talkmagic.co.uk

Just got an email masquerading as a paycon.net receipt for a subscription to an adult site, and telling me I've been subscribed for about 50 quid a month recurring. If you receive one too, be aware that it's fake. Rather than going any further, call your credit card company and you'll see that no such transaction has taken place. Opening the zip file reveals the so-called receipt in the attachment as being an executable. A keylogger, in fact, according to Symantec. The headers show that it's coming not from paycom.net but a compromised machine at blueriver.net. I suspect many people will click on the attachment in a rage or panic, see that nothing happens, then go to their online banking facility and unwittingly give away their login details.

Cute, but this got me wondering about the amount of thought that went into this particular psychological force. Has anyone got any other examples? I'm wondering if there's anything to be learned from these things about forcing a spec into a course of action.

Most of the ones that I see are from fakes who mimic online banks such as Barclays, Abbey etc. and who tell you that due to problems with your online account, they need you to log on and verify your account details. They provide a link which takes you to a fake server where your details, if inoput will be recorded and used to empty your account.

It's called Phishing.

I also get loads of emails from the bereaved wife, son, brother etc. of some army general, oil or gold magnate whos's somethere in Africa. If I lend them by bank account to deposit between £3 and £8 million pounds then I can keep ten percent.

The phrasing on some of them is quite amusing but what's frightening is the number of people who are taken in and send their replies.

I have recieved a few of them before, I think it would be funny if I did it and the disappointment on there faces would be excelletn

(Joking guys (Not about the disappointment, about the doing it ))

Google has several references to the technique of sending letters and emails claiming that someone abroad has a lot of money and needs your bank account details in order to transfer the money out of ther country. Its called the Nigerian scam or 419 scams.

There is a group of people who play along with the scammers and turn the tables. The most amusing story being someone who pretended that they could only help the scammer if he joined his religious sect. several email correspondances later and the scammer sent a photo of himself with a large painted letter P on his breast to prove he was a member of this religious sect. the scammer himself even sent money in order to join the sect !

Try here or google for more details.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3887493.stm

I once got an email from someone pretending to be the wife of Saddam Hussein ...

Kati