SCAMS

moreluck

golden ticket member
Within the past 2 days I have received very official looking e-mails from Bank of America and Wachovia. Both had logos on them and both had the "all rights reserved" statement on the bottom.

Both e-mails said that someone, other than me. had tried unsuccessfully to log on to my account with bogus passwords. Both messages were NOT from the banks named.

The only reason I knew that they were fakes is because I don't long on at all to either account....ever. My email address was given to the banks when I signed up, but I don't do online banking at all.

Please be careful of all this kind of stuff.
 

moreluck

golden ticket member
Hubby just forwarded the Wachovia one to his guy at Wachovia........The B. of A. is next to my Albertson's and I'll take it to them on Monday.
 

cheryl

I started this.
Staff member
It's called [wiki]phishing[/wiki]. I get them several times a week addressed from every bank and brokerage that you can think of. Some of them have misspellings and are obviously fake. The scary ones look authentic and have url's that appear to go to the bank's domain (bankofamerica.com etc.) They even have security warnings at the bottom...

Ebay and paypal are the biggest targets of [wiki]phishing[/wiki] scams. They have an email address that you are supposed to forward them to but you have to be careful because forwarding email with images attached can create a record at the phishing computer's log that your email address is active and generate even more phishing email.

To protect myself from this I just don't click on links in email anymore. I also changed the default display for html email to never display images from anyone not on my safe senders list so they can't tell if my email address is active.
 

scratch

Least Best Moderator
Staff member
Heres another scam that is pretty big right now, according to my banker. Last month, my wife gets a letter and a real looking check for $3100.00. The letter was from a company with a Buffalo, NY address that said she had won $41,000 in some sweepstakes, and the $3100 check was an advance payment for "processing and tax" purposes. The letter had a Canadian postmark and the check was a real looking JP Morgan/Chase check from NYC from a company that was supposed to be a contest sponsor. We went to www.bbb.org and could find no listing for the sweepstakes company, but the sponsor company was a real business with a good reputation. That company was closed for the weekend and not answering the phone, so we went to their website and sent an e-mail asking if this was a legit prize. A few days latter, they responded and said it was a scam. The owner said that he had about three fake checks clear his account before he caught on that someone was using his bank account number, so he had closed the account out. My banker said that this is a common scam now, but it was the first time he had seen one with an American check instead of a Canadian check. The point of this scam is that they will ask you to pay the taxes for your winnings before they will "Next Day Air" the $41,000 Grand Prize. Your real check for under $5000 will be cashed by them and they will disappear and can't be traced. We tracked the phone number in the original letter and it was a prepaid cell phone in Canada. My Banker said that since the amounts are under $5000, the government doesn't even try to stop them. We knew this windfall was too good to be true, we didn't fall for it.:mad:
 

moreluck

golden ticket member
Hubby found this.....

Stay safe from Phishing: Easy clues to help you keep your personal information secure.

The main goal of a phishing email is to get you to a site where you will provide your personal information. With these basic, but powerful, clues, you can easily recognize the threat and ensure the safety of your identity and finances.

1. Does the email ask you to go to a website and verify personal information? We won't ask you to verify your personal information in response to an email.
2. What is the tone of the mail? Most phish emails convey a sense of urgency by threatening discontinued service or information loss if you don't take immediate action.
3. What is the quality of the email? Many phish emails have misspellings, bad grammar, or poor punctuation.
4. Are the links in the email valid? Deceptive links in phishing emails look like they are to a valid site, but deliver you to a fraudulent one. Many times you can see if the link is legitimate by just moving your mouse over the link.
5. Is the email personalized with your name and applicable account information? Many phish emails use generic salutations and generic information (e.g. "Dear Customer" or "Dear Account Holder") instead of your name.
6. What is the sender's email address? Many phish emails come from an email address not from the company represented in the email.
7. When in doubt, type it out. If you suspect an email to be phishing, don't click on any links in the email. Type the valid address directly into your web browser.

 

UPS Lifer

Well-Known Member
Here is another Phishing type of marketing ploy that is not illegal but can keep you on the phone when you would normally hang up.

The automated message tells you that your new car warrenty is about to expire and to stay on the phone to extend your warrenty. Time is running out and once your warrenty has expired it cannot be renewed!

I kept getting this phone call and stayed on the line to see what it would cost me to get an extension. The way I figured out was when they asked me for the info on my car I asked them which one? i had two cars that were ready to expire! There was a pause and then the person said the car that is the newest!

The flag went up!

Why didn't they already know which car? Because the only time a live person gets on the line is if someone stays on the line (like me). Then they know you have a car that they can sell you an extended warrenty!!!

This could happen with any type of product so be careful!
 
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