Frequently
I receive messages from well-meaning acquaintances warning me of a
“dangerous new virus.”
One
came from an Internet-savvy correspondent, saying he was passing on a
virus warning to delete a SULFNBK.exe file, adding that he had found
it on all of the PC’s in his shop and deleted it.
Before
deleting anything, I visited Symantec’s Norton
anti-virus site. When I
checked it out I found that the so-called virus was a hoax.
I also discovered that my friend had been conned into deleting
legitimate Microsoft utility files from his PC’s.
The
next correspondent not only warned me (and a whole list of others)
against the supposed SULFNBK virus, he added,
“This is a valid virus. I had our IT department check it
out.”
When
I wrote and informed him that it was a hoax, offering two sites for
him to check, he continued to insist that his IT Department had told
him the virus was real and not a hoax.
I sent more pages from reliable anti-virus sites hoping that
he would let his large email list know that he had been duped.
He
finally sent me an email saying, “OK OK OK, I get the message!”
He never admitted that his IT people had erred nor advised
those he had frightened with his warning.
When
someone sends you a virus warning, don’t forward it to everyone on
your mailing list; and don’t delete files until you’ve checked
with the experts. The
most reliable include Symantec,
McAffee,
F-Secure, and
Vmyths.
David
Coursey, Executive Editor of the Ziff Davis Anchor Desk, writes:
“Best advice: Get a quality antiviral program, make regular
backups, and don't believe everything you read or even see--especially
on the Internet.”
Apart
from virus warnings are hoaxes about free money, children in trouble,
and other items designed to grab you and get you to forward the
message to everyone you know.
The
Computer Incident Advisory Center (CIAC) of the US Department of
Energy lists various categories of hoaxes: Malicious Code (Virus and
Trojan ) Warnings, Urban
Myths, Give Aways, Inconsequential Warnings, Sympathy Letters and
Requests to Help Someone, Traditional Chain Letters, Threat Chains,
Scam Chains, and Stupid Hoaxes. For
complete descriptions of what these hoaxes involve, visit Hoaxbusters.
Beyond
the hoaxes come the outright frauds, like the following letter.
I’ve received several similar to this within the past few
months.
Greetings,
I am Maj. Timothy Banya, the commander and head of the Secret Unit
in charge of Diamond dealing for the Revolutionary United Front (RUF)
of Sierra-Leone. I was working directly with the former Rebel Leader
Foday Sankoh who is languishing in government custody and would be
prosecuted for illegal diamond dealing and the killings of 21 people
during a public demonstration outside his home in May last year.
The
RUF is now headed by Gen. Issa Sessey who is determined in bringing
peace to Sierra Leone, he signed a cease-fire agreement with the
government on the 10th of Nov., 2000 and instructed us that peace
must returned to our fatherland after nine-years of conflict.
Pledging to allow U.N. troops an unhindered access throughout
Sierra-Leone.
Eventually,
the letter gets around to the point:
However
my biggest problem right now is that of the funds that I kept with a
Security Firm in a neighboring country in Africa during this
conflict, this fund was legally acquired from the sales of Diamonds.
But due to the War impart in my Country, and my restriction from
leaving the country by the government, the possibility of investing
these funds here is highly limited, hence my decision to contact you
arises. At this juncture, I am soliciting for your assistance
to enable me legitimize and entrust into your care for investment
this US$12.5m (Twelve Million Five Hundred Thousand United State
Dollars) that has been with this Security Firm for a very long time.
I
accept to concede some percentage to you for your materials and
logistics involvement. Kindly revert to me only if you are
interested through this address abhht@email.com
stating your interest to pursue and execute this transaction with
me, based on an agreement.
For
your service, you’re offered a percentage of the funds (it’s been
as high as 30%) you’re supposed to help get released.
Of course, in time, the release runs into problems and you end
up investing a substantial sum of your own money to solve the
problems. The problems
never get solved and you’ve lost your money.
This
is a modified version of the Nigerian Advance Fee Scam that’s been
around for quite awhile. For
full details of how this scheme works, visit the Internet Scambusters
page devoted to the Nigerian
Advance Fee Scheme.
The
award-winning Internet
Scambusters is one of my favorite sites for keeping up with the
latest Internet frauds. They
publish a free newsletter with monthly updates on scams and urban
legends so you won't get taken.
On
the Scambusters site, you’ll find information on various different
types of Internet Scams and how to avoid them.
Their “7
Tips for Avoiding Counterfeit Items Online” provides a useful
example. The first tip is
“Don't ever buy an item that you learn about via bulk email ("spam").
Your chances of receiving the item *at all* are only 45%, and the
chance of your getting what you think at a reasonable price (so you're
happy with the transaction) is less than 5%. In other words, "If
it's spam, it's scam." For
the other six tips, see the seven tips
for avoiding counterfeit items online.
The
National Consumers League (USA) has developed a National Fraud
Information Center & Internet Fraud
Watch. The Center has a page of Internet Fraud Statistics that
lists the top ten frauds for 1999 and 2000.
“Auctions” top the list for both years.
Their pages also include “telemarketing Fraud,” “Scams
against Businesses” and “Fraud against the Elderly.”
Have
you ever received one of those emails recommending
that you invest in a hot stock while the price is low?
Before you yield to temptation, check out the U.S. Securities
and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) page on Internet Fraud: How to Avoid
Internet
Investment Scams. They discuss online newsletters, bulletin boards
and news groups and email scams as sources of fraudulent investment
schemes. They also offer
sound advice on how to use the Internet to invest wisely.
The
U.S.
Justice Department has listed the major types of Internet fraud
at. These include “Auctions and Retail Schemes Online,”
“Business Opportunity/"Work-at-Home" Schemes Online,”
“Identity Theft and Fraud,” “Investment Schemes Online,”
“Credit-Card Schemes” and “Other Schemes,” like quick divorces
that never materialize.
Canadian
Les Henderson has created a site headed “Crimes of Persuasion,”
which is a veritable online encyclopedia of
Schemes,
Scams and Frauds. If
you receive a questionable email offer, check out the frauds on this
site before jumping in with your wallet.
Some
good advice on ways to avoid becoming a victim of fraud was once
posted on a Web page headed NICE.
Two items from the section headed “Avoid Becoming a
Victim” offered especially pertinent advice:
“if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” and
“investigate before you invest.”
