Hi Everyone,
Yesterday I received the email below and while you get used to the low life on the Internet that prey on victims to make easy money, this one surprised me. Not because the pitch was new, it wasn't, but the fact that this person signed up as a member back in 4/2009 and then in 8/2009 she sent back a request to unsubscribe to the newsletter sent out about the Cedar Rapids run. What seems strange is that the same email would be used in an apparent phishing attempt years later.
(http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z10/hayesbucket/plishing_attempt.jpg)
I have cropped off the top part with the person's name and email, but above that line is a link to learn more: "Report Plishing." I clicked on it and then a message from Google came up saying they have a team to take care of it. Here is also a good reference on what to look for:
http://www.antiphishing.org/consumer_recs.html (http://www.antiphishing.org/consumer_recs.html)
I use the term "Low Life" to describe people like this, because I had to think of something that would be printable. Off the record I have a better description of those who would join a nonprofit with the intentions of doing a scam later. So everyone beware! This particular person was removed in 2009, but apparently kept my email address for future use. To her I say: Good Riddance!
Margie
This seems to be the time for Phising! I have received and reported scams that are using the Yahoo! and ATT logos, trying to collect usernames and passwords! Everyone needs to be extremely careful!
Anything that asks you to complete a form listing personal information, passwords, email address, etc is most likely a scam. Likewise requests for money, or help with depositing money in your personal account, are definitely scams! :knuppel:
Yeah low lifes!!!
Been warn before re scams like this except they were sent on behave of people who are away overseas . The scams are aimed at the families who can't get in contact to verify things. Pleading for them to send money.
When I see names I don't recognize or the subject line is not what I consider trustworthy the message gets junked and trashed.
Johnboy
Johnboy, I do that with spam that comes in, but when I see something that is phishing I like to report it. I probably would have just deleted this email had it not been for Google Mail asking if I would like to report it. One thing I never do is open attachments or go to links off of the email.
Margie
FYI, the term is phishing, not plishing.
Thank you Lurch, I will have the eyes tested to tell the difference between a h and a l.
Margie
Hi Margie,
It is not always so that the sender knowingly sent these type of emails: last year I kept getting emails like that and they came from the address of one of our (very nice and well behaved) volunteers. Her computer was infected with something or another and it took quite some time before the issue was fixed.
It is a good idea to report phishing anyways.
Hannie
Many times this kind of message can appear to be from one address when it is really from somewhere/one else. This usually occurs when an email address has been hijacked by password cracking. Some viruses can also do this type of thing.