Official launch of Scam Stop!

We are very excited and proud to be officially launching the Scam Stop network today.

Scam Stop is is dedicated to STOPPING the scams, schemes, bogus job offers, sales frauds, spam and general abuse that makes our online lives hazardous, stressful and unpleasant.

Scam Stop functions on participation, on sharing information; by warning others of scams you have come across, by freely sharing information we can all be better protected.

We have been very busy putting the services and sites in place to be able to fulfil our vision of assisting our members in STOPPING the scams, schemes, bogus job offers, sales frauds, spam and general abuse that plague us every day both online and in the “real” world.

We now have our own blog, Scam Stop, where we will post information, insights and advice as it comes to hand.

The blog will provide information and insights from experts on all scam or fraud situations currently doing the rounds. We suggest you visit the blog frequently, subscribe to our RSS feed or subscribe by e mail; the links are on the blog.

Scam Stop offers its members a confidential advice and resolution service should they ever fall victim to a scam or fraud. This service is available from the Scam Stop web site.

Scam Stop has a voluntary panel of experts who are prepared to provide assistance in their area of expertise. They are:

John Dierckx, of the ARCIS Fraud Discovery and Exposure Centre, who is an internationally recognised expert on all matters relating to fraud, Insurance fraud, computer fraud and the resolution of fraud situations.

Patrick Dacre, of Computer Helpers Without Borders, and a member of the ICAN Anti Spam Task Force since 1995 is our computer safety expert and will advise members on any computer safety related issues.

Deborah Berchem, of DLB and Associates, who is a Certified Identity Theft Risk Management Specialist and an expert on all matters relating to identity theft.

This group can only grow and flourish through the active participation of all members so we would request that you visit us often make us part of your online life and invite your friends and family, remember together we can do more!

We are committed to adding value to our members by assisting them to navigate the hazards of the online experience and to providing valuable assistance and advice should it ever be required.

Join Scam Stop today and put your weight behind our efforts to make the world a bit safer!

Identity Theft Alert

This just in from Moneyweb.

ID menace moves to mobiles

South African mobile users could be at risk of identity theft due to the details they store on their phones.

Lezette Engelbrecht
30 March 2009 15:40

As cellphones are increasingly used to store, transmit and access sensitive information, South African users are facing a greater threat of ID fraud, a trend already observed in other countries.

A recent UK report revealed four million Britons were leaving themselves vulnerable to identity theft in the event of their phones being stolen.

In a small poll of mobile users at the ITWeb offices, all respondents stored contact numbers, mostly a mix of business and personal, on their phones, and the majority also kept SMSes and photos.

READ THE FULL STORY AT MONEYWEB

Rules of the Universe

I know that this has nothing whatsoever to do with scams, fraud or crime but it is great list, take it to heart.

Number 18 has been a part of my life for so long I think I own it.....

1. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

2. Don't worry about what people think; they don't do it very often.

3. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian anymore than standing in a garage makes you a car.

4. Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.

5. Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious.

6. A person, who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person. (This is very important. Pay attention! It never fails.)

7. For every action, there is an equal and opposite government program.

8. If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip.

9. Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of checks.

10. A conscience is what hurts when all of your other parts feel so good.

11. Eat well, stay fit, die anyway.

12. Men are from earth. Women are from earth. Deal with it. Embrace your differences. Love each other.

13. No man has ever been shot while doing the dishes.

14. A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.

15. Middle age is when broadness of the mind and narrowness of the waist change places.

16. Opportunities always look bigger after they have passed.

17. Junk is something you've kept for years and throw away three weeks before you need it.

18. There is always one more imbecile than you counted on.

19. Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.

20. By the time you can make ends meet, they move the ends.

21. Thou shalt not weigh more than thy refrigerator.

22. Someone who thinks logically provides a nice contrast to the real world.

23. It ain't the jeans that make your butt look fat.

24. There is a very fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness.'

25. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.

26. You should not confuse your career with your life.

27. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

28. Never lick a steak knife.

29. The most destructive force in the universe is gossip.

30. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight savings time.

31. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.

32. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above average drivers.

33. Your friends love you anyway.

34. Never be afraid to try something new.

35. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.

36. How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?

The right response to a 419 scammer?

This person is more than a little peeved to be getting ANOTHER 419 (Advance Fee Fraud) solicitation and quite clearly just snapped, lost all control and blasted the scammer:

NOTE: I have removed the person's name in the interests of privacy and please remember that this is a 419 SCAM so don't answer the mail or click on any links. PLEASE.

Here is the original e mail:

From: Jim Siew

To: xxxxxxxxxx@gmail.com

Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 8:58 AM

Subject: Attn; xxxxxxxxxxxx

Dear xxxxxxxxxxxxx,
Please accept my apologies if this mail does not meet your personal values. I am Barrister Jim Siew, the personal attorney to my late Mr Saenz xxxxxxx whom I refer to as my client. Before the U.S /Iraqi war, my client, a business man made a numbered fixed deposit of ten million two hundred thousand United States dollars for 18 calendar months with the bank here in Malaysia. Upon maturity several notices were sent to him, even during the war in 2005, only to find out that him and his family have been killed in a bomb blast that hit their Bagdad home.
After further investigations I discovered that my client did not declare any next of kin in his official papers including the documents of the deposit with the bank. He confided in me the last time he was at my office that no one knows about the deposit except me. Right now, the ten million two hundred thousand United States dollars is lying in the bank and no one will ever come forward to claim it. What bothers me is, according to the banking law here, at the expiration of 5 years; the fund would be confiscated and reverted to the banks treasure as unclaimed deposit.
And right now, the board of the bank have taken a resolution to confiscate the deposit if I as the attorney fail to provide the next of kin/beneficiary to the deposit within 28 working days. Against this back drop, I propose to you that I present you as the beneficiary to the deposit since you are a foreigner and have the same last name as my client so that the proceeds of the deposit be paid to you for both of us to disburse.
MODALITY:
I want you to know that I have planned for the successful execution of this transaction. As the attorney, I will prepare and file all the necessary documents to back you up as the next of kin/beneficiary to the deposit. All I require from you at the stage is for you to provide me with your name and address so that I can commence the proceedings for the release and transfer of the deposit to the account you would provide to the bank. Remember to include your phone number for better communication.
I assure you that there is not risk involved; all would be executed under a legitimate arrangement that would protect us from any breach of the law. And once the deposit is transferred to your nominated account, we would share in the percentage of 60% for me and 40% for you. Should you be interested, send me you name and address to enable me commence action. According to my plans, this would take us less than two weeks once we commence.
I shall provide you with more details when you respond. Hoping to hear from you soon.
Kind regards,
Jim Siew

Then the response, poor old Jim clearly caught our friend on the wrong day!

From: xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

To: Jim Siew

Sent: Saturday, March 28, 2009 6:48 PM

Subject: Re: Attn; xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dear Mr Jim Siew

It is sick little shits like you that we intend to get off the internet forever.  This reeks like a scam at a spitting distance.

How you obtained my email address is of no importance to me at the moment - what is important to me though is that sick little shits like you are around to try and scam innocent people. 

But be warned the innocent is hitting back and we may not get you but we sure will get some of you.

Signed

I'm not stupid you dickhead!

Now while a lot of people may be very happy to see this response an unfortunate side effect of replying to these messages in any way at all is that it establishes for them that they have a real, live person at the other end of the address AND one who responds.

This will result in a whole slew of new approaches and quite possibly other spam.

So my advice is that no matter how angry you may be, no matter how tempting it may be to strike back you are far better off just hitting the delete key.

You can contact us at scamstop@mercuryadvisors.co.cc, if you feel you need professional assistance.

Please join our Scam Stop group on Facebook if you want to help rid the web of these predators.