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Amiga News and Community Announcements => Amiga News and Community Announcements => General Internet News => Topic started by: that_punk_guy on November 15, 2003, 12:08:26 AM

Title: Beware X-Box E-mail scam
Post by: that_punk_guy on November 15, 2003, 12:08:26 AM
If you recieve an e-mail on the run-up to Christmas telling you you've won an X-Box and it seems just too good to be true... it is. Presumably targetting the weary Christmas shopper, folks operating at dream-giveaway.com are sending out e-mails offering the recipient a free X-Box with five games, provided you pay the postage.

A link in the e-mail sends you off to an unsecure site where you are asked for your card details and pin number. As you should know, no-one ever needs to know your pin number, not even an employee at your own bank, so don't give it to them!

I think most of us here know that there are scams like this around, but to cover all bases and on KennyR's advice, I'm posting this as news so everyone's doubly aware.
Title: Re: Beware X-Box E-mail scam
Post by: amigamad on November 15, 2003, 12:45:20 AM
I would take no notice of anything like this  and just take as spam. :-)
Title: Re: Beware X-Box E-mail scam
Post by: the_leander on November 15, 2003, 01:19:37 AM
I bet I'll be getting a call from one of my Sister's in law asking me to apply for this for her in the very near future. The woman in question is about as clueless as they come with regards computers. Already several members of the family have had to repair her system because she followed advice from emails saying that her computer was vunerable to infections etc, so she should install this program to protect it....

Needless to say, after the second time, I walked away from the situation, because I would likely have ended up disabling her ability to go online perminantly (by attaching my special patented 3 pin plug - usb converter and frying her modem, the local exchange and about 4 miles of cable.)

Not that I think people should learn about the basics of computing and the internet before going out a buying one of course...
Title: Re: Beware X-Box E-mail scam
Post by: that_punk_guy on November 15, 2003, 03:49:40 AM
Quote
I would take no notice of anything like this and just take as spam. :-)


It's beyond spam, in my opinion, when they're taking people's bank details.
Title: Re: Beware X-Box E-mail scam
Post by: iamaboringperson on November 15, 2003, 03:51:28 AM
Seems like an old scam with a new give away.

I wonder who actually falls for this sort of thing, I would love to interview these people.
Title: Re: Beware X-Box E-mail scam
Post by: Framiga on November 15, 2003, 09:30:35 AM
Hi

yet received and deleted this morning.

Ciao
Title: Re: Beware X-Box E-mail scam
Post by: SlimJim on November 15, 2003, 10:37:19 AM
Why would I want an XBox anyway ...? :-D
.
SlimJim
Title: Re: Beware X-Box E-mail scam
Post by: opi on November 15, 2003, 11:55:32 AM
Just another scam/hoax that I will never follow. Now I just wait for my BoXeR to arrive. ;-)))
Title: Re: Beware X-Box E-mail scam
Post by: KennyR on November 15, 2003, 03:00:45 PM
I've set YAM to immediately delete any mail containing HTML tags from the server, so I don't get these kind of spams.

Sure, I know that Outlook Express sends html by default, but nobody of any importance uses that anyway.



;-)
Title: Re: Beware X-Box E-mail scam
Post by: Acill on November 15, 2003, 03:43:53 PM
I didt get this one, but I did get one with the same type of trap in it. It was from Citibank telling me I need to verify my email and send them my credit card number and pin to prove it was me. I couldnt believe it! People are so lame. I wonder how many fell for that one. I forwarded it to there fraud link.
Title: Re: Beware X-Box E-mail scam
Post by: weirdami on November 15, 2003, 06:20:25 PM
I wonder how much traction you could get out of a simple "Please, send me your name, credit card number, expiration date, savings account number, and PIN. --The Bank"

I wouldn't be surprised if a few people fell for it. I was in the post office once and the clerk blurted out to some lady at the counter "I don't want to know it!" because she started saying her passcode out loud after he told her she'd need to have it for the transaction she was making. They have those keypad deals for that, and she starts telling it to him and for everyone to hear.
Title: Re: Beware X-Box E-mail scam
Post by: Cryten on November 15, 2003, 09:47:58 PM
I believe this is natures way to weed out the idiots...
Title: Re: Beware X-Box E-mail scam
Post by: iamaboringperson on November 16, 2003, 04:25:44 AM
Quote
I believe this is natures way to weed out the idiots...
You'd hope that it was genetic, and that they would die off by giveing their money away, wouldn't you? ;)
Title: Re: Beware X-Box E-mail scam
Post by: Cryten on November 16, 2003, 04:38:01 PM
Hmm, maybe they'll starve to death after giving away all their money?  ;-)  Come to think of it, I guess they would starve to death if someone stated something like the following in a spam mail:

"You're one lucky bastard. You've been chosen among a lot of young promising stars!!!  All you need to do to collect your X-Box, is to starve yourself to death, and send your death certificate to us." ;-)
Title: Re: Beware X-Box E-mail scam
Post by: Animagic on November 16, 2003, 07:59:00 PM
LOOOOL

 :roflmao:
Title: Re: Beware X-Box E-mail scam
Post by: bhoggett on November 17, 2003, 06:34:30 AM
@iamaboringperson

Quote
Seems like an old scam with a new give away.


That's exactly what it is. I suspect the scam has nothing to do with the company in question, just as the previous one had nothing to do with PayPal. The scammers make the page look authentic, but the common factors are that it is not secure and asks for the PIN. Those two factors should make any remotely sensible person run a mile.

If you have a look at the source for the page requesting the PIN, you should be able to see where it's really going.