Last year I became a bit obsessed with SCAM SPAM. I found it was getting harder to pick spam from genuine emails. They were getting clever. So I started screen dumping the emails. The scary thing is often they (supposedly) came from banks, paypal & other trusted sources.
Holy Moly I’m rich!
FBI HEADQUARTERS IN NEW YORK
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
Attn: Email OwnerIf you receive any E-mail from unknown sender please do forward it to us for verification. With the help of our Money trafficking investigation department, we discovered that you have some funds valued GBP 950,000.00 Pounds on your name, your payment is awaiting adjudication and we have authorized this winning to be paid to you, this funds are from UK NATIONAL LOTTERY.
Re-confirm, Names, Address, Phone Number, Age / sex, Occupation and Country, to avoid double claim of your fund.
YOUR IMMEDIATE RESPONSE IS NEEDED
FBI DIRECTOR
- Even more odd (suspicious?) is the fact that Christopher A. Wray is actually the 8th director of the FBI!
- Check the email address … tety@rekayasa.co.id & the reply to is this address fbi.office2us@yandex.com
This is a job advert frequently found on job boards.
“The bad news? For every one legitimate job that’s available, there are at least 60 scams, experts contend.”
This article in CBSnews offers 8 warning signs to watch for when applying for jobs posts on job boards
- few details
- highpay/low effort
- burned applicants
- upfront cash
- to much information
- anonymous emails
- unprofessional communications
- over payments
Check this forum on Scam Warners and look for the similarities between the images above & the copy from the owner of a “small and fast growing Textile and Fabrics Company in Bronx,NY”
Login here so I can capture your password & take all your money!
This email certainly made me look twice because I do have an NAB credit card.
It is branded correctly & looks genuine. It advises the receiver to click on the button to verify their account. That was when the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Never, ever, ever click a link to follow an emails instructions. Go directly to the site through your browser. When I got suspicious I checked the senders email address &, what do you know? It came from no-reply@criaseseusite.com (I’m privately hoping that bots pick up this email address & spam them wright back!
The following day I got the same email but from ticket@madmacmods.com.
TIP: I repeat … never, ever, ever click a link to follow an emails instructions. If you think the email may not be spam, open your browser & go to the site directly!
REMITTANCE ADVICE: Oh how wonderful, some-one I don’t even know has remitted $21,450.25. Thanks, but no thanks. Off to the spam filter you go!
AUSTRALIA POST: Oh, goodie, someone has sent me a parcel, but I’m not expecting anything …
TIP: check the email address – media@capxer.com
ANZ: really? but I don’t have an account with ANZ?!?!?!
BOBBY the bank auditor
A bank auditor wants me to use his private (gmail) address, how unprofessional!
DROPBOX DOCUMENT:
If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. Yep, the spam filter was right!
ADULT ONLY CONTENT:
okay so you have hacked my site with adult content & you want me to pay you to take it down. I think I’m supposed to be scared?
Report a scam
Aussies can report a scam on the Australian Competion & Consumers Commissions website. Your report helps the ACCC to warn the community about the latest scams.
Folk in the UK can report scams to the Action Fraud Squad.
FURTHER READING
- Wikipedias list of Email Scams
- List of Internet Scams from “The Balance” (updated regularly)
I’ll be adding to this article as I find new scam spam but in the meantime, we’d love to hear about the trickiest scam spam you have ever received.
