The Top Five E-Mail Scams

E-mail Hacking

 

 

Hacking e-mail accounts, stealing sensitive data, copying the address book, intercepting data, virus infections, password attacks, spoofed messages, abusive e-mails, Trojan attacks and espionage are some of the many concerns that have started affecting e-mail users worldwide. E-mails are also commonly being exploited by computer criminals to execute privacy and identity attacks on unsuspecting victims.


What would you do if somebody broke into your e-mail account and stole all your sensitive data? What would you do if somebody spoofed your identity and sent e-mails from your account? What would you do id somebody spoofed your identity and set e-mails from your account? Someone broke into your e-mail account and used it to transfer funds out of your bank account?


Your e-mail account has become more dangerous than anyone ever imagined! Deriving data from actual research experiments, code analysis, case studies and consumer study, this book will open the reader’s eyes to security threats, secrets and loopholes that until now were unnoticed.


E-mail Hacking can help you have harmless fun with friends and family. It will also help you guard against malicious crackers. Handle with care and happy hacking!


ANKIT FADIA is a widely recognized, twenty-year old independent compute security internationally best-selling books on numerous topics related to computer security that have been widely appreciated by both professionals and industry leaders the world over. Widely traveled, Fadia provides customized cyber security training and consulting solutions to an impressive list of clients all across North America, Asia, Australia, and he Middle East. Fedia also handles the Asia operations of a classified intelligence agency.


In November 2001, Fadia was consulted by a classified intelligence agency for breaking an encrypted message sent by one of Osama Bin Laden’s men. Recently Fadia started his won computer security consulting, training and publishing company in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with operations all across the Asia Pacific region. For his outstanding contributions in the field of computer security globally, Fadia has been honoured with numerous international awards and is also regularly invited by BBC Radio World News, London, UK, to share the latest updates on computer security.

The Top Five E-Mail Scams

You've heard about them, you've seen them, perhaps you've been had by one: e-mail scams. Millions of people are cheated over e-mail every year. In 2005 alone, consumers lost nearly $14 million dollars to Internet scams. Sadly, that number is on the rise as crooks come up with new methods to get at your money and information. We capture five of the worst on the following pages.


Usually, scammers attempt to trick you into filling out forms on rogue sites. Rogue sites usually look legitimate (some are even replicas of legitimate sites you trust), but they are set up to spread a virus, collect names for spammers or grab your personal information. Other scams try to get you to reply to e-mails requesting your personal data like passwords and bank account numbers. Once you've given up the info, criminals can siphon your cash, make purchases and get out before you even have a chance to track them down.


To get you the best advice possible on each scam, we talked to Carol McKay of the National Consumers League. She offers up some tips you literally can't afford to miss.

Scam #1: Investment Pump & Dump


The Come-On

Everyone wants to be in on the ground floor when it comes to investing, so it's no surprise that millions of people go for this one: You receive an e-mail from someone claiming to be a power broker containing a hot tip on a penny stock that promises to double, even triple, in short time. So you go for it, only to see it tumble within hours. One such e-mail we received just this week looks like this: Subject: Your 221.43% - breaking results


DarkLord: DWPI Hits The Street, Price Climbs 221.43%

Distributed Power Inc.
Symbol: DPWI Price: $0.40 (+0.31)

News hits the streets!!! DPWI acquires huge oil reserves, drills deeper on current wells increasing production, and now opens Asian division. Investors go nuts today and price rockets 221.43%. Act fast, read the news and get on DPWI first thing Tuesday!


The Scam

Turns out the people who send you the e-mail in the first place are waiting for a few people like you to get the stock up so they can get out before you even have a chance.


What You Can Do

Carol says: "Legitimate investments are risky, and legitimate brokers will admit that to customers. Be especially wary of offers that arrive via e-mail, offshore investments or commodities, and high-pressure sales tactics. And, if you can't afford to lose all your money, don't invest any of it."


The Come-On

So you're surfing the 'Net one night and you receive an e-mail confirming your order. You think, "What order?"


The Scam

You follow the "cancel" link in the e-mail, thinking you're protecting your credit card, when all you're doing is giving a rogue site your personal data.


What You Can Do

Carol says: "These e-mails should be deleted immediately upon receipt. It's simple: If you didn't order something but you receive an e-mail asking you to confirm the 'order,' call the company that appears to be sending the message, and get to the bottom of [the situation] over the phone. The customer service representative will likely tell you they don't have any record of this activity, and you'll know for sure that you just avoided the bait."


You can also call your credit card company to see if a random charge actually appeared. Review with them purchases you have made, and if anything stands out, immediately dispute the charge. Most credit card companies will work with you to first freeze the card and then trace the charge.

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