Deep Blue Publications Group

Shipping Notification Scam

Possible targets were sent an email that encloses fallacious shipping information, frequently from a well-known delivery company such as DHL, UPS or FedEx, or a major retailer like Amazon. There are a small number of differences to this holiday scam, like as a “delivery failure notification” message that says that a company attempted to deliver a package while you were out.

It is more often to contain a file attached to the message. A file attached is an indication that you’ve just received a fraudulent phishing email.

Unwary recipients click on the file, opening a virus download that aims to “phish” (i.e. scan) through their computer. Throughout this phishing stage, sensitive information like bank account numbers and passwords were then all gotten. Worst is that even some viruses even go so far as to hijack access to your computer. Then, it can only be returned after a payment is made. The FBI reports that this type of “ransomware” has experienced resurgence of late.

Mobile App Scam

Malicious mobile apps are produced with a technology known as “near field communication” (NFC) encoded into the app. This permits two NFC-capable devices to share data with one another; the trouble is that various credit cards have built-in NFC technology.

The tainted app maintains to scan for credit card information in the background, despite when the phone is not being used. What happens next is as soon as the compromised smartphone is put in close proximity to a wallet; it collects credit card credentials and emails it to the perpetrator.

Criminals will use this information for purchases online and even in stores that have a tap-and-go payment device. To prevent yourself from becoming a victim of this online identity theft, make a research about the developer beforehand by confirming that their website is legitimate and reading through user reviews.

Text Message Scams

This particular ploy disguises in many different shapes as it operates. Some recommends that you’ve signed up for a service that will cost some amount of dollars while the others ask for the identity of your bank and ask you to “verify your PIN” to reactivate your debit card if you don’t cancel the subscription by clicking through to a link in the message.

In the end, victims then gave up their information to perpetrators, or downloading a Trojan that tracks and stores all activity on the device. .

Delete the message at once subsequent to when the time you’ve reported it, but be certain not to respond to any prompts like “text message STOP” to end the messages. Because by doing these the scammers will get the confirmation that the number is active. Better yet, call your bank to alert them of the incident.

Charity Scams

Fraudsters wait until someone will fall for their bait, this bait is the unsolicited email they sent out. Usually the message will appear as a narrative of how the alleged traveler got caught up in midst of the Typhoon and is in immediate distress without access to his funds. And of course the email will end to the sender requesting a temporary “loan” from the would-be victim, with the promise to repay it as soon as the sender gets home.

Recipients are asked to send out money thru Western Union or MoneyGram, then finding out later that the one the recipient is dealing with just got away with their cash. This emotional appeal also takes the form of an email soliciting donations under a well-known charity organization, like the Red Cross.

Gift Card Scams

Rip Mason, CEO and director of LegalShield, a legal services and identity theft protection provider, explained how thieves get away with this scam. “The way these scams work is that a lot of retailers will display their gift cards at the checkout aisle or leave them out in the open for consumers to browse through,” said Mason. “This makes them vulnerable to thieves who take the cards, obtain the pertinent numbers listed on them, and then place them back on the store rack.”

“Afterwards, the thieves electronically track the gift cards and wait for money to be activated. Once a customer adds money and activates the card, the thieves promptly drain the funds electronically, leaving the person receiving the gift card with a balance of zero and dismay at the checkout aisle.”

To keep away from having you and your gift recipient become a victim of this unknown holiday scam, Mason recommends the following tips:

1.Be suspicious of and avoid buying any gift cards that are in packaging which appears to be tampered with.

2.If a retail outlet keeps its gift cards out in the open and not in any packaging, ask the clerk or manager if they have any gift cards behind the counter or in the back of store.

3.Only purchase gift cards from trusted retailers or their websites; avoid purchasing them from a third party vendor you aren’t familiar with.