Public Service Announcements Keeping the public informed of what is wrong in the world

March 31, 2008

Halifax Fails To Shutdown Phishing Site

Filed under: News,Phishing — Tags: , — admin @ 2:08 pm

In the last couple of weeks there have been a handful of emails that have arrived in my inbox, requesting that I login in to “my” Halifax bank account (I double quote “my” as I don’t have an account with them) and update my details. The apparent reasons being that there have been updates and also that “my” account is unavailable, therefore me logging in will fix it (how does one login in to an inaccessable account?).

Of course, these emails haven’t been from the bank, rather from scammers that are out phishing for personal information (mother’s maiden name, address, passwords etc).

I have already mentioned that I don’t have an account with the Halifax but I am more than happy to forward any suspicious emails along to their security department. In fact, I will always forward phishing emails to any organisation that scammers are targeting, in the hope that they can be closed down as quick as possible. I would like to think most people will as well.

Time is of the essence when dealing with these phishing sites. The longer a site is allowed to stay on line, the more opportunities the scammer has to capture details of the unwitting customer who furnishes them with the information they are looking for.

As much as the shutting down of these phishing sites is a consumer of time and energy, it is the responsibility of the targeted organisation to have these pages removed from the Internet as soon as possible. In this instance, as a bank, Halifax should be protecting, if nothing else, the customers money. However, they are not looking after their account holders when they fail to shutdown a phishing site that has been online for over 48 hours.

Timeline

29 Mar 2008 11:35 – Phishing email arrived in my inbox
30 Mar 2008 02:12 – I checked email and forwarded it to Halifax security
30 Mar 2008 08:09 – I receive an automated reply from the bank
31 Mar 2008 15.00 – Phishing site still online

The scammer(s) have even hot-linked the images from halifax-online.co.uk, which is an easy situation to fix. Not that it would stop a phishing site but it does mean more work for the perpetrators of these crimes, in that they would have to download them all to create their pages.

Perhaps this lack of care comes from the fact that they (Halifax), have an online fraud guarantee. This guarantee fully reimburses people if they lose money through online fraud. However, someone has to pay for this and mostly likely the costs ultimately end up being passed on to the customers.

Come on Halifax, time to get your act together & clamp down on this issue.

March 30, 2008

Error Detected in Your Account Information (2) – Halifax Phishing Email

Filed under: Phishing — Tags: , , — admin @ 1:50 am

This old Halifax phishing email is doing the rounds again. Same M.O, different compromised domain:(http://www.prospectbar.com/site/administrator/components
/com_installer/temp/fax/fax/formslogin.htm)

If you receive a copy of this email, forward to: security@hbosplc.com

Below is a copy of the email content, FYI.

~~~

 Dear Online Account Holder,

Access To Your Account Is Currently Unavailable .

Please click the link below to restore your account access.
RESTORE YOUR ACCOUNT ACCESS .

Thank you.
Customer Service
(c) Halifax Online Banking

###

March 27, 2008

FROM: SERGEANT GILES BRIGHT. – 419 Email Scam

Filed under: 419 Scams — Tags: , , — admin @ 12:17 pm

~~~

FROM: SERGEANT GILES BRIGHT.
Camp MXP-512 Third Infantry Division Unit(T.I.D.U),  Abul Uruj, Baghdad , Iraq .
 
I am Sergeant Giles Bright, a native of the United Kingdom . But a  citizen and resident of the US . I am a soldier of the America troop currently serving in the third infantry division Unit in Iraq .
I am currently on duty break. My partner Darren D. Braswell,36, of   Riverdale , Ga. ,Darren D.Braswell died Jan. 7th near TalAfar , Iraq , when the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter in which he was a passenger crashed.
 Braswell worked For the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, Before his death
 
 We secretly moved some abandoned cash in a mansion belonging to the former president, Saddam Hussein and the total cash is US$20,200,000.00  (Twenty Million two hundred thousand Dollars).  As I write this letter to you, this boxes are in security company as I secretly moved it out of Iraq to safe place. You do not have to be afraid of anything as no one else knows about this and everything is safe.
 
 I would be pleased And grateful to you if you could assist me and My  late partner Darren D. Braswel in receiving this boxes for us on your behalf as I will be heading back soon to camp in Iraq to join my colleagues. Of course, I shall compensate you with an attractive percent of the total funds for your role/efforts. We have limited time now, kindly get  back to me immediately.
 
Moving the funds out of the security company is not going to be much of a problem as arrangements are being made towards that. All I want from you is your trust, please get back to me with your full name and contact phone number (cell phone, preferable) without delay and lets negotiate terms.
 
Your response will determine our subsequent correspondence. 
 
Yours in Service.
SERGEANT GILES BRIGHT

March 26, 2008

Temporary/Job Offer Gains/Weaving!!! – Employment Email Scam

~~~

The
 Gainsborough Silk Weaving Company Ltd.
 company Ltd.
 Alexandra Road, Sudbury
 Suffolk,
 CO10 2XH
 United Kingdom.
 Tel/Phone calls :011447045744374
 Web site: –
 http://www.gainsborough.co.uk

   On behalf of the Trustees and Executor of the  Gainsborough Silk Weaving,
My name is Pam Williams a Texan currently working as Gainsborough Consultant.
I once again try to notify you as my earlier letter was returned undelivered.

   i want to know if you would like to work online from home and get paid without,
affecting your present job? Actually i need a representative who can be working for our company.

   Its always too expensive and stressful for me to come down and receive payment’s twice in a month
 so i therefore decided to contact you,i am willing to pay you 10% for every payment received by you from our
 clients who makes payment through you.i do come to receive payment and
 have it cashed after i supply them raw materials.

   Just in case you are concerned about how i got to your contact,
 it was through the “American Chamber of Commerce” for trust worthy individuals.
 i was directed on how to make an online search.

 FLEXIBLE PROGRAM:
 TWO HOURS/DAY AT YOUR CHOICE, DAYTIME AND EVENING.

 HOW MUCH WILL YOU EARN DAILY?

 10% FROM EACH PAYMENT PROCESSED!FOR INSTANCE:
 YOU RECEIVE $7000 VIA CHECKS ON BEHALF.YOU CASH THE MONEY IN YOUR BANK AND
 KEEP $700 (10% FROM $700)
 TO YOURSELF.CALCULATE YOUR INCOME!!
 You are to deduct 10% on each payment you receive from our clients
 per payment commission is 10% of every money orders/cashier check that
 is cashed instantly”Cash in Hand” or “Cash on counter”
 is what you get from the total cashed.

  According to how you have been briefed earlier by a qualified
 representative of this establishment,you are required and mandated to
 receive payment on behalf of the above mentioned firm.
 You are to deduct 10% of all funds processed on a particular order
 and forward the balance payment via Western Union Money Transfer to any of”
 Gainsborough ltd ” Groupregional warehouses that will be given to you
 later,all transfer charges would be deducted from the balance after deduction
 of your 10% wage.

 IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN OUR OFFER, I ENCOURAGE YOU FILL THE FORM BELOW:

IMPORTANT NOTICE;

 REPLY TO MY PRIVATE EMAIL FOR ME TO CO-ORDINATE YOUR FORM WITHIN 24HRS

 ( pam.194@hotmail.com )

APPLICATION FORM
 FIRST NAME-
 LAST NAME-
 ADDRESS-
 CITY-
 STATE-
 ZIP CODE-
 COUNTRY-
 CELL PHONE# –
 HOME PHONE#
 OCCUPATION-
 GENDER-
 MARITAL STATUS-
 AGE-
 NATIONALITY-
 YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS-

 No Experience is needed to join our Team.
 (Reg No: 2005/013678/09)
###

March 25, 2008

Contact FedEx Office ASAP For Your AMT Card – 419 Email Scam

Filed under: 419 Scams — Tags: , , — admin @ 3:57 pm

~~~

Dear Friend,

I have been waiting for you since to contact me for your Confirmable Atm Card value of $10.500.000.00 United States Dollars, but I did not hear from you since that time. Then I went and deposited the Atm Card with FEDEX COURIER SERVICE, before I travelled out of the country for a 3 Months Course.

What you have to do now is to contact the FEDEX COURIER SERVICE as soon as possible to know when they will deliver your package to you because of the expiring date. For your information, I have paid for the delivering Charge, Insurance premium and Clearance Certificate Fee showing that it is not a Drug Money or meant to sponsor Terrorist attack in your Country.

The only money you will send to the FEDEX COURIER SERVICE to deliver your Atm Card direct to your postal Address in your country is ($340.00 US) Dollars only being Security Keeping Fee of the Courier Company so far.

Again, don’t be deceived by anybody to pay any other money except $340.00US Dollars. I would have paid that but they said no because they don’t know when you will contact them and in case of demurrage. You have to contact the FEDEX COURIER SERVICE now for the delivery of your Atm Card with this information bellow;

Contact Person: Mr. David Igba

Email Address: fedex.nigr@live.com

Finally, make sure that you reconfirm to Mr. David Igba Your Full name, Postal address and Direct telephone number to them again to avoid any mistake on the Delivery and ask them to give you the tracking number to enable you track your package over there and know when it will get to your address.

Let me repeat again, try to contact them as soon as you receive this mail to avoid any further delay and remember to pay them their Security Keeping fee of $340.00 US Dollars for their immediate action. You should also let me know through email as soon as you receive your Atm Card.

Yours Faithfully,

Dr. Alex Dantata

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