When a spouse dies there are so many things that need to be handled almost simultaneously. Burial arrangements made, death certificates sent out to creditors and life insurance policies cashed out. It is the issue of life insurance that brings us to our latest scam.
The deceased spouse insurance scam works like this: a newly widowed man or woman will receive a telephone call from a “life insurance agent” stating that their deceased spouse had purchased a policy from their company. The policy is always said to be over a million dollars.
The “agent” will then tell the surviving spouse that the policy was to be kept a secret from him or her because their spouse “loved them very much and wanted to take very good care of them.” The kicker is that there is one more premium payment that is owed, usually in a very specific amount (i.e. $4890.37) and that the premium payment needs to be paid before they can release the policy amount to the beneficiary.
Of course, once this premium payment is sent (often to a foreign country) the alleged policy payout never arrives, and the widowed spouse is out the alleged premium amount that they paid. This scam has been going on for some time, but has been ramping up in recent years. It is a sad fact that there will always be scammers willing to take advantage of a person during one of the most vulnerable times in their life. Criminals pick their victims from obituaries.
How to avoid: there are very few agents who will call you when your spouse dies, so getting a phone call of this variety is red flag number one. Two, always ask to see some verifiable documents; regardless of how official they may appear, always follow up by calling the customer service department of that company or ask your personal insurance agent to verify this policy for you. Finally, if you are approached by an “agent”, never send them any money. A reputable agency (if a policy really does exist) will take any remaining premiums off of the payout amount and would never request a premium payment be sent. In the aftermath of the death of a spouse, the surviving spouse can be very vulnerable. Be aware of scams such as this one; always make sure to protect your assets.
Deceased spouse insurance - Telephone Scams - Scam Detector
Friday, October 19, 2012
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Facebook Email Scam warning – “your friend added a new photo”
Do not let this latest wave of scam emails trick you into clicking the big blue button in these emails. You wont get to see a photo of yourself, you will infect your system with a Trojan horse.
Social networking has changed the way businesses communicate with their customers and partners, and how people stay connected with friends and family. Most organizations now incorporate social media into their marketing and communications strategies, and many allow their employees use of Facebook to stay in touch even when they are in work. Unsurprisingly, the popularity of this new media has also created an influx of social media specific malware.
The emails pretend to come from Facebook and saying that your Facebook friend added a new photo of you. This is a scam email that really does not come from Facebook, but is designed by internet scammers to trick the recipient to download or open the attachment.
Do not click the link in the email. Unfortunately, the attached ZIP file contains malware, designed to allow hackers to gain control over your Windows computer.
Subject:
Your friend added a new photo with you to the album
Attached File :
FacebookPhoto_ADD_album_[Ramdom].zip, where ‘random’ is a generated number.
Message Body:
Greetings,
One of Your Friends added a new photo with you to the album.
You are receiving this email because you’ve been listed as a close friend.
[View photo with you in the attachment]
Facebook users should be aware that the social media site never sends the pictures posted online as attachments via email. Therefore users are always advised to beware of shady-looking notifications. And as always, to not click on links in emails.
Facebook Email Scam warning – “your friend added a new photo” | Omniquad Security Blog
Social networking has changed the way businesses communicate with their customers and partners, and how people stay connected with friends and family. Most organizations now incorporate social media into their marketing and communications strategies, and many allow their employees use of Facebook to stay in touch even when they are in work. Unsurprisingly, the popularity of this new media has also created an influx of social media specific malware.
The emails pretend to come from Facebook and saying that your Facebook friend added a new photo of you. This is a scam email that really does not come from Facebook, but is designed by internet scammers to trick the recipient to download or open the attachment.
Do not click the link in the email. Unfortunately, the attached ZIP file contains malware, designed to allow hackers to gain control over your Windows computer.
Subject:
Your friend added a new photo with you to the album
Attached File :
FacebookPhoto_ADD_album_[Ramdom].zip, where ‘random’ is a generated number.
Message Body:
Greetings,
One of Your Friends added a new photo with you to the album.
You are receiving this email because you’ve been listed as a close friend.
[View photo with you in the attachment]
Facebook users should be aware that the social media site never sends the pictures posted online as attachments via email. Therefore users are always advised to beware of shady-looking notifications. And as always, to not click on links in emails.
Facebook Email Scam warning – “your friend added a new photo” | Omniquad Security Blog
Jamaican Phone Scammers Use BBB Name
A classic scam is back in action! Jamaican scammers are calling unsuspecting consumers across the country, but this time they are pretending to be representatives of BBB.
How the Scam Works:
You get a call from a
phone number with a "876" area code. The person on the other line may
have an accent but claims to work for BBB. The caller tells you that you
won a sweepstakes with a prize of $2 million and a Mercedes Benz. The
catch is that you can't collect your winnings until you pay them a fee.
This is the current scenario, but the scam will evolve as word gets out. Scammers are claiming to represent the Acadiana BBB in Louisiana, but this may change to another location or even another credibility-boosting organization, such as the FBI.
The scam itself also may change. Instead of asking victims to collect lottery winnings, scammers may ask for you to deposit a check and wire them part of the money or inform you that you are receiving a fake government grant.
I Think I've Found a Scam. What Should I Do?
- Hang up and don't call the scammer back. We all like to have the last word, but returning the phone call may just give the con artist information he can use.
- Report phone scams to the Federal Trade Commission. Check out FTC.gov for more information about making a phone fraud report.
Phishing campaign abuses flaw tricking thousands with shortened .gov URLs
A vulnerable component in a content management system has enabled savvy cybercriminals behind a spam campaign to spoof .gov site URLs by abusing a short link designed to validate the authenticity of redirects to U.S. government websites.
Email spam has been the primary method for distributing the short links, wrote Jeff Jarmoc of Dell SecureWorks' Counter Threat Unit.
"While it seems the perpetrators are not targeting .gov sites specifically and are not using the government as a lure, the ability to generate short .gov links that lead users to malicious domains is concerning," Jarmoc wrote in an advisory about the phishing scam issued on Wednesday. "If combined with a government-focused message, such as the common tax season phishing emails , this spam could lure even savvy users."
Many of the links in the ongoing spam campaign abuse 1.usa.gov short URLs, according to Dell SecureWorks. The 1.usa.gov short URL service is run by the U.S. government, in partnership with bitly.com. It was designed to enable users to submit a long URL to bitly that resides on a .gov or .mil top-level domain. The goal of the service is to make it easier to verify the authenticity of a U.S. government site in a shortened URL.
"Despite the best intentions, 1.usa.gov short links seem to be ineffective at ensuring the ultimate destinations of the URLs are trustworthy government websites," Jarmoc wrote.
Dell traced the IP destination of the malicious servers used in the attack to hosting services in Moscow and InMotion Hosting Inc., based in Los Angeles.
"By exploiting an open-redirect vulnerability in this .aspx file, the attacker can direct traffic to a non-.gov site under his control, while exposing only a 1.usa.gov short link in the initial message," Jarmoc wrote.
An open-redirect vulnerability is a common coding error in Web applications that simplifies phishing attacks by bypassing protection mechanisms. Attackers can set up spoofed pages and more easily dupe people into giving up account credentials or infect their system with malware.
Phishing campaign abuses flaw tricking thousands with shortened .gov URLs
The click rate of the campaign has been significant, redirecting more than 16,000 victims over a five day period to a malicious website designed to look like a CNBC news article pushing several work from home scams. The phishers have abused several U.S. state government domains, including Vermont.gov, Iowa.gov, Indiana.gov and ca.gov. Guam.gov and Vermont.gov appear to have been abused the most so far this month, according to data collected by Dell SecureWorks.Despite the best intentions, 1.usa.gov short links seem to be ineffective at ensuring the ultimate destinations of the URLs are trustworthy government websites. Jeff Jarmoc, Dell SecureWorks
Email spam has been the primary method for distributing the short links, wrote Jeff Jarmoc of Dell SecureWorks' Counter Threat Unit.
"While it seems the perpetrators are not targeting .gov sites specifically and are not using the government as a lure, the ability to generate short .gov links that lead users to malicious domains is concerning," Jarmoc wrote in an advisory about the phishing scam issued on Wednesday. "If combined with a government-focused message, such as the common tax season phishing emails , this spam could lure even savvy users."
Many of the links in the ongoing spam campaign abuse 1.usa.gov short URLs, according to Dell SecureWorks. The 1.usa.gov short URL service is run by the U.S. government, in partnership with bitly.com. It was designed to enable users to submit a long URL to bitly that resides on a .gov or .mil top-level domain. The goal of the service is to make it easier to verify the authenticity of a U.S. government site in a shortened URL.
"Despite the best intentions, 1.usa.gov short links seem to be ineffective at ensuring the ultimate destinations of the URLs are trustworthy government websites," Jarmoc wrote.
Dell traced the IP destination of the malicious servers used in the attack to hosting services in Moscow and InMotion Hosting Inc., based in Los Angeles.
Phishers exploit open redirect flaw
The cybercriminals hunt for servers with a vulnerable version of DotNetNukes LinkClick.aspx, software designed to give website developers the ability to configure a set of custom re-direct rules."By exploiting an open-redirect vulnerability in this .aspx file, the attacker can direct traffic to a non-.gov site under his control, while exposing only a 1.usa.gov short link in the initial message," Jarmoc wrote.
An open-redirect vulnerability is a common coding error in Web applications that simplifies phishing attacks by bypassing protection mechanisms. Attackers can set up spoofed pages and more easily dupe people into giving up account credentials or infect their system with malware.
Phishing campaign abuses flaw tricking thousands with shortened .gov URLs
Email on adopting Marine dogs is a hoax
The Marine Corps is debunking an offer to provide bomb-sniffing dogs for adoption that has been published by numerous websites, blogs and email lists.There are currently no bomb detection dogs available for adoption, the Marine Corps Systems Command said in a statement.
An email whose origin is not clear and that appeared to circulate widely said the Corps was looking for good homes for “incredibly well-trained” Labradors, Belgian Malinois, border collies, German shepherds and Rottweilers that served in war zones.
The email went on to say that the approximately 400 dogs were “war heroes,” having saved countless American lives by sniffing out improvised explosive devices before they could blow up. Adoptive families were told they must go to Washington to pick up the dogs or arrange transport at their own expense.
The contact information provided in the email was that of an actual Marine office and staffer, but when contacted Tuesday the office said the email was a hoax and no such offer was available.
However, by then news stations’ websites in Miami and elsewhere had run with the email, as had blogs that cover topics involving pets and adopting animals. Neighborhood listserves in Arlington, Va., home of the Pentagon, also posted the offer to thousands of members.
The Marine Corps Systems Command said it was not known who received the email or who sent it out.
The Marines said such offers are sometimes made for “decommissioned” dogs but that they are offered to other federal agencies first since many are still fit for service even when they can no longer deploy to war zones.
Email on adopting Marine dogs is a hoax - Marine Corps News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Marine Corps Times
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Microsoft says free money scams are most commonly encountered
It should come as little surprise that the promise of free money or getting something for nothing ranks highest in the list of most commonly encountered online scams at 44 percent. Fake antivirus alert scams that mimic real programs account for 40 percent, good for second place on the survey.
Phishing scams using fake emails that attempt to get user to click a link and emails claiming to be from a foreign person that needs help transferring a large sum of money are tied for third place at 39 percent each. Rounding out the top five online scams are work-from-home offers that promise to help you start your own business, encountered by 38 percent of respondents.
The survey points out that the average Internet user has encountered roughly eight different types of online scam. Most people, 62 percent surveyed, believe they wouldn’t fall victim to an online scam although only 12 percent said they felt fully protected. Survey-takers were most fearful of impersonation scams like fake antivirus alerts, phishing scams and work-from-home offers.
Microsoft offers up some common-sense tips to help keep yourself protected online like thinking before you click, looking for warning signs that an offer might be fake and cutting down on spam by only sharing your email address with friends, family and organizations you know and trust.
Microsoft says free money scams are most commonly encountered - TechSpot News
Scam Alert: Who’s Who Directories Take Your Money and Give Little Back
Congratulations! Through an unexpected email or phone call, you learn you've been selected for listing in a "Who's Who"-type directory. Now, after patting yourself on the back, be prepared to reach for your wallet.
A keepsake copy of one such publication will cost you up to $900. The companies say they make selections based on "humanitarian contribution" or "leadership and professional achievement," yet there's no mention of Bill Gates, Warren Buffett or other well-known philanthropists on the pages … just people who've made their living selling insurance, operating beauty salons or manufacturing ladies' clothing. The 2012 "Executives of the Year" for one registry are a retired business professor from a small Montana college and the director of a nonprofit in Chicago that helps immigrants from Asia and Eastern Europe.
The words "Who's Who" are in the public domain — any publisher can use them. There are old and reputable directories of that name that charge nothing and are truly discriminating in their selections. Some are published by professional organizations to cite notables in a specific occupation, say surgery or engineering.
But there's a whole group of less trustworthy ones that try to profit from the cachet the legit ones carry.
It's not that people listed in the vanity directories are necessarily undeserving of recognition; many are hard-working professionals making valuable contributions to society. It's just that the qualifying criteria may be less "outstanding" than what's suggested in the titles.
But there's a whole group of less trustworthy ones that try to profit from the cachet the legit ones carry.
It's not that people listed in the vanity directories are necessarily undeserving of recognition; many are hard-working professionals making valuable contributions to society. It's just that the qualifying criteria may be less "outstanding" than what's suggested in the titles.
"In most cases," notes the Better Business Bureau, "the [publisher] doesn't turn down any nominee or entry." In fact, honorees are often recruited via mass-sent "congratulations" emails or phone calls in hopes that ego-stroking or hard-sell tactics will elicit the spending of big bucks on "memberships," commemorative plaques and/or souvenir copies. Many directories are touted for their usefulness in "networking," but they typically aren't available in libraries or bookstores, only online. — Peter Dazeley/Getty Images
Here's what else you should know if told you've been selected for one of these registries.
- Your credit card may be immediately charged — "before I even received forms" to submit a biography, writes one recent selectee. "They assured me it would cost nothing; the next month there was a $700-plus charge on my credit card."
Scam Alert: Who’s Who Directories Take Your Money and Give Little Back - AARP
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