Posts Tagged Trend Micro

Looking Back on the Scams of 2009

In 2009, millions of innocent consumers were harassed, defrauded, and robbed of valuable personal information that may have done serious damage to their credit and privacy for years to come. Some of the most memorable scams of 2009 and possible threats for 2010 are:

1. Spoofing Attacks – Scammers ask you to visit a website by pretending to be an official source, and rob you of your personal information.

2. Economy Related Scams – Scammers use the economy and enticing terms like loans, debt relief, etc. to get you to fall for their scam.

3. Work at Home Scams – Do you want to earn fast money while working at home? These are the type of things scammers will say to get you to participate in their scam.  They most always ask for an upfront fee.

4. Social Networking Scams – The continued popularity of social networking sites is a target to scammers and malware makers looking to spread viruses, hack into people’s personal accounts, or con people out of money.

5. Classified Ad and Auction Scams – Although Craigslist can ebay can be a good way to find things you are looking for, it is also a good place for scammers to plot.

This WingSwept article was inspired by one by Trend Micro Read their article here. 

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Latest Technology Scam- How to Avoid becoming a Money Mule

Cyber criminals are always developing news scams that will lead them to your information and possibly into your bank account.  These criminals may even use you in the process.

WingSwept’s partner, Trend Micro, suggest you never send sensitive personal or financial information via email, and don’t provide it at all unless you know you are dealing with a reputable company.  Trend Micro has tools to prevent such scams, but most people do not. Below is a recent case of someone falling victim to such a scam that was shared through Trend Micro’s newsletter.

A ”company” approached a woman who had her resume posted on a career website and offered her a job as a financial manager that could work from home. In order to hire her, they needed personal and financial data of hers (like her license and bank account).  They informed her that they would be transfering large amounts of money into her bank account, which she was to withdraw after taking out her commision, and send on via Western Union to the investment firm.  The woman’s bank discovered this criminal activity, shut down her account, but then came to discover she was a victim and being used as a money mule.

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