Identity Theft vs. Fake Email Requests

After a careful review of all threads. I think this is the most appropriate location. If either mod, finds this to be incorrectly located, please move it.

I wrote this for all from Admin to User

I was checking my email today, when I discovered a "message" from ebay. I attached a screen shot. First off receiving such a request from any company should be a red flag. There isn't a company out there that is going to contact you asking you to update, and or re-enter your userid/passwd. Espically using an embedded form in your email. They might drop an email from time to time, merly suggesting an update. Or even supply a url to redirect you to their site, where it is secure.

That should be red flag number two. In the address box of my browser it read http:// not https://. Everything ebay does with logins, passwords, bidding, all of it is secure, as do lots and lots of other companies.

Red flag number three. I clicked the submit button with both boxes empty. It refreshed the page. No error's? Correct me if I am wrong here people. But anytime you leave a field blank on a form, it returns with that ugly red text promptly alerting you of your errors.

Red flag number four. The to: from: field in the header of the message. In the to box it says ebay security<[email protected].>. Hum? smells fishy

There we're a few other red flags. The big one was the submit button fowarded all the data to a form handler, that redirected the data. Not sure where, didn't bother diggin that deep. Last I checked ebay doesn't use php do they?

I guess this is my point, this has been brought up several times before. I felt a reminder was in order. Never hurt to hear it again. Protect yourself from thieves. Do not reply to these fake requests.

Be safe and stay free

edit...image too big, downsized, try again.../edit

G'day dopey, (or shud I call ya Dwarfy)

Thanks for the reminder on this.. It is the same scam that I have had friends and customers who use eGold, and I am sure that there are other varients..

Cheers

Yes very nice post. I would also note that latest exploits regarding pay pal had the victims being redirected to a site that was extremely similar to pay pal’s site. Both the URL address and web page layout were almost exact.

Wan't there also a similar "fake email" involving Best Buy?

Its always helpful to show your email headers. Sounds dumb, but very useful in preventing spoofs similar to that.

I have bean getting mass mailed form the one place, you no when a message can not get sent so you get aletter stating that it could not be sent to all recipatants. well i got 19 hits from the one addy that i had never herd of informing me that a particular letter could not receav them, the sent address was mine exatly... i deleated letters and blocing future ones from that email addy, also changing my password...
I was wondering if any one else had had this happon recontly to there Hotmail account...


Nightfalls_Girl

I always get the ones for Paypal that send you to a site like http://www.pay-pal.com or http://secure.paypl.com These frauds are getting more and more common.

-Showtime8000

Just for the sake of argument, since this is still on the front page. These email's can be from any company. Ebay, Yahoo, Hotmail, Bestbuy, Sears, Paypal, Microsoft, Norton, McAffee, you name, if it involves money, it has already been, or will be faked.

Protect yourself , just something I wrote earlier this year on the subject.

Be safe and stay free

Have you tought of contacting eBay, maybe they'd be interested in hearing about such mail, they could possibly release some sort of statement to those who aren't aware of identity theft and such matters? I think you should e-mail them..

jag291

I completley agree with you Jaguar291. Rest assured I contacted them. I received a thanks letter, and they replied with," We have posted this several times on our site."
They supplied a url...it is here. Not sure if you have to be logged in to view this link. If you do just follow the Announcments link off the front page. It is at the bottom. Just find on page ,
"***Protect Yourself From Spoof Emails*** " Or Scroll down to Aug. 14th.

I personally believe they aren't pushing it enough. These corporate screwballs could email this to every single account registered with them. They could make a big deal out of this. But putting this BIG problem on the front page would destroy that fake security blanket they have spent so much time to create. I am personally done waiting on big coorperations to protect me. Prtoect yourself. Share the knowledge.

/rant

Here's another scam. If you use aol. You get an email saying you have a secret admirer.(very aluring for us single peaple) You have recieved an instakiss click this link to recieve your instakiss. You are then taken to a web page that is an exact copy of AOL's log inscreen if you log in from a none AOL account. Enter your log in details and spam will fly from your account like a bat out of hell.

I no from experience.

Telus.net has a similar 'fake' message going to its users; asking to click on a link and change passwords, etc.