Doctor conned - Fake Online Lottery

 A city doctor fell prey to an online lottery fraud and lost Rs 30,157 to seven foreign conmen. The conmen had lured Dr Vadiraja B N by sending a mail stating he had won $5 lakh in lottery.

The accused are Ayodam, Dr Tony Cheung, Clement Wang, Ella Doris, Dr Young Chu, Tschipanda Mande and Mashun Khamrag. On April 17, 2007, Dr Vadiraja was informed about the prize money by a mail from Ayodam, who claimed to be the vice-president of International Promotions, Japan Jumbo Draw, Hong Kong.

Later, the doctor was told that the lottery money had been transferred to commerce bank of Philippines for onward transfer to his account in Bangalore. He was asked to remit $750 to the bank account of Tschipanda.

The doctor followed their instructions promptly. He grew suspicious when he was again asked to remit $1,650. After enquiry, he realised the lottery was fake.

Fw: [HubliCity] Beware Of Cash Deposits at ATM

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Sunil Nalavade

To: HubliCity - eGroup

Sent: Sunday, September 16, 2007 10:15 AM

Subject: Beware Of Cash Deposits at ATM

One of my colleague who deposited Cash of Rs,15,000/- at UTI ATM , Kalburgi Building, Deshpande Nagar Br. lost Rs. 2500/- as the bank called him and informed him the next day that, the deposit was 12500/- and not Rs.15000/- My colleague who had deposited Rs.500 x 29 and Rs. 100 x 5 Notes, when checked the envelope at the bank, he found Rs.500 x 5 notes short. The bank informed him that they cannot do anything about it.

 

So guys beware, deposits at ATM's are not safe. Unless they have ATM's with scanners, and I think the govt should not allow cash deposits with non scanner ATM's as the culprit cannot be caught.

 

Regards

Sunil Nalavade

Card fraud: How does it work?

Often heard / read horror stories about credit card frauds. How people end up footing huge shopping bills of items they actually never purchase.

And now, with ecom taking off in the country, the realm of credit card criminals has expanded further. The credit card nightmares are increasingly making their way to the virtual space.

In fact, according to Delhi Police, online credit card fraud has sharply increased over the last two years.

 

Here's how these fraudsters actually go about accomplishing their murky tasks and, also, how as credit card owners you can get better of them.

 

Unscrupulously yours

 

 

The fraud may often start from the restaurant or the petrol pump we often frequent. As the first step for these fraudsters is to recruit an unscrupulous bartender, waiter or a shop assistant to steal information from customers' credit or debit cards.

 

Skimming to perfection

 

 

These recruits are given a pocket-size device with a scanning slot which looks like a pager and can be even worn on a belt. This contraption is called a skimmer.

As the customer pays by the card, these unscrupulous employees quietly swipe the card before it actually reaches the pay counter. This copies the information from the magnetic tape.

 

Cloning perils

 

The card details are copied on to counterfeit cards, complete with security holograms markings. Now the splurging starts at customer's expense.

However, the poor customer remains completely unaware that his card has been cloned until he notices huge bills or he gets a query from his credit card company about his sudden unusual spending.

 

Scared? But remember, safety saves

 

Always give your phone number to the company for verification of suspicious transactions.

Notify the bank immediately whenever the monthly statement doesn't arrive on time.

 

Be on your guard

 

 

Be wary of any phone call or email seeking details of your account.

Always remember to shred your credit card statements after checking the transactions.

 

Beware those photocopies!

 

 

 

Remember, its suicidal to give the photocopies of both sides of your credit card to anyone. The last three digits of the account number printed at the back of the credit card are required for the completion of any online transaction.

The Card Security Code (CSC), sometimes called Card Verification Value or Code (CVV or CVC), is a security feature for credit or debit card transactions, giving increased protection against credit card fraud. There are actually two security codes. The first code, called CVC1 or CVV1, is encoded on the magnetic strip of the card and is used for transactions 'done in person'. The second code, and the most cited, is CVV2 or CVC2. This CSC is often required by merchants to secure 'card nor present' transactions (those done via Internet, fax, phone or by email)

 

Go by 'https' NOT 'http'

 

 

Remember genuine websites use encryption technologies. Any website using encryption will have https instead of http.

Also, while traveling, always be careful about using credit cards at Internet cafes or anywhere with a wireless connection.

 

Source : IndiaTimes

Online credit card fraud: A growing reality

In India, credit card fraud is mostly limited to the physical space. Online con jobs make up just about 1% of the total numbers here, unlike 40% in the developed world.

But, as consumers graduate to the shop-easy internet and pay with their cards, instances of fraud are bound to rise. As J Y Umranikar, additional DG, state CID, says, "(While) we don't have statistics, as access to the web increases, reported cases of card fraud will rise 20-30 % every year. And this is only a surmise based on past experience.'' Umranikar insists that in online transactions, contracts are one-sided and the customer is always held responsible in case of fraud.

Phishing, where a consumer gets a fictitious email from a fake site or blog seeking sensitive card information, is a commonly-used defrauding mechanism. To top it, "people are careless in offering their card details,'' he adds.

For safer online transactions * Use a secure web browser, look for an 's' after the 'http' in the web page address. * Keep your password secret. * Never send payment information via email. * Reputable merchant sites use encryption technologies to protect private data from being accessed by others during a transaction. * Monitor your monthly statements, especially after an overseas trip. * Check transactions, even the small ones, because criminals test stolen accounts by buying inexpensive items. * Investigate suspicious activity to prevent fraud * Notify your financial institution of suspicious email activity. * Only open and respond to emails that are from somebody you know.

While consumer organisations TOI spoke to had little information about online fraud, card companies say it is increasing in e-ticketing, eshopping and the service sectors, where no physical delivery of goods is involved. Shockingly, B Madhivanan, general manager at ICICI Bank, informs that 60% of online card fraud occurs only while buying an air ticket. He says that one way out is to insist on customer identity at the time of actually boarding a flight. Indian Airlines, for instance, asks for 'a' particular proof of identity, which a consumer has mentioned in the online form, such as a driving licence or a passport. So till ID becomes mandatory across all airlines, a consumer could as well be prepared to notice an inflated card statement despite going strictly by the rulebook.

In April this year, a 26-year-old Mumbai executive keyed in her credit card number and the three-digit security code on the e-booking site of an airline. She bought a ticket for Bangalore. In July, she was shocked to find a Rs 20,000 additional credit drawn from her account. "Two tickets from the same airline were booked on two different days in June using my card,'' she says. The first was a Dwarka-Mumbai ticket for Rs 6,000, and the other, a Delhi-Dubai one for Rs 14,000. She did not get a response from her card company till August. "Then I approached the police to file an FIR. But they told me they did not know what a credit card was.'' Exasperated, she went to the cybercrime cell, which in turn asked her to first lodge an FIR with the police.

She got a cybercrime officer to speak to the police and finally got her complaint registered. On receiving a complaint, card companies say, a consumer is given a temporary credit that matches the disputed amount, and a case is resolved in a maximum of 60 days. The Mumbai executive , though, has been waiting for almost three months now. For safer transactions, an advanced card such as Verified by Visa (VbV) and Mastercard SecureCode comes in handy. Here, a consumer requires a password during a transaction to validate his identity.

Source : India Times

NRI's Be Careful with Fake Job Offers

On June 21^st 2007 & 19th Aug 2007, we at HubliCity-eGroup  (http://hublicity-egroup.blogspot.com ) received 2 e-mail's from Mr. Zakir Sheik in Qatar & Altaf in Oman.

 

From: zakir shaikh

To: HubliCity@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Thursday, June 21, 2007 22:13

Subject: [HubliCity] Fwd: OFFER OF EMPLOYMENT/CONTRACT FOR SUPPLY OF SERVICE

 

Note: forwarded message attached.

RESPECTED MEMBERS CAN ANY ONE HELP ME OUT TO THE
MATTER GIVEN BELOW AS I AM AT QATAR WHICH DOES NOT
HAVE AN EMBASSY FOR NIGERIA AT QATAR WERE IN COULD
VERIFY FOR THE GIVEN MATTER BELLOW

REGARDS
Shaikh Zakir Hussain

 

Another E-mail was received to HubliCity-eGroup on Aug 19th

 

----- Original Message -----
From: "Altaf hussain" <alta>
To: <HubliCity@yahoogroups.com>
Cc: <sunilnalavade>
Sent: Sunday, August 19, 2007 10:38 AM
Subject: Re: [HubliCity] Online con:Can This be also a scam ??


> Dear Sunil
> Regards
> Thankyou very much for the information, even i get a
> contract and offer letter  3 days before from Total
> Petroleum Company, you can see the Documents attached
> i had applied with ref to the advertisement published
> in "Times of Oman" Could this be a scam ? Please
> Advise
> Thanks
> Altaf hussain
> Muscat
> 00968 92165615

 

After detailed investigation by me, I found out that, these Nigerian Fake Companies, post advertisements in leading news papers in Gulf countries like Qatar & Oman, where there is no Nigerian Embassy and lure innocent NRI's  with hefty pay packets.

 

This company Total Petroleum PLC, once receives your resume, they will contact you with their professionally made Contract for supply of Service and Offer Of Employment, the letters is drafted so professionally, that, you can get easily duped, if you are not careful.

 

In this letter of offer, they will state that you need to get in touch with the Nigerian immigration authorities for procurement of your resident/work
permit , they provide you the e-mail ID which is fake : work-permit@visa-immigration-gov-nig.com  once you contact them or some times you will receive e-mail from the fake Nigerian Immigration authorities, stating that your employment has been confirmed with Total Petroleum PLC & we have been asked to contact you and process your residence visa/work permit with the following message :

 

Attn: Zakir Shaikh,
Regarding the procurement of your resident/work
permit(Employment Authorization Document), you are
required to provide the following pre-requisites:
(1)International Passport bearing your genuine
face(Scanned Copy)
(2) Success letter/Contract document provided to you
by your employer(Which I have recieved)
(3) Fill the visa form and return immediately via
e-mail attachment
(4) The processing of your work/resident permit
attracts a government charge as stipulated:
a) Application Fee: --------------------US$350.00

b) Processing Fee: --------------------US$270.00

c) Courier Fee: -------------------------US $430.00

d) Consular Fee; ---------------------- US$350 .00

e) Insurance Fee: ----------------------US$420.00

Total: US$1820

Note that you are required to remit this money along
with the filled form at the earliest to enable us
facilitate and expedite your procurement of your valid
work/resident permit immediately.Also ,note that once
the payment for the government charge and other
requirements aforementioned are confirmed,it would
take four(4) working days to complete the procurement
of your valid work/residence permit and would be
dispatched to you accordingly.
Regards,
Comptroller Mike O. Ademola
Head of Visa/Work Permit Operations
+234-70-31599492  

 

Once you send them, this money, they keep asking for more and more, as happened in the case of Dr Deepa B M, in Bangalore, where she was fleeced by 4.69 Lakhs, where they had offered her health officer in the United Nations (UN).

 

What I would like to educate citizens is that, when you receive such e-mails, make very simple investigations like, in this case, they asked you to contact the Nigerian Immigration work-permit@visa-immigration-gov-nig.com now, pl remember that, 99 % of e-mail ID 's are an extension of a website, in this case the website will be work-permit@visa-immigration-gov-nig.com website  www.visa-immigration-gov-nig.com ( This site has now been closed after our report in HubliCity-eGroup and Hubli Dharwad Cyber Security website - http://hubli-dwdcybersecurity.blogspot.com/2007/08/fw-hublicity-online-concan-this-be-also.html ) so check this site in the internet and go to any search engine like Google and Yahoo and type Nigerian Immigration and you will get the correct site which is http://www.immigration.gov.ng/index2.htm

 

 

Thanks to our HubliCity-eGroup these two members were saved from getting cheated.

 

Sunil Nalavade

Moderator

HubliCity – eGroup and Hubli Dharwad Cyber Security Blog Site