Spam, scam or A Reel Affair?

[Noelm]

I guess I should explain how this happens and this is only a quick rundown, not a technical full on lecture!! If you have an email "client" that being things ike Microsoft Outlook and stuff like that (not a web based thing like (say) gmail) we all like things to be nice and easy, so Microsoft has made these clients (commonaly called apps in todays language) very smart, back in the "old days" you needed to open an attachment to inflict some sort of "virus" on your computer, but these days, because we are so lazy, the client only needs an email to be opened, and to delete it, you need to open it!!! and from that simple task, all your contacts have just been gathered and sent to the scammer, via an embedded "app" from within the email. Now how did they get your email address in the first place? probably from some other person's address book, or if like me, you work for a Government department, they have simple public "staff directory" that will yield a thousand valid email addresses and names, see how easy it is? and how it can sprerad to millions of people in no time flat, and all for free.

[MangroveZac]

Got the same mail, spoke to Bill, he is not too happy .
Replied to mail and told them where to get off, only to get a thank you and a western union account details.

Scum bags!, hey Jakers 69 if you were to report this to the authorities and show them the account details that they sent you do you think they could trace the perpetrators?

[Noelm]

Chances are they could trace them, but it would be a long and arduous task, and hardly worth the effort, especially when they find out it leads back to some dodgey Nigerian internet domain that those authorities don't give a fairies fart if such things are going on or not! remember we are not talking about terrorist threats or anything here

[WalrusLike]

Thousands of these scams going on every moment. Occasionally authorities temporarily shut down some operators who have been doing bulk scams but they are soon replaced.

The real damage is done to elderly folk or other vulnerable groups. Tell your loved ones not to ever send personal info or money unless you assist.

One day a real mate will be in trouble and will be ignored because of these aholes. It's the price we pay for modern communications.

[finga]

I have no friends. I didn't get the email

One day a real mate will be in trouble and will be ignored because of these aholes. It's the price we pay for modern communications.

All my mates would call me on the telephone if they were in real trouble and needed a hand.

[cajunnsw]

I guess I should explain how this happens and this is only a quick rundown, not a technical full on lecture!! If you have an email "client" that being things ike Microsoft Outlook and stuff like that (not a web based thing like (say) gmail) we all like things to be nice and easy, so Microsoft has made these clients (commonaly called apps in todays language) very smart, back in the "old days" you needed to open an attachment to inflict some sort of "virus" on your computer, but these days, because we are so lazy, the client only needs an email to be opened, and to delete it, you need to open it!!! and from that simple task, all your contacts have just been gathered and sent to the scammer, via an embedded "app" from within the email. Now how did they get your email address in the first place? probably from some other person's address book, or if like me, you work for a Government department, they have simple public "staff directory" that will yield a thousand valid email addresses and names, see how easy it is? and how it can sprerad to millions of people in no time flat, and all for free.

What Noel said is absolutely correct. However, the easiest way these scumbags get to accounts / list is by guessing passwords. It is always a good idea to have a mix of letters and numbers in your password.

[Gon Fishun]

I guess I should explain how this happens and this is only a quick rundown, not a technical full on lecture!! If you have an email "client" that being things ike Microsoft Outlook and stuff like that (not a web based thing like (say) gmail) we all like things to be nice and easy, so Microsoft has made these clients (commonaly called apps in todays language) very smart, back in the "old days" you needed to open an attachment to inflict some sort of "virus" on your computer, but these days, because we are so lazy, the client only needs an email to be opened, and to delete it, you need to open it!!! and from that simple task, all your contacts have just been gathered and sent to the scammer, via an embedded "app" from within the email. Now how did they get your email address in the first place? probably from some other person's address book, or if like me, you work for a Government department, they have simple public "staff directory" that will yield a thousand valid email addresses and names, see how easy it is? and how it can sprerad to millions of people in no time flat, and all for free.

Hey Noelm, I have a Outlook Express, Gmail and Hotmail accounts. I use the Outlook for 99.9% of emailing , use the Gmail once in a blue moon, and the hotmail only use it for sites I am not sure about, and it attracts 100's of garbage emails. In your opinion which email program would be a safe one to use.
Cheers.
Bob.
Sorry guys, open to anybody to comment.

[Noelm]

I guess the real answer is none of them, email is pretty much open to all sorts of scams and abuse, just keep any anti virus stuff up to date, if something looks sus, dump it, there was a fairly recent scam from the ATO, the Aus tax Office, there was a link to the tax office website, that looked perfectly legitimate, but in reality, it was christ knows where, but certainly not in the Tax Office, there must have been thousands fell for that, filled out all their details nice and neat for the scammers, almost NO government agency, bank or building society, or interent service provider will ever send you an email asking to update your details, just be aware of that, makes no different how innocent it might seem.

[MudRiverDan]

Posted on Nuggets forum
Have a read


http://www.nuggetoutdoors.com.au/smf...85.0;topicseen

Pfft straight up scam, no one makes an unannounced trip to London, theres no fish there...

Dan

[finga]

Pfft straight up scam, no one makes an unannounced trip to London, theres no fish there...

Dan

And heaps of Pommies too.

[2DKnBJ]

I have no friends. I didn't get the email




All my mates would call me on the telephone if they were in real trouble and needed a hand.

Hey Finga

Your like me.Don't have enough money to have friends like that.
And as you have said a real mate would call.

Cheers Dazza

[Bill_Corten]

Hi everyone and thanks for your calls yesterday, your support and comments. It was very much appreciated, but I was unable to respond to everyone at the time as the phones were going nuts, the texts never stopped coming and we were trying to sort it. Couldn't even do a broadcast to everyone in my computer as they deleted all the contact details. What was interesting is that some of you blokes have a wicked sense of humour. The foreign scammers got a bit more back than they bargained for I suspect from what some of you have told me and of course they got no money that I am aware of. Got an IT expert onto it and has all been sorted now. We all become a little wiser after such an experience and at least it is a good outcome. The tricky thing was it wasn't until the end of the day that we got on top of sorting fact from fiction and stopped jumping at shadows.
Bloody good to get offshore today and escape all the computer stuff. Some nice pearlies down the bottom end of the 33 fathom reef.
Interesting that they did the same thing to a mates wife yesterday morning too and had a good go at their bank account without success.

Regards
Bill