The Post Office Has Your Package!

Wow.

Now that takes some serious "mountain oysters", to phish using the Post Office's name.

There's a big banner across the top of the USPS.com website, warning people of the latest e-mail scam. Check it out:

Don't take my word for it, go to http://www.usps.com/ to read it yourself.

And in the meantime, don't fall for those BULL DROPPINGS in your e-mail box.

(You DO know it's a Federal offense to mess with the Post Office, right? Like, don't mail illegal substances, even if they're "legal" in your state. You'll be dealing with the Feds, not your friendly local yokels...)

I found this in my spam box and thought I'd share some of the BULL DROPPINGS that this clown is spreading over the garden (or is it kindergarten) of the Internet and especially our e-mail boxes.

OK, so let us note a few HUGE warning signs.

1) The header: Note that there's a misspelling. "FIST" instead of "FIRST." Really, they couldn't be bothered to check spelling? Or do they speak English fluently or at all?

2) The phone number: Hold up, that's not a United States phone number. Does Western Union even go to Europe? And what do they mean they send me money via Western Union? I never heard of these people! Oh, yeah, and Western Union is written western union. No reputable business would write a business name in all lower case.

3) E-mail addresses: Check out the e-mail addresses, both by the sender and the so-called "western union" address. OK, they sent me money? Note that there appear to be a whole lotta people they supposedly sent money to. --"undisclosed recipients" Really? What turnip truck do these clowns think I fell off?

Another danger sign with the e-mail address - Note that it's a hotmail address. Whaaat? This isn't a bank or business, it's a made up address that anybody could've snatched up and made an e-mail address. And you're not likely to get hotmail to cough up any info on the sender PLUS it'd be useless anyway, it's all fake. Trust me.

PLUS - Since when would Western Union not have their own website? Oh, yeah, they do. So why on God's green earth would the extension on this so-called address be @live.fr??? Really? REALLY?

4) The signature line: "IMF Managing Director" OK, they have GOT to be stupider than a stump to think that you'd really believe that the International Monetary Fund would send somebody like me or you 1.5 million dollars. Come on now!

There are a lot more warning signs, such as "winning funds" and "transfer payment information." What international contest did you enter that would send you money from the International Monetary Fund? Yup, none. And what transfer payment info are they asking for? Betcha it's your bank account info, which you never, ever, ever give to anyone!!

Oh my, the BULL DROPPINGS are getting deep in here. I'm going to have to step out for some air.

But in the meantime, DO NOT even bother to reply to these kinds of messages. Hit that "Spam" button and then delete your Spam box. It's not real, it's not gonna be real, and if you give this info to these rip-off artists, you will lose all of your money.

Trust me.

OK, don't trust me, check on it yourself. Google it or go to http://www.snopes.com/.

Don't be a fool. Remember the famous saying, "A fool and his money are soon parted."

Yup, now that's a truth to be remembered!

You Need A Clearance Certificate!

You need to send $350 to the FBI for a Clearance Certificate OR ELSE!

Or else what? Since this is totally a scam, what does that guy in Nigeria (or the Ukraine or wherever the latest scammer is located) going to do about it?

Nothing of course. It's all BULL DROPPINGS!

In all seriousness, this phishing e-mail targets the unwary among us, the elderly, the people who are still naive about the vast kindergarten we call the Internet.

Take a minute and warn your family members, friends and co-workers that this old FBI scam is making the rounds again. There's no need to send any money out, there's no such thing as a Clearance Certificate for us regular folks.

And when you get some madness like this, before you panic, go to www.snopes.com or even to google and check it out.

From the Valejo Times Herald: http://www.timesheraldonline.com/ci_18031033

Watch Out On Freecycle

I recently posted on a freecycle site and received two replies, supposedly from different people.

Funny how both replies included, "I was planning to publish a cost-free offer for it, but I saw your desired post very first, very good timing! I put up a couple pics and my position upon this web site."

Hmmmm, does something seem strange about those posts?

On top of the weird language, in both cases, the name on the e-mail did not match the name at the end of the message.

Look, never, ever, ever click on a link provided by someone who replies to you in such an odd way. Especially when you get two messages that are so similar from two "different" people. Whether the intent is to get your e-mail address (for spam) or to direct you to a dangerous or porn site, just don't do it. Don't fall for the BULL DROPPINGS!

(Freecycle groups are found on yahoo. They're all over the country and a wonderful way to find new homes for everything from furniture to pets. They keep perfectly good stuff out of the landfill -- all for free!)

The IRS Sent Me An E-mail -- They Owe Me Money!

IRS Notification: Refund/Stimulus Payment


Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
United States Department of the Treasury

Dear Taxpayer,

After the last annual calculations of your fiscal activity we have determined that you are eligible to receive a tax refund of $773.80.

Please submit the tax refund request and allow us 6-9 days in order to process it.

A refund can be delayed for a variety of reasons. For example submitting invalid records or applying after the deadline.

To access your tax refund, use the form attached to this email.

----------------------------------------

I instantly knew it was fake because I OWE the IRS money, because the IRS doesn't send e-mails, AND because it says "Dear Taxpayer". If it was real (if the IRS sent out these kinds of e-mails) it would have my name on it.

This is just a scam to get you to fill out the form with your Social Security number and bank information!

Don't fall for the BULL DROPPINGS!

When  in doubt, check www.snopes.com. In fact, speaking of snopes, here's the link to this phishing e-mail: http://www.snopes.com/fraud/phishing/irsrefund.asp

Swine Flu Phishing

Oh
My
Gosh

As if we don't think the scammers have sank low enough (see the post I'm writing next over on This Woman I Am), now people are being targeted in a massive phishing scam.

We got this message at work:

Please be aware of a fraudulent phishing program requesting recipients to register with CDC for swine flu vaccination. Upon clicking on the link, a malicious code will download onto the PC. CDC does not require online registration for H1N1 vaccination. Please do not respond to emails with such requests.

Are you kidding me? That is despicable and a bunch of BULL DROPPINGS!

I went to the CDC website and found a sample of the e-mail you may receive:


My friends, don't ever click on links like that. If you're truly concerned, go directly to the website of the CDC and look for that information. Yes, you'll find what you need to know about this e-mail. It's a scam.

When in doubt, look it up on http://www.snopes.com/. Trust me, it's there.

Don't fall for the BULL DROPPINGS. Lord knows there's enough stuff out there in the real world to mess up your life without being scammed here in the virtual world.

Links:
http://www.cdc.gov/hoaxes_rumors.html
http://www.snopes.com/fraud/phishing/cdcvaccination.asp

And for real information on the H1N1 virus, aka the swine flu:
http://cdc.gov/h1n1flu/

A Free Computer!

Oh my goodness, did you know that they're giving away free computers if you just forward this e-mail on to eight of your friends?

Yeah.

Right.

A bunch of BULL DROPPINGS! And I really can't believe one of my own co-workers was forwarding this garbage on - at work even! Fortunately, someone sent it to me, asking if it's true.

Of course it's a fake! Check out http://www.snopes.com/: http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/nothing/ericsson.asp

As my Dad says, "If wishes were horses..."

Horses have their own version of BULL DROPPINGS, you know, they're just more solid and don't splat [much] when they hit the ground.

Think before you forward that e-mail on! And if you have no one to ask, shoot, e-mail it to me and I'll look it up for you. I really, really don't mind.

Still Waiting

My friend sent me this e-mail and I thought it was SO FUNNY!

I did what you told me. I sent the email to 10 people like you said.I'm still waiting for that miracle to happen.

So, my friends, does this make it clear enough?

Yes, I believe that miracles happen and God answers all prayers. But forwarding on some silly thing that tells me to "send it to everyone I know" so I receive a miracle in an hour, a day, a month, a year, is ridiculous.

Please don't believe everything you read, half of it isn't true and the other half, well, it's probably BULL DROPPINGS!

(Apologies to the photographer, if I knew who you were, I'd certainly ask your permission and credit your work properly.)

Please QUIT Sending This To Me

All right, I got another one.

Will my friends please QUIT sending this to me? Please?

--------------------------------------------------------
If the immigrant is over 65 they can apply for SSI and Medicaid and get more than my mom gets for Social Security, and she worked from 1944 till 2004, only getting $791 per month because she was born before 1924 and there is a "catch 22".

It is interesting that the federal government provides a single refugee with a monthly allowance of $1,890.00 and each can also obtain an additional $580.00 in social assistance for a total of $2,470.00/month. This compares very well to a single pensioner who after contributing to the growth and development of America for 40 to 50 years can only receive a monthly maximum of $1,012.00 in old age pension and Guaranteed Income Supplement.

Maybe our pensioners should apply as refugees! Consider sending this to all your American friends, so we can all be ticked off and maybe get the refugees cut back to $1,012.00 and the pensioners up to $2,470.00 and enjoy some of the money we were forced to submit to the Government over the last 40 or 50 or 60 years.

Please forward to every American to expose what our elected politicians (Nancy P. Included) have been doing over the past 11 years - to the over-taxed American.

SEND THIS TO EVERY AMERICAN TAXPAYER YOU KNOW
----------------------------------------------------

I call BULL DROPPINGS on this one.

I'm amazed that anyone would even fall for this and if you doubt me, check out http://www.snopes.com/politics/immigration/refugees.asp.

Don't believe everything you get in your e-mail, and for heaven's sake, before you send it to everyone, check it out! (Or e-mail it to me and I'll be happy to check it out for you.)

Same Scams, Different Year

Yes, we're starting a new year today.

The scammers are going to keep trying to separate you from your money. You're going to see many of the same scams with a different faces.

I can promise you, if you have e-mail, you'll get warnings from banks that you don't have accounts with, PayPal confirmation e-mails for products you didn't order (and they won't have your name on the e-mail), threats, cons, begging letters and of course, the all-popular "you have won" scams.

If you have a phone, you may get calls from bill collectors about paid off accounts from 20 years ago. Or about "bounced" checks that you never wrote. Or accounts you've never heard of (hey, follow up on those by checking your credit reports, some are ID theft!).

And don't forget, NEVER give out your personal information over the phone, Internet or by mail to someone who contacts you, especially if it's "out of the blue". Even if you know you owe a bill, don't give your information over the phone. Make them send you a letter, or go directly to the appropriate website to pay the bill. NEVER pay bills over the phone to a "bill collector".

It's too hard to tell the real from the fake, so my personal response is always the same. "Send me a letter about it." With a letter, an address, a phone number, I can figure out if it's really something I owe or if it's just another scammer working at getting my money!

Be careful out there in cyberspace and the real world in the new year. I'll be careful too.

The Bank Has Suspended My Account!

Oh my goodness, the bank has suspended my account! AGAIN!

Well, it might be true, if I actually had an account with this bank. But I sure wouldn't use their link, I'd go to my bank's website and check it out from there.

The BULL DROPPINGS get deeper by the day. It must be the holiday season, because the fake e-mails are coming in faster than I can delete them!

I got this one just the other day, it was over in my spam box, where it belongs, but I thought you'd find it amusing.

Dear Customer,
Back of Lancaster County temporarily suspended your account. [Please note, they misspelled Bank!]
Reason: Billing failure.
We require you to complete on account update so we unlock your account. To log in and start the update process click here .Once you have completed the update, you can access your accoung at any time. The information provided will be treated in confidence and stored in our secure database. Your account will be deleted if you fail to complete the update process.

Besides the misspellings, their English grammar is terrible! A second grader can write better than most of the scammers sending out these e-mails.

As always, be careful out there in cyberspace. NEVER click on a link provided in an e-mail. Open a new window and type in your bank, credit card company or other website.

And if you don't have an account with that company, just hit the old "SPAM" button on your e-mail so next time their message won't even make it to your inbox.

I WON!

Yes, yes, yes, I WON!

I got the e-mail today!

I'm so excited! [NOT]

BULL DROPPINGS! I didn't win Jack****!

Check this scammer's e-mail out:

IMPORTANT NOTICE
Fondazion Di Rome,ITALY
http://www.fondazionedivittorio.it

The Foundazion di Rome, would like to notify you that you have been chosen by the board of trustees as one of the final recipients of a cash Grant/Donation for your own personal, educational, and business development. The Fondazione Di Rome, established 1977 by the Multi-Million groups and now supported by the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS), United Nations Organization (UNO) and the European Union (EU) was conceived with the objective of human growth, educational, and community development.

To celebrate the 28th anniversary program, The Rome Foundation in conjunction with the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS), United Nations Organization (UNO) and the European Union (EU) is giving out a yearly donation of US$100,000,000.00 (One Hundred Million United States Dollars) to 100 lucky recipients. These specific Donations/Grants will be awarded to 100 lucky international recipients worldwide; in different categories for their personal business development and enhancement of their educational plans. At least 15% of the awarded funds should be used by you to develop a part of your environment. This is a yearly program, which is a measure of universal development strategy.

Based on the random selection exercise of internet websites and millions of supermarket cash invoices worldwide, you were selected among the lucky recipients to receive the award sum of US$1,000,000.00 (One Million United States Dollars) as charity donations/aid from the Rome Foundation, ECOWAS, EU and the UNO in accordance with the enabling act of Parliament. (Note that all beneficiaries email addresses were selected randomly from over 100,000 internet websites or a shop's cash invoice around your area in which you might have purchased something from).

You are required to fill the form below and email it to our Executive Secretary below for qualification documentation and processing of your claims. After contacting our office with the requested data, you will be given your donation pin number, which you will use in collecting the funds. Please endeavor to quote your Qualification numbers (N-444-7858, E-800-67) in all discussions.
FULL NAMES:_________ADDRESS: __________CITY:_____
STATE:_____________ ZIP:____________COUNTRY_________
SEX:_______________AGE:__________________
MARITAL STATUS:_________________OCCUPATION:________
E-MAIL ADDRESS:____________TELEPHONE NUMBER:__________
===========================================

Executive Secretary- Adrianno Fabio
Email: fdvadrianofabio@yahoo.it

All information is strictly confidential and will only be used for the purpose to which it is been requested.

Please note that these donations/Grants are strictly administered by Economic community for West African States (ECOWAS), European Union (EU), under delegated powers from the United Nations Organization (UNO). This means that your qualification number will be reffled to know the organisation (ECOWAS or EU) that will handle your payment. You are to keep this whole information confidential until you have been able to collect your donation, as there have been many cases of double and unqualified claim, due to beneficiaries informing third parties about his/her donation.

Finally, all funds should be claimed by their respective beneficiaries, no later than 15 days after notification. Failure to do so will mean cancellation of that beneficiary and its donation will then be reserved for next year?s recipients. On behalf of the Board kindly, accept our warmest congratulations.

Regards.
Mr. Alessandra Ceasar
(Foundation officer)

Let me tell you, I get this garbage all the time. Why would someone pick ME over some other person out there on the Internet? Why? Because they think I'm a sucker!

Bad news for them, I'm not. And don't you be a sucker either!! If you get some crazy ass e-mail saying you won, listen my friend, the best thing you can do for yourself is hit the "DELETE" button!

"Forced To Suspend Your Account"

It must be the holiday season.

I got not one, but TWO e-mails yesterday, one from eBay and one from PayPal, telling me that there was fraudulent activity on my accounts and thus I needed to log in and verify my information or they'd be "forced to suspend your account" (IE my account). Conveniently, each e-mail provided a link to take me to the respective "website".

LOL! Yeah, right!

I call: BULL DROPPINGS!

By merely waving my cursor over the link, it was obvious that it was going somewhere other than eBay and PayPal.

Obviously, these jerks must have some successes, because they keep sending this garbage to me, and I keep forwarding them to spoof@paypal.com and/or spoof@ebay.com. The return e-mail always says the same thing, that the message did NOT come from PayPal or eBay.

Look, to protect yourself, NEVER use a link provided in an e-mail. It's easy enough to open a new window and go directly to the website, log in, and check your messages. There is ALWAYS a message if it's a real e-mail.

There's no need to panic, any e-mail that threatens some horrible event, whether it's suspending your privileges, freezing a bank account, or bad luck for the next seven years, is a FAKE!

As always, you don't have to believe me.

In fact, don't believe everything you read or hear, it's just too, too easy to be fooled. Even my own mom got sucked in on a phishing (fake) e-mail. Luckily, just after she finished putting her info in, she realized what she'd done and called me. I was able to jump into her account and change the passwords before the thieves did, so all was well...

Sigh. Thank God Mom is a smart woman!

eBay Protection Tutorial: http://pages.ebay.com/help/tutorial/accountprotection/js_tutorial.html
PayPal Security Center: https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_security-center-outside

The IRS Has A Refund For You!!

Yup, came right in my e-mail yesterday.

The IRS has found some extra money for me, and all I had to do was send an e-mail with my personal information (the link was conveniently provided to me) and I'd get my refund ASAP.

DANG, do these clowns think I fell off the turnip truck?

First off, the IRS will NEVER admit they owe you money. Come on, people, think!! Since when do the Feds give up a nickel without a mass of extra paperwork, at least an hour of your time, and an argument?

PULEEZE, I call BULL DROPPINGS on this e-mail.

It's just some cousin of the poor Christian woman who's dying of cancer and wants to send you all of her money, if you'll just give her your bank account information. Or the guy that wants to buy your car/furniture/electronics and he'll be happy to send you a money order plus shipping -- all you have to do is send the shipper's fee over to his thief-in-law...

In EVERY case, I can promise you that you'll end up owing the bank a bunch of money, whether it's having your account stripped clean with ACH withdrawals, or when they back that fake money order out of your account.

Don't be a fool out on the Internet! Just because someone says it's true, doesn't mean it is!

In fact, doubt me too.

But be warned, if you ignore me, you will be sorry....

IRS Website: www.irs.gov