Current Status

This blog is not frequently updated because most case-by-case scam reports are now listed in subordinate blogs. At this point in time, most of my efforts are targeted at documenting employment scams in the Suckers Wanted blog.

2006-12-18

Info: Vista Pirates

Spam advertising pirated software on the cheap (under the guise of "OEM" software) is nothing new, and not terribly interesting to me, but there's been quite a spate of it using Microsoft's new "Windows Vista" as the selling point. In the last week or so, my spamtraps have been collecting on the order of twenty such spams a day, most with the common subject, "Windows Vista Ultimate ready to download", and linking to a wide variety of recently-registered domains, so this is quite an aggressive spam campaign.

Beyond the fact that, for reasons of security, I recommend against using any version of Windows on a computer that is connected to the Internet, I emphatically recommend against obtaining any software, especially Windows, from dubious cheap online stores. Why, you ask? Because anecdotal evidence suggests that some of these sellers are not merely "pirates" engaged in flagrant copyright violation for profit, but are also placing back doors in their version of Windows so that they can use your computer to send spam -- or do whatever else they might find profitable to do with your computer.

It makes sense that they would do this: compromised Windows computers are, in my experience, the number one source of the worst spam on the Internet. These people are, so far as I can tell, sending their ads via such compromised computers. Do you suppose that some of the customers are now part of the spam problem? It wouldn't be in the least bit surprising would it? Why break into a computer the hard way when you can offer a system with a wide open back door and receive money from the target at the same time? It's a heck of a racket.

2006-12-08

Job Scam: Impex Consult Financial Consulting Group

Heads up -- a new name in job scams is on the radar for December: "Impex Consult Financial Consulting Group". This appears to be the same job scam gang responsible for Athens Financial Group Ltd, based on their common use of name server hosts. As usual, they want you to be a financial middle man -- or mule -- for stolen funds. This one is quite active: I've seen three different domain names covering the same scam in the past few days.

2006-12-07

Fraud: savechilds.net

This isn't the first time I've seen a bogus charity, but they aren't common. In this particular case, the spam uses that currently-popular technique of presenting the message in an image.

 Domain Name: SAVECHILDS.NET <-- scam domain
 Registrar: BEIJING INNOVATIVE LINKAGE TECHNOLOGY LTD. DBA DNS.COM.CN
 Whois Server: whois.dns.com.cn
 Referral URL: http://www.dns.com.cn
 Name Server: DNS195.3FN.NET
 Name Server: NS2.3FN.NET
 Updated Date: 20-Nov-2006
 Creation Date: 30-Oct-2006 <-- recently created
 Expiration Date: 30-Oct-2007 <-- minimum length registration

Advance Fee Fraud: Integrated Global Finance Services

This is a form of advance fee fraud and possibly forgery. An offer for an unsecured loan arriving unsolicited via email should trigger all sorts of "scam" alarm bells: please work on your credulity problem if it doesn't. A scam like this probably involves the loan applicant either being hit up front with fees, fees, and more fees, with no payout ever. Alternatively, the scammers can pay the mark with a fake cheque and insist on a fee being paid out of that. The fee is paid via Western Union, and then the cheque bounces later, leaving the mark out of pocket.

CONTACT US FOR YOUR LOAN AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.
INTERGRATED GLOBAL FINANCE SERVICES.
387/NTL PALMSTRAAT AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS.

Permit us to introduce our service to you. LOAN SCHEME, tagged 'loan under two weeks' INTERGRATED GLOBAL Professional Finance is a reputable limited liability company in the Europe entity.

Our service- deals in areas of funds,WE give out loan from (100,000 to 1,000,000 euro) bonds, grant and partnership with firms, corporations and esteemed individuals.

We offer offshore unsecured (no collateral service loan) to customers worldwide.Over the years, we have put into consideration the need for bodies and establishment in need for urgent cash either as a result of maintenance, expansion, establishment of a offices, Bankruptcy just to mention but few.

In general, we offer car loans, personal(domestic) loans, construction and working loan to reputable and existent men/women of the society at large.

Our service has been repositioned and standardized to meet customers demands in an economical way. Our interest charge is indeed reasonable, we offer hassle free loan service where by customers are allowed to make repayment over a long time span.

WE ALSO FUND SMALL BASE LOAN/FINANCE COMPANIES AS WE ARE A FULL TIME INVESTOR AS WELL.

For details and interest in our service contact

MR PHELPT VAN BROOK

Email:infocus@fynns.com

2006-12-05

Meta: Too Many Nigerians

Last month I had to deal with a combined average of nine lottery or 419 scams per day. They aren't all that hard to handle, but they consume time and are really boring. It's the same old same old again and again. I gave up on reporting phish scams a long time ago (other people were reporting it anyhow), and then the stock spam got too prolific to document. Now I'm going to quit reporting each and every lottery or 419 scam I receive, giving me more time to concentrate on job scams -- and the rest of my life, which does actually exist, believe it or not. So, with apologies to those who found "The 419 Files" and "Lottery Scam Du Jour" useful, I will not be updating those blogs indefinitely.

2006-12-04

Job Scam: Viking Finance

Looking to make a little extra money this Christmas season? If so, then I suggest you steer well clear of Viking Finance Ltd, which is the latest name in use by the money mule recruiters who called themselves Athens Financial Group Ltd last month, and a long string of other names in months prior to that. Remember folks, money mules participate in crimes, and crime is bad!