ShoppyBag And Other Warnings

Toto, I’ve a feeling we‘re not in Kansas anymore..

Internet scams:

An alert reader informed me of another website, something called “ShoppyBag” (wonder who that’s aimed at?) that harvests your email contact list and then spams out “Hey! [friend’s name] tagged you in a photo.. click here to ” type recruitment emails, ala the vile method of MyLife.com (see Just Say “No” To mylife.com).

Tell your friends: if you should ever see something from ShoppyBag in your Inbox delete it unopened. I don’t care that it appears to have come from your best friend. (It probably did, if your best friend was suckered.) Do not try to “unsubscribe”.

Complaints are rampant.. here is a good sample discussion of ShoppyBag. IMHO, a certain “dignan2” said it best..

“Are people really this gullible? You receive some cryptic email from a friend, you click on the link, and you sign up giving this “company” access to all of your contacts. In this day and age, how can you possibly fall for this stuff? I mean it really makes no sense to me. I received the same email under my brother’s name and didn’t even click on the link. I alerted him to this crap being sent to me (and probably many others).
If you get odd emails like this, it’s very simple DON’T SIGN UP! DON’T EVEN CLICK ON THE LINK! JUST DELETE!
Are we really becoming this dumb as a society? Scary.“

Beware of Google+ Invite scams. For the millions and millions and millions of you interested in “social networking”, and “tweeting”… get a life? Sorry. That’s not what I meant to say. Facebook and Twitter are powerful tools, bringing us closer together in the One Human Family. What I meant to say is, Google is coming out with a new “service”, Google+, which is supposed to be the social networker’s bee’s knees. Trouble is, it’s currently limited release and “invite only”.. so…

• Google+ Invite Scams Appear On Facebook

“The search giant’s latest foray into social networking is currently in a closed “field trial,” and invitations are a hot commodity. But thanks to some unscrupulous opportunists, you must be wary of Google+ invites that appear on Facebook.” Read more..

.. a “hot commodity”.. wow. I remember, as a kid, watching a Disney program about lemmings..

• “Don Gunshot” is Blackmailing You

“It’s a variation on the old 419 scam. The e-mail tells you that the sender is a hit man hired to knock you off, but he’ll take your money instead.” Read more..

• All Google Profiles will be public, private profiles deleted on July 31st

“If you don’t make your Google Profile public and searchable by Google+ users by July 31st, Google will delete it.” Read more..

Folks, the Internet is not Disneyland, nor some vast public library where everyone is on their best behavior. It’s an unpoliced, fly by night freak show where cybercriminals are fleecing us rubes out of billions of dollars a year. But, hey, you can watch porn for free!

Let’s use some paranoid common sense when online.

Please?

• Researchers Dissect The Underground Economy Of Fake Antivirus Software

“Scareware pushers see more than 2 percent sales conversion, make millions in profit — and even offer refunds.” Read more..

• Are social media and mobile app jobs just fads? (This is one to read the “Comments” on.)

“Are social media and mobile app jobs fads or legitimate fields to get into?” Read more..

Copyright 2007-2011 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

---

>> 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. <<

---

Split 50/50 (Am Waiting Please !!)

Once Again It’s Time To Play LET’S COUNT THE TYPOS!

from: Mr.VC Cheng managment@gmx.com
reply-to: vchcheng@gmail.com
to:
date: Mon, Apr 26, 2010 at 6:16 PM
subject: Am Waiting Please !!

Am Mr.V.C.H.Cheng of Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited Hong Kong . I am getting in touch with you regarding the estate of a deceased client with similar last name as yours and an investment placed under our banks management. I would respectfully request that you keep the contents of this mail confidential and respect the integrity of the information you come by as a result of this mail.

I contact you independently and no one is informed of this communication. In 2003 a Hong Kong businessman who was our Client, made a fixed deposit of $18.350.000.00 (Eighteen million Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars only) in my branch, a number of notices were sent to him when it was due, but no response came from him till date. We later found out that he along with his family had been killed in the tsunami disaster that happened in Asia that hit their home. what bothers me most is according to the laws of my country at the expiration of 7 years the funds will revert to the Hong Kong Government if nobody comes for the funds.

After more inquiry it was also discovered that the late business man did not declare any next of kin in his official papers including the paper work of his bank deposit This means that he died inestate and this is the reason i am writing you is because you share the same last name What I expect from you is trust and commitment, I want this large sum of money transferred with your assistance and you should have nothing to worry about regarding legality AT ALL. All that is required is your honest co-operation and I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect me and you from any breach of the law.What I propose is that since I have exclusive access to his file, you will be made the beneficiary of these funds. You do not have to have known him personally. I know this might be a bit heavy for you but please trust me on this. For all your troubles I propose that we split the money in half(50/50). In the banking circle this happens every time. The other option is that the money will revert back to the state.

Please accept my apologies, keep my confidence and disregard this email if you do not appreciate this proposal I have offered you. All confirmable documents to back up this fund shall be made available to you, as we move on; I shall let you know what is required of you. Your earliest response to this letter will be appreciated. I want to know if you are willing to follow up this business seriously before I can give you more details about this transaction.

I know within me that nothing ventured is nothing gained and that success and riches never come easy or on a platter of gold. This is the one truth I have learned from my private banking clients. Do not betray my confidence. If we can be of one accord, we should act swiftly on this. Please get back to me immediately via the above email.

I await your response.
VC Cheung
vchcheng@gmail.com

They have updated this “form” with some idioms, but…

Folks, I am pleased to announce my latest software license giveaway drawing.

The folks at TuneUp Utilities have generously donated five licenses to me, to award to my readers. I sincerely thank them for that. So I am going to do a random drawing contest from folks who “enter” by posting a comment (below) or by sending an e-mail. The drawing will be held next week, and the winners announced Friday, so act now.

Software License Giveaway: TuneUp Utilities 2010

Copyright 2007-2010 © Tech Paul. All Rights Reserved. post to jaanix.

---

>> 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. <<

---

Share this post :

Amazingly Dangerous Email: Must See To Believe

Amazon.com (Evil) Deal of the Day

Folks, I just received an amazing (and dangerous) e-mail that my phishing filter/spam catcher did not catch – claiming to come from Amazon.com as one of my “notification subscriptions” –> Amazon’s Deal of the Day. It looks identical to my real notifications but…

every single link is dangerous, and they’re pushing ED drugs! These hyperlinks really take you to websites titled “http:\\######.fishenough.ru”. Seriously! (.ru = Russia)

Do I need tell you what will happen should you click a single link? Nothing good, I assure you!!!
Here’s more..

What are those red warning signals? They are automatically inserted by a tool I have installed on my machine, see, Why You Want WOT.

I kind of admire the craftsmanship that went into this.. this.. criminal attack. It fooled me for a while. But, sheeze: anyone else wonder how come these guys are still getting away with this? And maybe.. a bit fed up with it?

Are you listening, cyber czar?

Copyright 2007-2010 © Tech Paul. All Rights Reserved. post to jaanix.

---

>> 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. <<

---

Share this post :

Briefest Scam Email Ever?

An alert reader of this site sent me this e-mail he received from “Microsoft”..

From: MICROSOFT consulatpaysbasquebec@bellnet.ca ¹

reply-to: ms.claims10@admin.in.th ²

to:

date: Sun, Feb 14, 2010 at 6:37 PM

subject: Re

You’ve been awarded 500,000.00GBP send personal information for claims

¹ “.ca” means Canada
² “.th” means Thailand.

Copyright 2007-2010 © Tech Paul. All Rights Reserved.  post to jaanix.

---

>> 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. <<

---

hi

Time For A Quick Round Of Let’s Count The Typos!

Thank you, Mr. Chuby, for giving me such a good laff to start my week…

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

Share this post :

Greeting From Miss Joy

…Because of my uncles wicked attitude…

Greeting From Miss Joy

Dearest one,

May the grace and peace of our good Lord be multiplied unto you, I know that this my mail might be a surprise to you but never mind because i am contacting you in good faith, However accept my sincere apologies if it doesn’t meet your personal ethics, I am Miss Joy Kone, from Sierra Leone, the only Daughter of my parents late Mr. and Mrs. Zokora Kone, who used to be a major dealer in gem-quality diamonds and also a politician.

I was born out of tragic fate, my mother died of cancer when I was only four years old and I was brought up with great care and love by my father before he met his own untimely death on his way back from a business trip abroad. When he actually arrived at the airport, his driver when to pick him and on their way home they had a fatal accident which killed his driver at the spot while my father spent three days in the hospital before he gave up the ghost and after his burial, my uncle seized all my father’s properties and investments because of our traditional believe that I as a lady has no part in the family inheritance since I am supposed to eventually get married and leave the home. It was really hard on me as I had nothing to get on because of my uncles wicked  attitude.

However, my father told me an important secret while on his dying bed that he deposited the sum of Seven million, Five hundred thousand US Dollars ($7.5M) in a Finance House, and also directed me to the documents of the ownership of the fund and My uncle has no knowledge whatsoever about this and he has long relocated abroad with his children at the heat of the Sierra Leona an war.  I’ll give you the Finance House details when I’ve heard from you and more trust develops and I live in a missionary home in Dakar at present because of my uncle, however there has been political instability and disturbances here as well in resent times in the country  hence I want to transfer the fund abroad  to an enabling and stable environment where this money will be use for investment and profitable venture.  I’ll need a foreign account and  reliable  partner who might as well guide me in investing to do so and I want you to help me in these regard.

I’ll give you 30%   of the money if you will offer me the neccessary assistance in good faith and Your interest and willingness to help me will in no small measure be a big relief to me in this time of need. I want to hear from you, please kindly forward your full contact details to me on your respond to enable me use it write and submit an application letter of claim/ nomination to the finance house and introduce you as my foreign partner or representative.
(1) Full Name,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
(2) Home Address,,,,,,,,,,,,
(3) Country,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
(4) Age And Occupation,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
(5) Phone Number And Fax,,,,,,,,,,,,
I will be waiting from your reply soonest and please get back to me through my private email //  joy4ee@hotmail.com

Yours,

Miss. Joy Kone.

I think I will “but never mind because i am contacting you in good faith” this time because I am a fan of bold text in my e-mails.

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

Share this post :

A 60 – 40 Split

It’s Time To Play LETS COUNT THE TYPOS!

Dear Friend,

I am Mr. Ebrahim Abdul Hamid, a senior staff with National Bank of Dubai Fujerah branch, I have urgent business proposition to discus with you.
A British Oil consultant and contractor with the Kruger Gold Company, Mr. Raymond Beck made a numbered time (Fixed) Deposit for twelve calendar months, valued at USD$3,000,000.00 (Three Million United State Dollars) in my branch.
Upon maturity of this deposit, I sent a routine notification to his forwarding address but got no reply. After a month, we sent a reminder and finally we discovered from his contract employers, the Kruger Gold Company that Mr. Raymond Beck died in a plane crash along with his wife in a plain crash along with his wife in Egypt Air Flight 990, 1999 air crash. (For more information about this crash and person you can contact this website; <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/502503.stm
>
Since we got this information about his death and on further investigation, I found out that he died without making a WILL, and all attempts to trace his next of kin were fruitless. I therefore made further investigation and discovered that Mr. Raymond Beck did not declare any next of kin or relations in all his official documents, including his Bank Deposit paperwork in my Bank.
This sum of USD$3,000,000.00 (Three Million United States Dollars) is still sitting in my Bank and the interest is being rolled over with the principal sum at the end of each year. No one has ever come forward to claim it. According to Laws of United Arab Emirates, at the expiration of 10(TEN) years, the money will revert to the ownership of the (U.A.E) Government if nobody applies to claim the fund.
Consequently, my proposal is that I will like you as a foreigner to stand in as the next of kin to Mr. Raymond Beck so that the fruits of this old man’s labor will not get into the hands of some corrupt government officials.
This is simple, I will like you to provide immediately your full names and address so that the attorney will prepare the necessary documents and affidavits that will put you in place as the next of kin.
We shall employ the services of an attorney for drafting and notarization of the WILL and to obtain the necessary documents and letter of probate/ administration in your favor for the transfer. A bank account in any part of the world that you will provide will then facilitate the transfer of this money to you as the beneficiary/next of kin.
The money will be paid into your account for us to share in the ratio of 60% for me and 40% for you. There is no risk at all as all the paperwork for this transaction will be done by the attorney and my position as the Branch Manager guarantees the successful execution of this transaction.
Upon your response, I shall then provide you with more details and relevant documents that will help you understand the transaction. Please send me your confidential telephone and fax numbers for easy communication. Please observe utmost confidentiality, and rest assured that this transaction would be most profitable for both of us because I shall require your assistance to invest my share in your country.
I am waiting for your urgent response.

Regards.
Mr. Ebrahim Hamid.
Please respons with this email; ima.moron@ymail.com

Wow. How many clues did you spot?
Plain crashed in 1999…

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

Share this post :