You just gotta love it…

* Loss from cybercrime exceeded $1.3B in 2016, FBI report

“The financial loss from cybercrime in the U.S. exceeded $1.3 billion in 2016, a rise of 24 percent, according to a new report issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).” Read more..

And remember gang –> that’s ONLY what was reported to the FBI. Think “tip of the iceberg”. (And, only USA losses.. How much global?)

* Google Gets Record-Breaking $2.7 Billion Fine for Manipulating Search Results

“Google has just lost its biggest regulatory battle! Google has been hit with a record-breaking $2.7 billion (€2.42 billion) fine by the European antitrust officials for unfairly manipulating search results since 2008. After a lengthy seven-year investigation that was launched in 2010..” Read more..

.. “since 2008” .. HA! Try, “since Google”. And don’t think Google’s going to pay that fine — the advertisers are. Be smart. Bail out now people.

* Judy Android malware unleashes massive attack on Google Play Store (NOTE! it wasn’t an ‘attack’.. the criminal hackers ‘poisoned’ the site with infected apps.)

“When it comes to apps for mobile devices, InfoSec experts will always recommend downloading from official vendors like the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. While these sites are much more stringent in their standards for malicious app prevention, there are always exceptions (which require the consumer to use common sense).” Read more..

OMG. Too funny. “require people use common sense” ..!

Sad part is.. that ‘attack’ netted tons of cash with automated click fraud (do you advertise? Look up the term ‘click fraud’ NOW!)

ALERT: New Petya ransomware variant attacking computers worldwide

“Following the high profile WannaCry attack merely a month ago, we have detected another ransomware outbreak that is spreading rapidly across the globe. It appears to be a new variant of the known Petya ransomware, also known as Petna, and it has already affected many high profile companies and government institutions across Europe and currently shows no sign of slowing down.” Read more..

And: Six quick facts to know about today’s global ransomware attack

“This is what you need to know — right now.” Read more..

* * *

* And you better believe — my ‘page views’ will take yet another hit for posting this.

Today’s quote: “In view of the fact that God limited the intelligence of man, it seems unfair that He did not also limit his stupidity.” ~ Konrad Adenauer

Copyright 2007-2017 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

Sunday Items

Folks, a few things worthy of your attention:

* Data Breach Day — Patreon (2.3M), T-Mobile (15M) and Scottrade (4.6M) — HACKED!

“This week, three high-profile data breaches took place, compromising personal and sensitive details of millions of people. Telecommunication giant T-Mobile Crowdfunding website Patreon US brokerage firm Scottrade In T-Mobile’s case, its credit application processor Experian was hacked, potentially exposing highly sensitive details of 15 Million people who applied for its service in the …” Read more..

Related: How to Freeze Credit Report To Protect Yourself Against Identity Theft

“If your Social Security number gets hacked in any data breaches, including recently hacked T-Mobile, then there’s a way to prevent hackers from misusing your identity (i.e. identity theft). The solution here is that you can institute a security freeze at each of the three credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion. Once frozen, nobody will be allowed to access your credit report, ... ” Read more..

Today’s Interesting Image (SB #208):

Click on image to see more by this artist

“Ellis clan” by Homini:), courtesy of Flickr Commons.

Today’s quotable quote: “Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.” ~ Zig Ziglar

Copyright 2007-2015 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

It’s about time!!!

Talk about waking up to danger years after the war is already lost..

* US declares cybercrime a ‘national emergency’, threatens sanctions against hackers, online espionage

“Sanctions will hit cyber criminals where it hurts – in the pocket – says the White House.” Read more..

But.. better late than never.. right?

Wonder how/if that’ll affect relations with China.. or, since they own us, and manufacture all our goods, they’ll get a pass? (Since we know they’re major actors.)

(Sounds good, but good luck with that.)

Kinda related: No free pass for Google

• San Francisco Chronicle, 1 Apr 2015

“Google’s vaunted “Do no evil’’ credo is taking a beating. Leaked documents show that Federal Trade Commission investigators wanted to sue the search giant on antitrust charges, but the push melted away into modest changes after Google executives made numerous trips to the White House.” Read more..

Today’s quote: “Life is mostly froth and bubble,
Two things stand like stone.
Kindness in another’s trouble,
Courage in your own.” ~ Adam Lindsay Gordon

Copyright 2007-2015 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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>> Folks, don’t miss an article! To get Tech – for Everyone articles delivered to your e-mail Inbox, click here, or to subscribe in your RSS reader, click here. <<

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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

Is That Email Legitimate?

Folks, a reader sent in a question I really think you should see…

Q: “Tech Paul;
For several weeks I’ve been keeping-up with your blog. Recently, I have been given some ‘devastating’ news and I turn to you for help. For many months I have been corresponding with business-people by emails. The incoming emails arrive directly to my ‘inbox’ not spam. The emails sent to me have ‘official’ government and bank ‘logos and tradmarks’. The emails also have ‘official’ government ‘seals’ and pictures of prominent leaders. Also received are ‘signatures’ and business ‘duty stamped seals of approval’. To say the least those emails look very sophisticated. The corresponce went on for months with the exchange of emails and telephone calls. Then all of a sudden the communication suddenly stopped. Without warning. Now, and most recently, when telephoning the other party; their phones are ‘disconnected’. When sending emails, my emails are returned to me ‘unanswered’. Needless to say I did send monetary payments (within a ‘time-limit’). Can you please tell me how one can ‘verify’ the legitimacy of an email? Is there any way to determine the ligitimacy of an email-address? I do enjoy reading your blog. However, the emails I receive leave me baffled, bewildered and perplexed. You have to see the emails for yourself. They look very professional and very sophisticated. They look genuine and authentic. And yet, when it comes to money payments; how can you tell if they are ‘fake’ or ‘real’? Your response is appreciated.”

A: Dear Reader,
It is rather easy to obtain, and paste in, official looking images…

But, without getting into your particular situation, and focusing in on what I understand your particular question to be — Is there any way to determine the legitimacy of an email?

The short version is: “sort of” but, no not really. You can look at the header (by viewing details) and see a more accurate picture of the Sender, but those can be faked (“spoofed“) or proxies used. Your real and true friends can have their machines get infected and used as spam bots, and mail from them (their machines) can be sent by criminals, and so on and so forth. Email without stringent controls in place (such as in a corporate setting) is a very insecure medium.

While we have invented “filters” which try to catch scams and spam, it is incumbent upon us – ourselves – to determine if an email is “legit”. Since the earliest days of the Internet, people have been told the basic Email rules:

1) Do not open mail from strangers
2) If they ask for personal information and/or money, it’s a scam
3) Write as if the whole world can read your words (or, “write like your mother will read it.”)
4) Don’t click links, open attachments, or “trust” email.

If you unsure about the legitimacy of an email, what you can do is look up the phone number elsewhere. Like, in the phone book. And call that number, not the number in the email, and you ask the supposed sender, “did you send me a email?“

(But.. if you follow Rule #1, you don’t [usually] ever get that far..)

These scammers sometimes set up websites, phones, mailboxes, print up stationary, and more, to help pull off their cons.

… Since the FBI was nice enough to let me *borrow* their logo, I’m going to refer you to an excellent webpage they have; FBI.gov: New E-Scams & Warnings, as well as a link to the FBI’s IC3 Internet Crime Complaint Center, http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx (which, as you can imagine, is swamped..)

Here’s some tips on avoiding becoming a victim, http://www.artscams.com/. (The Internet is literally filled with such advice..)

If you believe you have been scammed out of money, and therefore are the victim of fraud, there are many resources available to you.. (such as the one I discuss here, The World’s Largest Online Safety and Help Group) but I would start by talking with the local police. They can guide you as to your best immediate course of action.

I’ll say it yet again: you really do need to exercise Paranoid Common Sense on the Internet.

It ain’t Disneyland. (Please see, The Internet Is Not Disneyland)

We know about $105 billion per year in cybercrime ‘losses’, and we know that’s just the tip of the iceberg.. most go unreported. You listening, Cyber Czar?

Copyright 2007-2010 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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A Thieves Market — The Internet

“When you think of the Internet underground, you probably don’t think about Burbank or Ventura, Calif.. But if you want to see what’s going on in the Web’s darkest corners, the Ventura Freeway is where you need to go…”

I have been a fan of Bob Sullivan’s MSNBC Red Tape Chronicles for a while now, and recently I had the time to go through some of his older articles, and I came across one I had missed — A Portal On Credit Card Crime.

I highly recommend that you read this article.

On it, I also found links to a Dateline special undercover series titled “To Catch an ID Thief”, which I had also missed. It too, is a “must read”, er.. “must see”. So I have provided links to the videos. (You will need to enable Flash.)

Amazing stuff here. I hope you’ll watch and learn, and tell your friends.

‘To Catch an ID Thief’

2: Underground den of thieves

3: ‘Hansen Discount Electronics’

4: CH delivery

5: Where’s Wendy?

6: Harsh truth

Copyright 2007-9 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

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