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Thread: Cut and paste snippets about scams.

  1. #476
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    Re: Cut and paste snippets about scams.

    A con man is a person who intentionally misleads another person, usually for personal financial gain. In recent history there have been a number of con men who have really stood out for either the wealth they amassed, or the ease with which they tricked people. This is a list of 10 of the most famous con men in recent history.

    1. Frank Abagnale [Born: 1948]

    Webabagnale

    Frank Abagnale is a former cheque con artist, forger and imposter who, for five years in the 1960s, passed bad cheques worth more than $2.5 million in 26 countries. The recent blockbuster film Catch Me If You Can is based on his life. His first experience of fraud was as a youth when he used his father’s Mobil card to buy car parts that he would then sell back to the gas station for a lower price. He did not realise that his father was the one who had to foot the bill and when he was eventually confronted with the fraud, his mother sent him for four months to a juvenile correction facility.

    After moving to New York, Frank lived solely on the income of his fraudulent activities. One of his most famous tricks was to print his own account number on fake bank deposit slips so that when clients of the bank deposited money, it would actually go in to his account. By the time the banks realised what had happened, Frank had taken $40,000 and run.

    For two years, Abagnale travelled around the world free by masquerading as a Pan Am pilot. He was able to abuse the professional courtesy of other airlines to provide free transport for competing airline pilots if they had to move to another city at short notice. When he was nearly caught leaving a plane, he changed his masquerade to that of a Doctor. He worked as a medical supervisor for 11 months without detection. At other times he worked as a lawyer and a teacher.

    He was eventually caught in France and spent six months in prison there. After that he was extradited to Sweden and imprisoned for a further six months. After a successful escape whilst travelling to the United States, he was finally given 12 years in Prison. He escaped from his prison by masquerading as an undercover officer of the Bureau of Prisons. He was once again captured in New York City and returned to jail. After serving only five years of his sentence, the US Federal Government offered him his freedom in return for helping the government against fraud and scam artists without pay.

    He currently runs Abagnale and Associates, a financial fraud consultancy company and is a multi-millionaire.

    2. Charles Ponzi [Born: 1882; Died: 1949]

    Charles Ponzi

    Ponzi, an Italian immigrant to the United States became one of the most famous con men in American history. While many people do not know the name Ponzi, the Ponzi Scheme is extremely well known and continues today in Internet Make Money Fast schemes. His early life is not entirely known as he was prone to fabricate stories about it. What is known is that he spent a short amount of time at University in Rome and, after dropping out, caught a boat to Boston, USA where he arrived with $2.50 in his pocket.

    His early years in the United States were troublesome. He began working at a restaurant but was soon fired for playing tricks with the bills and shortchanging customers. His next job was working in a bank in Canada that catered to Italian immigrants. His knowledge of numbers helped him to do very well there. Unfortunately it turned out that the owner of the bank was stealing money from newly opened savings accounts to pay the interest on the interest bearing accounts and to cover bad investments. The bank owner eventually fled to Mexico and left Ponzi without a job. After writing a fraudulent cheque and spending a number of years in prison, Ponzi determined to become wealthy at any cost.

    Once he had settled in to life on the outside, he discovered postal reply coupons through a letter that was sent to him from abroad. He realised that he could buy foreign coupons at massively devalued prices (because of price fixing after the war) and then resell them in the United States for a 400% profit. This was a form of arbitrage and it was legal. Ponzi began canvasses friends and acquaintances for money – promising them a 50% return or a doubling of their money in 90 days. He started his own company, the Securities Exchange Company, to promote the scheme.

    The word of this great investment quickly spread and before long Ponzi was living in a luxurious mansion. He was bringing in cash at a fantastic rate, but the simplest financial analysis showed that he wasn’t making money, he was losing it rapidly. For every dollar he took in, he went more deeply into debt. As long as money kept flowing in, Ponzi would stay ahead of the eventual collapse.

    People soon began to become suspicious and the press were starting to publish negative articles about him. Inevitably people were starting to demand their money. Shortly after, federal agents raided his office and shut it down. No stock of stamps was found and everyone that had invested their money with Ponzi lost every penny. It is probably that he lost tens of millions of dollars. Ponzi plead guilty of mail fraud and was sent to prison. After one escape he was returned to jail to complete his sentence. He was eventually deported back to Italy and he died there in poverty in 1949.

    3. Joseph Weil [Born: 1877; Died: 1975]

    Joe Weil

    Joseph “Yellow Kid” Weil was one of the most famous con men in his era. Over the course of his career he is believed to have stolen over 8 million dollars. In his first job as a collector, he realized that his co-workers were collecting their debts but keeping a little part of the money for themselves. Weil started a protection racket – offering not to report their activities in return for a small portion of what they were taking.

    He also used phony oil deals, women, fixed races, and an endless list of other tricks to steal from an increasingly gullible public. He could change his persona daily to further his gains: one day he was Dr. Henri Reuel, a noted geologist who travelled around and told his hosts that he was a representative for a big oil company while draining them of the cash they gave him to “invest in fuel.” The next day he was director of the Elysium Development Company, promising land to innocent believers while robbing them in recording and abstract fees. Or he was a chemist par excellence, who had discovered how to copy dollar bills; promising to increase your fortune, he would multiply your bill’s then take the booty once the police arrived.

    In his autobiography, Weil writes:

    “The desire to get something for nothing has been very costly to many people who have dealt with me and with other con men,” Weil writes. “But I have found that this is the way it works. The average person, in my estimation, is ninety-nine per cent animal and one per cent human. The ninety-nine per cent that is animal causes very little trouble. But the one per cent that is human causes all our woes. When people learn — as I doubt they will — that they can’t get something for nothing, crime will diminish and we shall live in greater harmony.”

    4. Victor Lustig [Born: 1890; Died: 1947]

    Victor Lustig

    Victor Lustig was renowned as the Man who Sold the Eiffel Tower. He was born in Bohemia but later moved to Paris where he was able to con people on his frequent journeys between Paris and New York. His first con was to show people a device that could print $100 bills. The only problem, he would tell them, is that it only prints one bill every six hours. Many people paid him enormous amounts of money (usually over $30,000) for the device. In fact, the device contained two real hidden $100 bills – once they were spat out by the machine it would produce only blank paper. By the time the buyers discovered this, Lustig was well gone with their money.

    In 1925, as France was recovering from the war, the upkeep of the Eiffel tower was an almost unbearable expense for the city of Paris. When Lustig read about this in a paper, he came up with his most brilliant idea. After forging government credentials, he invited six scrap metal dealers to a secret meeting in a hotel. He explained that the City could not afford to keep the tower and that they had to sell it for scrap. He told them the secrecy of the meeting and all future dealings was due to the fact that the public may become distressed at the idea of the removal of the tower.

    While it seems implausible, at the time the tower was built it was meant to be temporary and this happened just 18 years after the original date for removal of the tower. Lustig took the dealers in a limousine to tour the tower. One of the dealers, Andre Poisson was convinced that the tale was legitimate and he handed over the money. When he realised he had been conned, he was too embarrassed to tell the police and Lustig escaped with the money. One month later, he returned to Paris to try the whole scam again. This time it was reported to the police but Lustig managed to escape.

    At one point, Lustig convinced Al Capone to invest $50,000 with him. He stored the money in a vault and returned it two months later, stating that the deal had fallen through. Capone, so impressed by Lustig’s honesty gave him $5,000 for his effort. In 1934, Lustig was found guilty of counterfeiting. He plead guilty and was sentenced to 20 years in Alcatraz. In 1947 he died of pneumonia whilst in jail in Springfield, Missouri.

    5. George Parker [Born: 1870; Died: 1936]

    Unknown

    Parker was one of the most audacious con men in American history. He made his living selling New York’s public landmarks to unwary tourists. His favorite object for sale was the Brooklyn Bridge, which he sold twice a week for years. He convinced his marks that they could make a fortune by controlling access to the roadway. More than once police had to remove naive buyers from the bridge as they tried to erect toll barriers.

    Other public landmarks he sold included the original Madison Square Garden, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Grant’s Tomb, and the Statue of Liberty. George had many different methods for making his sales. When he sold Grant’s Tomb, he would often pose as the general’s grandson. He even set up a fake “office” to handle his real estate swindles. He produced impressive forged documents to prove that he was the legal owner of whatever property he was selling.

    Parker was convicted of fraud three times. After his third conviction on December 17th, 1928 he was sentenced to a life term at Sing Sing Prison. He spent the last eight years of his life behind bars. He was popular among guards and fellow inmates who enjoyed hearing of his exploits. George is remembered as one of the most successful con men in the history of the United States, as well as one of history’s most talented hoaxers. His exploits have passed into popular culture, giving rise to phrases such as “and if you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you”, a popular way of expressing a belief that someone is gullible.

    6. Soapy Smith [Born: 1860; Died: 1898]

    Soapy Smith 1898

    Soapy Smith (born Jefferson Randolph Smith) was an American con artist and gangster who had a major hand in the organized criminal operations of Denver, Colorado, Creede, Colorado, and Skagway, Alaska from 1879 to 1898. He is perhaps the most famous “sure-thing” bunko man of the old west. Some time in the late 1870s or early 1880s, Smith began duping entire crowds with a ploy the Denver newspapers dubbed The Prize Package Soap Sell Swindle.

    Jefferson would open his “tripe and keister” (display case on a tripod) on a busy street corner. Piling ordinary soap cakes onto the keister top, he would describe their wonders. As he spoke to the growing crowd of curious onlookers, he would pull out his wallet and begin wrapping paper money ranging from one dollar up to one hundred dollars, around a select few of the bars. He then finished each bar by wrapping plain paper around it to hide the money. He mixed the money-wrapped packages in with wrapped bars containing no money. He then sold the soap to the crowd for a dollar a cake.

    A shill planted in the crowd would buy a bar, tear it open it, and loudly proclaim that he had won some money, waving it around for all to see. This performance had the desired effect of enticing the sale of the packages. More often than not, victims bought several bars before the sale was completed. Midway through the sale, Smith would announce that the hundred-dollar bill still remained in the pile, unpurchased. He then would auction off the remaining soap bars to the highest bidders.

    Through the masterful art of manipulation and sleight-of-hand, the cakes of soap wrapped with money were hidden and replaced with packages holding no cash. It was assured that the only money “won” went to members of what became known as the “Soap Gang.” Soapy was eventually shot to death by a group he swindled in a card game.

    7. Eduardo de Valfierno

    Valfierno

    Eduardo de Valfierno, who referred to himself as Marqués (marquis), was an Argentine con man who allegedly masterminded the theft of the Mona Lisa. Valfierno paid several men to steal the work of art from the Louvre, including museum employee Vincenzo Peruggia. On August 21, 1911 Peruggia hid the Mona Lisa under his coat and simply walked out the door.

    Before the heist took place, Valfierno commissioned French art restorer and forger Yves Chaudron to make six copies of the Mona Lisa. The forgeries were then shipped to various parts of the world, readying them for the buyers he had lined up. Valfierno knew once the Mona Lisa was stolen it would be harder to smuggle copies past customs. After the heist the copies were delivered to their buyers, each thinking they had the original which had just been stolen for them. Because Valfierno just wanted to sell forgeries, he only needed the original Mona Lisa to disappear and never contacted Peruggia again after the crime. Eventually Peruggia was caught trying to sell the painting and it was returned to the Louvre in 1913.

    8. James Hogue [Born: 1959]

    Hogue.Mug

    Hogue is a US impostor who most famously entered Princeton University by posing as a self-taught orphan. In 1986 Hogue enrolled in a Palo Alto High School as Jay Mitchell Huntsman, a 16-year-old orphan from Nevada. He had adopted the identity of a dead infant. A suspicious local reporter exposed him. In 1988 Hogue enrolled at Princeton University using the alias Alexi Indris Santana, a self-taught orphan from Utah. He deferred admission for one year because he had been convicted of the theft of bicycle frames in Utah. Hogue claimed in his application materials that he had slept outside in the Grand Canyon, raising sheep and reading philosophers. He violated his parole to enter class. For the next two years he lived as Santana and as a member of the track team. He was also admitted into the Ivy Club.

    In 1991 Hogue’s real identity was exposed when Renee Pacheco, a student from the Palo Alto High School, recognized him. He was arrested for defrauding the university for $30,000 in financial aid and sentenced to three years in jail with 5 years probation and 100 hours of community service.

    On May 16, 1993 Hogue made headlines again through his association with Harvard University. Having lied about his identity again, he was able to take a job as a security guard in one of Harvard’s on campus museums. A few months into his tenure, museum officials noticed that several gemstones on exhibit had been replaced with inexpensive fakes. Somerville police seized Hogue in his home and charged him with grand larceny to the tune of $50,000.

    On March 12, 2007 Hogue pleaded guilty to a single felony count of theft of more than $15,000 in exchange for a prison sentence not to exceed 10 years, and prosecutors’ agreement to drop other theft and habitual criminal charges.

    9. Robert Hendy-Freegard [Born: 1971]

    40658668 Hendyfreegard300

    Robert Hendy-Freegard is a British barman, car salesman, conman and impostor who masqueraded as an MI5 agent and fooled several people to go underground for fear of IRA assassination. He met his victims on social occasions or as customers in the pub or car dealership where he was working. He would reveal his “role” as an undercover agent for MI5, Special Branch or Scotland Yard working against the IRA. He would win them over, ask for money and make them do his bidding. He demanded that they cut off contact with family and friends, go through “loyalty tests” and live alone in poor conditions. He seduced five women, claiming that he wanted to marry them. Initially some of the victims refused to co-operate with the police because he had warned them that police would be double agents or MI5 agents performing another “loyalty test”.

    Hendy-Freegard also seduced a newly married personal assistant who was taking care of his children. He told her he was with MI5 and forced her to cut contact with friends and family lest the IRA would kill her. He also took naked pictures of her and threatened to give them to her husband if she would not cooperate. She had to change her name and tell the deed poll officer it was because she was sexually abused as a child. Her loyalty tests included sleeping in Heathrow airport and on park benches for several nights and pretending to be a Jehovah’s Witness so that his bosses in MI5 would let them marry.

    In 2002 Scotland Yard and the FBI organized a sting operation. First, the FBI bugged the phone of the American psychologist’s parents. Her mother told Hendy-Freegard she would hand over £10,000 but only in person. Hendy-Freegard met the mother in Heathrow airport where police apprehended him. He denied all charges and claimed they were part of a conspiracy against him and continued this story in the subsequent trial. On June 23, 2005, after an eight month trial, Blackfriars Crown Court convicted Robert Hendy-Freegard for two counts of kidnapping, 10 of theft and 8 of deception. On September 6, 2005 he was given a life sentence. Police doubt that they have discovered all the victims. On April 25, 2007, the BBC reported that Robert Hendy-Freegard had appealed against his kidnapping convictions and won. This means that the life sentence is revoked but he will still serve nine years for the other offences. He could be free by the end of 2007.

    10. Bernard Cornfeld [Born: 1927; Died: 1995]

    220Px-Cornfeld

    Bernard Cornfeld was a prominent businessman and international financier who sold investments in US mutual funds. He was born in Turkey. When he moved to the US, he first worked as a social worker but became a mutual fund salesman in the 1950s. Although he suffered from a stammer, he had a natural gift for selling and when a schoolfriend’s father died, the two of them used the $3,000 insurance money to purchase and run an age and weight guessing stand at the Coney Island funfair.

    In the 1960s, Cornfeld formed his own mutual fund selling company, Investors Overseas Services (IOS), which he incorporated outside the US with funds in Canada and headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Although the headquarters were offcially in Geneva, the main operational offices of IOS were in Ferney-Voltaire, France, a short drive from the Swiss border to Geneva—this was simply a means of avoiding the problems of obtaining Swiss work-permits for the many employees. During the next ten years, IOS raised in excess of $2.5 billion, bringing Cornfeld a personal fortune of more than $100 million. Cornfeld himself became known for conspicuous consumption with lavish parties. Socially, he was generous and jovial.

    A group of 300 IOS employees complained to the Swiss authorities that Cornfeld and his co-founders pocketed part of the proceeds of a share issue raised among employees in 1969. Consequently he was charged with fraud in 1973 by the Swiss authorities. When Cornfeld visited Geneva, Swiss authorities arrested him. He served 11 months in a Swiss jail before being freed on a bail surety of $600,000. He returned to Beverly Hills, living less ostentatiously than in his previous years. He developed an obsession for health foods and vitamins, renounced red meat and seldom drank alcohol. He suffered a stroke and died of a cerebral aneurysm on 27th February 1995 in London, England.

    Top 10 Famous Con Men - Listverse
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam-...98399986981403

  2. #477
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    Re: Cut and paste snippets about scams.

    Some good tips on the link below, thought I would put up a few tips for Cyber Mondyay, along with a not so subtle hint if anyone has me in the secret Santa.

    Cyber Monday Shopping Tips
    November 27, 2013
    by
    Aditi Jhaveri
    Consumer Education Specialist, FTC

    Forget the turkey — are you craving some Cyber Monday deals? A little research can help you get the best deal and avoid hassles. Here are some tips to help you save some money and protect your financial information.

    Read reviews. Type the name of the product or company into a search engine along with words like “review,” “complaint,” or “scam.” Be sure to read a few reviews — don’t rely on just one source.
    Look for coupon codes. Search the store’s name with terms like “coupons,” “discounts,” or “free shipping.”
    Know the terms. Find out what the refund/exchange policies are, and if there are any charges (like shipping costs or restocking fees) if you return a product.
    Pay by credit card. Credit cards give you protections that other methods of payment may not. If there’s a problem, you have the right to dispute charges and temporarily withhold payment while your dispute is investigated.
    Use secure checkout. Before you enter your credit card information online, check that the website address starts with “https”. The “s” stands for secure. If you don’t see the “s,” don’t enter your information.

    Cyber Monday Shopping Tips | OnGuard Online

    Capture.JPG

    ================================================

    What Not To Do
    Don’t send money to someone you don’t know.

    Not an online seller you’ve never heard of — nor an online love interest who asks for money. It’s best to do business with sites you know and trust. If you buy items through an online auction, consider using an option that provides protection, like a credit card.

    If you think you’ve found a good deal, but you aren’t familiar with the company, do some research. Type the company or product name into your favorite search engine with terms like “review,” “complaint” or “scam.” See what comes up – on the first page of results as well as on the later pages.

    Never pay fees now for the promise of a big pay-off later — whether it’s for a loan, a job, or a so-called prize.
    Don’t agree to deposit a check and wire money back.

    No matter how convincing the story. By law, banks have to make funds from deposited checks available within days, but uncovering a fake check can take weeks. You’re responsible for the checks you deposit: If a check turns out to be a fake, you’re responsible for paying back the bank.
    Don’t reply to messages asking for personal or financial information.

    That goes whether the message comes as an email, a phone call, a text message, or an ad. Don’t click on links or call phone numbers included in the message, either. It’s called phishing. The crooks behind these messages are trying to trick you into revealing sensitive information. If you got a message like this and you are concerned about your account status, call the number on your credit or debit card — or your statement — and check on it.
    Don’t play a foreign lottery.

    It’s illegal to play a foreign lottery. And yet messages that tout your chances of winning a foreign lottery, or messages that claim you’ve already won can be so tempting. Inevitably, you’re asked to pay “taxes,” “fees,” or “customs duties” to collect your prize. If you send money to collect, you haven’t won anything. Indeed, you’ve lost whatever money you sent. You won’t get any money back

    Avoiding Online Scams | OnGuard Online
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam-...98399986981403

  3. #478
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    Re: Cut and paste snippets about scams.

    More than 30,000 mainland investors are believed to have been cheated of a combined HK$750 million in an alleged pyramid scheme run by a company in Hung Hom, police sources say.

    Officers raided an office on Wednesday and arrested five people, including an American.

    Documents and computer records seized suggest a pyramid scheme that, if confirmed, will be the largest the force has uncovered in recent years, according to police data from 2010.

    Investigations found the company targeted mainlanders and turned away Hongkongers, a police source said.

    Investors were lured with the promise of lucrative returns and told the company had investments in information technology in various countries and plans for a public listing, the source said.

    "Initial investigations showed each of them was required to pay a HK$25,000 membership fee to join the company, which in return would give them lucrative dividends when the firm was listed on a stock market," he said.


    They were also asked to introduce relatives and friends to join the scheme so that they themselves could generate more earnings, he added.


    The Commercial Crime Bureau began looking into the company after more than 400 potential investors queued outside the office on Metropolis Drive on October 31 to join the scheme.

    Bureau officers moved in a week later, picking up four local employees and the American, 53, on suspicion of breaching the Pyramid Schemes Prohibition Ordinance. They also seized HK$180,000 in cash.

    The American is understood to be from another firm. Investigators are checking if the two companies are linked and are searching for executives of the Hung Hom office.

    Another police source said the victims involved in the alleged scam were estimated to number in the tens of thousands.

    "We are checking the total amount [of people] involved and … how long the company had been in operation," he said.

    In December 2011, the Legislative Council passed a bill clarifying the definition of and prohibiting pyramid schemes.

    The ordinance took effect in 2012, with stiff penalties for anyone who tried to recruit others to join such a scheme. Offenders face up to seven years' jail and a HK$1 million fine. Courts are also empowered to order perpetrators to compensate victims.

    In pyramid schemes, participants have to pay membership fees and must recruit more members to profit. Any reward is entirely or substantially based on the expansion of the membership network, and any product or service offered has no real value. The scheme crashes when organisers abscond with the money.

    But the law still allows multilevel marketing operations under clauses that permit direct marketing. Genuine multilevel marketing involves the sale of a legitimate product or service, such as insurance. Salespeople receive a share of the sales achieved by the people they recruit.

    In the first half of the year, police received one complaint of pyramid selling involving HK$19 million. Last year, the force handled two complaints that involved a total of HK$45 million.

    Yesterday, the five suspects were being held for questioning and none had been charged.

    Police are appealing to anyone who may have conducted business dealings with the firm to contact officers on 2860 5012.

    According to the company's website, it was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in the United States. It also has an office in Taiwan. It says the company provides unique cloud-based internet productivity and communications applications.

    Police have issued the following warnings to the public: beware of get-rich-quick schemes; beware of anything that sounds too good to be true; and ignore persuasion and implied threats.

    Tens of thousands snared in HK$750m alleged pyramid scheme | South China Morning Post
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam-...98399986981403

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    Re: Cut and paste snippets about scams.

    Almost 700 domains have been seized and taken offline after European and US authorities worked together to identify and remove fraudulent sites from the web.

    I am not exactly the most computer savvy person, but I do like Scamadviser.com | check a website for risk | check if dodgey | check is a website s |check website is fake or a scam. Things like hidden ownership, dangerous locations, short duration of site, unsecure check out (no HTTPS), fake security tags- which will show as images rather than URLs are all red flags.

    Stuff that seems to be selling for way less than on Amazon, Overstock, Ebay, etc. are always cause for concern.

    In total 690 domains were seized under the 'In Our Sites – Transatlantic 3’ operation, which saw co-operation between 10 law enforcement agencies across eight countries. It brings the total number of domains seized since the operation began to 2,550.

    The effort was led by Europol member states Belgium, Denmark, France, Hungary, Romania, Spain and the UK, and the US Homeland Security Investigations team. In the US 297 domains were seized while in Europe the number reached 393. Hong Kong authorities were also involved.

    The domains hosted fraudulent sites that duped web users into buying counterfeit goods or failed to deliver promised items, and could often steal financial data provided as well. Europol director Rob Wainwright said the action proved the value of cross-agency teamwork.

    “This operation is another good example of how transatlantic law enforcement co-operation works. It sends a signal to criminals that they should not feel safe anywhere,” he said.

    “Unfortunately the economic downturn has meant that disposable income has gone down, which may tempt more people to buy products for prices that are too good to be true. Consumers should realise that by buying these products they risk supporting organised crime.”

    The sites that have been seized now present a takedown notice to web users informing them that the site has been removed. Acting director of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) division John Sandweg said web users must be aware of the risks that many online sites pose.

    “Counterfeiters take advantage of the holiday spirit of shoppers around the world and sell cheap fakes to unsuspecting consumers everywhere,” he said.

    “Consumers need to protect themselves, their families, and their personal financial information from the criminal networks operating these bogus sites.”

    Almost 700 domains seized in online fraud crackdown - IT News from V3.co.uk
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam-...98399986981403

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    Re: Cut and paste snippets about scams.

    Scam Alert -- How Fake Shipping Notifications are Fooling Holiday Shoppers
    December 05, 2013

    Scammers are taking advantage of the holiday shopping season with fake email shipping notifications that pose as FedEx, UPS or the United States Postal Service. This Cyber Monday,don't let these scams fool you into opening a virus on your computer.



    How the Scam Works:



    You receive an email message that appears to be a shipping notification for a package. You've been doing your holiday shopping online, so you figure it must be something you've ordered. Curious, you open the email and attachment.

    When you click on the file, you find that it isn't a tracking notification after all. It's really a virus that will download to your computer. Typically, these viruses phish for personal and banking information on your machine. But the FBI recently warned about the resurgence of a type of virus called "ransomware." Once downloaded, this virus will lock your computer and urge you to pay a ransom to the scammer responsible.

    Like all scams, this one has many variations. Scammers have posed as FedEx, UPS, USPS and even big online retailers, like Amazon. They also change up the email content. A common version of this scam is a fake delivery failure notification. Scammers claim the attached virus is the receipt you need to collect your package from the local office.

    Tips to Avoid Email Scams:

    Spot common email scams by following these tips:

    Don't believe what you see. Scammers make emails appear to come from a reputable source. Just because it looks like an "@ups.com" address does not mean it's safe.

    Be wary of unexpected emails that contain links or attachments. As always, do not click on links or open the files in unfamiliar emails.
    Beware of pop-ups. Some pop-ups are designed to look like they've originated from your computer. If you see a pop-up that looks like an anti-virus software but warns of a problem that needs to be fixed with an extreme level of urgency, it may be a scam.
    Watch for poor grammar and spelling. Scam emails often are riddled with typos.
    Immediate action is necessary. Scam emails try to get you to act before you think by creating a sense of urgency. Don't fall for it.

    For More Information

    For more information about scams, see BBB's Scam Stopper. Check out FedEx and UPS websites for more information about fake shipping emails and examples of typical scams.

    Note: FedEx and UPS are BBB Accredited Businesses.

    Scam Alert -- How Fake Shipping Notifications are Fooling Holiday Shoppers
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam-...98399986981403

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    Re: Cut and paste snippets about scams.

    BBB’s 12 Scams of Christmas
    Posted on December 4, 2013 by Delta News Web

    Anchorage, Alaska – Dec. 4, 2013 – Better Business Bureau serving Alaska, Oregon and Western Washington warns about common holiday scams and frauds:

    1) Malware E-cards: Viruses and malware often travel in fraudulent holiday email cards. Don’t click on links or download attachments in unsolicited emails.

    2) Stranded Grandkids: It’s the classic grandparent scam—verify identities before wiring money out of the country.

    3) Counterfeit Gifts: Low prices on luxury goods almost always mean cheap counterfeits; purchase products from legitimate retailers and avoid too-good-to-be-true prices.

    4) Pickpockets: Keep purses and wallets secure when shopping and avoid setting down bags while waiting in lines.

    5) Stolen Gift Cards: Only purchase gift cards from reputable dealers, not online or from individuals to avoid common gift card frauds.

    6) Fake Coupons: Be cautious when downloading digital coupons and be wary of sites that require personal information.

    7) Santa Scammers: What could be more jolly than a letter from Santa addressed directly to your child? Make sure sites are real and not gathering data for identity theft purposes.

    8) Fake Charities: Charities count on end-of-the-year giving, but be careful of scammers that set up fake charities with similar sounding names.

    9) Bogus Websites: It’s easy to mimic real websites. Navigate to legitimate retailers through verified channels.

    10) Travel Scams: With busy holiday travel, bargains may be tempting. Be cautious when booking through online ads and never wire money to persons unknown.

    11) Romance Scams: Everyone wants a special someone under the mistletoe, so holidays are a prime time for scams. Be careful with online sweethearts who get cozy too fast or ask for money.

    12) Puppy Scams: Be very careful buying pets online, especially at the holidays.

    It’s not just Santa that’s watching this time of year, scammers and thieves are too. Check with BBB for tips and advice on all kinds of holiday shopping.

    Don’t be a Scrooge; visit BBB’s News Center year-round for updates on local scams.

    BBB’s 12 Scams of Christmas | Delta News Web
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam-...98399986981403

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    Re: Cut and paste snippets about scams.

    Great going here Ribshaw!!! I have seen a lot of these pop up in my email but have not had much time to spread the word or investigate. There are still people out there that get fooled by these scams and the more public exposure, the better. I just saw a new on on FB called GAS (Global All Share). Then here is one from a guy who joined my FB group to advertise and I deleted him after a couple of long messages.

    Steve Czach (who says he is only trying to help people) -

    well, payza hosed everyone, and will make dealing with Feeder Matrix difficult, it seems. Here is a 2 buck similar deal, that takes paypal ........ hope this helps some peeps :)
    earnearn
    Don't get ripped off!! Stay informed!

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    McLEAN, Va. (AP) — U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson of Florida lost $18 million in a scheme that cheated him and about 120 other investors out of more than $35 million, according to court papers.

    The Virginia man who ran the scheme, William Dean Chapman, was sentenced Friday in federal court to 12 years in prison. Prosecutors say Chapman used the money to fund a lavish lifestyle including a Lamborghini, a Ferrari and a $3 million home.

    In most of the court papers, Grayson's identity is protected — prosecutors say only that an elected official with the initials A.G. was the primary victim — but documents twice mention Grayson by name. The Democratic congressman on Monday confirmed he is the A.G. mentioned in the documents.

    Nothing in the court papers suggests Grayson was anything but a victim of the scheme. Grayson, a former trial attorney, said he has had a long record for picking winning stocks, which formed the basis for his personal fortune.

    The scheme worked like this: clients would turn over their stocks to Chapman as collateral for a loan, and Chapman would let customers borrow about 90 percent of the stocks' value.

    If the stocks did badly, borrowers could walk away and keep the money they were loaned. But if the borrowers' stocks did well, they would repay the loan with interest, and Chapman was supposed to return the stocks to the investor at their increased value.

    But, according to court papers, Chapman sold the stocks and had no way to fulfill his obligations if a client's stock portfolio did well.

    "That's why (Chapman) is going to prison for a long, long time," Grayson said. "At least in the end, some kind of justice was served."

    In Grayson's case, his stocks performed astronomically well while they were entrusted to Chapman and his company, Alexander Capital Markets.

    Lawyers for Chapman said it was the strength of Grayson's stocks that caused Chapman's scheme to crumble. Chapman and Grayson negotiated a payment plan, according to court records, but it was not enough to keep Chapman's positions from collapsing.

    "Because the return on A.G.'s commodities investments were so astronomical, ACM could not meet its obligations under the loan agreements," defense lawyer Whitney Minter wrote.

    In 2007, Grayson had $9.35 million in a stock portfolio that Chapman was supposed to be holding as collateral. In that year alone, the portfolio's value increased by 147 percent, to $23 million, according to a chart in the court documents.

    Chapman's lawyer did not immediately return a call. Chapman, of Sterling, Va., pleaded guilty in May but tried at Friday's sentencing hearing to withdraw the plea, saying he felt pressured to plead and that he never intended to defraud.

    It is not the first time Grayson, who represents parts of the Orlando area, has lost tens of millions of dollars in a fraud scheme. In 2009, he won a $34 million judgment after filing a lawsuit in South Carolina under federal racketeering laws against a company called Derivium Capital. Derivium's business plan for hedging an investor's stock profile was nearly identical to the plan outline by Chapman.

    Grayson said he first entered into deals with Chapman in 2003, well before the deal with Derivium went south, so he had no reason to be suspicious of the arrangement.

    And he said the loans themselves were a perfectly reasonable way to manage his portfolio, but relied on Chapman and Derivium to hold up their end of the bargain. He disputed that the astronomical returns to which he was entitled caused Chapman's downfall.

    "If they had not sold the collateral, it all would have worked," said Grayson, who is generally listed as one of the 20 wealthiest members of Congress with assets of more than $20 million. His financial disclosure forms list holdings in dozens of stocks. His dealings with Chapman preceded his time in Congress, which began in 2009.

    Court records indicate Chapman's firm was drawing regulatory scrutiny as early as 2007.

    Grayson also expressed concern that his identity as a victim was not protected by the court file, and that a defense motion and an attachment to a prosecution motion both identified him by name despite procedures that are supposed to be in place to protect victims' privacy.

    "I think that's unfortunate," Grayson said. "They should have been more careful, should have used my initials throughout rather than using my name."

    Before he was elected to Congress, Grayson practiced law and was best known for winning a major whistleblower lawsuit exposing fraud on a government contract in Iraq.

    In the House, he is known as one the most sharp-tongued critics of Republicans, once famously summarizing Republican's health care plans as little more than wanting sick people to "die quickly."

    Alan Grayson Lost $18 Million In Investment Fraud Scheme
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam-...98399986981403

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    Billion-Dollar Investment Fraud
    Undercover Agents Uncover the Scheme

    12/06/13

    Silhouette of peopleFor a group of financial fraudsters, it seemed like the ultimate get in an investment scam—a victim willing to hand over $1 billion.

    However, like victims of financial scams everywhere, these criminals should have paid more attention to the “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” adage—the wealthy “victim” in this case was actually an undercover FBI agent. And last month, the last three members of this group of con artists were sentenced to federal prison for their role in this scam. Several co-conspirators have previously pled guilty.

    Beginning in 2005, the two-year undercover operation named Collateral Monte took leads from previous complaints, victim referrals, cooperating witnesses, and information from regulatory agencies and specifically targeted criminals who lured potential victims with offers of substantial returns on investments with little or no risk (also known as high-yield investment programs). And because the Orange County, California area served as an ideal backdrop for wealthy victim-investors, it was there that we set up a bogus financial advisory company purportedly to invest money from wealthy residents, including doctors and retirees. Our “company,” however, never interacted with actual investors…just suspected con men.


    Avoiding Investment Fraud

    · Think before you invest in anything, and be wary of any investment scheme that offers unusually high yields.

    · Beware of investments that use specific names like “Prime Bank Guarantees,” “Prime Bank Debenture Programs,” “Medium Term Note Trading Programs,” and “Roll Programs”—none of these are legitimate financial instruments.

    · Be wary if you’re told that the financial instrument is issued, traded, or guaranteed by a well-known organization such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the U.S. Federal Reserve, or the International Chamber of Commerce

    · Perform due diligence. Independently verify the identity of the people involved, the veracity of the deal, and the existence of the security in which you plan to invest.

    · Be wary of business deals that require non-disclosure or non-circumvention agreements that are designed to prevent you from independently verifying information about the investment.


    This particular case got underway with an Internet posting from an individual claiming he had access to a “private placement program” where the funds were guaranteed by the Federal Reserve Bank (the Fed), that a $10 million investment would return $100 million after 50 weeks, and that he also had access to other private placement programs with greater return rates but required higher minimum investments.

    We e-mailed the author of the posting and said we had a potential investor interested in the offer. Over the next few months, the scam’s operators appeared to be working directly out of the high-yield investment scam playbook—our investor was first introduced to some lower-level players whose job was to basically vet potential investors to ensure they actually had the money they claimed. Eventually, members of our undercover team were introduced to others higher up the chain with official-sounding titles: Fed trade administrator, compliance officer, underwriter, banking expert, bank liaison, and trader.

    The scheme, which offered international investment opportunities through the trading of bank securities, gradually progressed to its ultimate goal—to gain control of all or a portion of the victim’s money.

    And along the way, our undercover “investor” was told various lies by the scammers, including:

    Only a privileged few were invited to participate in these types of investment opportunities and there were only a few traders in the world authorized to offer them.
    The investment program was regulated by the Federal Reserve Bank, had to follow strict federal guidelines, and was overseen by a Fed trade administrator and Fed compliance officer.
    The investment’s extraordinary rates of return were the result of conducting multiple trades in rapid succession.
    One of the primary reasons these trading programs existed was to generate funds for humanitarian purposes and that a portion of the investor’s profits must be used towards that end.

    By October 2008, we had enough evidence—e-mails, phone calls, in-person meetings, etc.—to get a criminal indictment against eight co-conspirators. And by going after these criminals proactively, we were able to stop them before they harmed actual victims.

    FBI — Billion-Dollar Investment Fraud
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam-...98399986981403

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    SPAMMER ae@e.ae.com (American Eagle Outfitters)

    So I got 3X emails from this address today. First off there is enough gravy on my shirts to feed a small family, AEO, Abercrombie, don't think so Super K perhaps I would click. At first I thought it was phishing or malware, but the more I look at it, good old fashioned spam. I won't post the link here, cause pay me if you want that kind of service!!! They are having a contest, so that checks.

    I found this link from a few years ago, looks like a pattern. American Eagle Outfitters: Selling Clothes to a Spamtrap » MainSleaze

    This site is registered to at the same address as SpamAmerica Outfitters.

    Here is a link to the URL Scamadviser.com | check a website for risk | check if dodgey | check is a website s |check website is fake or a scam

    So probably on the up and up, but very dangerous these days to click any random emails. (And don't take my word for it please, my computer skills are limited, and I have received actual phishing emails that are more appealing.)




    AE.JPG

    American Eagle Outfitters <ae@e.ae.com

    AE-1.JPG

    AE-2.JPG
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam-...98399986981403

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    Ribshaw, maybe others to read some of this (hopefully) all of it but I needed a place to post this. This guy has me on his mailing list and I have reported as scam but I keep getting them. What is this Read2Learn and how did I get selected for emails?

    SEO Alchemy
    Fiverr.com/seo_alchemy

    For $5, he'll provide you with high quality contextual
    links within PDF documents! These documents will include
    images which will be syndicated to high PR document
    sharing sites.


    Software The Freelancers Use:

    The cost will start to add up fast if you continuously pay
    $5 for social bookmarking, article submissions, link
    pyramids, and now PDF submissions. Keep in mind
    that you need to build these backlinks daily.

    If you use the software below correctly, then it's like having
    20 SEO experts working for you 24/7/365..

    SEnuke
    Magic Submitter
    Backlink Beast

    Get started on this right now! If you don't want to manually
    submit your documents or learn the software, then just hire the
    freelancer for $5.

    Keep a look out for SEO tip #5...


    Read2Learn.net
    -Kent Mauresmo
    Don't get ripped off!! Stay informed!

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    Re: Cut and paste snippets about scams.

    Quote Originally Posted by scratchycat View Post
    [COLOR="#006400"]Read2Learn.net
    -Kent Mauresmo
    Hey Scratchy, internet marketing is not really my thing so I have no way of really knowing 4 sure. But a guess, Kent Mauresmo has a book, and a few more things on Amazon. Around $5 on Amazon and the reviews are decent, although quite a few are the only review these people have written. Not to be too suspicious, but this always makes me a little suspicious so I would discard those. The read to learn blog is $0.99 per month on Kindle, but no reviews. On the second link, he reviews his own book. Of course I would give my own posts a thumbs up if I could, so there you go on that.

    On the surface the prices for his stuff seems reasonable if you get straight information and are not being subjected to a bunch of up-sells on the back end. As for the methods actually driving traffic to a website, I am completely unqualified to comment. But when I find pages full of google discussions, I can venture a guess.

    Product Reviews: How To Build a Website With WordPress...Fast! (2nd Edition - Read2Learn Guides) (Volume 2): Amazon.com

    How To Build A Website With Wordpress...Fast! (Read2Learn Guides) by Kent Mauresmo

    Capture.JPGCapture1.JPG

    The magic submitter is fairly ubiquitous in a google search, with all the suspect type postings.

    Magic Submitter.jpg

    Here is a discussion of Backlink Beast. The opinion seems to be meh..

    Backlink Beast anyone?


    One other thought I have to conclude my post is on Kindle there are a ton of books that come on line every day for free. I prefer the money stuff, but am guessing it one were to hunt a little they could find some good discussion on SEO for nada.
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam-...98399986981403

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    My gift to all the good readers and posters at Real Scam.

    Trick$ of the Trade: Outsmarting Investment Fraud
    An Hour-Long Documentary on Preventing Investment Fraud

    Order a free DVD copy of this documentary, as seen on public television stations nationwide:

    Online
    By phone: (866) 973-4672

    - See more at: Fraud Center - Tricks of the Trade: Outsmarting Investment Fraud - SaveAndInvest.org

    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam-...98399986981403

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    Re: Cut and paste snippets about scams.

    SCAMMER Sgt Jason H. Kane <urgent05@officemail976.onmicrosoft.com>

    Subject: Need Your Asistance Please!
    To: Recipients <urgent05@officemail976.onmicrosoft.com>


    Good day my dear Friend, My name is Sergeant Jason H .Kane, a US Army serving in the 3rd Infantry Division in Iraq. Now in Afghanistan I want you to kindly read this mail carefully to your understanding. In 2003, my Men and I found over $900 Million US Dollar in Saddam Hussein's hideout in Baghdad, we sent some back to the Iraq Government after counting it in a Classified Location, but we also kept some behind for ourselves. Some of the money we shared among ourselves worth over $200 Million, I kept my own share for a while in a Secured Place. Am only contacting you because, I need someone to help me receive the Funds, since I have found a secured way of getting the package out of Iraq for someone to pick up through the help of a Red Cross Society or pilots that enjoy some immunities with us while in Iraq. I do not know how long I will remain here as my Mission is still uncompleted yet, but I know this was Pure Divine Intervention from God. Understand that, I really need someone I could trust, since i have already lost a Box of Gold to someone in Europe who said he will help me out. I won't like to make the same mistake again; the total amount of money is $7.5 (Seven Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars). I am willing to entrust this Funds in your care till i complete my Mission and come over to meet with you for subsequent sharing and investment projects.

    KINDLY VIEW THE LINK BELOW TO CONFIRM MY STATEMENT

    WWW. ALL-LINKS-REMOVED-AS-A-SCAMMER-LINKING-ACTUAL-NEWS-STORIES-IS-LAME.COM



    If you can handle this deal, kindly contact me via sgtjason1995@gmail.com immediately. Be informed that 20% of the total Funds will be for you as compensation, all you need to do is to find a Safe Place where you can keep the Box till I leave Afghanistan. Hope to hear from you soon, Best regards, Sgt Jason H. Kane
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam-...98399986981403

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    This is obviously a MASSIVE BREACH of DATA. And it is hard to day what is really out there. The ONLY contact method I would recommend using is the number on the back of your card. Physically check and use the 800 number. (If you previously have an online account, alerts etc, that is probably good) But if you get an alert or a call, I would still go to the card and use that number.

    One more thing(s) since it is the end of the year and we are all rushing to get crap done. This is the time of year to request your 3 credit bureau reports, this can be done for FREE at https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action.

    As previously mentioned before, a credit freeze is one of the few ways to slow these scumbags down in stealing your identity.

    Finally, good time to change the batteries in your smoke detectors. Otherwise you will have a random beeping at some point in the year, usually in the middle of the night, and what a hassle.



    On Thursday, Target TGT +0.55% announced that 40 million credit and debit card accounts had been compromised by a security breach — but it took less than 24 hours for fraudsters to try to profit from the confusion. With scams coming from all directions, who can we trust?

    Many consumers received an email that seemed to be from Target — in fact the text was identical to the message the retailer posted on its site — but upon closer inspection it appears to be a phishing scam designed to fleece more consumers of their personal information. The hackers sent an email that mimicked Target’s warning to customers about the credit-card breach letting them know what they could do to request a security freeze on their accounts. But while the real Target message contained legitimate links to the credit bureaus’ websites, as well as to the FTC, the links in the scam email, while they look legitimate on the surface, were not. (Also see: Target’s PR nightmare: Customer-service gridlock )

    It’s a trend, experts say, that’s become commonplace: a major event garners the public’s attention, and the scammers swoop in to trick the public. “It’s not surprising that there was a scam email right on the heels of [the Target breach],” says Ed Barrett, the vice president of marketing and channel sales for digital security firm SecurityCoverage. “Many of these bad guys are smart and understand that when people are concerned, you have their attention and they might do what you ask.” Indeed, email and other scams designed to fleece consumers of financial and personal information also often happen after natural disasters — after the Philippines typhoon, dozens of email scams to get consumers to donate to fake causes popped up — says Miranda Perry, writer from online complaint forum ScamBook.com.
    Close

    What’s more, the holidays are a popular time for scams, says James Crompton, an analyst at research firm IbisWorld. These scams include emails that seem to be electronic holiday cards but when clicked install malware on your computer, as well as emails promoting fake charities and package delivery alerts — all of them trying in one way or another to extract personal and financial information from consumers. And that’s just the beginning: “The reality is that the fraud underground is a whole industry, and they’re collaborating more than ever,” says Angel Grant, the senior manager of fraud solutions for RSA, the security division of global IT firm EMC.

    Naturally, these kinds of scams make many consumers wonder who they can trust. And the answer to that may be: no one — especially when it comes to email. “Never trust those emails even if they seem to be from a reputable company like Facebook or LinkedIn,”says Barrett. “Don’t click on any of the links.” Instead, Barrett says, you should go directly to the company website or call the number (not the one from the email, the one from the company website) to verify the information in the email. Crompton says that some of the warning signs you can look for when going through your email are strange email addresses (if the email is supposed to be from Target, for example, the email address should typically have “target.com” after the @ sign), introductions that say “dear guest” or “dear sir” or something like that (usually, when companies email you, they have your first name and will include that) and emails that say things like “we noticed you changed your password or address” when you didn’t.
    Click to Play
    Target faces backlash after breach

    Steven Russolillo and Sara germano discuss the Target security breach, and Matt Day looks at gold markets.

    You also can’t fully trust — as the dozens of recent security breaches show — companies to keep your information safe, either on their websites or in their stores, though there are steps you can take to minimize your risk. (Barrett points out, the large retailers do a pretty good job of keeping your data secure, there just “isn’t any solution that’s 100% safe.”). While it’s annoying, Barrett recommends that consumers have a unique and complex password — letters, numbers and symbols of at least 10 characters are best — for each of their accounts, be it email or a retailer login (to help keep track of them, you can use a secure password manager program). This way, if a hacker gets into one account, he likely won’t be able to access all your other accounts. He also recommends that you do at least a yearly monitor of your credit report (go to AnnualCreditReport.com for a free one every year) and looking through your credit card, debit card and bank account records line by line each month. Crompton says that you should also look for the lock symbol in the URL box on your web browser, as this indicates a high level of security from a retailer.

    You’re also mostly better off using credit cards than debit cards when it comes to security. For the most part, credit card companies only make cardholders pay up to $50 (and often nothing at all) when there are fraudulent charges on the account, but the debit card is tied directly to a consumers’ bank account and consumers often have to jump through more hoops to get the bank to refund the cash that was illegally taken. Grant says that to even further protect yourself, call your bank and ask it to put a daily limit on the amount you can spend on your cards — this way, even if the data is compromised, you might be able to limit risk. Or, she says, consider using prepaid cards.

    Email

    Target.JPG
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam-...98399986981403

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    SCAMMER support.7@jonesday.com

    A friend of mine got this email, actually not this one, but one just like it. This comes in a ZIP file. Like a first date, if you unzip you will likely be sorry. Best guess is this is a virus. If you had an actual court appearance you would very likely be served in person never email. As an added twist, Jones Day is a real firm, but this aint them.

    Hearing of your case in Court NR#6976" spam
    I've had quite a few spams with a similar payload to this that I can't even Unzip. Go figure. But this one is an interesting variation.

    Date: Mon, 23 Dec 2013 10:05:38 -0500 [10:05:38 EST]
    From: Notice to Appear [support.6@jonesday.com]
    Subject: Hearing of your case in Court NR#6976

    Notice to Appear,
    Hereby you are notified that you have been scheduled to appear for
    your hearing that
    will take place in the court of Washington in January 9, 2014 at 10:00
    am.
    Please bring all documents and witnesses relating to this case with
    you to Court on your hearing date.
    The copy of the court notice is attached to this letter.
    Please, read it thoroughly.
    Note: If you do not attend the hearing the judge may hear the case in
    your absence.
    Yours truly,
    Alison Smith
    Clerk to the Court.

    There is an attachment Court_Notice_Jones_Day_Wa#8127.zip which in turn contains an executable Court_Notice_Jones_Day_Washington.exe which is presumably malicious, but I can't analyse it. The VirusTotal detection rate for the ZIP is 4/49.

    Dynamoo's Blog: "Hearing of your case in Court NR#6976" spam

    ================================================== =============

    On a related scam note, there are quite a few calls, emails and the like going around that claim you missed jury duty, did not pay a speeding ticket, have an arrest warrant, etc... The solution offered is to wire someone money, this of course is a scam. If there is really a warrant for your arrest, they will come get you, when you are blinded by the flashbang and your eyes start to water from pepper spray, you can be reasonably certain it is not a scam.
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam-...98399986981403

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    SCAMMER/SPAMMER pam <noreply@zorpia.com>

    Rather weird and I am no techie, but Andy Chris whatever added me to GoogleCircles this morning.

    next door nickiII.JPG

    She also happens to be Next Door Nikki, if you happen to live next door to a brothel that is.

    next door nicki.JPG

    Then I got two private messages from Pam at Zorpia, and this is where I think it all comes together, this looks like a massive spam campaign. Any contacts in this particular email is a certified scammers, so what do I care if they get a bunch of spam and viruses, I DON'T. But if you get a similar, the two forums below lead me to believe "Pam" is not worth your trouble.

    Zorpia.JPG
    Zorpia1.JPG
    Zorpia12.JPG

    Google Groups

    Hong Kong's Zorpia: Is This a Real Social Network or Just a Spammer?

    For me, the question of whether Zorpia is a real social network has been more or less put to bed. For a ten-year-old social network, there are simply way too many “bugs” here, and almost all of these “bugs” seem to result in non-users getting messages aimed at tricking them into joining the network. If years of online complaints haven’t changed the company’s ways, it’s unlikely this article will be any different.

    So, unfortunately, I’ve got to say this: if you’re getting messages from Zorpia, your best bet is to click “mark as spam” and move on with your life. Zorpia, from what I can tell, is less a social network and more a mirage, an illusion designed to cajole and trick you into visiting so it can earn a few cents more from its ubiquitous advertisements. Abandon all hope, ye who enter here. This is social networking hell.
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam-...98399986981403

  18. #493
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    Re: Cut and paste snippets about scams.

    There was a newer article in this month's Money, but I could not find it. I won't lump all lawyers in a SCAM site, but a zealous one can certainly make your life miserable...

    We have homeowners and auto insurance with $300,000 in liability coverage, but someone suggested that we get a $1-million personal-liability umbrella policy. Why would we need this much coverage?

    "As long as you can earn a livelihood, you should have an umbrella liability policy,"says Mitch Freedman, a CPA and personal financial specialist in Westlake Village, Cal.

    He recommends that everyone have at least a $1-million umbrella policy to provide liability coverage beyond the limits of their auto- and homeowners-insurance policies -- even if they have less than $1 million in assets. That’s because in the rare event you are sued, you could be forced to pay a legal judgment from your current assets and future earnings. The policy can also pay for defense costs, which can quickly add up even if you win your case. It’s an inexpensive way to protect your finances from devastating lawsuits.
    Advertisement

    Freedman recommends getting more than $1 million in umbrella coverage if you earn more than $100,000 per year or have more than $1 million in assets. “Our clients get liability-insurance limits that are at least as much as their net worth,” he says. Daniel Morris, a CPA in San Jose, recommends at least a $2-million umbrella policy for most people, or a policy for $3 million to $5 million if you have rental property.

    The price varies by risk, but someone with one house and two cars would generally pay about $200 a year for the first $1 million in umbrella coverage and another $100 for the next $1 million, says Bill Howard, an independent insurance agent in Alexandria, Va.

    Umbrella policies are inexpensive because they kick in only after you’ve exhausted your liability coverage under your auto or homeowners policy. Most insurers first require you to have $300,000 or $500,000 in liability coverage on your car and home. For example, if you have $500,000 in liability insurance on your auto policy and a $1-million umbrella policy, you’ll have a total of $1.5 million in liability coverage.

    If you’re looking for extra cash to afford the umbrella policy, Howard recommends raising your auto- and homeowners-insurance deductibles. Boosting your deductible from $250 to $1,000 could reduce your annual premiums by hundreds of dollars, make you less likely to file small claims -- which could jeopardize a claims-free discount or could even get you dropped from your policy -- and still leave you with only $1,000 in out-of-pocket expenses for each claim. Then you can use the premium savings to boost your coverage by hundreds of thousands -- or millions -- of dollars.

    Got a question? Ask Kim at askkim@kiplinger.com.

    Read more at Kiplinger - Interstitial
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam-...98399986981403

  19. #494
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    Re: Cut and paste snippets about scams.

    This was an other thought I had somewhat related to the last post. ( I am sure I have posted similar before) Some homeowners policies offer an Identity Theft rider for much less than the independent plans. The benefits in many cases are less, but the cost often much less.

    In most cases, your homeowners or renters insurance will cover theft of cash up to $200 or credit cards up to $50, but some homeowners policies now include coverage for identity theft as well, Barry says. If identity theft insurance isn't included with your homeowners policy, it can often be added for about $25 to $50 per year.
    How does it work?

    Identity theft insurance will reimburse a policyholder for expenses incurred to restore his or her identity, up to the limits stated in the policy. Coverage limits can range from $10,000 to $1 million, according to Barnett.

    While such high limits may sound generous, it pays to scrutinize the coverage terms. "Informed consumers must look beyond the marketing claims of coverage of $10,000, $25,000 or even $1 million, and carefully read the fine print to understand the terms, conditions and exclusions," Barnett says.

    Read more: Do You Need Insurance For Identity Theft? | Bankrate.com
    Follow us: @Bankrate on Twitter | Bankrate on Facebook
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
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  20. #495
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    Re: Cut and paste snippets about scams.

    SCAMMER madela.donorfoundation@live.com ormaelineng1@hotmail.com

    You know who is going to email you and offer to give you $2,000,0000, NO-ONE EVER. Charities soliciting through HOTMAIL, save your money. Plenty of scammers jump on the band wagon every time there is a tragedy.



    Mandela.JPG
    Mandela2.JPG

    Please be advised that a fraudulent email scam has been brought to the attention of the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

    The poorly worded email from "Mrs Sarah Mandela, the grand daughter to Mr Nelson Mandela" congratulates the receiver as being one of ten lucky recipients of $US2-million.

    The email reads as follows:

    "Am Mrs.Sarah Mandela the Grand Daughter to Mr Nelson Mandela who passed away, before my Grand Dad passed away he instructed the Nelson Mandela Foundation to give out 20,000.000 Million US Dollars out to 10 Unknown individual around the world and not just South Africa, luckily you have been chosen to claim the sum of 2,000,000 Million Dollars.

    First i have to congratulate you for been among the 10 lucky once, also you should not use this money on drugs or bad means it should be used for your family and your community.You are to contact us back for further information on how you would claim your donation, and also my grand dad has been put to rest on the 15th Dec 2013 your respect to him would be appreciated and also get back to us with your information

    listed below for claim of donation."

    Please be advised that this is a scam. Please do not reply to the email, or provide your details to the sender.

    Public scams &ndash; Nelson Mandela Foundation

    If you are aware of any scams being perpetrated under the name of the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory or its Founder, please contact us on nmf@nelsonmandela.org.
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam-...98399986981403

  21. #496
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    Re: Cut and paste snippets about scams.

    Police probe Nigerian con artists after grandma arrested over drug bust


    POLICE are investigating whether Nigerian money scammers duped an elderly woman into bringing a huge cache of the drug ice into Melbourne.

    The woman, a 69-year-old German national, was arrested at Melbourne Airport on New Year's Day.

    She was allegedly carrying 2kg of methylamphetamine after jetting in from Hong Kong.

    The drugs, which were hidden in a suitcase, have a potential value of $2 million.

    They were detected by a passive alert dog working with an Australian Customs Service officer.

    The woman was later questioned and charged by Australian Federal Police agents with importation of a border-controlled drug and possession of a border-controlled drug and, if convicted, could face a long jail term.

    She remains behind bars on remand.

    A Nigerian man, aged in his 20s, was arrested in the city at about the same time as part of the investigation.

    The Herald Sun has been told that man had been living in Australia on a study visa.

    The woman is understood to have told investigators that she was used as a mule after being conned by Nigerian money scammers who had contacted her by email.

    She is due to appear in Melbourne Magistrates' Court later this month.

    The AFP declined to comment because of the court matters.

    The dangers of becoming involved with Nigerian scammers was highlighted last month in New Zealand.

    A 68-year-old man was arrested after being tricked into becoming a drug courier by expats from the African country.

    He had allegedly been convinced to fly to Papua New Guinea in early November in the belief he would receive a large amount of cash.

    But he flew out of Port Moresby five days later with 1.5kg of methamphetamine concealed in two bags and was arrested at Auckland Inter*-national Airport.

    Further investigations uncovered another two importations weighing a total of 1.2kg.

    Ten suspects have been arrested as part of the New Zealand probe.

    mark.buttler@news.com.au

    No Cookies | Herald Sun
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam-...98399986981403

  22. #497
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    Re: Cut and paste snippets about scams.

    This story sounds vaguely familiar to all the other click and win scams on the net.

    Sub Categories: » HOMEPAGE / ECONOMY/ BUSINESS

    Thursday,January 9 2014, Your time is 1:45:58 PM
    Hong Kong-based firm accused of fraud via Ponzi scheme in Turkey


    70 million Turkish Liras-worth web network was sold from a firm based in Hong Kong with a brand new Ponzi scheme. AFP photo
    A Hong Kong-based company has sold 70 million Turkish Liras-worth web network to 35,000 people within six months in Turkey using a new generation Ponzi scheme, which has been dubbed “fraud” by jurists.

    The company operating under Hong Kong firm Mega Holding sells website network packages at quadruple the product’s market price, offering customers to create a sale network to earn more money.

    The firm offers two package choices called Gold and Diamond at 700 and 2,000 liras with a year validation while the consumers could easily find those systems at around 160 liras in the market.

    When the buyers sell the website to other people, they earn $315 at the first stage and get shares from every sale these new customers and their customers, similar to a pyramid scheme.

    Mega Group Bilişim Chairman Mesut Öpengin has declined using the pyramid scheme, claiming the company they are affiliated with is a respectable company that has businesses across the world for 15 years.

    “The product of our company is a package. There is one domain, unlimited hosting, unlimited mail and unlimited traffic bandwidth,” he said.

    “We don’t have any relations with pyramid schemes,” he continued, adding the products are tagged just at market price.

    Website mask of fraud, jurists say

    However, legalists say the product is just a cover for the chain that is financed by the flow of money earned through including new customers into the system.

    Prof. Ünal Tekinalp, one of the architects of the new Turkish commercial code, called the practice “fraudulent.”

    “There is no place for it in the Commerce Law, because it is kind of a swindling,” he said.

    Lawyer Çağrı Çetin also said the website basis presented as the product aimed to mask the fraud.
    “Using information technology systems to commit [swindling] crimes constitutes major crime,” the lawyer stated.

    Turkey met with the Ponzi scheme in September 1997 with the “Titan” company. Hakan Kenan Şeranoğlu, who was previously a hairdresser in Germany, and his friend Vahit Gülal had established the scheme in Turkey’s western city of İzmir, collecting a total of 8.6 million liras from nearly 30,000 people. The founders and top executives of the system faced lengthy prison terms in 1998.

    BUSINESS - Hong Kong-based firm accused of fraud via Ponzi scheme in Turkey
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam-...98399986981403

  23. #498
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    Re: Cut and paste snippets about scams.

    SCAMMY SCAM SCAM. Looks like a phishing attempt, this came to a friend of mine. They also call and threaten to turn off your power, all hogwash. Keep the number of your utility company handy and call directly if you get this nonsense.

    SCAMMER <do_not_reply@glonass58.ru>
    Your Account Summary

    Amount Due on Previous Statement
    Payment(s) Recieved Since Last Statement

    Previous Unpaid Balance

    Current Electric Charges
    Current Gas Charges

    $344.70
    0.0

    $344.70

    $165.80
    49.20 To view your most recent statement, please click here You must log-in to your account or register for an online account to view your statement.


    FTC Warns of Utility Bill Scam That Asks for Payment via GreenDot, Paypal or Prepaid Gift Card | Federal Trade Commission

    FTC.JPG
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam-...98399986981403

  24. #499
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    Re: Cut and paste snippets about scams.

    Hmmm... that'd be this one:

    Mega Holdings
    ---
    A MLM Skeptic (not a Cynic) covering scams, critical thinking, and psychology
    http://amlmskeptic.blogspot.com

  25. #500
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    Re: Cut and paste snippets about scams.

    SCAMMER mrsroserobert112200@gmail.com

    > Date: Fri, 17 Jan 2014 18:18:27 +0100
    > Subject: Urgent Please
    > From: mrsroserobert112200@gmail.com
    > To:
    >
    > Urgent Please
    >
    > My name is Mrs Rose Robert, I have been surffering from Ovarian cancer
    > disease and the doctor says that i have just few days to leave.I am
    > from Belgium, but based in Burkina Faso,Africa since ten years ago as
    > a business woman dealing with cocoa exportation,now that i am about to
    > end the race like this,without any family members and no child.I have
    > $1 Million US DOLLARS in EcoBank here in Burkina Faso
    >
    > which i instructed the bank to give African union leaders to help sick
    > people around Africa.But my mind is not at rest because of that i am
    > writing thisletter now through the help of my Doctor beside me here in
    > my hospital room. I also have $3.1 Million US Dollars in Bank Of
    > Africa Burkina Faso,
    >
    > which i want you to claim from the bank and use it to help less
    > previledge people in your country,but you must assure me that you will
    > take only 40% of the total money and give the rest 60% to the
    > orphanage home in your country,
    >
    > for my heart to rest.Upon the receipt of your email that you are
    > willing and capable to execute my plan, i will instruct the bank
    > management to make an immediate transfer into your account. forther
    > more as soon as you receive the massge if you want to reply me i will
    > want you to reply me with your personal information and you will also
    > send me a copy id to forward to them that you are the person I am
    > willing my wealth;
    >
    > Sincerely,
    >
    > Mrs Rose Robert,
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam-...98399986981403

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