Search Scamdex & Scamalot
An Email with the Subject "Scamdex, Internet Scambusters Newsletter #287, 6-11-08" was received in one of Scamdex's honeypot email accounts on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 01:18:15 -0700 and has been classified as a Generic Scam Email. The sender shows as "ScamBusters Editors" <reply@scambusters.org>.
The email address was probably spoofed. Do not reply to or contact any persons or organizations referenced in this email, or follow any URLs as you may expose yourself to scammers and, at the very least, you will be added to their email address lists for spam purposes.
<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<> Internet Scambusters (tm) The #1 Publication on Internet Fraud http://www.scambusters.org By Scambusters Audri, Jim and Andrea Issue #287 June 11, 2008 <>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<> Note 1: Easily change your subscription information by clicking the link at the very bottom of this newsletter. Note 2: Please share this newsletter with 3 or 4 of your friends or colleagues who you think will benefit from it. Hi Scamdex, Today we have more excellent advice and stories from subscribers. We're really pleased with all of the wonderful suggestions you send -- thank you! You'll find useful ideas about: - Credit Card Fees - Fake Anti-Virus Software - Contractor Scams - Puppy Scams - Travel Scams - Photography Contest Scams First, we suggest you check out this week's issue of Scamlines -- What's New in Scams? -- here. http://www.scambusters.org/scamlines/12.html Next, we want to give you an update on what's going on at LifeLock. We've had an enormous number of questions from subscribers about what's really going on with LifeLock recently. There have been several lawsuits against LifeLock. There are questions about whether or not LifeLock is actually insurance -- and if that matters. And much, much more. To get you answers, Audri again interviewed LifeLock's CEO, Todd Davis. Here's the interview to give you some answers about what's happening with LifeLock now... http://www.scambusters.org/lifelockceohacked.html Then, we recommend you check out the most popular articles from our other sites during the past week: Answers to 7 of the Biggest Questions About Capturing the Moment in Nature Photography: An Interview With Lewis Kemper http://www.7photographyquestions.com/audio-podcast/ Playing the Credit Card Grace Period Game http://www.creditcardwhizkid.com/2008/05/playing-the-credit-card-grace-period-game.html Make Your Very Own Chocolate Sculpture http://www.extremechocolate.com/make-your-very-own-chocolate-sculpture.html Avoid Mistakes When Uploading to a Photo Sharing Site http://www.photosharingnuggets.com/2008/05/avoid-mistakes-when-uploading-to-a-photo-sharing-site.html On to today's advice... <>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<> How To Avoid Extra Credit Card Fees and Surcharges <>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<> Ginny offers the following tip on avoiding late credit card fees based on our article in Issue #229: http://www.scambusters.org/creditcardfees.html The easiest way I've found to avoid late fees is to have the credit card bill paid automatically out of my bank account. It will be credited to you as paid on the date it is due and most companies usually don't take the money out of your account until 1-2 days afterwards. The other way to make sure they're paid on time is to schedule your payment online ahead of time and it will be credited on the day you choose. ~~~ Ann writes: You mention the blank checks that come from credit card companies and recommend "knowing all the costs." Did you know that you can also request the company to stop sending the checks altogether? This also removes those blank checks from the postal stream where they are subject to pilfering. Editors Note: Good point. And if you do receive them, please remember to shred the blank checks if you don't plan on using them. You definitely don't want them to fall into the wrong hands. <>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<> Protect Yourself from Fake Anti-Virus Software <>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<> Malissa offers up an example you may not have heard of yet on fake software removal related to Issue #232. http://www.scambusters.org/fakeantivirus.html This is especially terrifying and has happened to one of our Scambusters.org staffers as well: I work in a university library. While surfing websites on my work computer earlier this week, I was startled by a popup that stated [inappropriate adult] material had potentially been downloaded. The popup then proceeded with 'threatening' statements that I could get fired and lose my spouse and my family. Of course, the fix was to click on the button to get the 'software' to clean it up! This is the first time a popup of this kind has appeared and it actually scared me. I didn't want to get fired or even go through the embarrassing process of trying to prove I'm innocent But reason took over and I saw this for what it was -- a scam. Boy, some people will do anything, won't they? Thanks so much for publishing the Scambusters newsletter. I learn something new with almost every issue. <>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<> Contractor Scams: How to Avoid "Rent-a-Creep" Schemes <>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<> Mike offered some useful insights on our contractors scam issue: http://www.scambusters.org/contractors.html Just a couple of things you missed: In nearly every state, anything you agree to buy when solicited at your home is covered by the "Home Solicitation Sales Act," which gives the consumer 3 days to change their mind. This is why reputable contractors don't ever want to start work right away; they wait for this 3-day cooling off period to expire. Also, the local building department should be called to check if the work they are selling requires a permit. No homeowner should ever pull a permit in their own name for work being done by a contractor. If the contractor asks you to do this, you can be sure he's a crook. A competent, independent home inspector, such as an ASHI member, would be glad to evaluate the problem in your home and give you an unbiased opinion on what needs to be done. Yes, that inspector will ask to be paid, but he has no interest in selling you anything, so he's not going to run the job up to collect a bigger commission. ASHI home inspectors work only for the consumer, don't report to the local government or anyone else, and are not connected to any contractor. They can be the consumer's best resource, keeping homeowners out of trouble instead of paying an attorney after the trouble starts. http://www.ashi.org ~~~ Stu offered up another contractor scam: You wake up early in the morning and hear a bunch of banging on the roof. You go out and ask what in the world are they doing -- noticing that about half your roof has been torn off. The guy says is this so and so address? You say no this is such and such. They say sorry we got the wrong house and start picking up their stuff to leave. Now if you want to get this fixed, they'll fix it at a cheaper rate since they made a mistake. You feel as if you're forced to pay for a new roof when you didn't need one and you weren't prepared to pay for one. <>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<> More on Puppy Scams <>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<> Puppy scams are increasingly popular with scammers and are heartbreaking. http://www.scambusters.org/puppyscams.html Mary offers up some good advice on avoiding being taken by a puppy scam: You mention using the White Pages to look for a reputable puppy breeder in your recent e-mail on avoiding puppy buying scams. A better source for finding a purebred puppy would be to contact the American Kennel Club which has a referral service. http://www.akc.org/breederinfo/breeder_search.cfm Editor's Note: We are also big supporters of the great work done by dog rescue organizations. <>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<> How to Avoid Travel Scams When Vacationing Overseas <>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<> Cassandra offers up some good advice on travel scams: http://www.scambusters.org/travelscams3.html In China, when purchasing from street vendors, give exact change when possible. Most of the bills they give back are fake. Tourists should look for the watermarks on the bills. Editors Note: This is a good practice for any country you may be in, not just China. <>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<> Poetry Scams and Photography Contest Scams <>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<> We received more feedback about avoiding photography contest scams. http://www.scambusters.org/atmpin.html Neil says: I'm a professional photographer and one of the problems with even legitimate photo contests is that the winner gets, say, $100 (which they probably will), but in entering such a contest, you may be assigning all copyright to the contest holders. Many amateurs take incredible photos, either through planning or luck. Enter your incredible photo, and if the rules say you are giving away the copyright, you can never use it for anything; you have signed away all rights to it. Many people may feel that it's worth $100 to see their image published -- and that can be very ego-gratifying. But the upshot is that the contest holder will OWN several hundred photos that they can do with as they see fit. So read the rules VERY carefully, and decide accordingly. Editor's Note: Great advice, Neil. For even more advice, see the article on our sister site, PhotoSharingNuggets.com: How To Avoid Photo Contest Scams. http://www.photosharingnuggets.com/2008/02/how-to-avoid-photo- contest-scams.html Time to close -- we're off to take a walk. See you next week. - Please Check Out These Offers - They Keep Scambusters Free - - - - - - We Highly Recommend All of These Products - - - - - ----------==========**********O**********==========---------- "Exclusive Car Buying Guide Exposes Insider Secrets and Turns Auto Sales Industry Upside Down... Saving You Up To $5,000 On Your New Or Used Car!" How you can pay less for your new or used car and avoid the typical car buying blunders almost everyone makes: ex-dealership manager tells all... Peter Humleker, the ex-general manager of a popular new car dealership, exposes the best-kept "insider secrets" on how to outsmart any car salesman and stop him from shamelessly siphoning money out of your pockets... In fact, he can help you become a shrewd car-buying expert in just a couple of hours! Here's what two readers have to say about Peter's book: "Greetings, Peter. Well, I went over your ebook and bought a Nissan Altima 3.5 SL for $250 under invoice. And the dealer's invoice was less than the other figures I saw on the Internet... Please accept my heartfelt thanks for your publication. It saved me thousands of my after tax dollars." -- Walter G. Aiello, Ph.D., Manager, Network and Information Services, Duke University Medical Center ... "I was a former Finance Manager in the car business and got your book mostly out of curiosity. I was pretty surprised when I read your section on the Finance Department! You certainly didn't hold anything back. "You exposed every scam in existence plus some I never even knew about. Everyone who reads your book is going to thank you for saving them a lot of money. -- Jerry Goettig, Former Finance Manager, Southern California This is a great time to buy a car or truck -- but only if you know the truth about how NOT to get taken and how to get a great deal. Visit now for details: http://scambusters.org/a/cartips.html ----------==========**********O**********==========---------- ----------==========**********O**********==========---------- Are Credit Problems Driving You Crazy? One of the biggest causes of stress and unhappiness in most people's lives is money -- especially when your debt keeps rising and the bills never stop. In no time flat, you can be buried in extra debt just from credit card interest charges and service fees alone! But no matter how deeply in debt you are, there still is hope. An amazing, eye-opening ebook now reveals everything you need to know to protect, improve and restore your credit -- without lawyers, bankruptcy or costly "credit repair" services. Discover the full story now at: http://scambusters.org/a/credit.html ----------==========**********O**********==========---------- ----------==========**********O**********==========---------- Small Business Owners: Exactly What You Need to Know to Succeed in Any Economy Worried about high gas prices and how deeply they'll affect your profits? Got a plan in place in case the economy heads south? Want a foolproof way to boost sales without boosting costs, no matter what the economy is like? Discover how a handful of savvy small business owners are banking big profits by doing what you're not -- even when the economy is down. Get the full story at: http://scambusters.org/a/rich.html ----------==========**********O**********==========---------- ===== About Internet Scambusters - Administrivia Copyright (c) Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved. To subscribe, visit: http://www.scambusters.org/ To remove yourself or change address options visit: http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?TAwMjEyctMzsDKyMjAystEa0zCwMnJxMzA== (you might have to copy and paste it into your browser) This will take you off the Scambusters list. To send us feedback, do NOT click 'Reply.' Instead, please use our Feedback Form located at: http://www.scambusters.org/feedback.html The information we have on file is: Your name: Scamdex Your email: mark@scamdex.com Please do not send vacation notices or other autoresponders to us. This may take you off the Scambusters list. Scambusters is a public service from Jim and Audri Lanford. Since Scambusters is a public service and we receive thousands of emails, we cannot answer individual emails. For more about our privacy and legal policy, see http://www.scambusters.org/privacy.html Lanford Inc. 197 New Market Center, #115 Boone, NC 28607 To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit: http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?TAwMjEyctMzsDKyMjAystEa0zCwMnJxMzA==