I realise that this information might be out there in the public domain, but we cannot warn the community enough about these scams. My son is a programmer and he has advised us Never to click on any links, if and when we suspect that the e-mails might be bogus. The problem with recognising a scam e-mail is that the logos look so authentic. My son even called us over to his computer when he received an e-mail supposedly from Telstra and he pointed out how much trouble the scammers go to, to ensure that the e-mail appears real. He did not have a Telstra account, so it was definitely a scam.
In the last few weeks, we have received e-mails from BWS, where they used my Rewards Card number and also AGL - this one was easy to discard, because we do not deal with AGL. But with BWS, I contacted the store, because we had not shopped there, and we were advised that Woolworths would send out any Survey requests, rather than BWS. It is also important to look at the e-mail address used, which can then provide you with the insite you need to determine what to do. When I deleted the e-mail off my computer, believe it or not, another one was sent a few days later, as if it was a follow-up to the first one. I then sent it to my junk-mail and added a filter.
When in doubt, contact the organisation, but don’t use the contact numbers, if provided, from the e-mail. If it is a scam, we immediately submit a report to Scamwatch, which you can find online.
My sister heard a radio alert the other day, advising mobile users not to accept a u-tube video called “Dance of the Pope” - this is a virus which reformats mobiles, so please be aware.
In most cases it’s not hard to spot the scam emails - hover your mouse cursor over the link in the email and look at the real address. If it’s not the organisation’s legitimate address, it’s a scam.
Also practice basic security in your browser: run an ad blocker and a script blocker (such as NoScript). Those alone will protect you from a vast number of nasties.
Finally, unless you have a non-negotiable requirement to run Windows, don’t. The vast majority of nasties are targeted at Windows. Use a Mac or, preferably, Linux.
Scam emails are not generally addressed to you in person either, they are usually to sir/madam, the user, or member or some similar generic term. However the occasional one does have your details from somewhere, but checking as per above postings to see where they are trying to send you is always a good idea.
Also, don’t be fooled by the use of the store name in the link- store.woolworths.com.au is not the same as woolworths.store.com.au or store.com.au/woolworths!
Thanks Gordon, and yes, I sent this reminder for all the reasons you mentioned. One can never be too careful. I almost got caught out once, only because my mind was elsewhere, just as well I always double-check before I submit any personal information online. We just have to continue to be vigilant. Thanks again.
Thanks Fred, we have fortunately not been caught out yet, but one just has to be vigilant. Also, just re the OS - we are Windows fans, so we’ll just work with what we have, but thanks for the good points mentioned.
If images are placed in an malicious email just opening the email can be a potential risk. I have copied an answer that may interest you from a site:
/quote The other answers mostly talk about attaching arbitrary code to images via steganographic techniques, but that’s not very interesting since it requires that the user be complicit in extracting and executing that. The user could just execute malicious code directly if that’s their goal.
Really you’re interested in whether there’s a possibility of unexpected, arbitrary code execution when viewing an image. And yes, there is such a possibility of an attacker constructing a malicious image (or something that claims to be an image) that targets specific image viewing implementations with known flaws.
In general, these sorts of things are difficult to protect against. Some things you can do:
Keep your systems and applications updated.
Enable DEP.
Enable ASLR if possible.
Avoid running programs with administrative privileges.
On Windows, Microsoft's EMET could also provide some protection. /end quote
Turning off the preview panel can also help if you have it on as preview does open the email so you can “preview” it. If an email appears to be from someone you have no dealings with eg a different Elec Company, a bank you don’t hold an account with or similar then if preview is disabled you can just delete it or place it in the junk folder as most junk folders have rules that disable scripts and images so the email can be viewed more safely.
I registered a domain recently for a blog I plan to start, when I find the time- too busy with picking cherries and harvesting trout ATM
I’m not sure who sold my details, but since registering it, I have been bombarded with dozens of emails and phone calls attemtping to sell me (mainly) web design services.
Below is the email received on Sat 17/12, obviously from a scammer, my edits in [ ]:
Attention: Important Notice , DOMAIN SERVICE NOTICE
Domain Name: [my domain]
ATT: [my full name]
[my domain ] Response Requested By
17 - Dec. - 2016
PART I: REVIEW NOTICE
Attn: [my name]
As a courtesy to domain name holders, we are sending you this notification for your business Domain name search engine registration. This letter is to inform you that it’s time to send in your registration.
Failure to complete your Domain name search engine registration by the expiration date may result in cancellation of this offer making it difficult for your customers to locate you on the web.
Privatization allows the consumer a choice when registering. Search engine registration includes domain name search engine submission. Do not discard, this notice is not an invoice it is a courtesy reminder to register your domain name search engine listing so your customers can locate you on the web.
This Notice for: naturaloffgrid.com will expire at 11:59PM EST, 17 - Dec. - 2016 Act now!
Select Package:
click here [clealy a link to something dodgy on a website - tricastlk . com]
Payment by Credit/Debit Card
Select the term using the link above by 17 - Dec. - 2016
[my domain]
And to add to the authenticity, the email was from: sxjytsjqw@crankmails.com [ ! ]
subject: This is your Final Notice of Domain Listing
Your details didn’t necessarily and probably didn’t get sold, in fact it is more likely that you are just a victim of registration. The domain registrar has to make certain details public and these include your official contact name and email address (needed for administrative contact). What then happens is there are tools such as RSS feeds that allow people to scan the registries for these changes and they net your name and email address when your registration is active.
"Gandi’s Private Domain Registration: hiding your whois info
Because we care about protecting the privacy of your personal information, Gandi offers Private Domain Registration for individual-type accounts when possible.
This service allows you to hide most of your personal information from the public Whois database, with the goal of providing increased protection against automated processes which scrape people’s personal information from public databases in order to spam them.
Activating or deactivating Private Domain Registration
…//…
Your change should be reflected in the Whois right away.
Conditions and exceptions
This service does not hide your name
Your first and last name will not (usually) be hidden in the Whois, unless it is hidden by the corresponding Registry’s policy. Due to current ICANN rules, this is very important, as it assures that you maintain all the owner rights to the domain (as well as the responsibilities). "
In past years ,I’ve gotten scams up the wazoo. Starting with shonky ministeries selling trinkets,
statues,pictures from REV. Billy Bob for donations;
Then the Inheritance scams. My lost brother leaving be $10 M just give them a check for
expenses and my banking details.
Next foreign attorney’s and barristers and foreign language scams. Foreign Lottery scams.
Credit card scam, winning cars.houses,gift scams. Anything too good to be true, don’t bet on it.
I still haven’t responded to none of them.
After my 1st Nigerian Inheritance scam years ago, I notified the FBI and Consumer
Fraud and both asked if I lost any money. I said “no”, but I was happy to forward their email
address to them. They weren’t interested.
Hiya bigmitch8 if you do not start reporting these “Scams” and unrequested emails to someone, nothing will change.
Matters will only get worse if people do nothing. Thank you Fred for passing on the the email to other Choice Community Members who are willing to try and stamp out these annoying scams. Hopefully some of us will report them and people power can be put into action. This is the only way they will be stopped.
Thanks Natalie, my thoughts exactly, but I was too lazy to even go there with bigmitch8. I am always so amazed at how we forget at how powerful we can be if we unite and ensure that we do live in a better world. Thank you for taking the trouble and shame on me for not doing what you just did.
All is good foster.desiree, life sometimes gets in the way of what we have to do and what we want to do, especially at this time of year! Happy New Year to you, and let us all get together and make a better world for everyone
Greetings njfking, That scam from Nigeria has been going on for over 10 years and it’s still being
sent. How many complaints does one GOVT. department need before they get off their duff and
start investigating???
We’ve had shonky investment outfits catering towards retirees, offering 13 percent interest,
sponsored on TV by Sport’s stars till the pensioners lose their investments and no one goes to
jail. Same thing with illegal Pyramid schemes . Fighting by signing petitions is one thing (which I do for just causes), but fighting the Bureaucrats is a lost cause.
Hi bigmitch8, Natalie and I have been online re this issue and yes, we can refer to various issues where not enough has been done, but as Natalie pointed out, if we don’t do anything about the situations we experience, then how can we expect anything to change and do something really meaningful and put in sufficient effort to ensure the change you desire happens. Make it happen - The Fall Of the Bastille situation! It might also be an idea to apply more of your ‘people muscle’, to ensure that you have made sufficient effort before just referring to how nothing has changed - might just be an idea.
The fact is that if we all do nothing, nothing will change. If we want change, we must all act. Bigmitch8 you mentioned the scam from Nigeria. I agree that it has been going on for a long time, but it is not originating from the same person/s each time. Those emails come from various people, and not only in Nigeria. Unfortunately many of these scammers use VP applications, so it is very difficult to locate the original IP and address.
Sadly there is not much we can do about the Bureaucrats, but we CAN and SHOULD alert members of the public to these awful scams and particularly call the Media’s attention to the problem. I live in Adelaide, and have contacted Channel 7 - Today Tonight on various occasions, and they have ALWAYS sent around a Journalist to investigate my issues, and then broadcast the situation on television shortly thereafter.
If we do nothing, then nothing will change.
“Consistency and Persistence is the Essence to Success”
I think the media probably consider that it’s old news - these scams have been around for so long that anyone who’s been paying even marginal attention knows about them. From time to time the infotainment “news” shows will run a tear jerker about some poor old bloke who’s lost his life savings giving it to that pretty young Russian girl who’d like to get to know him better, or to Beloved Sister Ruth in Jesus (god bless you, dearest,) who just needs a little help to smuggle a couple of million of her late husband’s fortune out of the country.
But if there are still people falling for them, it’s hard to know what more anyone can do to educate them.
Greetings Natalie,. I agree with you. As I mentioned previously, I was one of the 1st to be emailed of
the Nigerian scam over 10 yrs.ago. I notified the US & Australian officials;BBB, Consumer Fraud.etc… and was asked, if I lost any money , I Could file a report, if not, to put it in a nutshell,
“Thanks, but No Thanks”.
If you want some positive action. contact , change.org and sign worthwhile petitions, and scambusters.org and report your info to them. Cheers BigMitch & Happy New Year.
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