Tag Archives: credit-card
Florida Consumer Turns Tables On Debt Collector — Sued For $800.00 Dollars, Consumer Collects $120,000.00 Dollars From Debt Collector – CapitalOne Laywers Screwed
March 1st, 2010. Published under Business Scams. No Comments.
Florida Consumer Turns Tables On Debt Collector — Sued For $800.00 Dollars, Consumer Collects $120,000.00 Dollars From Debt Collector Boca Raton resident Steven J. Pincus incurred legal fees in excess of $100,000.00 dollars defending an alleged credit card debt of $800.00 dollars. Pincus later sued the debt collector in federal court for filing a time-barred lawsuit, a violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. The debt collector settled the matter for $120,000.00 dollars on February 15, 2010.
When Debt Collection Lawyers Pull Credit Reports and Break the law – FCRA
February 3rd, 2010. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.
If you are being sued by a debt collection law firm it would be prudent to pull all three of your credit reports (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion). Chances are that the law firm pulled your credit report and this is a violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Below is a photo of my credit reporting showing Macey Wilensky, Kessler and Hennings having pulled my credit report on three occasions 6/24/2008, 7/15/2008 and 7/31/2008, shortly after that I received a summons naming American Express Centurion Bank as Plaintiff and Macey, Wilensky as the filing law firm. According to the FCRA litigation is not a permissible use of a consumers credit report as it is not a business to consumer transaction.
A Free Legal Resource for Pro Se Defendants and Litigants
January 31st, 2010. Published under Business Scams, Fraud. No Comments.
I just discovered that Google Scholar now has State and Federal Law, including citations, opinions and decisions. What’s even better there are no fees involved. When searching select “Legal opinions and journals”, it yields better legal research results. Google Scholar is a great starting point for consumers defending themselves in court on credit card debt lawsuits, not to mention Pro Se litigants such as myself that sue debt collectors over FDCPA and FCRA violations. The common consumer now has access to legal opinions and decisions that can be used in court filings. I’ve also found it invaluable for seeing what bad debt collection companies are being sued for, this makes it easier for me to file stronger cases against them I encourage anyone that is researching legal issues to give Google Scholar a try before spending money on other online resources. You may just find what you are looking for without having to spend a dime. If you are defending yourself in court against debt collection lawyers and don’t know what to do, you need to get this book, Stick It To Sue Sue Happy Debt Collectors , It shows you exactly how to defend yourself and win, and how to sue debt collectors for harassing you.
The rest is here:
A Free Legal Resource for Pro Se Defendants and Litigants
Stick It To Sue Happy Debt Collectors Book – A Clarification of an Affirmative Defense
January 29th, 2010. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.
A reader emailed me and asked what portion of the FDCPA governs the collection of fees, such as attorney fees, outside of the original credit card agreement or amended terms in regards to an affirmative defense that I discuss in my book. In my book “ Stick It To Sue Happy Debt Collectors ”, I omitted a detail on the explanation of an affirmative defense. 18. Plaintiff is barred under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, from collecting attorney fees, interest, collection fees, and any amount not specifically provided for by purported agreement. In the affirmative defense explanation of #18 I should have noted that it is a violation of the FDCPA for a debt collector under: 15 USC 1692f § 808.1 Unfair practices A debt collector may not use unfair or unconscionable means to collect or attempt to collect any debt. Without limiting the general application of the foregoing, the following conduct is a violation of this section: (1) The collection of any amount (including any interest, fee, charge, or expense incidental to the principal obligation) unless such amount is expressly authorized by the agreement creating the debt or permitted by law. Many debt collection attorneys (especially in “no show” default judgments) will try to collect as much money they can for “attorney fees” and at times attempt to add other costs to a judgment. It is very important that a consumer use the affirmative defenses as outline in the book to prevent greedy lawyers (and Plaintiffs) from getting more than they deserve in the case they actually prove everything (unlikely in 90% of cases) and win a judgment. Consumers many times never respond (1 out of ten respond) to a debt lawsuit for whatever reason. A debt lawsuit is a civil action (they can’t put you in jail for it) and is mostly paperwork. Most of these types of lawsuits are nothing more than a scare tactic to get you to pay or to get a judgment to make you pay. I say make them prove it, if they can’t, you win. This is a preemptive affirmative defense to protect the defendant. If the attorney does collect more than allowed under the original card agreement (even under a default judgment) they may be in violation of the FDCPA. I would assume (my opinion) that if a debt collector files a lawsuit for more than the original amount owed and the interest rate, it could be construed as a false statement and a fraudulent collection practice under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). see section 808.1 of the FDPCA (PDF file) . You may be able to sue, even after the fact. A consumer protection attorney could advise you on how to proceed if this does happen. Check out my book if you want to learn how to fight debt collection lawsuits Stick It To Sue Happy Debt Collectors .
See the article here:
Stick It To Sue Happy Debt Collectors Book – A Clarification of an Affirmative Defense
Virginia AG Goes After Capital One for Debt Collection and Re-Aging
January 25th, 2010. Published under Fraud. No Comments.
I’ve had dealing with Capital One myself, they are a sneaky bunch, it appears that the Virginia Attorney General decided to do something about it. Hopefully other State’s Attorney Generals will dig deeper into Capital One’s business practices. West Virginia Attorney General Darrell McGraw announced Friday that his office has sued credit card issuer Capital One and a debt collection agency for “unconscionable conduct in connection with their credit card lending and collection practices.” The complaint alleges that Capital One Bank, a subsidiary of Capital One Financial Corp. (NYSE: COF), tricked consumers into payment plans by sending them solicitations disguised as offers of new credit. The arrangement allowed Cap One to re-age the debt so that it did not fall under the statute of limitations.
The FDCPA Does Not Give Debt Collector the Right to Leave Voice Mail on Answering Machine
January 21st, 2010. Published under Fraud. No Comments.
I am so glad the 11th circuit court ruled properly on this. I am about to rip a big hole out Hollander Law Offices LLC
Motion for Summary Judgment by Mann Bracken in Class Action lawsuit DENIED
January 10th, 2010. Published under Business Scams, Fraud, Scams. No Comments.
Mann Bracken may be going out of business, however
Stick It To Sue Happy Debt Collectors Book Now Available in Print Edition
January 9th, 2010. Published under Fraud. No Comments.
Allen Harkleroad’s latest book, “Stick It To Sue Happy Debt Collectors” is now available in print. Synopsis Beat Greedy Lawsuit Filing Debt Collectors At Their Own Game. Learn to Fight Debt Collection Lawsuits and WIN! Have you been sued by a debt collector or law firm over a debt?
If Hackers Attack Your Business Then You Can Be Held Legally Responsible
January 4th, 2010. Published under Fraud. No Comments.
The next step for mostly anyone that has a brick and mortar store set up out in the real world is to create an online virtual space for their customers to shop in. Of course anyone that is in business has heard of the great advantages that can be gained when you bring your store online. You have access to a lot more customers in a global arena. Plus the use of the latest and greatest software allows your transactions to be made easily without any problems. All you have to do is to take the credit card, process it, and get ready to take the order, right? Wrong, having your business online is a great way to make extra money but there are some considerations that are there that you can not take lightly. One of those are the very serious security issues that can arise from taking someone’s credit card online. If this is handled the wrong way you can be held legally responsible. Right now there is a case going on between the financial institution Capital One and an electronic testing firm from Louisiana. The name of the company is JM test systems and they had more than $97,000 stolen through the use of illegal bank transfers. Capital One is stating that it is not their fault and they are not involved with the transaction beside letting it go through their systems. How this case will pan out is anyone’s guess and will, undoubtedly, be expensive in either case. Therefore, it pays to take sure security seriously. When you are a company that takes a person’s credit card number, you must have the best security that you can possibly afford. You have to be certain that the protection of the numbers is your number one priority and that you take it seriously. If you are a small business the best thing that you can do is to allow a third party entity that is trusted to handle your credit card processing. Look at the companies that get the best reviews and use them. These people are professionals and handle security threats on a daily basis. They will be able to handle the security of your customers personal data better than you can. You have to make sure that when you decide to take orders online that you do not take this responsibility lightly. People are entrusting their credit card numbers in your hands. If you are the one that slips up by not providing enough security then you can be legally liable. If Hackers Attack Your Business Then You Can Be Held Legally Responsible is a post from: Scam Types dot Com Check out The Best Internet Security Programs Of 2009
Go here to read the rest:
If Hackers Attack Your Business Then You Can Be Held Legally Responsible
I Can’t Say This Enough: When Sued By a Debt Collector You Need to Respond and Show Up
December 25th, 2009. Published under Business Scams. No Comments.
According to a Scripps News article ( read it here ) upwards of 70 percent of consumers sued over credit card (or other) debts never show up, either because they don’t think showing up will help any, or they are too embarrassed or never receive notification of the lawsuit. Debt collectors are filing lawsuits and winning judgments against thousands of Americans every year, often without having any concrete evidence to support their claims. That’s because the defendants often don’t appear at the hearing. Not showing up in court results in an automatic win for the collectors, and that, in turn, often gives them the legal right to tap a debtor’s bank account or salary. “I’m behind the eight ball,” said James Flanagan, a Suffolk County, N.Y. judge who oversees 25 debt collection cases a day. In all but one or two of Flanagan’s cases, the defendant does not show up, Flanagan said. “I can’t do anything about it.”
Coming Soon – How to Get Credit Card Debt Collectors to Voluntary Dismiss Lawsuits
December 17th, 2009. Published under Business Scams, Fraud, Scams. No Comments.
Hi Everyone, Allen Harkleroad here. Just a FYI that I will be posting an in-depth how-to tutorial on how to get original creditor (Credit Card Debts) lawsuits voluntary dismissed by law firms filing them. I and several others have found the key in getting most (if not all) law firms that file credit card debt lawsuits to back off and in most cases voluntary dismiss lawsuits. I know it works because I have used the same strategy myself and have even had several consumer protection attorneys tell me it was the best strategy they have ever seen. So stay tuned, it won’t be long. Yes you can do it yourself without an attorney (pro se) just like I have. Hell the Federal Trade Commission seems reluctant to do anything about idiot debt collectors, it is time to share what I have learned so you can “Whack them Back”. Mark my word this will put consumers back in control of aggressive debt collection lawsuit tactics. I just need a bit of time to make sure what I post is clear and concise so you (consumers0 can fight back. I just recently Had Frederick J. Hanna and Associates (dirt bag Georgia Debt Collection attorneys) of Atlanta Georgia file a voluntary dismissal after I answered their summons and filed a motion to dismiss. After I post it I will post how to do the same to third party debt collectors (junk debt buyers). ~Allen
Hacker’s Holiday Tricks
December 7th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.
The quick rise of the use of the Internet for people to go shopping has been staggering. For years people were afraid to place their credit card online since they were confronted with so many horror stories of shoppers being ripped off, while they watched the nightly news. Now that the Internet has been in the majority of peoples homes for close to a decade, there is a new comfortable feeling with expanding the use of it. People have educated themselves on how to conduct their online purchases and what common scams to look out for. That is a good thing but there are some stories that do not get emphasized enough. One story that seems to get downplayed is that on the holidays criminals tend to ratchet up their activities. They pull out all of the stops in their scams. They know that at this time of year there will be a lot of targets online so they attempt to fool as many of them as they can. Holiday Scams To Watch Out For – Ecards Here are some tricks that the bad guys will pull especially during the holidays. The use of a digital e-card as an attack vector really increases during the holidays. More and more people are using these types of cards to send their holiday greetings to people that they know. Since the holidays are such a busy time, this is a great time-saver. It is a great item to give to people, especially if they are just casual acquaintances. It lets them know that you are thinking about them without taking the time to go to the store and then filling out hundreds of cards. The bad guys know this and they will attempt to get you to spread their malicious malware to your friends using this information. When you are using an e-card, make sure that it is from a trusted site. If you are receiving an e-card, make sure that you scan it first. Also contact the person that sent it to you – this allows you to make sure that they really sent it. Holiday Scams To Watch Out For – Review Sites Another method of attack that will increase during the holidays is Hackers using fake review sites to spread malware. During this time of year, many more people using web sites to get reviews on products so hackers will set up review sites earlier in the year, keep it legit, and then when the holidays come around, load it with malware for their visitors to receive. This can confuse people, since there is a good chance that they have been to the site before to look at reviews of similar products. If you have an updated browser and an updated antivirus program running, you should be protected from most attacks of this kind. Even if a site seems legit, during this time of year make sure that you keep your guard up. Holiday Scams To Watch Out For – Your Kids! Our final method of attack that will be on the increase during the holidays are hackers using your child’s Internet activity to attack your computer. You will have to be careful and make sure that you monitor your children, especially those in the 8 – 12 year old range. Hackers know that kids will click on just about anything, so they will hide a lot of their malware in kid’s sites and games. Kids will become excited by the sight of Santa Claus and other holiday figures and will want to interact with them. They may seem innocent but they will cause just as much damage to your computer as if they were from an adult site. Educate your kids on what to click on and make sure that the sites that they are allowed to visit are limited. Also look to invest in software that is made especially for the protection of kids on the Internet, or get them their own kids browser . I have gone over several ways that hackers might try to attack you during the holiday season. Make sure that you protect yourself by updating all of the security software that you have on your computer. Also be careful of new sites that are just popping up around this time. Hacker’s Holiday Tricks is a post from: Scam Types dot Com Check out The Best Internet Security Programs Of 2009
Go here to see the original:
Hacker’s Holiday Tricks
I’ve Been Infected But My Antivirus Program Isn’t Working – What Do I Do Now?
November 10th, 2009. Published under Fraud. No Comments.
You are up late at night, finishing your latest presentation for the boss. You then decide that you need more information to go with what you already have, so you decide to do a little surfing on the Internet through Google. A site pops up on Google that shows some promise, so you decide to click on it. The next thing that you know, your computer is going crazy and there is a load of pop ups that are now appearing on your pc. Your worst fears have now been realized, you have been infected with a new virus on your system. You try to run your resident antivirus program that is installed on your computer but it is not working. So what do you do? This is what I hope to answer here. Scareware There are certain types of viruses or malware out there that will take control of your computer and not release it until you perform a certain action that they request. It is a scam to make you buy a fake antivirus product or get your credit card number. Most of the time they will not even release your computer even if you do go through with it. The best thing to do at this point is to bypass the system. You can do this with either a live CD or hooking your hard drive to another computer. I will go over both solutions – Use Linux When you use a live CD of what is normally a Linux distro, this allows you to be able to boot up your computer and run an operating system on top of it. (Usually through your CD/DVD player or the USB port of your computer). This operating system, usually Linux, can see your hard drive and other hardware that you may have on your system but the operating system itself is not connected to it. You will have to run a Linux command called ‘mount’ to have access to your hard drive to be able to scan it. Once you mount the disk, there are several antivirus programs that will run on Linux, and will see a virus on a Windows partitions as well. Run this antivirus and disinfect all of the viruses that it sees. There are ways to be able to update and save the antivirus database so that it sees newer viruses but you will have to look that up. It is different in each live CD distro that you may use. This solution is the best solution when you are dealing with a nasty virus on your laptop. Connect Your Hard Drive To Another Computer If you are dealing with a nasty virus that is on your desktop that will not let you access your antivirus program, a good solution is take out the hard drive and connect it to another computer. You can look up several places online that will give you a walk through on how to disconnect your hard drive and then connect it to another computer. Once you have connected this second drive to the other computer you can now look at the files and folders just like you would do on any other drive. You will have to be careful while this second drive is connected to your computer – you do not want to click on any files and infect this second computer! So as soon as you get the second drive working on the computer make sure that you scan it right away. Once all infections have been found and removed you can reconnect the hard drive back to the original computer. Hopefully these tips will help you solve your virus problem on your computer. A nasty bug can ruin your day, especially when it will not let you do anything on your computer and scareware is an altogether different type of annoyance.
Continued here:
I’ve Been Infected But My Antivirus Program Isn’t Working – What Do I Do Now?
I’ve Been Infected But My Antivirus Program Isn’t Working – What Do I Do Now?
November 10th, 2009. Published under Fraud. No Comments.
You are up late at night, finishing your latest presentation for the boss. You then decide that you need more information to go with what you already have, so you decide to do a little surfing on the Internet through Google. A site pops up on Google that shows some promise, so you decide to click on it. The next thing that you know, your computer is going crazy and there is a load of pop ups that are now appearing on your pc. Your worst fears have now been realized, you have been infected with a new virus on your system. You try to run your resident antivirus program that is installed on your computer but it is not working. So what do you do? This is what I hope to answer here. Scareware There are certain types of viruses or malware out there that will take control of your computer and not release it until you perform a certain action that they request. It is a scam to make you buy a fake antivirus product or get your credit card number. Most of the time they will not even release your computer even if you do go through with it. The best thing to do at this point is to bypass the system. You can do this with either a live CD or hooking your hard drive to another computer. I will go over both solutions – Use Linux When you use a live CD of what is normally a Linux distro, this allows you to be able to boot up your computer and run an operating system on top of it. (Usually through your CD/DVD player or the USB port of your computer). This operating system, usually Linux, can see your hard drive and other hardware that you may have on your system but the operating system itself is not connected to it. You will have to run a Linux command called ‘mount’ to have access to your hard drive to be able to scan it. Once you mount the disk, there are several antivirus programs that will run on Linux, and will see a virus on a Windows partitions as well. Run this antivirus and disinfect all of the viruses that it sees. There are ways to be able to update and save the antivirus database so that it sees newer viruses but you will have to look that up. It is different in each live CD distro that you may use. This solution is the best solution when you are dealing with a nasty virus on your laptop. Connect Your Hard Drive To Another Computer If you are dealing with a nasty virus that is on your desktop that will not let you access your antivirus program, a good solution is take out the hard drive and connect it to another computer. You can look up several places online that will give you a walk through on how to disconnect your hard drive and then connect it to another computer. Once you have connected this second drive to the other computer you can now look at the files and folders just like you would do on any other drive. You will have to be careful while this second drive is connected to your computer – you do not want to click on any files and infect this second computer! So as soon as you get the second drive working on the computer make sure that you scan it right away. Once all infections have been found and removed you can reconnect the hard drive back to the original computer. Hopefully these tips will help you solve your virus problem on your computer. A nasty bug can ruin your day, especially when it will not let you do anything on your computer and scareware is an altogether different type of annoyance.
Read more from the original source:
I’ve Been Infected But My Antivirus Program Isn’t Working – What Do I Do Now?
I’m Scared Of Getting A Virus – What Sort Of Sites Should I Be Wary Of?
November 8th, 2009. Published under Scams. No Comments.
Most people, when they get on the Internet, do the same thing that everyone else does on it, and that is surf. People may have a couple of sites that they go to on a regular basis but for the most part they surf around the net. This, of course, is the best part about the Internet – the ability to travel around the different web sites and see places and things that you may have never known before. There is a dark side to all of this wonderful discovery that you can do on the Internet though. The dark side is that when going to sites that you don’t know you can always pick up a virus or some other type of malware. Of course this can happen on any type of website but is more likely on some types than others. Whilst many of the following can be perfectly safe, the risk of picking up a virus may be higher from these types of sites – Beware Of Adult Sites The first type of site that can cause you damage whilst you are surfing the Internet are adult sites . Maybe 99% of adult sites are safe but there are a minority that can cause your computer to have serious troubles. Adult sites are known to attract very high amounts of traffic so they are a favorite of Hackers trying to target innocent victims. Another attack vector that has been used lately is planting viruses in the adult tube sites that have popped up in increasing amounts lately. The technology that runs the site and shows the video is known as Flash. This technology is known to have serious exploit problems if the right safeguards are not in place. Make sure that you are extra vigilante when surfing adult sites. Beware Of Warez Sites The second type of site that is known to cause a lot of trouble to a person’s computer are sites that are known as warez sites. Warez sites are web sites that people go to to get pirated software, serial numbers, etc. These types of sites are breeding grounds for malicious hackers trying to inject very nasty software into your computer. When you are visiting a warez site you are generally asking for trouble, not only in terms of copyright violations, but from malware too. Not only can the site itself pose a security risk but any software you download may well do so too. Beware Of Credit Card Offer Sites The third type of site that can be a potential problem for your computer when you visit are credit card offer sites. These sites set up a sweet attractive low interest offer and then in the background can download a Trojan onto your computer. A relatively new attack phenomenon, these sites are increasingly becoming more dangerous. These sites are being used more and more by Hackers for phishing schemes and planting Trojans onto your computer. These types of site attacks are increasing all over the Internet. This is a fairly new attack vector but with credit cards now a little bit harder to get people are falling for these traps more readily. Stay Safe I’ve showed you several different types of sites that you must be aware of when surfing the Internet. For the most part these types of site are safe to visit. But… When a Hacker decides to strike, these types of site are usually on the top of the list.
Visit link:
I’m Scared Of Getting A Virus – What Sort Of Sites Should I Be Wary Of?
Dancing Skeletons And Other Things That Go Bump At Halloween
October 28th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.
Malware is an ever-present concern to users of the internet. Or at least it should be. On any given day there are thousands of threats lurking all around the web, just waiting to get onto or into your computer. Special occasions and notable dates tend to bring more ghouls and goblins out of their closets though and Halloween is no exception. I don’t yet know what the biggest threats will be this year but here are some from the past that may be recycled again this Halloween – The Dancing Skeleton Do you think that dancing skeletons are cute or funny? They may be, but then again, it depends on where you get them from. An application that runs an image of a dancing skeleton may be appealing at first glance until you realise that it may just give you more than you bargained for. The application goes by many Halloween themed names but all have the same effect – installation of the Storm Trojan – which gives your computer free entrance to a botnet. Halloween Bargains That Can Leave You Feeling Like A Pumpkin Everyone likes a good deal and retailers don’t need much in the way of reasons to offer them right now. Halloween specials are available on more than just pumpkins but beware of deals that come via email. Identity thieves can spoof emails to appear as though they come from major brand leaders and all you have to do is click the link and pay by credit card in order to save huge amounts of $$$s. Of course you don’t need me to tell you that clicking links in emails and then handing out financial details is stupid. Do you? Halloween e-Cards Yeah, I know, whatever next huh? I only give out cards for birthdays and Christmas but some people give them out just because. If you get a Halloween e-card then make sure you know the sender and the e-card website before clicking on the link to view said card. Otherwise, well, you should know by now. Party On Dude Are you sociable? Wanna go to a Halloween party? Cool… just make sure its with friends and not the stranger who invited you via email – he doesn’t really like you, he just wants you to R.S.V.P. via the malicious link he put in that invite. If you survive all of those then you are halfway home, though you will still have to contend with the great Halloween scam ….
See the original post here:
Dancing Skeletons And Other Things That Go Bump At Halloween
Phishing – What Is It?
October 28th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.
Phishing is an illegitimate method of extracting the personal and other financial details of a person. Basically, it is a process of tricking a person on the internet to retrieve their banking passwords, bank accounts, phone number, credit card details, etc. This practice has grown over exponentially over last few years. The imposters send you emails that can lure you into entering your personal details somehow into the mails sent by them and once they get what they want, they will raise a toast and have a bash on your hard-earned money. The laws and police have become very vigilant and tough to nail these kinds of fraudsters. Fraudulent E-Mails The preferred mode of Phishing is via sending fraudulent emails. Note, though, that reputed organizations like Amazon, eBay and banks never ask anyone for their password in their emails. Next, whenever you open a phishing email, then the link in that mail will always open a site that has no security encryption. For instance, the valid url of the site will not have HTTPS at the beginning and many email links have some other extension like .rs at the end of the email. Moreover, the format of the email is very generic whereas the reputed organization always refers to you with your customer id number in their emails. The most effective manner to remain protected from phishing scams is that you have enough knowledge to recognize one instantly. However, installing pop up blockers and spam filters in your browser is yet another step you can follow.
See the original post:
Phishing – What Is It?
What Exactly Is Scareware?
October 19th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.
The term ‘Scareware’ is often applied to software that is in some way deceptive. (Scareware can also be known as fraudware and includes rogue scanners) A future article will look at how scareware has evolved into ‘ransomware’. What Is The Point Of Scareware? The aim of scareware is quite simply to frighten people into buying something that they otherwise wouldn’t want. In many respects scareware acts like a Trojan, deceiving recipients into installing an unwanted program. Whilst scareware can refer to many different types of products it is typically associated with antivirus scams in which the tactic is to suggest that your computer is either at risk or already infected. Naturally, the scareware then offers the solution – a highly overpriced piece of software which offers to right all the wrongs that have been identified on your system. In fact, only today, I read an interesting article on the BBC website which claims up to 40 million people have fallen victim to such scams in the last year! Its no surprise then that scareware scams are a growth industry – too many internet users have insufficient knowledge to protect themselves and are easily duped by such schemes, spending their money on fake antivirus products that either do not work or, in some cases, actually install Trojans and viruses themselves. How Does Scareware Work? There are 3 main ways in which scareware will trick you somehow – Getting you to pay up – You buy the fake antivirus product, which is bad enough, but then the scammers take your credit card details too! Zombie time – Many scareware programs will ensnare the victim machines into a botnet which can then be used for sending spam or engaging in DDoS attacks. Identity theft – Scareware can install keystroke loggers and Trojans which will record what you do online and search your files for anything containing your private or financial information. How Do I Protect Myself Against Scareware? Avoiding scams isn’t so hard – common sense and inquisitiveness go a long way. If a popup window appears on your computer then you should question it and never, ever buy online unless you yourself have taken your browser to the page you wish to buy from. Here are 3 more tips for avoiding scareware and fake antivirus scams – Only use antivirus programs that have come from a legitimate security vendor – here are the best 10 free ones . Always read your email in plain text – this looks horrible but will display links as they really are, rather than disguised by fancy pictures. Be wary of email attachments – unless you completely trust the sender then do not open them and never be tempted by email offers of free antivirus programs from companies you’ve never heard of. Once again, only buy or download security software from trusted sources – here are 10 more that I trust – and stay safe!
Excerpt from:
What Exactly Is Scareware?
How Do I Block Pop-Up Ads?
October 3rd, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.
It is certain that all of us come across popup windows once in a while we are surfing on the internet. It feels really annoying when something stupid interrupts your endeavor appearing from nowhere. These are called Pop-Up ads. The specialty of these ads is that you need to manually click on them to close each. Pop-up ads need to be avoided and blocked to all extents possible because many scammers try to invade in to your personal details like passwords, credit card details and bank account details using these pop-up ads. Thus, a pop-up blocker becomes inevitable and highly indispensable. WHAT IS A POP-UP BLOCKER? A pop-up blocker is a program that stops these unwanted ads to come up during your browsing. The pop-up blocker is installed in the web browser . Most browser packages have them pre-installed and those not having them can be upgraded by downloading a pop-up blocker of your choice from the free software sites. Pop-up blocker not only prevents these annoying ads to opening in a new window but even protects you from a possible identity theft and personal information theft. Pop-up blockers have additional features for the people who want to view the pop-up ads of particular sites. For this they need to enable the view pop-up ads for that particular site. Many types of pop-up blockers with unique features are available online. You can buy as per your needs. However, some of the most basic types of pop-up blockers are free and can be downloaded from any of the popular sites. An additional advantage of using pop-up blockers is that you can prevent your computer from becoming slow or being infected from malware , spyware or any virus. This prevents your pc from getting slow. Choose an effective pop-up blocker as soon as possible and get rid of unwanted content to make your browsing experience delightful.
Read more:
How Do I Block Pop-Up Ads?
How Are Identity Theft Crimes Being Committed Today?
September 29th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.
A few years ago, when identity theft was a new crime, many people became victims via the simplest of schemes and ruses. Nowadays, however, web users are far more educated about the risks and so the identity thieves are having to find new ways of committing their crime. ID theft is still here for the long haul but those behind it have had to become far more inventive about how they trick their victims into revealing sensitive information. You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view this YouTube video PHISHING & VISHING One of the more obvious forms of identity theft comes in the form of phishing which is something I hope you now know all about. (If you don’t then you can get detailed information here – Phishing – What Is It And How Can You Avoid It? ) To recap, phishing is a technique employed by identity thieves whereby they send emails to consumers that appear to be from a legitimate source, such as their bank or credit card company. Said email will then ask the consumer to verify some important pieces of information, such as their account number, credit card numbers, or even their social security numbers. Should you return the email, with the information that was requested, then an identity thief will have all they need to be able to start buying products and services in your name. Such a scheme was incredibly effective at first but has become less so with time as people have wisened up to it. A newer version of phishing, known as ‘ vishing ‘, doesn’t even require the victim to own a computer. Instead they will receive a phone call, spoofed so that it appears to have come from their bank, which will require an account authentication process. The hope here is that the victim will be foolish enough to tap or speak out their account number so that the thief can then steal it. PHARMING Pharming has also been around for some time now and tries to trick users into revealing information in much the same way that phishing and vishing attempts do. The main difference, however, is that pharming is not conducted via email or the telephone. Instead, pharming normally relies upon a computer being infected with a Trojan which then allows it to server up fake web pages which look identical to the genuine article. Imagine that you open up your bank’s web page and are confronted with something that looks exactly like what you are expecting to see – you could be tempted to enter your information there couldn’t you? The proliferance of pharming has led to consumers becoming more aware of it and search engines and browsers have begun offering tools which will flag up suspect pages. This has led identity thieves to come up with yet new cunning plans… EMPLOYMENT WEBSITES One of the newer versions of identity theft being committed today takes advantage of the current economic climate. With large numbers of people out of work, or looking to earn more than they currently are, employment websites are receiving unprecedented numbers of visitors. ID Thieves have taken advantage of this fact and will trawl such sites looking for potential victims. They will then pose as a ‘prospective employer’ when making contact with an individual who has posted a resume online. They will then ask the applicant to submit themselves to a background check. Job seekers will think that the information being requested is reasonable and that the requester is a legitimate recruiter. They will often gladly hand over all manner of information, including names, addresses, dates of birth and social security numbers. STAY SAFE The lesson here of course is to never trust anyone with your sensitive information unless you are 100% certain that they will keep it safe and secure. Whilst there are countless other scams used by identity thieves to gain access to information the basic premise remains the same -they extract information from people by gaining their trust. Remember that people, and organisations, online are not always who they say they are. Stay aware of these scams at all times and you may just avoid the headache of identity theft .
See the article here:
How Are Identity Theft Crimes Being Committed Today?
How Can I Avoid Vishing Scams?
September 22nd, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.
How to avoid vishing scams If you don’t already know what vishing is then you need to read yesterday’s post – What Exactly Is Vishing ? Today I am looking at a few very simple ways of ensuring you don’t become a victim of this crime. Rule #1 can be applied to just about every scenario you may ever come across online – DO NOT REVEAL YOUR SENSITIVE INFORMATION TO ANYONE , INCLUDING BANK EMPLOYEES. Whether you are contacted via email, IM or phone you should never, ever, reveal sensitive information to someone you cannot completely trust. If you always keep that in mind then you will have improved your internet security immeasurably. The other rules are just as much common sense – Banks and other financial institutions never call and ask you for personal information. The call or message may say that your call is being recorded but this is just to scare people so that they do not call the authorities. Notice how the caller never calls you by name. That is because they have no idea what your name is! If your bank or credit card number asks for your account number then they must be false – they should already know such details. Just because they don’t ask for your CVV2 number don’t think they are legit – some people can still steal your money without that information. Some banks, especially the small ones, usually have the last 6 numbers of the card the same for all the cards. So thieves will ask only for the last 6 digits of your credit card number because they know the first ones. So don’t think that if they ask only for 6 digits they cannot steal your money. They can do this just with your PIN and the last 6 digits of your card. Remember the above and stay safe. Don’t get vished!
How To Avoid Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) Scams
September 17th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.
I would imagine that everyone reading this has probably used an ATM machine at some time. An Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) is an electronic terminal, which is directly links to the financial institution, to which it belongs, where consumers can conduct electronic financial transactions by means of an ATM or credit card. The majority of ATM machines are linked to a large number of financial institutions and can be used from anywhere around the world. ATM machines can be online or offline. In the case of online machines, the transactions conducted by consumers are processed instantaneously in real time. Where the ATM is offline, all transactions are recorded on tape. These tapes are subsequently transported on a daily basis to financial institutions for processing by either courier or security companies. THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ATM SCAM There are a number of ways in which ATM scams are conducted by fraudsters. Here are some examples of ATM scams. Stolen ATM or Credit Cards In some instances fraudsters may come into possession of a persons’ ATM or credit card and have access to the secret pin required to conduct transactions on an ATM. Often a persons’ wallet or purse can be stolen and the secret pin codes are written on a piece of paper inside. Fraudsters will then utilize this information and withdraw as much funds as possible from the victim’s account at ATMs. The fraudster will continue withdrawing funds until the card is held by the ATM machine. Counterfeit ATM Cards This offence is very rare, but they do occur. In these instances offenders will make use of a ‘Skimming’ device. This device is used to extract all data from a magnetic strip at the back of a bank or credit card. This data can later be extracted to a computer. With a skimming device it is only required to swipe the magnetic strip over or into the device. From a computer, the information can then be transferred onto a new magnetic strip on the back of a new card. This card will then in effect be a duplicate of the original card. Skimming devices comes in many forms, large or small. ATM fraudsters will use a device very similar to the ATM slot where the consumer’s card is entered to. Fraudsters will simply remove the ATM’s device and put their own skimming device in its place. Offenders will then set up cameras in hidden places around the ATM. This camera is used to record the secret pin entered by the consumer. Offenders will later remove their devices and can now start duplicating ATM and credit cards of victims. Fraudulent withdrawals As security measures, banking clients can not withdraw more funds from their accounts than are available. There may also be daily withdrawal limits on accounts, which are set by the client or bank. Fraudsters will often identify off-line ATM machines where transactions are not processed in real time. Here they will be in a position to withdraw more than the current daily limit, also more than is available in the account. Although these ATM’s have their own withdrawal limits, fraudsters will withdraw the maximum amounts they can as set by the ATM. Fraudulent Deposits In instances where a victim requires someone to deposit funds into their account before a product or service is delivered, fraudsters might prefer ATMs to perform this ‘deposit’. Fraudsters generally would deposit a fraudulent check, but mark the ATM instruction as cash. Fraudsters may also in instances place a small amount of funds into the envelope, but mark the front end with a higher amount and type the higher amount into the ATM as well. When the victim releases the product or funds, they will at a later stage be informed of the fraudulent deposit made. PROTECTING YOURSELF AGAINST ATM SCAMS When approaching an ATM, one should always ensure that the ATM is in good order. If there are any signs of tampering on the ATM, especially with the slot where the card is entered into, do not use it. Always look for small cameras inside and around the ATM, which appear to be out of place. When typing your pin, always ensure that you use your body to conceal the pad when typing your pin. Make sure that there are no way in any angle in which a person or came could see the typing process. Always ensure that you memorize your pin number. Do not write it down and keep it along with your card, in the event of a theft or robbery, the card can not be used at any ATM. When requesting someone to make a deposit into your account, always contact your bank and ask the method in which the deposit was made. Also ask the exact amount and the method of payment. It is highly suggested that you wait for funds to clear before releasing any products or services to a buyer.
Continue reading here:
How To Avoid Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) Scams
Bank of America See the Light – No More Forced Arbitration
August 14th, 2009. Published under Fraud. No Comments.
I’ll have to say it’s good to see large banks and credit card issuers beginning to see that forced arbitration is not a very good idea (never was actually). Bank of American (BOA) announced this week that it is dropping mandatory consumer arbitration. Read the full story on the Wall Street Journal . Of course the lack of arbitration will most likely result in new hidden fees and other ways of boosting the banks profit margin. I for one stopped using credit cards several years ago, so the news doesn’t affect me, my family or my business. However, it’s good to see that consumers are finally winning some ground when it comes to credit card companies. I also think that Bank of American and other credit card issues are seeing the “writing on the wall” and are hoping to avoid class-action lawsuits such as those currently being filed against the National Arbitration Forum (NAF) and many debt collection law firms. Time will tell, I guess.
Read the original post:
Bank of America See the Light – No More Forced Arbitration
Widespread Harassment from Phony Debt Collectors Raises Concerns of Mass Data Breach
August 4th, 2009. Published under Scams. No Comments.
Scammers have Social Security and bank account numbers, home addresses and employer information Arlington, VA – August 3, 2009 – Better Business Bureau is issuing a national alert today about phony debt collectors that are calling consumers nationwide and claiming that they have defaulted on a payday loan and will be arrested if they don’t pay immediately. Claiming to be lawyers, the scammers say they are with the “ Financial Accountability Association ” or the “ Federal Legislation of Unsecured Loans ” and are equipped with a disconcerting amount of personal information about their potential victims.
Many Questionable Debt Collectors, One Man and a Hedge Fund to Rule Them All
July 24th, 2009. Published under Business Scams, Fraud, Scams. No Comments.
It kinds of sounds like the beginning of a J.R.R. Tolkien movie… Apparently in the debt collection business having a lot of money keeps regulators, law makers and industry enforcement out of your hair. Hopefully with the true nature and operation of Accretive Technologies being exposed and publicized perhaps regulators, enforcement and law makers will take swift action. Slowly but surely opaque layers are being peeled away and exposing just who and what are behind the National Arbitration Forum (NAF) and several national debt collection law firms. Namely Mann Bracken LLC / LLP, Wolpoff and Abramson and Eskanos and Adler. All of which are “owned” by Axiant, which is in turned owned by a hedge fund, Accretive Technologies, which in turned it owned/run by one man. His name is J. Michael Cline.
Telemarketer FAIL
July 23rd, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.
This is kind of funny, the caller ID display says “Not a Collecter” (can’t spell either). From what 800notes.com says it is either a credit card lower interest rates scammer and/or scammy auto warranty telemarketer. Still Funny though!
The rest is here:
Telemarketer FAIL