Boiler Room Scammers Boiled

I like this story. Let’s hope these three don’t ever get out of jail to fleece people of their money.

The Reliability of Zopa

Every morning I check the status of my Zopa and normal bank accounts.

Zopa was fine today, but my bank account was inaccessible for routine maintenance from midnight yesterday until eight this morning.

It got me thinking that I don’t think in the over four years, I have used Zopa, I’ve never not been able to access the system.

To be fair though, I have hit a couple of bugs in the past, which have resulted in say the system hanging until I have logged back in, but I certainly haven’t had a problem in the last couple of years, when my use of the system has been heaviest.

So if you worry about Zopa’s reliability, I’d say it’s probably up there with the best financial institutions.

On the related subject of fraud on Zopa, I found this article on the web. The writer makes a lot of sound points.

£43,000 For Breast Enlargements

I had to have a chuckle at this story in the Standard last night, with a headline of, Swindler faked death in £43,000 scam to give his wife bigger breasts.

He’s now in Bangkok with yet another wife.

As it was a benefits fraud that paid for the breast operation, do we get our money or the implants back?

The treadmill and the crank were made for this man, as he would apear to be a serious danger to women, the country and probably himself as well.

HMRC Scams

I am very lucky in that I can afford an accountant to do my tax returns, so I know that if I get an e-mail from HMRC, it’s a scam.

I’ve had three in the last few days.

This page on the HMRC web site gives details on how to recognise them.

i forward all mine to  phishing@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk. This is indicated on this page.

One of the interesting things about these e-mails, is that they were all to an old e-mail address that I don’t use now.  I do monitor it, in case one of my old friends hasn’t got my new one.

For financial transactions, I always use a particular e-mail that is not used elsewhere. That means that if I get an e-mail to that address, I check it thoroughly and if say it’s selling me a holiday, I then know that my bank or other financial institution might have been compromised.

Six Arrests in Phishing Scam

I was pleased to see this article on the BBC web site.

I suspect it might have been the result of one of the two phishing scams aimed at students, that I flagged up earlier in the year.

1. Student Finance Agreement
2. Academic Year 2011/12 Payment Access Review Alart

Both were fairly well designed scams and the success, shows how people are vulnerable, when they are embarking on a new phase in their life.

The perpetrators were caught this time, and hopefully new students will be more careful next year.

 

Anthony S. Holmes

I have received lots of spam from this guy.  All of it was stopped by my ClamWin spam filter and ended up in the Junk Mail folder. But then it was so obviously spam, even a four-year-old could identify it as such.

There was a link to the BBC’s web page. It is from 2006 and talks about a Treasury plan to raid dormant bank accounts, which seems to have died with Gordon Brown’s government.

This was the main part of the message.

Good afternoon to you,

 

 

I am sorry for bothering you this early day, but bear it mind that you can never regret this day as I have an interesting profitable business offer for you to participate and share money with me.

 

 

Please read more on the under stated link

The English isn’t good too. I like the bit about good afternoon and then apologising for being early in the day.

This man won’t get very far in his career as a spammer. I can’t even work out how they get your money.

 

 

Where Is This Spammer?

This was the start of a spam e-mail, I received.

We wish to inform you that the diplomatic agent conveying the consignment box valued the sum of $2.5 Million United States Dollars misplaced your address and he is currently stranded at JFK QUEEN AIRPORT NEW YORK USA now. We required you reconfirm the following information below so that he can deliver your consignment box to you today Because his flight ticket is about to expire.

If you fall for this one, you deserve to be fleeced. Especially as it finishes with.

NOTE : The Diplomatic agent does not know that the content of the consignment box is $2.5 Millions United States Dollars and on no circumstances should you let him know the content. The consignments was moved from here as family treasures, so never allow him to open the box.and the package was registered here by Collins Emma since three moths ago and travel out of this country.

Obviously, as it mentions moths, it is a rather old message. His punctuation isn’t that good either.

 

Banks and Trusteer

There was an article in The Times last Saturday talking about how some banks ask you to load software called Trusteer on your computer to protect yourself.

I won’t! And if my bank insists I do, there are plenty more other banks out there.

Just having the software on your machine, is an indication, that you may have secure data there.

All of my secure work is done on a machine, which is unattached to my network and nothing is written down, that would be any use to a criminal. That is unless he could find where my passwords are stored in my safe deposit box with C’s jewellery. And that is ten miles from where I live!

I’m not saying that I know more about security than banks, but I mistrust deals like this, especially, where keylogging is involved. The banks should follow Zopa’s lead and create an unbreakable and totally secure login, that is impossible for a criminal to use, as unless he is a mind reader, he won’t know answers to the questions they ask.

Student Finance Agreement

I’ve just recieved an e-mail with the above heading and this message.

Dear Student,
Student Finance Application Year 2011/12-Information Required

To assess your application, your student finance agreement needs to be signed and returned back to us . This can be done through “MY ACCOUNT” session of your online account .
Failure to sign and return this to us would mean your next student loan payment and maintenance grant will be delayed.
Thanks for your co-operation.

SIGN ON HERE
Yours sincerely,
Student Loan Finance England.

As it points to a web site in the United States with no contact address, it’s a scam. It also came to one of my trap e-mails, which seem to be passed around by spammers.

Academic Year 2011/12 Payment Access Review Alart

I received a phishing e-mail with this title today. Note how alert is spelled.

This is the body of the e-mail.

This is a message for all students receiving grants and loans from the Students Loan Company. You are required to verify your account information in order to avoid any delay in your loan/grant payments. You can do this by visiting http://www.studentfinance.direct.gov.uk/

Yours Sincerely
Student Finance England
Please do not reply to this email as it has been automatically produced from an address which cannot accept incoming mail.

****************************** ****************************** ******************* The information from the Student Loans Company Ltd contained in this e-mail is private and privileged. If you have received this e-mail in error be advised that any use is strictly prohibited. Please notify us and delete the message from your computer. You may not copy or forward it or use or disclose its contents to any other person.

As internet communications are capable of data corruption it may be inappropriate to rely on advice or opinions contained in an e-mail without obtaining written confirmation of it. This footnote also confirms that this email message has been swept for the presence of computer viruses, however we do not accept any liability or responsibility for resultant virus infection. Opinions and views expressed in this e-mail are those of the sender and may not reflect the opinions and views of The Student Loans Company Limited.

The Student Loans Company Ltd registered office is at 21 St Thomas Street, Bristol, BS1 6JS and it is registered in England Company No. 02401034, VAT No. 556 4352

Note that the Student Loan Company details are correct, but that the e-mail points to a web site called gankotimata.com, which has these registration details.

    
    Domain Admin        (contact@privacyprotect.org)
    ID#10760, PO Box 16
    Note – All Postal Mails Rejected, visit Privacyprotect.org
    Nobby Beach
    null,QLD 4218
    AU
    Tel. +45.36946676

The phone number is actually in Denmark and the website is in Australia. Enough said!

Who is behind this I do not know, but please don’t contact them, unless you want to give them your student finance. 

But these scams seem to be getting more and more sophisticated and believable.