I-Tunes Scam

[Keith Westfall]

I got an email from 'I-Tunes' today saying that my account had been charged over $50 for some music. As I don't buy music from I Tunes, some red flags started showing up.

I did click on the link that said "click here if you want to reverse these charges" which I did (stupid I know) and it took me to a site about a executive realty site, plus a bunch of gobbly gook, and a form to log in and confirm my credit card on my account.

That's when I called a stop to it, went and googled I-Tunes and in talking to the guy in the help line phone, found out there was not any charges at all and that it was a phising scam.

Even knowing of these things, I almost went for it because it looked so real all the way through, until I noticed the web address it went to

I'm thinking they will catch some, especially those who use I Tunes...

Sad

[Brian Henderson]

I get that kind of stuff all the time. Oh, my iTunes account has been compromised? Well, since I don't have one, that's fine with me! No reputable company will ever contact you via e-mail, they will call you or send you a registered letter. Ignore them otherwise.

[Myk Rian]

Instead of clicking on ANY link, mouse over it and read the real link at the bottom of your browser.

[Scott Brandstetter]

This stuff just makes me so upset. Right now, having a decent mind, I don't get caught off guard too easily but, I have a mother with alzheimer's, who lives in an assisted home and these scammers are always after her. Her daily helpers and my brothers and sisters keep her from being scammed (she can't make a financial decision on her own, no access to credit cards) but I know there are other elderly people being taken on a daily basis. I wish I could get my hands around the neck of some of these people.

[Jim Koepke]

Just think of all the folks who think their kids ran up the charges and pay the bill only to have their credit info possibly used fraudulently.

jtk

[Chuck Wintle]

I got an email from 'I-Tunes' today saying that my account had been charged over $50 for some music. As I don't buy music from I Tunes, some red flags started showing up.

I did click on the link that said "click here if you want to reverse these charges" which I did (stupid I know) and it took me to a site about a executive realty site, plus a bunch of gobbly gook, and a form to log in and confirm my credit card on my account.

That's when I called a stop to it, went and googled I-Tunes and in talking to the guy in the help line phone, found out there was not any charges at all and that it was a phising scam.

Even knowing of these things, I almost went for it because it looked so real all the way through, until I noticed the web address it went to

I'm thinking they will catch some, especially those who use I Tunes...

Sad

I guess its worth repeating never to follow a link in an email. But their phishing efforts do trap a lot though.

[Rich Engelhardt]

I have a mother with alzheimer's, who lives in an assisted home and these scammers are always after her. Her daily helpers and my brothers and sisters keep her from being scammedNot to drift too far astray...but...
My mother in law's brother is in a coma & in a nursing home. The nursing home went through all his money, then presented my mother in law a bill for $48,000.00 & told her they might be able to arrange some terms of payment for her - but- the bills were mounting very fast.
She had to sign some sort of release ASAP to get the ball rolling on the payment terms.

My wife and I were over for a visit as she and my father in law were scrambling around trying to come up with all the documentation needed to apply for ""the terms"".

My wife asked to see the letter, read it, then tore it up and told her parents to let the nursing home know that my mother in law's brother was an adult and he was the only one responsible for his debts.

They're (scammers) out there everywhere these days it seems....

[glenn bradley]

This practice perpetuates because people open junk mail. Why would someone open ANYTHING that they are not specifically expecting? Do they really think some random mailing is going to benefit them? My email filters allow NOTHING except what I specifically allow. It takes a couple of months to get all the "accepts" built up but, after that, life is pretty easy. If someone needs to cold-contact me, there are other ways to do that. Any business that thinks that sending me an email serves as proof that I was contacted is out of touch. If folks keep falling for it, they'll keep sending it.

[Brian Tymchak]

Hopefully, that's all the scam was. when you clicked the link, you may have loaded malware on your machine. CryptoLocker is the most notorious of recent history. Once loaded it sits benign until activated (not sure how that part is done). Never click on the embedded links or attachments unless you know it's a trusted source.

[Keith Westfall]

when you clicked the link, you may have loaded malware on your machine.

Hopefully so. I think I have decent malware and anti virus (so my computer geek tells me) so finger crossed.

[Dave Anderson NH]

I find the scams entertaining in addition to being irritating. So far in this early part of 2016 I have received pfishing scams for 5 compromised bank accounts I don't have, warnings about 2 email accounts about to be closed if I don't "verify", one eBay scam, one on Amazon, an IRS demand for money or I'll go to jail, some hot stock tips, some offers to cut me in on an overseas inheritance........ and a partridge in a pear tree.

Ain't the internet fun?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Dave....in the event that you don't send the IRS money and end up in jail, post an address here so I can send you a cake on your birthday!:rolleyes:

[Myk Rian]

Hopefully so. I think I have decent malware and anti virus (so my computer geek tells me) so finger crossed.
You missed the point. No matter what Anti-virus/malware you have installed, it can still be infected.

[Kev Williams]

Instead of clicking on ANY link, mouse over it and read the real link at the bottom of your browser.

Awhile back, year or so, I got some bogus email from "Paypal". I've been with Paypal since their first week in business, and I know what I will and won't get from them via email. This email wanted information that Paypal never asks for...

However, this was probably the best pseudo email I've ever seen. Hovering the link brought up "https://www.paypal.com" as the website. The logo and text was picture and pitch perfect, no "please check for your account closed vacant asset click link!" language. My Avast couldn't find anything wrong with any part of the email.

The trick to it was found in the mail source headers. I'm not all that bright on what all that mumbo-jumbo means, but I was able to find where the actual web address was spoofed to show up as Paypal's address. From a hacker/scammer point of view, it was brilliant. I'm sure they nailed quite a few people just because the link showed the correct address...

[Brian Elfert]

My employer actually uses a service that sends fake phishing emails to employees for training purposes. If they click on the link or open the attachment they get a webpage that comes up that that is supposed to train them not to click on links in real phishing emails. If an employee falls for the fake emails too many times they might be required to take a short training class on how to avoid being phished.

The funny thing is we had to make an exception in our email security to allow these emails through. Our email security was deleting the emails as spam, as it should.

[Jim Becker]

Keith, there is a huge uptick of malicious email as of late that is using all kinds of "offers" or "warnings" to get folks to click on links or open attachments. Things like gift cards, loyalty account enhancements, etc. It's all dangerous stuff and should be deleted immediately. Hovering over links is almost always a good clue if you examine the displayed URL carefully...some are very subtle.

[Hilel Salomon]

There are lots of similar enterprises such as the one you received. Fake Ebay, fake paypal, fake banking notifications. I also get a lot of phone calls from people claiming that they represent micro-soft and asking me if they can help with my windows problems. Even when I get a legitimate phone call or email, I never, ever give out any information. I insist upon calling the bank or utility on a number that I can trust. It's a shame that this stuff occurs, because I can well imagine older people being victimized by it.

[Keith Westfall]

I got a call about the computer help, and I said: "Really, I don't even have a computer, What one are you talking about?"

The line went dead...

[Bill Cunningham]

I got rid off 99% of phishing and spam emails, by blocking any email that has a address that ends in .top, .download,.xyx,.click and about a dozen others of those new domains All you ever see from them is spam and scams. The only. One that never seems to show up is the .scam domain, but I guess that would be too obvious.

[Roger Feeley]

The really sad part of all of this is that scammers have poisoned the marketing wells.

-- I won't answer the door unless I am expecting someone.
-- I hang up on telemarketers
-- Junk mail doesn't even get opened.
-- I never watch TV live. I only watch from the DVR and skip over commercials.
-- I don't listen to commercial radio (just NPR).
-- email marketing? Forget about it. I read the woodworking stuff (Rockler and Woodpeckers) but the rest goes into the bit bucket.
-- Then there are the surveys. Push pollers ruined those. Those guys won't know what I'm going to do until I do it.

I don't consider myself a hermit. I'm guessing that this is now fairly normal behavior.

What is an honest business owner to do? About all that's left are signs on the street and having a web presence.