The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) email scam is nothing new, having first become prevalent in 2005.
The basic function of the email is to try and trick the recipient into believing that they are due a refund of tax.
Typical IRS scam emails follow these basic steps -
- The victim receives an email that looks very official and appears to be from the Internal Revenue Service
- The email strongly suggests that the recipient is due a refund of tax
- The email looks quite genuine - it has a subject line of ‘IRS Tax Refund’ and the sender’s address has been spoofed to appear as tax-returns@irs.gov
- A hyperlink in the email points to a site where the victim is told that they have to fill out a form in order to proceed
If this hyperlink is followed then the target website offers up an official looking form to be filled in with personal details, such as name, address, social security number and credit card details.
The victim is then advised that it may be several weeks before they receive any confirmation of their tax refund. (This is to give the scammer time to get away with their money and their identity)
Obviously what is happening here is that the scammers are taking their victims to a fake site, from which they are extracting their personal financial details in order to steal both their money and their identity.
The best solution for this is to remember that the IRS would never initiate a refund through email.
Also, as ever, remember NEVER to click on links in emails.
If you believe the IRS owes you a tax refund then contact them by phone or type their website url directly into your browser.
The following email I received looks like a common 419, or scam, email -
Subject: Information for prospective donors
Would you have additional information for prospective donors or volunteers other than what is on your website?
Thank you in advance.
Warm regards, Barb
Barbara Moratek
Vice President, Director of Grant Programs
Ivete Foundation
Phone-
Fax- 800.397.7205
Web- www ivetefoundation.org
However, a quick Google of some of the key words shows that it is designed to be much more than just that.
Recognising the email for what it was, I searched for ‘Ivete Foundation’ and was somewhat surprised to find that it was listed on digg.com.
(Hint : click on the digg link at the end of the article to give it some competition)
According to sunbeltblog, the scammers behind this email have not only spammed the search engines with hundreds of less than salubrious sites, all containing the term ‘Barbara Moratek’, but have also got a link on Digg which points to a fake video site.
The fake video site is, presumably, associated with nasty ActiveX controls, trojans, or other malicious or annoying malware.
I can’t help but wonder if this is the beginning of a new trend in which scammers will try to ensure that searching for the names in their 419 emails will lead to sites under their control, thereby allowing them to get you one way or another?
Protect Yourself From Email Scams - Click Here!
The FTC (Federal Trade commission) has recently identified the top 10 email scams that consumers should be on the lookout for.
The 10 scams are as follows -
1. ADVANCE FEE FRAUD
Scam artists offer to transfer huge amounts of money into your bank account in return for paying a fee or their ‘expenses’ that are necessary to release the money.
If you are foolish enough to respond then you may receive documents that look ‘official’.
Beware, however, that the emails are from crooks who are trying to steal your money or identity or both.
2. PHISHING
Phishing scams tend to originate either via email or pop-up messages.
They will claim to be from a business or organisation that not only do you recognise, but you may also have dealt with them in the past.
Typically, the message will ask you to update, validate or confirm your account, or face the consequences.
Phishing is a scam where internet fraudsters attempt to steal accounts or identities or both.
Never reply to such phishing attempts and never click on any of the links.
3. CHECK OVERPAYMENT SCAMS
Check overpayment scams are common on the more popular online auction sites such as eBay, as well as elsewhere.
Someone will respond to your ad or online auction, pretending to be a buyer, and will then offer to pay with a check.
At the last moment they will come up with a reason to write the check for more than the purchase price and will then ask you to wire them back the difference.
Typically, these checks are counterfeit and when they bounce, you are liable for the entire amount, as well as having lost the goods as well.
4. WORK AT HOME SCAMS
Do you really believe you can stay at home, stuffing envelopes or similar, and still earn thousands of dollars per week?
If so, then you may become the next victim of a work at home scam.
You will be asked to pay a fee to begin with and, instead of real employment, you’ll simply be asked to solicit others into the scheme, thereby earning large amounts of money only for those behind the scam.
If something sounds too good to be true.. it usually is.
5. WEIGHT LOSS SCAMS
Pills, potions, patches, creams and a multitude of other products that will apparently help you to lose weight without having to exercise or change your eating habits.
Experts agree that the best way to lose weight is to eat fewer calories whilst increasing your level of physical activity.
If someone suggests their product offers a better solution then ask questions!
6. FOREIGN LOTTERIES
Emails arrive, boasting of foreign lotteries in which the chances of winning are extremely high.
Alternatively, you will receive an email saying you’ve already won, even if you didn’t enter.
The people behind these lottery email scams will keep any money that you send for ‘taxes, fees and expenses’ and will then attempt to use your bank account numbers or credit cards to access more of your money.
7. CURE-ALL PRODUCTS
Some new health products should, perhaps, carry their own health warning.
Scientific breakthroughs, miraculous cures and secret formulas may promise much, but what do they really deliver?
When evaluating health care claims, be skeptical and consult a health care professional before buying any cure-all product.
8. INVESTMENT SCHEMES
These offer investments with extremely high rates of return and very little or no risk.
Typically, early investors are paid with money obtained from later investors and are then encouraged to invest more.
Ponzi schemes eventually collapse due to the fact that there isn’t enough money coming in to cover the earnings payouts.
You should always evaluate any investment opportunity carefully and discuss with an accountant, investment professional or lawyer before you part with your cash.
9. PAY IN ADVANCE FRAUD
Lucky you - you have been ‘pre-qualified’ to either receive a low interest loan or credit card or to repair your poor credit rating.
To take advantage of the offer, however, you will be required to pay a processing fee of several hundred dollars.
Before handing over your cash, consider this - legitimate and responsible lenders never guarantee loans or credit cards before you apply.
10. DEBT ELIMINATION
Debt elimination scams can often arrive via email and either offer ways to consolidate your bills without further borrowing, or to wipe your debts out entirely.
Quite often this will involve bankruptcy proceedings but the email is unlikely to make that clear.
Before resorting to bankruptcy, or undertaking any other kind of debt elimination offer, talk with your creditors about arranging a modified payment plan, or talk to a credit counseling service to develop a debt repayment plan.
Protect Yourself From Email Scams - Click Here!
When this site first started I used to upload a number of the email scams I received on a daily basis, however, I found it quite boring to be honest - copying and pasting is not much fun.
Also, there are other sites out there that hold huge repositories of such emails, a good example of which would be MillerSmiles, another UK site.
That said, I thought I would post a short report on the type of email scams I have been receiving recently so that readers are aware of some of the newer tactics that the scam artists are employing in their quest to defraud their victims -
SCARE TACTICS
One of the scam emails I received today was entitled, “dude, what if your wife finds this?” and the message body read -
“OMG, what are you doing man. This video of you is all over the net. check it out yourself”.
There then followed a hyperlink that appeared, at first glance, to lead to the video sharing site YouTube.
However, mousing over the link revealed that it actually pointed to a different website that was identified by an unknown IP address rather than a worded URL.
Of course I know better than to click on links in emails, and I don’t really care much for what my ex-wife knows about me either, but I could see how this might entice some men into clicking a link that does who knows what or leads to who knows where.
eCARDS
I still continue to receive a large number of notifications that someone has sent me an ecard.
The ‘From’ line normally indicates they are from a legitimate e-card site and the subject line often suggests that they are from a family member or friend.
However, in reality, they generally link to less than desirable websites that will attempt to put malware, or worse, onto your computer system.
NONSENSE WORDS FOR SUBJECTS
Spammers have begun to use a word that isn’t really a word, such as “sophtiol” or “pafgunjat” as a subject.
This is designed to bypass the increasingly effective spam filters that most email clients now employ.
Any newer email client will have a blacklist of words or phrases, either shipped with them, or added by the user.
Using random garbage as subject will typically allow those pills and potions emails to get through.
ANTI-VIRUS
These types of scam emails, including the ones that appear to be no more than just spam, often have links embedded within them that lead to malicious websites.
By clicking on these links, you are exposing yourself to the risk of becoming infected with a Trojan horse, virus, or other piece of malware.
If you receive such emails then the best advice is to just delete them.
If you don’t already have a virus scanner that scans email messages and their attachments as they are received then get one but do be aware of anti-virus scams.
Protect Yourself From Email Scams - Click Here!
I would imagine that if you mention the words ’spam’ and ‘email’ to most people, then they will associate those two words with something very much like this -
Or at least that’s what they would have you believe.
Have you ever wondered why spam email continues unabated, growing at an alarming rate, when just about everyone says they hate it?
Could it be because, secretly, 29% of the internet population has bought something pitched to them through junk mail?
Whilst publicly slating spam email, almost a third of internet users have found the following illegal, or at least slightly dubious, items via their inboxes -
- pirated software
- fake designer watches
- counterfeit designer clothes
- restricted drugs
- prescription medicines
- pornography
Have you ever purchased something through spam email and, if so, why?
Thanks to Kim Woodbridge for the inspiration for this post.
Protect Yourself From Email Scams - Click Here!
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Tuesday, November 25, 2008
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