Beware of Internet Scams: How To Spot Online Scams

Among my least favorite people in the whole world are those unfortunates who call on behalf of marketing companies. They have been lured with promises of easy money. These poor souls have been persuaded to dial telephone numbers (hundreds of telephone numbers every day) of people they don't know (people like you and me) and try to convince us that we desperately need the product or service they are trying to sell.

I feel sorry for these folk, because they have been lied to. They will not make the easy sales they have been promised. They will spend the next few miserable weeks, or months if they last that long, calling people in foreign countries, eager to sell, sell, sell, only to be hung up on, yelled at, sworn at, and reported to the Better Business Bureau.

The scam du jour just now - the ever-popular "computer protection service" scam - is aimed mainly at seniors and stay-at-homes.

The service they are offering is unnecessary and, at least, questionable and though the pitch is delivered by phone, their real objective is to get you online, and get into your computer.

The Set-up: If someone answers the phone at any residence during the mid-morning or mid-afternoon hours, they are most likely a stay-at-home parent or a senior.

I decided to answer two such calls to see what they were trying to sell. The callers both asked if I had recently had my computer serviced. It didn't matter if the answer was "yes" or "no" because the script these callers are taught covers both contingencies.

• When I answered,"Yes" - the first caller claimed to be calling me on behalf of Microsoft, doing follow-up with people who'd recently had their computers serviced, to look after a security software problem. Of course, they were not authorized, nor did they even know what type of computer I own, let alone have any idea what repairs have been done. They were unable to provide me that info, and claimed that their company merely did "general" follow-up.
• When I answered, "No" - the second caller informed me they are calling on behalf of Microsoft because of a potential security problem with my Windows software.

The rest of both calls were pretty much identical. The "company security representative" asked me if I ever went online. When I replied that I did, I was informed that the internet was not a safe place, and that Microsoft was concerned about the Security Systems on my computer.

He asked me to turn on my computer and click <Start> and type in the command <eventvwr> - the caller then instructed me to look at the left hand panel, and click on "Custom views," and then "Administrative Events." This command brings up a tool called the Event Viewer - you can use it to see what has already happened and been dealt with by your Windows operating system, and what may need to be dealt with directly by you. Most of us never use this area at all as it is more of a tool for technicials who might need to see what your system was doing so they can fix it.

The Hook: He then directed me to look at the top of the middle panel, and asked me what was the total number of events. He seemed horrified by the total, some 27,000 events, and asked me how long I'd had the computer. When I replied that the computer was about a year old he was even more horrified and proceeded to explain how unsafe and insecure my system was to have so many errors. Actually that is a very modest number of events for a computer of this age.

Then I was asked to click on the Security tab, and sure enough, there were a horrifying 28,000 events logged there - again, a very low number. He was working very hard to convince me I should be very, very afraid and concerned for my computer's lack of security.

While I was half-listening to the nice man, I was also busily clicking on the events to see what they were. Most were of the simple "program failed to close properly" variety, and a few were "Windows is waiting for a program to close so it can shut down..." or "Microsoft cannot find the program required to open this file..." Pretty typical events, and certainly nothing to cause any concern.

The Pitch: He assured me that the reason for his call, authorized by Microsoft, was to make sure my computer could be made safe and protected from the evils of the internet. He then passed me on to his certified technician, who was standing by to assist me - more like, to relieve me of some of my hard-earned cash.

The second caller, the certified technician, was also horrified by what had been uncovered. He then claimed that my computer could be saved from these terrifying "security mistakes" by subscribing to their Microsoft approved security service for a measly $119.00 per year, or $69.99 for six months. Needless to say, I laughed and declined.

As you can see, the object of the exercise was to scare an unwitting or novice computer user into buying their subscription service.

The Variation: In the truly dangerous version of this pitch, the scammers try to scare you into going on line so they can install the service for you. To do this, of course, they need Administrative Control of your computer - just so they can make sure the "security system" installs correctly. This gives them access to every piece of information on your computer - your name, address, phone number, and every contact in your email accounts, along with any banking and credit information you have stored on your computer. Do you bank online? I do.

Anytime anyone tries to scare you into buying something or giving them information, be very, very careful about what you disclose. Better to just hang up, and talk to your local computer tech before buying any online service unless you absolutely know what you are getting into.

My second least favorite scam is the email phishing scam. These are fairly easy to spot, but I was almost caught the first time I saw one.

I received an email informing me of an attempted transaction. I quickly realized I made no such transaction, so I clicked the provided link to find out what was up. I was advised that I would have to re-validate my account, and was presented with a form to fill in all my personal information, which I started to do 'til one of the questions made me quickly delete all the info I had entered, and close the form.

The form asked for my bank account number and branch info, etc. I thought that was strange, because the bank would already have that information. I immediately called my bank, and was passed on to the real Fraud Department. We had a most interesting conversation about email fraud, then in its relative infancy. It was an educational experience.

I have since seen similar scams purporting to be from PayPal, MasterCard, AmEx, and any number of financial institutions, all claiming to owe me money, or to threaten closure of a (non-existent) account, or to have noticed some kind of fraudulent action in my (usually non-existent) account.

I always go to the source - the bank or account in question, and check there first - after I mark the email as "Junk" and delete it.

This scam seems downright funny once you've received a few. The email claims to be from someone well-connected - a doctor, missionary, banker, etc. - I have included excerpts, in italics, from an email I received just this afternoon:

"FROM THE DESK OF: DR.EVANS EGOBIA"
The writer describes a situation that is, they hope, guaranteed to appeal to your sympathy, to your disgust with the corrupt foreigner officials, your do-gooder impulses, and your greed in The Set-Up:
"IT IS WITH TRUST AND CONFIDENCE THAT I WRITE TO MAKE THIS URGENT BUSINESS PROPOSAL TO YOU. I WAS ASSIGNED BY TWO OF MY COLLEAGUE TO SEEK FOR A FOREIGN PARTNER WHO WILL ASSIST US IN PROVIDING A CONVENIENT FOREIGN ACCOUNT IN ANY DESIGNATED BANK ABROAD FOR THE TRANSFER OF US $35,500,000.00 PENDING ON OUR ARRIVAL IN YOUR COUNTRY FOR UTILIZATION AND DISBURSEMENT WITH THE OWNER OF THE ACCOUNT."

The email will tell you why they urgently need help - local regulations, corrupt authorities, destitute orphans, a dying philanthropist, or some sad tale...
"THE TRANSFER OF THIS MONEY CAN ONLY BE POSSIBLE WITH THE HELP OF A FOREIGNER WHO WILL BE PRESENTED AS THE BENEFICIARY OF THE FUND."

...and then they offer a big, juicy carrot - The Hook!
"WE HAVE AGREED THAT IF YOU/YOUR COMPANY CAN ACT AS THE BENEFICIARY OF THIS FUND (US$35,500,000.00 MILLION)25% OF THE TOTAL SUM WILL BE FOR YOU FOR PROVIDING THE ACCOUNT."

Then they appeal to you as a fellow conspirator/humanitarian, and make one tiny request...
"FOR SECURITY REASONS AND CONFIDENCIALITY OF THIS TRANSACTION, WE DEMAND THAT YOU SHOULD NOT EXPOSE THIS PROPOSAL AND THE ENTIRE TRANSACTION TO ANYBODY. WE ARE PUTTING SO MUCH TRUST IN YOU WITH THE HOPE THAT YOU WOULD NOT BETRAY US. OR SIT ON THIS MONEY WHEN IT IS FINALLY TRANSFERRED INTO YOUR ACCOUNT.BE REST ASSURED THAT THIS TRANSACTION IS 100% RISK FREE. IF THIS PROPOSAL IS ACCEPTABLE TO YOU,INDICATE YOUR INTEREST BY SENDING A EMAIL TO US INCLUDING YOUR BANK NAME & ADDRESS,ACCOUNT NUMBER,TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBERS."

...and that is what they are really after - the rest of the email is just window dressing that the sender hopes will con you into following their instructions.

These scams are all about separating you from your money, your identity, or your credit information. Many seem to be offering a large reward for a little effort on your part, but if claiming that large reward involves providing either any personal or banking information, think twice!

Hover over the links provided in the emails - your browser will show you the full web address. Firefox web browser will display the full address in its bottom left corner. If you don't recognize the address, don't follow the link! (Thanks for the web address tip, Allana Calhoun.)

These are such simple instructions, yet so easy to forget sometimes when stress or the offer of something-for-nothing intervenes. Never, never, never, never give your personal or banking information to anyone over the phone or online. Let me say that again: NEVER give out your personal or banking information to anyone online or over the phone. If in doubt, call a trusted friend or family member, and beef up your SPAM filter. Receiving fewer "offers" may help lessen the temptation to risk your security for a slice of "pie in the sky."

© 2011 Text by Elle Fredine, All rights reserved