you. No Personal Information, period. If you're purchasing on-line make sure you're protected. There are many many ways people can be compromised. Always be aware of that. I work in the credit card industry and enough cannot be said to make people aware of the problems they can get into unless they are very careful. Contact your credit card issuer for ways to protect yourself against fraud! Seriously!

Aguane ~ I will give the credit card companies "credit" in one manner. I had made a purchase that was a little out of the ordinary and they sent an email asking me to call them. I called and they wanted to verify the charge as legitimate. I appreciate them looking out for me... They also wanted to verify phone numbers as they couldn't contact me by phone. The numbers hadn't changed, the area code had. My fault not to update.

When you're ordering online and it gets to the page to put in the credit card number, check your address bar. If what's usually "http" is "https" it's supposed to be secure.

Don't you love the ones where if you'll just give them $5,000 they'll share this Nigerian bank account with you?

This message was edited Nov 20, 2006 2:50 PM

I noticed the https on my Chase fake email.

Don't be fooled just by an https - the security certificates help (the 's' part of https), but they are pretty easy to get and you don't necessarily have to be a real business to get one. Best bet is to do exactly what you did & call your bank on a number that you KNOW is good.

It's pretty simple -- neither banks nor any major service company (that I know, of at least -- this includes Comcast where we have our Net account) EVER needs you to confirm security information via email or email links. You would not think that anyone would be interested in our Comcast info but I've received at least 3 "official" Comcast emails with links to a website that is an almost perfect duplicate of the Comcast website, asking us to confirm our credit card info.

Since we don't have ANY credit card info on file with Comcast, I knew it was 'phishing' but just wanted to see how good their scam is --- it's almost perfect so don't be fooled! Call the customer service # listed on your most recent bill if you have any doubts about a company contact, whether by phone, email or even in person. Recently someone with bogus Honeywell Security ID was canvassing the neighborhood, we think they were trying to see if people with security co. signs in their yard really did have active security services; if not they'd be great prospects for a robbery (we get a lot of casual crime around here, although not much violent crime).

Particularly during the holiday season, it's a good time to be extra careful, whether it's just Xmas gifts in the back of your car or guarding your personal info.

Casual crime sounds like a contradiction in terms...

We received a letter in the mail back during the summer wanting us to help them get money out of an africian nation. (lucky us - getting something back from them instead of pouring it down a rat hole all the time). If we would send them a mo for $2,000, we would get back $3 million. I sent them a reply that I am sure caused them to take me off their mailing list. If a e-mail comes here wanting to verify anything at our bank or credit card business, you can bet your sweet bottom dollar we would not be taken in by it. It blows my mind there are people out there that are still answering this stuff and sending money. In fact, that is supposed to be the cause of a wife shooting her preacher husband in the back as he lay in bed. It made national news. They only lived 30 miles from us. Supposedly she sent off $17,000 to these people. But today in the newspaper, she shot him because he was beating her. Make up your mind. LIZ

I live in the country down a long driveway. When anyone comes down our drive, they are either visiting and we know them or they are there to check things out. (Have had that hapen before). If I do not recognize them by the time they pull up to the house, then they are met at the door with my gun planted firmly in hand, in sight so they know I am holding a gun. If I at any time felt my life was in danger from them I would not hesitate to shoot. LIZ

Liz, the african nation letter has been rec'd by a friend ~ more than once. He immediately turns it over the the USPO. What they do with it I am not sure.
We too live in a rural setting on a dead-end road. Can't count the times we have have people with no business out here. Some are just nosey and want to see what is at the end of the road. Others are riding the roads, deer hunting which is illegal. The ones I worry about are those that tear out when they get caught. I must add, good that you are willing and able to provide your own protection. These days, no one has adequate law enforcement protection...

Liz remind me not to drop by for a surprise visit! :-)

Only 2 more weeks of Master Gardener class. I think you'd really love it if you can find the time.

your neighbor in the next town
carol

I keep getting emails from somebody that say "PayPal",
and that I need to pay some fee or other. They are for
small amounts - $1.50 or .98 cents, and have a "secure"
link to enter my credit card number. Right. I just send them
on to PayPal and let them deal with it.

Even when you use a legitimate vendor or service, you can
still get ripped off. I bought some fabric at a quilt show from
a man - the only male merchant I bought from at that show -
and while I was still at the show, "someone" had ordered
several hundred dollars worth of men's clothing to be sent
to New York. Can you guess where the vendor was from ?
I caught it right away because it just so happened that while
I was staying at the hotel, I wanted to know how much money
there was available on that card and I called them, then talked
to customer service. His booth was closed the next day, so
someone must have called the police, and I'll bet that I wasn't
the only one this happened to at that show.

Yes, always call your bank or credit card company from the
number on your regular statements, and do check every single
one, and don't let those small charges slip by you. That's how
they test the waters.

A friend here stopped for gas. She uses a credit card at the gas pump as she has RA and doesn't want to have to walk the extra to the cashiers booth. He paged her and said the pump wasn't taking the credit cards that evening and needed a deposit to pump gas. She carried her card and left it with him. This was at a major east Tx grocery/gas chain. While she pumped gas, it seems he used her card a few times. No doubt trading gas to friends for ???? Anyway, she caught it when her bill came in. The cr cd co didn't hold her liable. The grocery store had already shipped the little bugger and she gladly signed the necessary paperwork to prosecute him! When you least expect it ~ by all means, monitor your credit.

I am not sure if this is the forum to ask about this but I have had a company called Member Services announce two or three times a day that I have been approved for a loan, a payroll advance and/or an unsecured credit card. I tried blocking them but they used another email address. They automatically go to my spam folder and I delete the messages but I am afraid that they will be successful in getting me to get money that I don't want or award somebody else my account without checking with me.

Thanks,

Chuck

This message was edited Nov 25, 2006 9:09 AM

Chuck,
Don't respond to any unsolicited email regarding these matters. Is there anyway to contact those who are making this offer to tell them to stop? If not just trash it. Don't even open the emails. Though if you want to persue the problem I should think you could contact your Internet Provider or Yahoo or whomever you use for email for help with spam or fraud. They have trained personnel capable of looking into this possible fraud.

Something to consider is: Member Services is a term used by Credit Unions. Also, if you're a home owner, be careful of falling into the new scam of "deed thieves".

I just wouldn't put any personal info out there on the Internet. Its pretty much there to stay forever 'somewhere'. I've even heard of a ring of fraudsters who gain access to drafts or petitions for dissolution of marriage in 'state .GOV' sites where individuals collect names, soc, addresses, VIN -- any info you'd put in a filing for divorce.

Thanks, Aguane,

I took your advice and contacted AOL Security and they told me to forward all the messages that I get from these people to TOSReports@aol.com. I received the another one yesterday morning and I immediately did just that. So far I have received no other messages from them.

Thanks again for sharing,

Chuck

Welcome, Chuck.
BTW, I've been to Perris Calif. Near Exeter, Lindsay, Porterville? I think I was there for my God Son's judo competition a thousand years ago.

Aguane,

Perris is about a half hours drive to Palm Springs. It is 18 miles southeast of Riverside. We are not too far from Temecula. We are a small town (31,000 people) but new houses are being built everyday. Thanks for asking!

Take care,

Chuck

On our news the other night they said not only to look for https.The bottom of the page should be a little locked padlock symbol.