The world's premier anti internet scam, anti fraud information blog
The world's premier anti internet scam, anti fraud information blog
SCAMMERS GETTING CAUGHT! Scams make news. We feel drawn to read about the misfortunes of others and share their sadness. In comparison with successful scams, arrests and prosecutions are rare, but when they do happen, most of us are delighted! It is always gratifying to read that a Scammer has been caught and convicted. Here […]
SOFTWARES AND SOFT WORDS – CYBERCRIME AS A TECHNICAL AND SOCIAL PHENOMENON PART 4: COMMON SENSE – THE WAY TO A SAFE VIRTUAL LIFE In these articles we have discussed the two feet that cybercrime stands on. We have demonstrated that they work together, and one could not function without the other. The technology makes […]
SOFTWARES AND SOFT WORDS – CYBERCRIME AS A TECHNICAL AND SOCIAL PHENOMENON PART 3: SOFT WORDS – THE CRIMINALS AS SOCIAL ENGINEERS In the previous part we have established that the software the criminals use, while efficient, are not necessarily very complicated. The idea of an omnipotent hacker being able to break any laws of […]
SOFTWARES AND SOFT WORDS – CYBERCRIME AS A TECHNICAL AND SOCIAL PHENOMENON PART 2: SOFTWARE – THE TECHNOLOGY BEHIND ONLINE CRIMES We could simplify the subject of these articles by saying that phishing scams, and online scams in general, stand on two feet: the technological foot and the social foot. The former is needed for […]
They Don’t Disappear After Stealing Your Money Think a Scammer will flee once he has your money? Think again! What’s the difference between a Mugger and a Scammer? The Mugger hopes that you will never see him again. The Scammer hopes to be with you for life. You will probably receive their emails with monotonous […]
SOFTWARES AND SOFT WORDS – CYBERCRIME AS A TECHNICAL AND SOCIAL PHENOMENON PART 1: ON MUGGERS AND HACKERS “Phishing attack hits Twitter” “Hackers go after Google users in advanced phishing attack” “Bank of America, Chase Bank warning customers of email phishing schemes” “Hackers Amass Over a Billion Internet Passwords” The above headlines are something you […]
When I have extra time, I occasionally engage in scambaiting, that is, corresponding with an internet scammer and trying to hurt his business. This is a hobby, so naturally I am just as interested as any hobbyist in knowing what is said about my hobby in public. And there is one thing that irks me […]
With bank accounts offering paltry interest rates, alternative investments seem a more attractive, some offering staggering interest rates and potential. The latest exotic investment being offered is to invest in Graphene. What is it, and should you join the rush? Graphene is carbon. That’s it. It sounds exotic, it’s ‘new’ (well, it’s as old as […]
EPILOGUE: BACK IN THE REALITY In this series of articles we have covered in eight steps how a typical advance fee fraud works. While there are many different types of scams, many follow this pattern. Not all the scammers use the same steps in the same way, but the pattern and the psychological premises remain […]
STEP 8: RAISE OR FOLD? “I secured the documents BUT now the bank needs you to pay tax for the release.” “I promise this is the LAST FEE.” “Please my friend DON’T GIVE UP now!” The eighth step is what separates long term victims of the headlines from short term victims of whom we rarely […]