World of Warcraft - Account Investigation‏

A friend of mine forwarded this one to me and it is very clever. I'll add what he had to say about the email after he looked a little closer and even contacted Blizzard to verify.
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Just got this recently. A truly clever one. Looks VERY official... to the point of where I forwarded it to Blizzard just to verify. The only thing that is strange about this one is that it's from the "EU" division (Europe). All reference links are legitimate, but the one you are expected to use to take action is disguised.

While the link visibly says it takes you to "us.battle.net" if you right click the link and select "copy link location" then paste it in a document it says; **my email info removed**/dereferrer/?target=http%3A%2F%2Fus.battle.1ognin.net%2Flogin%2Fen%2Findex.htm%3Fref%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fus.battle.net%252Faccount%252Fmanagement%252Findex.xml%26app%3Dbam

Notice the portion I highlighted, one it's not the address visibly shown, and two it's faked to look like something official where 2Fus.battle is different and word "login" is spelled with a number 1 not a lower case L (Certain fonts make it hard to tell the difference. This example is easy because they didn't change the L in battle to match the 1 in Login.) Hyperlinks are useful tools but can be used to redirect you without your knowledge.

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And here is the email he received..

It is a very clever fake that almost any unsuspecting World of Warcraft user might fall for. By clicking on the link you would be sent to another fake page asking you to log in with your account details and the information you enter would be sent to the person responsible for this scam giving away your account info and costing you your account. (I can't show you the example of the page because it has already been taken down after being reported as fraud)

Maybe you're not a gamer and cannot possibly understand why someone would want to steal a World of Warcraft account. It's just a game right? To some, yes. To others its a LOT of time, effort, and money, put into a hobby and there are some people out there who want to take your time and effort from you, sell it, and profit from it.

You wouldn't sign something without reading it right? Don't ever click on hyperlink in your email or on facebook without first hovering over it and checking the bottom left corner of your screen to make sure you are actually going where you think you are. If the link destination does not show in the bottom of your screen simply do as my friend did and right click, copy link location, and paste in notepad. Because the next link you blindly click could be from an email appearing to be from your bank asking you to log in. How important are the contents of your back account to you? Worth taking a few seconds to look at a link i'd assume.

As always (although it doesn't pertain to this situation) if it looks too good to be true, it almost ALWAYS is. Have a great weekend!!

 - Thank you Mike for sending me this great example!

Shocking NEW VIDEO of Osama Bin Laden's DEATH!!

I know I havent posted any new posts lately on scams lately and I apologize to my readers, i'm very pregnant, and i'm very tired lately, but this is one I felt needed to be addressed.

We should all be familiar with these "shocking video" scams by now but I still see them posted throughout Facebook on occasion so I felt a reminder was in order.

Scammers jumped at the chance to create a video scam out of this recently big news and it is already getting attention. There is not now, nor will there ever be any exclusive, uncovered, banned video footage of Bin Laden's death. HOWEVER, there is some debate on weather or not the White House will release photos of his death (See news link at bottom of post for more info on this). If they are released, we will see them on the news, news sites, etc. NOT on Facebook! If you see someone has linked a picture in the near future from a site that claims to have released these photos, do NOT click on them, save yourself the hassle and just go directly to a news site such as CNN.com and look for them there yourself.

Once again, these "video" links will not take you to a video but to a Facebook page that you will be asked to "like" and then share with all your friends before you can view this "exclusive video". After that you will be asked to take a quick survey before viewing the video, then another survey, then another. All of these surveys are making the scammers money and will NEVER get you to see the video that you are looking to see. As much as some of us would love to see a video of Bin Laden being taken out, it will NEVER happen.

When in doubt, Google it, or go to CNN.com or another reputable news site to see for yourself. As always, as much as you know me or may trust me, hover over the link to make sure it goes where I claim it does, and make a habit of it. Thanks for reading!! Comments always welcome!
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2011/05/white-house-officials-debate-releasing-photographs-of-bin-ladens-corpse-1.html

Mother's maiden name? City of birth? Let's share!!!

While facebook is a fun way to meet new people for games, networking, and just plain socializing, you could be giving away more info than you realize. So, you've started playing farmville, cityville, monopoly, etc etc etc... Only 3 of your friends want to play farmville with you.. Well thats a pity, you wont get anywhere with just 3 neighbors! So you go to the farmville page where you see thousands of comments of ADD ME, ADD ME!! So, you do. No harm in this really as long as you're ok with giving away some small bits of info like the city you live in, your birth date, stuff like that. Basic stuff you can get off of anyone's profile.

NOW... We all have friends that post things from status shuffle or little odd questions like...

"PLACE OF BIRTH! Everyone please play! You may find it interesting to know where your FB friends birth places are. Copy & paste this on your profile, then put your place of birth at the end of this sentence... "

Harmless enough right? Possibly.. But think back to your online bank account login you created, or that amazon.com login you made (where you also stored your credit card info). Did either of those sites ask you for a password retrieval question such as "What is your city of birth?" or "Mother's maiden name?" Now, you figure whats the harm, most of my hometown friends know where I was born right? True.. but the random guy you added for cityville didnt, until you just posted it in that status. What could he do with it? Well you must have a bank account somewhere right? On your info page is your email address right? And if I go to your profile page, were you one of those people who saved a user name for your account? Probably something you used for EVERY other page you visit.. including your bank account? But its ok, I dont have the password to your bank account even if i could figure out the login. I mean really, nobody posts pictures of their pets including their names, nobody posts pictures of their car, showing the make/model, and nobody answers those "What city were you born" questions right on their status message... So while i may not be able to figure out your password, with all this knowledge, i could answer your security question, (city of birth, mothers maiden name, name of first pet, make/model of your first car) create a new password and TADA, ur locked out, and i'm in.

Now, this is a FAR stretch someone would have to go to just to access your accounts, but it's do-able. So please, if you add random friends for gaming purposes on facebook, please be careful what info you give out.

A good rule of thumb with social networking sites is that information you would not give to a complete stranger, should not be on your profile or on your wall. Here is a link I came across to a helpful site that shows you how to use your facebook privacy settings if you are one of those people that adds everyone as a friend. http://mashable.com/2011/02/07/facebook-privacy-guide/

Happy Facebooking!
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As always guys, i'm still looking for scam stories or areas you want me to cover. Send suggestions, emails, pictures of scams, etc to weakscamattempts@gmail.com If you send me something interesting it will show up on my blog and you'll be saving me from writers block lol Thanks for reading!!

5000 Facebook credits for FREE.

Take a quick minute to check out the picture by clicking on it. It will open in a new window

This showed up as an event invite sent to me by someone on my friends list (who obviously has NOT read my blog!) This scam disappoints me because of how generic it is and for once I can see how many people are falling for it.. 6,382 people RSVP'd yes. To me that shows 6,382 people who are possibly falling for this and will click on the link. Now i'm sure not all 6,382 people will fill out the first survey they come across, but most will.... But how many will fill out the 2nd, or the 3rd, or the 4th? How much money will the scammers make off of these unsuspecting people?

On a positive note, 13,154 people said no.

Now, lets pick it apart. We've obviously seen this type of scam a million times and know why its a fake but for new readers sake.. Lets have some fun..

1. If Facebook was going to give away something they would, they would NOT require you to be invited to an event nor would they make you fill out surveys to give you this "reward"
2. Facebook SELLS these credits, they make money off of us this way to keep their site up and running, why would they give it away for free? 5000 of them? I doubt it.
3. Theres that shortened address again that you cant hover over to find out where it would take you.
4. There is no wall for guests to write on to let you know if its legit or not, why? CAUSE ITS NOT!
5. Now what happens if you click on the link. They just want you to fill out one teeny tiny survey and then you can claim your points.. one turns into two, two turns into five.. Yeah you wont see those credits. Before you get to this point though, they ask that you click attend (which just gives them a "sucker" headcount) and you have to share it to your friends, basically getting them more suckers to take their surveys for them and they make money off you and your friends and you will never receive those credits.

Now, I just went back and checked the page and the 6,382 people that are attending has turned into 6,562. Please pass this on to your friends for them to read, or simply post something on your wall when you notice a scam like this. Help educate your friends!

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Once again guys, my posts are slowing down because i'm simply out of material to cover. If you know someone that was scammed, or were yourself scammed or you have an email lying in your inbox that you arent so sure about.. Email it to me! Have a question about a website that offers a work at home job? A craigslist ad? Email it to me and we'll pick it apart! Thanks for reading!

Scammed Victim Compensation?

Ok this one was just so funny I just had to share it with you all. Seems the scam business is not doing so well these days. Instead of trying to tell me I have won the lottery or my long lost relative has died they are now posing as "Scam Victim Compensation". I guess they are gambling on the fact that everyone is a scam victim of sorts and will fall for this fake compensation. Take a look..

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Greetings To You,
 
We notify you as a scammed victim beneficiary to be compensated
with $950, 000.00USD in the United Nation and Obama Foundation
Contact Dr.Pallidis Ilias For more Information.
 
You are to fill the appropriate form and submit to the bank.
 
[1] Full Names:________________
[2] Contact address______________________________
[3] Direct Telephone No: ___________________
|4| Occupation : ____________________________
Managing Director of the HSBC BANK,Malaysia
Name: Dr.Pallidis Ilias
Email: pallidis_00@blumail.org
 
Yours Faithfully,
Hon.Mr.Clow Griff
(Chief Co-ordinator)
OBAMA'S FOUNDATION
Copyright © 2003-2011
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Disclaimer: The information in this email is confidential and may be legally
privileged. It is intended solely for the addressee and others authorized to
receive it. If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying,
distribution or action taken in reliance on its content is prohibited and
may be unlawful. 

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I love how they put disclaimers at the end of their emails in the hopes of making them look more legit lol. Let's start simple and with some common sense shall we? If I had contacted the Internet Crime Complaint Center to report a scam I would have been asked to provide the following:
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* Your name
* Your mailing address
* Your telephone number
* The name, address, telephone number, and Web address, if available, of the individual or organization you believe defrauded you.
* Specific details on how, why, and when you believe you were defrauded.
* Any other relevant information you believe is necessary to support your complaint.
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So, why would they need most of that information again? Why would they want my occupation? What on earth could they possibly need that for?? Besides, if ANYONE is going to compensate me for a scam loss it would be the person who scammed me in the first place after my lawyer and I destroy them in court lol.

This email is a sad attempt to get me to contact them where they will most likely ask for my banking information to send me my $950,000.00 compensation (the dollar amount itself proves it to be an obvious fake, i mean really) and instead of seeing deposits of my compensation I would start to see random, and possibly large, withdraws from my account causing me overdraft fees and a long process of trying to prove that I did not authorize those amounts to be removed. Would I ever see that money again? Who knows? Is that a chance you're willing to take?

Thanks for reading!

Another Facebook Video Scam - Miley Cyrus

So, I heard rumor this one was out but I hadnt seen it yet until tonight so I figured now is a good time to go over this one.

You're scrolling through your friends news feeds and you see this..

..so you decide to get curious and want to see what Miley did that was so SICK! You find yourself just moments away from being able to see the video as long as you give them permission to access your account info. Why not? You give farmville, cityville, and all those other apps permission to access your info right? What harm could it do? Well they will post a link on your page just like the one above so that your friends click on it, and round and round the cycle goes...

So how do they benefit from posting this on everyone's page? Well in order to see the risky things Miley is doing these days you just have to fill out one quick survey, or so they say. This survey you fill out, THEY get paid for you to take it, THEY are making money off of you.

So what if they make a little money, you get to see what you came to see right?? WRONG! After that survey is.. TADA! Another survey!... and another, and another and another and in the end.. no video.


Always, ALWAYS remember the rules. If it seems to be too good to be true, it usually is. If you stop and stare at the "car accidents" you're bound to cause another one. If you notice a friend of yours has this on their page, comment (if there is a place to) that it may be a scam. If you arent sure, google it!! youtube it!! If its real, you know its on youtube and thats a site you can trust. If you noticed, the link above did not have a "comment" section on it. Very smart of them to find a way to leave that out so we cant warn each other. So take a minute and instead of using Status Shuffle to find something witty to say, post a message about the dangers of this link and ask your friends to pass it on. If you have 200 friends on your list thats 200 people you can potentially educate on this. If your 200 friends tell their 200 friends..  well you see where this is going..

As always, thanks for reading! Spot something online you want me to look into? Take a screen shot, forward me the mail, send me the link and i'll dig into it!

Work from home scams.

Everyone is looking for ways to make a quick buck in their spare time. You have a Monday through Friday, 9-5, and it pays the bills, but that's it. So you go online looking at the possibility of a second job in your free time. For most people that want to do this, they try to look for a second job with as little work as possible. After all, who wants to bust their butt from 9-5 and turn around and do it again from 6-11 only to get home at midnight and be up again at 5am! Nobody!

Here are a few things you should look out for...

Envelope stuffing jobs - Seems easy enough right? They mail you some envelopes, some papers, some address labels. You can do this in front of the TV! There is just one small catch, a "small fee" that you have to send them, to cover shipping of course. If you are going to make hundreds of money in your spare time for stuffing envelopes in front of Grey's Anatomy then why can't you fork over a teeny tiny fee to make this possible? Probably because once you do, they will inform you that they have JUST run out of work but you CAN make money sucking your friends into the job as well and getting them to pay their fees and round and round we go! You will most likely get money for getting your friends to join, but let's just hope your friends are smart enough NOT to pay that teeny tiny fee lol

Rebate processing - Now, I have personally done a job like this! The only difference is, i worked for a legit company, i went to an office 8 hours a day, sat at their computers, did actual work and best of all, they trained me for FREE. Why would a company hire someone and then have you pay them to train you! These ads will normally ask you for training and material fees. You will also probably pay a considerably larger fee to get your hands on an exclusive DVD showing you the secrets of the trade and how to make a fortune!!

Assembly jobs - Another one of those jobs you can do in front of your tv watching Ghost Hunters right? First you will have to send them money cause really they aren't just gonna send you supplies for free! So you'll pay your fee, get your supplies, mail them back only to be told how crappy of a job you did and how you aren't getting paid. Now you are stuck with a bunch of crafting supplies you don't want or need and no money to show for your hard work. You will, however, still have something to do while watching Desperate Housewives...


There are actual legit work from home jobs out there though! Always do your research first. Here is some helpful info from the FTC on questions you should ask the employer...

Get Answers in Writing

Legitimate work-at-home program sponsors should tell you — in writing — what’s involved in the program they’re selling. Here are some questions to ask:

• What tasks will I have to perform? (Ask the program sponsor to list every step of the job.)
• Will I be paid a salary or will I be paid on commission?
• What is the basis for your claims about my likely earnings? Do you survey everyone who purchased the program? What documents can you show me to prove your claims are true before I give you any money?
• Who will pay me?
• When will I get my first paycheck?
• What is the total cost of this work-at-home program, including supplies, equipment and membership fees? What will I get for my money?

The answers to these questions may help you determine whether a work-at-home program is legitimate, and if so, whether it’s a good fit for you.

You’ll also want to check out the company with your local consumer protection agency, state Attorney General and the Better Business Bureau, not only where the company is located, but also where you live. These organizations can tell you whether they’ve gotten complaints about a particular work-at-home program. But be wary: just because there aren’t complaints doesn’t mean the company is legitimate. Unscrupulous companies may settle complaints, change their names or move to avoid detection.

In addition, consider other people’s experience by entering the company or promoter’s name with the word complaints into a search engine. Read what others have to say. After all, you are making a decision that involves spending your money.
 

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 Here is some more helpful information from the FTC on what to do if you feel you may be a victim of a work-from-home scam..

Where to Complain

If you have spent money and time on a work-at-home program and now believe the program may not be legitimate, contact the company and ask for a refund. Let company representatives know that you plan to notify law enforcement officials about your experience. If you can’t resolve the dispute with the company, file a complaint with these organizations:

• The Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov/complaint or 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).
• The Attorney General’s office in your state or the state where the company is located. Visit naag.org; the office will be able to tell you whether you’re protected by any state law that may regulate work-at-home programs.
• Your local consumer protection offices.
• Your local Better Business Bureau at bbb.org.
• Your local postmaster. The U.S. Postal Service investigates fraudulent mail practices. Visit postalinspectors.uspis.gov.
• The advertising manager of the publication that ran the ad. The manager may be interested to learn about the problems you’ve had with the company.

For More Information

The FTC works to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint or get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. Watch a video, How to File a Complaint, at ftc.gov/video to learn more. The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
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More information can be found on the FTC website at http://ftc.gov. As always, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Happy job hunting!!