[Vision2020] Fraud Alert

John Moss johnmoss@moscow.com
Thu, 19 Jun 2003 15:08:13 -0700


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>From my informal depths of knowledge on scams and spams (due to many =
uninitiated hours of research), I definitely agree with Tom that this is =
not a BestBuy "childish prank."

If anyone would have clicked on the link provided in the original =
message from Bill London, they would have seen that it would have tried =
to open the web address =
http://www.your-instant-credit-reporter.org/fraud.html in their browser, =
rather than the web address BestBuy.com/fraud_department.html.  This is =
a simple HTML trick, and easily explainable, for those who really care =
to know.

A brief WhoIS domain lookup reveals that there is no such website =
http://www.your-instant-credit-reporter.org/.

Other "fraud" giveaways in the email are:

1. Opening with "Dear customer" -- in our digital age, especially with =
online ordering, any message from an online business to a customer would =
use the customer's name in the greeting.

2. Referring to the website as the "official BestBuy" website.  Not a =
total giveway, but I have never seen Amazon, eBay, etc., refer to their =
own websites as the "official" website.  The very fact that an email has =
to say that the website is official, means its authority is in question, =
and so they have to put those fears out of the way. =20

(I've been to numerous scam websites which refer to their "100% =
satisfaction guaranteed" policy.  Sure, guys.  Promise us the moon on a =
silver platter.)

3. Grammatical and punctuation errors throughout the email.  Any message =
sent from a big online business like BestBuy or Amazon, etc., will be =
highly polished and won't have glaring grammatical errors.

4. Excessive use of the word "special" when referring to the "Fraud =
Department."  This isn't just any fraud department; this is a *special* =
fraud department.  Not only that, they themselves are fraud.

There are a couple of other "fraud" flags in that email, but I'll leave =
it at that.

John
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Thomas Hansen=20
  To: 'Sunil Ramalingam' ; dickow@uidaho.edu ; Vision2020@moscow.com=20
  Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2003 1:44 PM
  Subject: RE: [Vision2020] Fraud Alert


  I have always been impressed with Best Buy.  My wife and I do alot of =
internet shopping there.

  I seriously believe that Best Buy is above such childish pranks.

  Tom Hansen
  Moscow, Idaho
    -----Original Message-----
    From: Sunil Ramalingam [mailto:sunilramalingam@hotmail.com]
    Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2003 1:20 PM
    To: dickow@uidaho.edu; Vision2020@moscow.com
    Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Fraud Alert


    Bob,

    Who cares if it's deceptive?  BestBuy has such neat fun stuff!  They =
really are the Best!

    Sunil





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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>From my informal depths of knowledge on =
scams and=20
spams (due to&nbsp;many&nbsp;uninitiated&nbsp;hours of research), I =
definitely=20
agree with Tom that this is not a BestBuy "childish prank."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>If anyone would have clicked on the =
link provided=20
in the original message from Bill London, they would have seen that it =
would=20
have tried to open the web address <A=20
href=3D"http://www.your-instant-credit-reporter.org/fraud.html">http://ww=
w.your-instant-credit-reporter.org/fraud.html</A>&nbsp;in=20
their browser, rather than the web address <A=20
href=3D"http://www.your-instant-credit-reporter.org/fraud.html">BestBuy.c=
om/fraud_department.html</A>.&nbsp;=20
This is a simple HTML trick, and easily explainable, for those who =
really care=20
to know.<BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>A brief WhoIS domain lookup reveals =
that there is=20
no such website&nbsp;<A=20
href=3D"http://www.your-instant-credit-reporter.org/">http://www.your-ins=
tant-credit-reporter.org/</A>.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Other "fraud" giveaways in the email=20
are:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>1. Opening with "Dear customer" -- in =
our digital=20
age, especially with online ordering, any message from an online =
business to a=20
customer would use the customer's name in the greeting.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>2. Referring to the website as the =
"official=20
BestBuy" website.&nbsp; Not a total giveway, but I have never seen =
Amazon, eBay,=20
etc., refer to their own websites as the "official" website.&nbsp; The =
very fact=20
that an email has to say that the website is official, means its =
authority is in=20
question, and so they have to put those fears out of the way.&nbsp;=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>(I've been to numerous scam websites=20
which&nbsp;refer to their "100% satisfaction guaranteed" policy.&nbsp; =
Sure,=20
guys.&nbsp; Promise us the moon on a silver platter.)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>3. Grammatical&nbsp;and punctuation =
errors=20
throughout the email.&nbsp; Any message sent from a big online business =
like=20
BestBuy or Amazon, etc., will be highly polished and won't have glaring=20
grammatical errors.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>4. Excessive use of the word "special" =
when=20
referring to the "Fraud Department."&nbsp; This isn't just any fraud =
department;=20
this is a *special* fraud department.&nbsp; Not only that, they =
themselves are=20
fraud.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>There are a couple of other "fraud" =
flags in that=20
email, but I'll leave it at that.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>John</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
  <DIV=20
  style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
  <A title=3Dtomh@FNA.fsn.uidaho.edu =
href=3D"mailto:tomh@FNA.fsn.uidaho.edu">Thomas=20
  Hansen</A> </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dsunilramalingam@hotmail.com=20
  href=3D"mailto:sunilramalingam@hotmail.com">'Sunil Ramalingam'</A> ; =
<A=20
  title=3Ddickow@uidaho.edu =
href=3D"mailto:dickow@uidaho.edu">dickow@uidaho.edu</A>=20
  ; <A title=3DVision2020@moscow.com=20
  href=3D"mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">Vision2020@moscow.com</A> </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, June 19, 2003 =
1:44=20
  PM</DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> RE: [Vision2020] Fraud =

  Alert</DIV>
  <DIV><BR></DIV>
  <DIV><SPAN class=3D030084320-19062003><FONT face=3DArial =
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>I=20
  have always been impressed with Best Buy.&nbsp; My wife and I do alot =
of=20
  internet shopping there.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
  <DIV><SPAN class=3D030084320-19062003><FONT face=3DArial =
color=3D#0000ff=20
  size=3D2></FONT></SPAN>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV><SPAN class=3D030084320-19062003><FONT face=3DArial =
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>I=20
  seriously believe that Best Buy is above such childish=20
  pranks.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
  <DIV><SPAN class=3D030084320-19062003><FONT face=3DArial =
color=3D#0000ff=20
  size=3D2></FONT></SPAN>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV><SPAN class=3D030084320-19062003><FONT face=3DArial =
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>Tom=20
  Hansen</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
  <DIV><SPAN class=3D030084320-19062003><FONT face=3DArial =
color=3D#0000ff=20
  size=3D2>Moscow, Idaho</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
  <BLOCKQUOTE>
    <DIV class=3DOutlookMessageHeader dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><FONT =
face=3DTahoma=20
    size=3D2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> Sunil Ramalingam =

    [mailto:sunilramalingam@hotmail.com]<BR><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, June =
19, 2003=20
    1:20 PM<BR><B>To:</B> <A=20
    href=3D"mailto:dickow@uidaho.edu">dickow@uidaho.edu</A>; <A=20
    =
href=3D"mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">Vision2020@moscow.com</A><BR><B>Sub=
ject:</B>=20
    Re: [Vision2020] Fraud Alert<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
    <DIV>
    <DIV>
    <P>Bob,</P>
    <P>Who cares if it's deceptive?&nbsp; BestBuy has such neat fun =
stuff!&nbsp;=20
    They really are the Best!</P>
    <P>Sunil<BR><BR></P></DIV></DIV><BR clear=3Dall>
    <HR>
    Add photos to your messages with <A=20
    href=3D"http://g.msn.com/8HMLENUS/2749??PS=3D">MSN 8. </A>Get 2 =
months FREE*.=20
    _____________________________________________________ List services =
made=20
    available by First Step Internet, serving the communities of the =
Palouse=20
    since 1994. http://www.fsr.net mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com=20
    =
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