Sunday, March 26, 2017

Got Gmail? Watch out for this clever scam

News of this effective email phishing scam that targets people with Google email accounts (Gmail) was first published by Fortune two months ago and was picked up by Bruce Schneier, who linked to it on his infamous Schneier on Security blog on March 17, 2017. It works like this.

The Gmail recipient receives an email with an object that appears to be a PDF file attachment to the message. This "attachment" is actually an image file embedded in the message contents. It was made from a screen shot of a PDF file attachment and looks like this:

Fake PDF "attachment" image

Saturday, March 18, 2017

Be on the alert for IRS tax scam emails

It's that time of the year when scammers take advantage of unsuspecting citizens by baiting them with a simple phishing scam.

Earlier this month, Dark Reading published 9 Phishing Lures that Could Hijack your 2017 Tax Refund. The nine sample phishing emails are shown below, and the full article is here: http://www.darkreading.com/perimeter/9-phishing-lures-that-could-hijack-your-2017-tax-refund-/d/d-id/1328334.

Defending against this is easy. If you get any email purporting to be from the IRS, know this: The IRS does not send email to taxpayers. If you are getting audited or owe taxes, you will be notified by snail mail. The IRS will not send you email promising a big payback either. Delete it.

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Whenever you receive an unexpected email or any message that seems out of the ordinary, remember to stop, think and do not click.

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Scam email from Mystery Shopper recruiter

Thinking of working as a mystery shopper? It's a legitimate business, but be aware that these companies don't recruit by email.

Here is just one example of a fraudulent email designed to trick you out of money:


How the scam works

You receive a bank check along with a request that you deposit it immediately and then go shop; you are also told that you'll get to keep some of the money. But the scammers ask you to wire the remaining money back to them right away. As you might have guessed, their check is bogus but the money you wire back is real.

Things to remember

  • When you receive a check, wait until it fully clears before spending it.
  • Never accept a check for more than what is owed with instructions to send back the rest. 
  • Always be wary if you are asked to wire funds.

Think before you click!