The Almost Perfect Scam

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The Almost Perfect Scam

Postby jon » Mon Jan 30, 2012 1:07 pm

Scams from people purporting to be PayPal or eBay are usually pretty easy to spot. They don't use your name. Because they don't know it.

But here is an exception. This is the first that actually addressed me (in the greeting and the e-mail To line) by name, not e-mail address.

They were also pretty smart with the links they ask me to click on (which I've removed from the Quote below, leaving just the underlined text), in that they point to a URL that begins http://www.paypal.com.g0... before going on to some random characters.

But what had me LOL was their misspelling of PayPal in the From address! paypall :tail

I'm usually pretty hard to fool on e-mail scams, but I received one recently purporting to be from a bank I deal with for my mother, and it took me almost a minute to discover it was a fraud.

Bottom line: be extra wary as the scammers are getting better at their "job".
From: service@paypall.com
Sent: Monday, January 30, 2012 12:51 PM
To: Jon [my last name]
Subject: Notification of Limited Account Access RXI034

Hello Jon [my last name],

As part of our security measures, we regularly screen activity in the PayPal
system. We recently contacted you after noticing an issue on your account.

We requested information from you for the following reason:

A recent review of your account determined that we require some additional
information from you in order to provide you with secure service.

Case ID Number: PP-157-979-886

This is a second reminder to log in to PayPal as soon as possible. Once you log
in, you will be provided with steps to restore your account access.

Be sure to log in securely by using the following link:
Click here to login and restore your account access

Once you log in, you will be provided with steps to restore your
account access. We appreciate your understanding as we work to ensure account
safety.

In accordance with PayPal's User Agreement, your account access will remain
limited until the issue has been resolved. Unfortunately, if access to your
account remains limited for an extended period of time, it may result in further
limitations or eventual account closure. We encourage you to log in to your
PayPal account as soon as possible to help avoid this.

To review your account and some or all of the information that PayPal used to
make its decision to limit your account access, please visit the Resolution
Center. If, after reviewing your account information, you seek further
clarification regarding your account access, please contact PayPal by visiting
the Help Center and clicking "Contact Us".

We thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. Please understand that
this is a security measure intended to help protect you and your account. We
apologize for any inconvenience.

Thanks,

PayPal Account Review Department

Please do not reply to this email. This mailbox is not monitored and you
will not receive a response. For assistance, log in to your PayPal account
and click the Help link in the top right corner of any PayPal page.

----------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright © 1999-2012 PayPal. All rights reserved.

PayPal Email ID PP522
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Re: The Almost Perfect Scam

Postby CubbyCam » Mon Jan 30, 2012 1:11 pm

Hope you're also forwarding to spoof@paypal.com

I'd like to think it helps, but never sure. :-)
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Re: The Almost Perfect Scam

Postby hagopian » Mon Jan 30, 2012 3:13 pm

Watch out for Facebook in title line....there is a nasty hard drive killer out there.
Just sayin'.

Everything wired like this, sure makes it easier for sneaky stuff to happen.

One security note. When you get one of the Hotel electronic swipe card. Never give it back. It has your visa number and personal info on board. Cut it up, when you get home.
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Re: The Almost Perfect Scam

Postby jon » Mon Jan 30, 2012 3:30 pm

hagopian wrote:One security note. When you get one of the Hotel electronic swipe card. Never give it back. It has your visa number and personal info on board. Cut it up, when you get home.

According to my favourite source on the subject, that appears to be an Urban Legend.

A thorough analysis is here:
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/b ... ycards.htm
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Re: The Almost Perfect Scam

Postby hagopian » Mon Jan 30, 2012 3:53 pm

Fascinating. I stand corrected. Still going to get rid of my cards.

Cheers
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Re: The Almost Perfect Scam

Postby hagopian » Mon Jan 30, 2012 4:37 pm

Wait...I just reread link and it agreed the cards are encrypted as described.

Never leave em. Take em.

That is the bottom line.
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Re: The Almost Perfect Scam

Postby isthisthingon » Mon Jan 30, 2012 4:58 pm

This is a ridiculous re-hash of an urban legend that was put to rest many years ago. Think about it: What reason would a hotel have to put personal information on a room key? The info stored on the mag stripe only communicates with a specific door lock by telling it the date of issue and date of expiry. That's it. Any personal information is stored in the hotel's database. http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/hotelkey.asp
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Re: The Almost Perfect Scam

Postby Paul P » Mon Jan 30, 2012 5:04 pm

isthisthingon wrote:This is a ridiculous re-hash of an urban legend that was put to rest many years ago. Think about it: What reason would a hotel have to put personal information on a room key? The info stored on the mag stripe only communicates with a specific door lock by telling it the date of issue and date of expiry. That's it. Any personal information is stored in the hotel's database. http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/hotelkey.asp


Absolutely correct. I have worked for two large lodging companies and the above info is right on.
Being nice is my resolve - in 2012
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Re: The Almost Perfect Scam

Postby hagopian » Mon Jan 30, 2012 7:37 pm

Reading skills affected by advancing age.
Sanderson is bang on. I asked a friend and he assured me..I was dead wrong.
*apologies. BAD INFO>
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Re: The Almost Perfect Scam

Postby Anotherwpgguy » Tue Jan 31, 2012 4:35 am

I always take the cards ... sometimes even requesting extras from the desk clerk, and I have quite a collection at home.

They made absolutely perfect squeegies for applying resin to fiberglass, kevlar, and carbon fibre layups when building model aircraft wings.

AWG
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Re: The Almost Perfect Scam

Postby Paul P » Tue Jan 31, 2012 8:45 am

hagopian wrote:Reading skills affected by advancing age.
Sanderson is bang on. I asked a friend and he assured me..I was dead wrong.
*apologies. BAD INFO>



Sanderson?
He hasn't said a peep in this thread.
(or is that part of the reading skills thing)
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Re: The Almost Perfect Scam

Postby hagopian » Tue Jan 31, 2012 10:21 am

Dyslexia makes for poor proofreading, Paul.

Boy, did I blow that one. Think it's time to hang up.
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