Internet Fraud

[Gundini]

I know this is nothing new, but these fraudsters are rampant at the moment. Chech out this latest attempt to access my accounts:

Dear Valude Customer,
St George Security Team observed a recent frauduldent transaction that targeted your account, which results in placing your account on the restricted status. We now require a full verification of your account details you can do this by click on the verify button below.


Failure to do this within 24hrs will lead to access suspension and freezing of your account still further notice.

Regards
St George Security Team

The verify button linked to a .vn address with the language setting default in Vietnamese

Then, a follow up email:

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
St.George Bank.

Everything looked very authentic, but there was only one chink in their armour:

I don't have an account with St George Bank!

And no wonder these parasites can prey on the gullible. I went to the AFP website to report the Fraud attempt, and they wanted me to burn the email onto CD or DVD. I couldn't simply forward the emails to them.

This is where they let themselves down.

So, this one goes unreported, like the rest of them I would think...

I also got this one a few days ago:

Dear PayPal Member,

This email confirms that you have paid robertoelectronics (roberto211@aol.com) $439.00 USD using PayPal.

This credit card transaction will appear on your bill as "PAYPAL robertoelectronics*".


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PayPal Shopping Cart Contents

Item Name: Nokia 8800 Brand New
Quantity: 1

Total: $410.00 USD



Cart Subtotal: $410.00 USD
Shipping Charge: $30.00 USD
Cart Total: $440.00 USD



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shipping Information

Shipping Info: Roberto Iank
540 Catherine Road
New York, NY 10018
United States

Address Status: Unconfirmed

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you haven't authorized this charge, click the link below to cancel the payment and get a full refund.
Dispute Transaction

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Thank you for using PayPal!
The PayPal Team

When you click on the Dispute Transaction Link, they ask for your account details! And the figures don't add up: $410 + $30 = $439?

And this, from the Ivory Coast...

From Mike and Mary Williams
Avenu 14 rue 14 Abobo
Abidjan Cote D, Ivoire.


Telephone: 00-225-0905-1811.

Dearest One,



It's Good thing to write you, we come to you with due respect and equally with heartful of tears and sorrows since we have not known or met ourselves previously,Please, we mean no harm to you only that we are in a desperate situation and need urgent help,After going through this mail,it will be your decision,whether to help us or to leave us our faith, but whatever you decide, bear in mind,we are in trouble and need your help, we are asking for your assistance . we will be so glad if you can allow and lead us to the right channel towards your assistance to our situation.

It goes on to say there is $9.5 Mil USD in it for me to help them out...

Then another one metioning $12.5 Mil....

And another saying I just won 1.7 Bil in the lottery

Do you think I may be on some list? Sheesh!

I'll let you know when I pick up my 1.7 Bil, and I'll shout you all a case of French!

 

[disarray]

you will enjoy Scambaiting. This guy guarantees it ...

 

[Gundini]

you will enjoy Scambaiting. This guy guarantees it ...

Yeah, good thinking... Become a Spambaiter

Might fire up a y7 mail address to start foolin' with these jokers.

Not sure I can be bothered, but it might be fun over a couple of beers.

I could be Mr Phil T Rich...

 

[cutz]

Hi guys,

Is it standard practice these days when upgrading a phone with a plan to get your driver licence scanned ?

I didn't think much of it in the shop (guess I was in a hurry to get back to the computer) but I had a think about the implications when i got home, maybe I just gotta move with the times.

Any thoughts ?

 

[Putty7]

Hi guys,

Is it standard practice these days when upgrading a phone with a plan to get your driver licence scanned ?

I didn't think much of it in the shop but I had a think about the implications when i got home, maybe I just gotta move with the times.

Any thoughts ?

Last time I changed my plan Telstra photocopied my license, I think it is just part of the identification process to cover their a*se.

 

[Smurf1976]

Hi guys,

Is it standard practice these days when upgrading a phone with a plan to get your driver licence scanned ?

I didn't think much of it in the shop (guess I was in a hurry to get back to the computer) but I had a think about the implications when i got home, maybe I just gotta move with the times.

Any thoughts ?

I don't know if it's standard practice for that or not, but the idea of license scanning is increasingly common in general (eg even some pubs and clubs scan license on entry).

Identity theft is certainly an issue and one that I'm concerned about. I burn (literally) any documents that I don't want to keep and which show account details or even just my address. I became pretty careful over this sort of thing after police turned up to arrest a friend over what turned out to be completely false charges for a crime that nobody ever committed.

You can't be too careful with this ID stuff these days. If I was any good at such things, I'd produce a fake one simply to avoid giving out my real details to those who don't have an essential reason to know. Sad it is, but I do increasingly feel a desire to break the law (fake ID) in order to avoid becoming a victim of someone else breaking the law. Hmm...

 

[gordon2007]

Seriously, I feel no pity for anyone who is stupid enough to fall for these scams.

When they first came out sure enough I could understand and feel empathy. But these type of scams have been out for years now. Every bank tells their customers to ignore them.

I don't even feel bad when it happens to a pensioner. If they know how to use a computer, then they should be aware that these things exist. It's almost comical to me when I hear about someone who has been swindled via these tactics.

These are no different than the african emails about an uncle who died and left heaps of money but they need to transfer it to 'your' account for safe being.

 

[prawn_86]

You can't be too careful with this ID stuff these days. If I was any good at such things, I'd produce a fake one simply to avoid giving out my real details to those who don't have an essential reason to know. Sad it is, but I do increasingly feel a desire to break the law (fake ID) in order to avoid becoming a victim of someone else breaking the law. Hmm...

I know a guy that can make some fairly basic ones. 50/50 if they work in clubs, but would probably fool a Telstra etc employee who isn't actually looking at it in detail

 

[cutz]

Hi Smurf1976,

Is that right,

A full scan of a driver licence is taken at some clubs, where is the data kept ?

The thing that concerns me is it's easy to keep a tab on yourself here is oz via veda but to the best of my knowledge veda doesn't pick up accounts that may have been fraudulently set up overseas.

 

[Krusty the Klown]

Yes, I don't really feel comfortable letting just anybody have a copy of my license, particularly a pub. What do they need to keep it for?

Do the pubs and clubs refuse entry if you choose not to give them your license?

 

[prawn_86]

Do the pubs and clubs refuse entry if you choose not to give them your license?

Yes.

Apparently they are deleted at the end of each night, but essentially the scans are there to help identify people who cause trouble via the CCTV footage.

 

[treeman]

I read a post on whirlpool recently about a guy who signed up for a telstra contract at a telstra shop. One of the workers there then used his ID details to produce a fake copy with his own picture and take a loan out at cash converters. Which would not be hard to do with color printers scanners etc.

I refuse to get my id scanned at clubs pubs for this very reason, if i go to 5 pubs a night on a weekend, that is a average of 20 times my id gets scanned a month - odds keep increasing that somebody could use my id especially with the club/pub scene being so shady these days.

I totally agree with the poster who said they would be inclined to use a fake id.

Why should we all suffer because of a few trouble makers that the owners can't deal with?

 

[Julia]

Hi guys,

Is it standard practice these days when upgrading a phone with a plan to get your driver licence scanned ?

I didn't think much of it in the shop (guess I was in a hurry to get back to the computer) but I had a think about the implications when i got home, maybe I just gotta move with the times.

Any thoughts ?

I've had my d. licence copied whenever I've taken out a new term deposit at a bank where I'm not a customer and I'm quite comfortable with that.

For me, it depends on who wants to scan the licence. I would not be having a pub scan it, thanks.

Seriously, I feel no pity for anyone who is stupid enough to fall for these scams.

When they first came out sure enough I could understand and feel empathy. But these type of scams have been out for years now. Every bank tells their customers to ignore them.

I don't even feel bad when it happens to a pensioner. If they know how to use a computer, then they should be aware that these things exist. It's almost comical to me when I hear about someone who has been swindled via these tactics.

These are no different than the african emails about an uncle who died and left heaps of money but they need to transfer it to 'your' account for safe being.

Um, what actual scams are you talking about, gordon?
Cutz was describing what happened when taking out a phone plan. That's hardly a scam, is it?

 

[Krusty the Klown]

Yes.

Apparently they are deleted at the end of each night, but essentially the scans are there to help identify people who cause trouble via the CCTV footage.

I refuse to get my id scanned at clubs pubs for this very reason, if i go to 5 pubs a night on a weekend, that is a average of 20 times my id gets scanned a month - odds keep increasing that somebody could use my id especially with the club/pub scene being so shady these days.

I totally agree with the poster who said they would be inclined to use a fake id.

Why should we all suffer because of a few trouble makers that the owners can't deal with?

Talk about the biggest avenue for identity theft. Most pubs and clubs wouldn't do police checks when hiring their staff - particularly Kings Cross.

Yes I bet no pubs are owned by or linked to the mob/organised crime or anything.......

They get a fresh list of ID's every night.....

Gentlement the opening bid today is $$$$$$$$???????????

You only need to use one.

 

[Krusty the Klown]

Does anyone know if this ID for pubs/clubs thing is a state or national or voluntary thing?

Being NYE I will be able to test out tonight what happens if I refuse!!

 

[prawn_86]

Does anyone know if this ID for pubs/clubs thing is a state or national or voluntary thing?

Being NYE I will be able to test out tonight what happens if I refuse!!

I think its a voluntary thing, with the premise being, if people know their IDs have been scanned and they can be easily identified, they wont play up.

The club in adel that does it, if you say no you dont get in, simple. Why would they care, there is always others lining up.

 

[gooner]

I think its a voluntary thing, with the premise being, if people know their IDs have been scanned and they can be easily identified, they wont play up.

The club in adel that does it, if you say no you dont get in, simple. Why would they care, there is always others lining up.

Krusty should be OK - most clubs make exceptions for celebrities

 

[Airfireman]

I live in Alice Springs where your license is scanned everytime you go to a bottleshop, no photo ID no booze.....this is because of the drinking problems we have with the indigenious populations,,,no selling of wine cartons until 6pm, 2 lts size only and you can only buy 1,,,and if you buy more than $100 of booze you are asked where you going to drink the product... to begin with you want to say Todd River but the outlet can refuse you service....The other night i went to Coles liquor and it was like zulu dawn outside and inside, standing in the line waiting to be served the checkout guy was saying, no your pissed, nop youve been here before, no your banned, and taking the flaggins off them... getting back to the question though is what happens to your scanned license, the checkout people have no idea,,,,,its linked to all of town and who ever???????

 

[cutz]

Yep it's certainly getting out of hand, licence scanning to buy booze.

I freaked out when I realized my licence was scanned upgrading a phone.

Handing over a licence to get into a club or pub is wrong considering this is a primary form of ID which opens a lot of doors, I wouldn't do, rather walk away. Scratch a little below the surface and as a previous poster alluded too can the owners of some establishments be trusted with such sensitive data.

 

[Krusty the Klown]

Krusty should be OK - most clubs make exceptions for celebrities

LOL, yes but you don't know how many places I've been thrown out of and been banned from!! :

Well, I was asked for the ID to be scanned at one establishment, which I refused and was denied entry.

Interestingly, on NYE, there were about 5 pubs in close proximity to where I was, one of which scanned the ID's - it was about half full - on NEW YEARS EVE.

The other four pubs did not scan ID's and were totally packed. What a shock!!!!!!