The accused is Sanford Wallace, the owner of the company Smartbot.net.  He has been fingered for creating malicious software that is designed to exploit a flaw in Microsoft’s Internet Explorer web browser…  the same browser that 85% of internet users utilize.

The grounds of such a suit are that Mr. Wallace and his firm has been “installing” this software without user’s permission.  In fact, once a user has unknowingly been infected, the CDROM tray opens and a message on your screen appears that says:

“FINAL WARNING!! If your cd-rom drive’s open . . .You DESPERATELY NEED to rid your system of spyware pop-ups IMMEDIATELY! Download Spy Wiper NOW!”

Ironically (and fortunately for Mr. Wallace), his company is the sole beneficiary of the proceeds made from any purchases of Spy Wiper.  A pretty good business model when you consider that the only thing they need to get rich if for you to visit a website designed to infect you!

This type of tactic is not uncommon, in fact, it’s common place.  Since the advent of affiliate marketing, anti-spyware software companies have been happy to give up a portion of their profits to anyone who refers someone to buy them.  If you are a programmer, you have great incentive to create spyware that holds a user for ransom – ransom that will be paid in full when you buy the software recommended to remove the spyware.  Luckily, the software you recommend to remove the spyware happens to be the same software you make a chunk of money off.

The U.S. District Court judge that ordered the re-payments should take a long and hard look at this growing epidemic, and consider a more bold punishment.  A slap on the wrist is all Wallace has suffered.  The millions in profits he’s being forced to give up was never really his in the first place.  It’s like taking the loot back from a bank robbery and telling the robbers not to do it again.

Obviously this is a scam.  First of all, the type of scam being used is a Phishing scam.  There is a link in the email that I am asked to click on to be taken to the chase bank web site.  Now, at first glance when you look at the link, it appears to take you to the chase bank website, however, upon further inspection it becomes clear that the website you will be taken to is actually http://www.compexbrno.cz/~mp3/update/chase-rewarding/clients-asp/cgi/index.html.

I took a screen shot to show you this.  If you place your mouse over the hyperlink, a box opens revealing where the link really points to.

If you don’t know what phishing is, and would like to learn more about it, watch this video on how to detect a phishing scam.

This is the email I received

Dear Valued Customer,

CONGRATULATIONS !!!

You have been chosen by the Chase Manhattan Bank online department to take part in our quick and easy 5 question survey. In return we will credit $20 to your account – Just for your time!

Helping us better understand how our customers feel benefits everyone. With the information collected we can decide to direct a number of changes to improve and expand our online service.
The information you provide us is all non-sensitive and anonymous – No part of it is handed down to any third party groups.
It will be stored in our secure database for maximum of 3 days while we process the results of this nationwide survey.

We kindly ask you to spare two minutes of your time in taking part with this unique offer!

To Continue click on the link below:

http://www.chase.com/?CustomerID=8972347&SecureID=xjskid893oe99280-2oeujdywhhhekwod0pqlwoe0

Many Thanks and Kind Regards – Chase Manhattan Bank Customer Department

I am Mr.Lo Ping Wing, Bank Official of Macau Chinese bank, Macau Branch,Macau, China. I have urgent and very confidential business proposition for you. An Oil consultant/contractor with the China Petroleum and Chemical Corp. made a numbered time (Fixed) Deposit for twelve calendar months, valued at US$128,000,000.00 (One Hundred and Twenty eight Million Dollars) in my branch. Upon maturity, I sent a routine notification to his forwarding address but got no reply. After a month, we sent a reminder and finally we discovered from his contract employers that the consultant died from an automobile accident. On further investigation, I found out that he died without making a WILL, and all attempts to trace his next of kin was fruitless, and I beleive this might be due to the reasoning that he might have used a fictitous Identity to open the account.I therefore made further investigation and discovered that the consultant did not declare any kin or relations in all his official documents, including his Bank Deposit paperwork in my Bank.
This sum of US$128,000,000.00 is still sitting in my Bank and the interest is being rolled over with the principal sum at the end of each year. No one will ever come forward to claim it. According to Laws of Republic of China, at the expiration of 5 (five) years, the money will revert to the ownership of the Chinese Government if nobody applies to claim the fund. Consequently, my proposal is that I will like you as a foreigner to stand in as the next of kin to the deceased consultant so that the fruits of this old man’s labor will not get into the hands of some corrupt government officials. This is simple, I will like you to provide immediately your full names and address so that the attorney will prepare the necessary documents and affidavits that will put you in place as the next of kin. We shall employ the services of an attorney for drafting and notarization of the WILL and to obtain the necessary documents and letter of probate/administration in your favor for the transfer. A bank account in any part of the world that you will provide will then facilitate the transfer of this money to you as the beneficiary/next of kin. The money will be paid into your account for us to share in the ratio of 90% for me and 10% for you.We can recommend a Luxembourg bank where that can contact you if we send your email to them as regards opening an online account with them. There is no risk at all as all the paperwork for this transaction will be done by the attorney and my position as the Bank Official guarantees the  successful execution of this transaction. If you are interested, please reply immediately via the private email address above. Upon your response,I shall then provide you with more details and relevant documents that will help you understand the transaction. Please send me your confidential telephone and fax numbers for easy communication. Please observe utmostconfidentiality, and rest assured that this transaction would be most profitable for both of us because I shall require your assistance to invest my share in your country. Awaiting your urgent reply via my email address.
Thanks and regards.

Mr.Lo Ping Wing

The Fraud Email is in Italics Below:

Dear WellsFargo Customers Upgrade 2006

Due to concerns, for the safety and integrity of the wellsfargo
account we have issued this warning message.

It has come to our attention that your WellsFargo account information needs to be
updated as part of our continuing commitment to protect your account in this year 2006 and to
reduce the instance of fraud on our website. If you could please take 5-10 minutes
out of your online experience and update your personal records you will not run into
any future problems with the online service.

Once you have updated your account records your wellsfargo account
service will not be interrupted and will continue as normal.

To update your WellsFargo records click on the following link:
http://www.wellsfargo.com/signon?LOB=CONS&screenid=Update_Ac ct **NOTE:  When this link is clicked, it takes you to http://www.ymtcps.edu.hk/main/admass/update-wells-info/trust-update-paymnet/wells-fargo/ - when you go to this site it looks like the real wells fargo site, however, it is not!!

Thank You.

Accounts Management As outlined in our User Agreement, WellsFargo will
periodically send you information about site changes and enhancements.

Visit our Privacy Policy and User Agreement if you have any questions.
http://www.wellsfargo.com/help/index.jhtml

In the meantime, here’s another one for your reading enjoyment!

From the Desk of:
Mr. Peter Ekeh

With great pleasure I Mr. Peter Ekeh, working with a bank here in Nigeria as a Manager. I am writing you in respect of a foreign customer (an Oil consultant/contractor with our National Oil & Liquidified Gas Sector) whom made a US$25M (Twenty five Million United States Dollars) depository for an investment program that has remained dormant for years now. Hence, I have decided to contact you due to the urgency of this transaction.

On personal investigation, I discovered that the account holder died On the 25th of July 2000 in Air France AF4590 plane crash. I made further investigation and discovered that the customer died without making a WILL on the depository.

It may interest you to know that I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money cannot be approved to a local Bank account here, but can only be approved to a foreigner with an account since the money is in US Dollars. I have decided as a matter of urgency upon this discovery now seek your permission to have you stand as next of kin to the fund as No one has ever come forward to claim this fund. It may also interest you to know that I have secured from the probate an ORDER OF MADAMUS to locate any of deceased beneficiary. In accordance to Nigerian Law, fund deposited for over a period of five (5) years without claim will be reverted to the Government treasury, if nobody applies to claim this fund.

I will like you to provide immediately your full Names and Address, Date of Birth, Occupation, Tel & Fax Numbers so that an Attorney will be able to prepare the necessary documents and affidavit which will put you in place as the next of kin. The Attorney will draft and carry out the notarization of the WILL and also obtain the necessary documents and letter of probate/administration in your favour for the transfer.

At the successful conclusion of this business, your goodself shall be entitled to have 40% that is, USD$10M of the total money while I will have 55% that is USD$13.750M and 5% that is USD$1.250M for communications and other expenses. I am ready to invest a reasonable percentage of mine into any viable business you suggest as a joint partner. Your percentage will also be a source of upliftment. You have absolutely nothing to LOSE in assisting me instead, you have so much to GAIN. Be rest assured that this transaction would be most profitable for both of us.

Your response is highly imperative as this is a TWO-man business deal transaction as I shall then provide you with more details and relevant documents that will help you understand the transaction. I need your assistance and co-operation to this reality as I have done my Home-work and fine tune the best way to create you as the beneficiary while I would use my connection and money to secure almost all the paperwork for this transaction which will be done by the Attorney and my position as the Branch Manager guarantees the successful execution of this transaction with you as the beneficiary to this fund.

I will appreciate your early reply for commencement of business. Contact me for acknowledgement by E-mail and whereby you are not interested, please indicate in your reply so that I can seek for the assistance of someone else.

If this proposal is acceptable by you, I expect that you will not take undue advantage of the trust I Will bestow in you. I await your urgent response.

Thanks with great regards.

Peter Ekeh

OFFICE
21 Llanover road plumstead
SE18 3ST London.
Phone: :+447040129318
Dear Friend,

My name is Susan Harrison-Justain, I am an artist with my husband James Harrisonn,We own SUS ART WORLD in London,Zealand(United Kingdom)I live in London United Kingdom, with my two kids, four cats, one dog and the love of my life my husband James Harrison. It is definitely a full house, I have been doing artwork since I was a small child That gives me about 23 years of experience I majored in art in high school and took a few college art courses Most of my work is done in either pencil or art brush mixed with color pencils.

I have recently added designing and creating artwork on the computer, I have been selling my art for the last 3 years and have had my work featured on trading cards, prints and in magazines, I have sold in galleries and to private collectors from all around the world. I am always facing serious difficulties when it comes to selling my art works to Americans, they are always offering to pay with MONEY ORDER OR CASHER’S CHEQUE, which is difficult for me to cash here in London United Kingdom.

I am looking for a representative in the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA who will be working for me as a par time worker and i will be willing to pay 10% for every transaction, which wouldn’t affect your present state of work, someone who would help me receive payments from my customers in the states, I mean someone that is responsible and reliable, because the cost of coming to the state and getting payments is very expensive, I am working on setting up a branch in the state, so for now i need a representative in the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA who will be handling the payment aspect for our company.These payments are in MONEY ORDERS OR CASHER’S CHEQUE and they wouldcome to you in your name if you are willing to assist as a representative, so all you need do is cash the money order deduct your percentage and WESTERN UNION Charges then wire the rest back.

But the problem i have is trust, i have made arrangement with the FBI in Washington,that if anybody gets away with my money they will definately get hold with the person,and the person will go to JAIL for LOOTING my funds , you are to receive the MONEY ORDERS OR CASHER’S CHEQUE PAYMENT which will be sent to you by the FEDEX or UPS from my business partners, which would come in form of a MONEY ORDER  OR CASHER’S CHEQUE then you are to take it to your bank account to enable you  cash it and send the money cashed for the MONEY ORDERS OR CASHER’S CHEQUE  to me via WESTERN UNION OR MONEY GRAM.

NOTE: All charges of the WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER  will be deducted from the money, so you are rest assured that you wouldn’t spend a dime out of your personal money.If you are interested, please get back to me as soon as possible via email.
N: B, Please send to me the listed information below:

#Your full name:
#Your full home address,
#Your age,#Occupation  and as well your #marital status, and your,#direct contact telephone number, I will be needing your home address, so that I will send the MONEY ORDERS to you via FedEx or overnight shipment.
Thanks for your assistant and God bless,

Thanks for your assistant and God bless,

Susan Harrison-Justain.
Director of SUS ART WORLD INC,
London, United Kingdom.

I’ve created a new category called “Sample Fraud” in my blog that allows you to look through some of the other sample frauds floating around on the internet.  To view them, just click the link “Sample Fraud” on the right hand menu from my blog homepage www.pcsecuritysecrets.com/blog.

This fraud email is from “Mother Sherry booy Jaunther”:

Beloved Friend,

Let me first of all inform you, I got your email address from a mail Directory and decided to mail you for a permission to go ahead. I am Mrs.

Sherry booy Jaunther from Holland. I am married to Dr.Harry Jaunther a Kenya who worked with a construction company in Asia for twenty Years before he died in the tsunami disasters, we were married but without any children. Since his death I decided not to remarry and presently I am 70 Years old. When my late husband was Alive he deposited the sum of $9.5M. (Nine Million Five Hundred Thousand U.S. Dollars) with a Security Company. Presently this money is still with the Security Company and the management just Wrote me as the beneficiary to come forward to receive the money or rather Issue a letter of authorization to somebody to receive it on my behalf if I cannot come over.

I am presently in a hospital

where I

have been undergoing treatment Cancer

of the lungs in a hospital, I

have since

lost my ability To talk and

my doctors have told me that I

have only a

few months to live. I want a person that is trustworthy that will utilize 90% of this money to fund churches, orphanages and widows around the world but in my name Mrs. Sherry Jaunther As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the Security Company.

I will also issue you a letter of

authority that will prove

you as the new beneficiary

of this fund. Please assure me that

you

will act accordingly as I stated

here in and Keep this contact

confidential till

Such a time this fund gets to your Custody.

This is

to ensure that nothing jeopardizes my

Last wish on Earth.

I await

your urgent reply.

God Bless You

Mother Sherry booy Jaunther

This is a fairly stale scam, where they promise you money if you help them get some of the assets out through a government loophole – the catch is that you usually need to put some of you money up at some point.

I’ve posted the scam email below if you want to read more…

SUBJET:  I NEED YOUR HELP ON THIS!!!!

Dear Friend,

Permit me to seek your attention in so informal a manner. I am MIHAI ANDREI, one of the Accounts Directors to MIKHAIL KHODORKOVSKY, the richest man in Russia and owner of the following companies; Chairman CEO: YUKOS OIL(Russian Largest Oil Company) Chairman CEO: Menatep SBP Bank (A well reputable financial institution with its branches all over the world). I seek your partnership in an urgent financialbusiness of US$28 Million. (Twenty Eight Million United States Dollars)

My Boss MIKHAIL KHODORKOVSKY was arrested in October 2003 for his involvement in politics and the financing of opposing political parties (the Union of Right Forces, led by Boris Nemtsov, and Yabloko,a liberal/social democratic party led by Gregor Yavlinsky) which posed a treat to President Vladimir Putin’s second tenure as Russian president before he was re-elected On March 14, 2004. You can read more of this on the web sites below:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3213505.stm
http://newsfromrussia.com/main/2003/11/13/51215.html
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0920791.html
http://www.khodorkovskytrial.com/

The Russian Government Authority had already concluded plans to freeze all the accounts in the name of Mikhail Khodorkovsky both corporate and personal. However, in other to boost the investor confidence in the Russian Economy, also approved the payment of millions of Dollarsto all YUKOS OIL Contractors and Suppliers.

The Fund US$28M involved was approved by the Russian Authorities as part of payments to the various YUKOS OIL contractors/suppliers to prevent them from loosing the money they invested in the numerous contracts they executed for the above YUKOS OIL. I had connived with the Accountant General of YUKOS OIL (who is also my partner in this business) to raise a memo stating that YUKOS OIL owed US$28M to a foreign contractor. The Russian Authority finally approved this amount for payment after some deliberations. Actually, we have paid all our contractors both local and foreign because they agitated for their payment when they heard that my boss was arrested.

We intend to present you or your company as one of the contractors we owe so that you can stand as the beneficiary of the above sum according to your financial strength or the strength of your company.

We will make all arrangements for the documentation, which the payee bank will need to transfer the sum to your nominated account. We have decided to use part of this sum to relocate our families out of Russia due to the present insecurity we face. We cannot lay direct claims to this payment, as we need to present a foreign person or company to stand as the beneficiary.

This business is safe and we will be willing to reward you with 10% of the total sum for your partnership. As soon as I get your willingness to assist us and your direct contact telephone and fax numbers, I will provide more details. Thank you.

Best Regards,
MIHAI ANDREI.

NB: PLEASE ENDEAVOUR TO RESPOND ON MY PRIVATE EMAIL ADDRESS BELOW, FOR SECURITY REASONS.

E-mail: mihaiandrei_accountant@yahoo.com

THE NATIONAL LOTTERY.
THE MARINA OFFICES, ST PETERS YACHT BASIN
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, NE6 1HX
.ENGLAND.
 
 
 

Claims Unit Department:
Contact Person: Mr Poe Figgs
Contact email:- poe.figgs@gmail.com
 Tel: +447023050848 +447023052284
 
FROM: THE DESK OF THE DIRECTOR PROMOTIONS,
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT,
Winning Ref No: UKON-5464K2/71
Batch Number:   012/06/DR432  
Lucky Numbers: 14 . 33 . 36 . 39 . 42 . 46 . [13] Bonus Ball
 

Date: 17-03-2006
___________________________

Notification of Winning (UKON 2006)
___________________________

Dear Winner,

You have been Selected  in the UKON 2006 Lottery Program. Our lottery program selection has finally been performed today which was held at the Marina  office. UK Promotion is a joint Euro/America private lottery registered and organized in accordance with the World Lottery Regulation act. We the The National  Lottery organizing committee are pleased to officially notify you of the status of your email application. An official notification of winning is hereby issued to you as your email promotion ticket randomly drew for the Lucky Numbers:14 . 33 . 36 . 39 . 42 . 46 . [13] Bonus Ball which selected your email as the 2nd winner of our lottery program you have consequently won the lottery program in the first batch.
 
Congratulations! 

We have officially approved a sum payout of 950,000.00 GBP only to you as the lottery winner. This amount is from total prize cash of 2,850,000.00 GBP randomly distributed among Three (3) international winners selected by our Lottery Random System Selection (LRSS). All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from 25,000 names/ email issued from Australia, New Zealand, America, Europe, North America and Asia, as part of our International Promotions Program, which is conducted yearly. Your prize can only be obtained from the assinged listed corresopndence office, they are to assist and provide helpful information to you in order to receiving your prize. The National Lottery Promotion,
===========================================================
Please carefully read all information provided on your winning file.please remember to quote your winning reference and Lucky winning number correspondences with this office. Furthermore, should there be any change of your address, do inform us as soon as possible. Congratulations again from all our staff for being part of UKON 2006 Lottery Program.
Sincerely,
Information Department
The National Lottery Promotion
=============================================================
=============================================================
NB: The National Lottery holds the right to cancle your winning if you are below the age of 18,Employees and immediate family members of employees of The National Lottery, its associated companies,professional advisers, advertising and promotional agencies are not eligible to be winners of this promotional lottery.Contacts should be made directly to the Claims Unit Department via email on or before 14 days after receiving your winning notification as this is mandatory.Looking forward to your urgent reply by filling the VERIFICATION FORM.
=============================================================

VERIFICATION FORM
 
SURNAME……………….MIDDLE NAME…………………..
 
COUNTRY…………………..ADDRESS……………………….
 
WINNING EMAIL ADDRESS………………………
 
SEX………………………………………….
 
PHONE NUMBER……………FAX NUMBER…………………
 
DATE OF BIRTH……………….OCCUPATION……………….
 
LUCKY NUMBER ……………REF NUMBER…………………..
 
STATUS…………..

===================================================================
This email and its attachments are confidential and intended for the exclusive use of the addresse(s). This email and its attachments may also be privileged or protected by legal rules. If you have received this by mistake please let us know by reply immediately and destroy the email and its attachments without reading, copying or forwarding the contents.

I have a new email address!

You can now email me at: yadaman2@yahoo.com

OCEANIC BANK NIGERIA PLC

HEADQUARTERS ANNEX

OZUMBA MBADIWE VICTORIA ISLAND

LAGOS – NIGERIA

EMAIL: yadaman72x@yahoo.com.hk

I am Mr. Yada Nasiru of the bills and exchange at the foreign remitance department of Oceanic Bank Nig. PLC. I am offering this proposal to solicite your support and co-operation to carry out this urgent business transaction.

Precisely on the 22nd of october,2005. A very prominent client of ours, the first lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Mrs Stella Obansanjo passed away while undergoing surgery in Spain. Before her death, I personally managed several accounts for her including those for her pet project Child Care Trust [C.C.T] . During an internal investigation conducted by her lawyer and myself we discovered an abandoned sum of money $28.5 (Twenty Eight Million Five Hundred Thousand U.S Dollars Only).

Since her demise, Nobody has approached the bank to claim the money because she did not indicate anyone as her next of kin and besides the details of the account are still being kept secret by myself and the lawyer,who incidentally is the only signatory to the account. In line with this present scenario, I have decided to contact you on behalf of the lawyer to release the money to you for safe keeping. We have agreed that you can have 30% of the money as a foreign partner thereafter we will visit your country for

disbursement according to the percentage indicated.

As soon as I hear from you, I will have the Lawyer swing into action by obtaining all relevant documents to ensure smooth free transaction, as all documents would be legalised to soothe the purpose and effect change of ownership, including affidavit of claim and letter of administration, and thereafter, we will move all legal and transfer documents to our offshore clearing house in Madrid Spain, where the money would be paid to your account, because as she has made it in her account documents funds would be paid through the bank in Spain. Details of the bank will be made available to you as soon as we finalised all the legal requirements here in Nigeria.

Therefore to enable the immediate transfer of ownership, the details of your bank account information is needed, telephone and fax numbers including your company name and address and other relevant informations are needed Urgently. The lawyer will take care of all legal documents involved while I on my part will ensure the speedy transfer of the funds to you. Please your reply is urgently required as we have less than four months before the internal auditors begin their investigations. You can contact me through this email address (yadaman72x@yahoo.com.hk)

Hope to hear from

you soonest.

Mr. Yada Nasiru.
- Dr. Yada Nasiru