New Bank Email Scam Warning

I've received another scam email, this time a bank one. To help you identify these ripoffs I'm reprinting it here, so you'll be able to recognize similar ones that may land in your inbox.

All scams play to either your fear or your greed. Those are two of life's big motivators. And always, the desired goal of these ripoffs is to get you to click on the link they always include.

But when you do, and you go to the page, you're already a victim. When your browser let in the code to display the page, it also allowed the malicious code that makes your PC start displaying pop-up ads for all manner of things. Or even worse, once at the page, you may be tricked into giving confidential information!

And it's all so unnecessary. They are all so blatantly bogus. But innocent victims still get hit.

Let's look at this one. First of all I don't bank at any "National Bank." But the biggest sign of a rip-off is them asking me to give them my social security number and date of birth.

It's subject line, "Your National Bank Profile Is Locked"is designed to scare you. Remember, fear and greed.

But this one is especially skilled and sneaky. Look toward the end. See how it gives a telephone number to call? Someone might say to themselves, well if they give a phone number they must be legitimate.

Want to guess what happened when I called the number listed? A recording that it was being checked for problems. What a suprise.

Lastly, it gives an official looking financial disclaimer at the end, again to try to fool you into thinking its official.

Your National Bank Profile Is Locked

NATIONAL BANK
Reference: 7256125731

Dear Client,

Welcome to National Bank! Per our Terms and Conditions, in order to fully establish an account, National Bank requires the customer to provide up-to-date and accurate information, including but not limited to your real name, valid U.S. mailing address and residential address (if different), a Tax Identification Number or a Social Security Number, date of birth, and telephone number.

Unfortunately, we have had to temporarily delay due to missing account information. A temporary block has been placed on your account until we receive this information.

Login to National Bank Online Banking (link was here) and unblock your National Bank account.

Please note that failure to reply within 30 days will result in permanent cancellation of your account.

Please do not reply to this email address. If you have any questions, you can call National Bank Corporation at 1-866-387-7223.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Confidentiality Notice! This electronic transmission and any attached documents or other writings are confidential and are for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) identified above. This message may contain information that is privileged, confidential or otherwise protected from disclosure under applicable law. If the receiver of this information is not the intended recipient, or the employee, or agent responsible for delivering the information to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any use, reading, dissemination, distribution, copying or storage of this information is strictly prohibited. If you have received this information in error, please notify the sender by return email and delete the electronic transmission, including all attachments from your system.

Again, take a moment to study the characteristics of all of the scam emails I've written about. Learn to spot them and you won't fall victim to them.

America Stands With Israel!

In these dark and loathing times let everyone in the world know that the United States stands with Israel in its fight against those who would try to destroy it.

Israelis have our heart, prayers and support.

Always and forever.

Please feel free to copy this image and email it to our friends and allies around the world to show our solidarity. (To copy, put your cursor over the image and right-click, then choose "Save Picture As...")

Three cheers for eBay!!

Three cheers for eBay!

In my previous post I was bemoaning the cons being attempted against eBay users...namely me, and others I'm sure. So I sent a copy of the con artist's message to eBay's security section to give them a heads up.

I got this reply from eBay yesterday:

Thank you for writing eBay in regard to (name removed).

We're concerned about violations on eBay and have thoroughly investigated your report. We have taken appropriate action in accordance with our site policies. I can inform you that the user you reported is no longer a registered eBay user.

Due to our privacy policy, we don't give out specific information regarding the result of our investigation. Feel free to continue reporting questionable behavior to us. This allows us to investigate the situation and take appropriate actions.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely, Zachariah
eBay Customer Support

So three cheers for Zachariah and eBay! Job well done!

Con artists hitting eBay users

Recently I've been listing a few items for a customer on eBay, and I'll be darned if the scammers aren't EVERYWHERE!

I want to share it, to help you better spot them in the future, so you won't become a victim.

Remember, most of all, they appeal to greed in one way or another. They know what a powerful movtivator it can be. If it makes you start thinking maybe you CAN get something for nothing, it should start throwing up red caution flags automatically in your mind. If it sounds too good to be true, it almost certainly is.

In this case the item was on eBay with a $2,600 minimum starting bid.

Here was the scammer's email:

Positive feedback: 0%
Member since: Jul-12-06
Location: bihar, Philippines
Registered on: www.ebay.com

"My name is (name removed),i need an immediate purchase of this item, i will pay $5000 for the item and $300 for shipping via ups or fedex courier express bcos of my ugrency.I will like to make a quick purchase on the item cos i am sending it to my son in africa,.My method of payment is paypal .If ok by you kindly get back to me with your details ...plz get back to me with your full name and address so that i can proceed with the payment asap. let me have ur e-mail also."

Red flag #1: I received it the day after the membership date.

Red flag #2: The Philippines is a con artist's haven.

Red flag #3: An American woman's name was used, which I've removed.

Red flag #4: Offering TWICE the starting bid and far more shipping cost than
would be necessary.

Red flag #5: The word "Africa" That's what truly gave it away as a con. (See
my previous posts on scam emails from or about Africa.)

Red flag #6: Wanting my full name and address so she could proceed with
payment, even though she says she will pay with PayPal, which
does NOT require her to have that kind of information.

Red flag #7: Wanting my email too. Yeah. Right.

I've also gotten a similar approach on a different item up for bid as well, so those of you selling on eBay be aware of anyone trying to buy your item for WAY more than you're asking.

Red flags. Remember to learn them and heed them!!

The sad demise of SBC

In another time I worked for SBC. But back then it was known as Southwestern Bell Telephone. I had always heard SWB had the best sales training program in corporate America. They were right. But what they were not so well known for was their obsession with integrity, with doing the right thing, and doing it correctly.

It was precisely the reasons I had no hesitation with signing on with them many years later for their Internet.

Once, hooking up a DSL connection, I was talking with one of their tech guys, who were ALWAYS friendly. ALWAYS. I remarked how I got an American, and he said on new setups they always route those calls to an American call center.

If you've ever tried to understand the Indian accent, you'll appreciate the special wisdom of that in the sometimes complicated situation of new-connection setups.

Now all of that is fast fading into history. The once proud, well-earned reputation of a shining example of how to do things right, is disappearing before our very eyes.

When did it start?

The beginning of the end was their decision to merge with AT&T and its culture of arrogance.

Oh the early commercials about the merger talked about how SBC would still be SBC. But they're not. It's obvious who controls things now, and its not SBC.

AT&T was one of those phone companies who provided your sensitive information to the federal government. Not just that, but were arrogant about it.

At the U.S. Senate hearing to investigate it, AT&T Chairman Edward E.Whitacre Jr. practically sneered in his answers to Sen. Rep. Arlin Spector, and he's a REPUBLICAN.

Now comes the news today of their arrogant boast that your calling habits and your surfing habits belong to THEM and not YOU, as snidely detailed in their new privacy policy.

The best way to describe it was by Melissa Ngo, staff counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, who said she was glad to see AT&T make their policy public since it would allow users "to make informed decisions about whether they want to pay to be tracked."

Then there's this.

SBC used to renew their annual contract with users at the then-current market rate. Not anymore. Not with AT&T in charge of things. Now you can renew at your present rate, but not a lower existing rate. Mine was $28.00 a month, compared to the current special for new customers of $12.99.

I was TOLD by the woman that that lower rate was for new customers only in a tone of voice that obviously could have cared less about what I thought about that. And that was the SUPERVISOR.

SBC, we barely knew ye.

Judge says live webcams "good thought"

I received a reply back this morning to my email late last week to Pulaski County Judge Budddy Villines, in which I asked if they had considered the use of live webcams at the new Pedestrian-Bicycle Bridge.

Judge Villines said it was a "good thought" and that he would "check into it."

So keep your fingers crossed, and I'll keep you posted.

THREE CHEERS for Rep. Vic Snyder!!

In follow-up to our ongoing thread about Net Neutrality, I wrote to Rep. Vic Snyder, D-Ark., to thank him for his efforts on behalf of Net Neutrality, as follows:


Dear Rep. Snyder,

On behalf of Arkansas' computer and Internet users, I wanted to write to thank you for your support of Net Neutrality (NN) by voting for Rep. Markey's NN amendment. I have praised you for your vote in my blog at my website, and wanted to invite you to view and post a comment if you would like.

Again thanks so much,

Sincerely,
Brad Kennedy, Owner
Housecall4pc.com


The initial email I got back was an auto-responder acknowledging receipt of my message. Then last Friday I got this email back from Rep. Snyder:


Dear Brad:

Thank you for writing me about H.R. 5252, the Communications Opportunity, Promotion, and Enhancement (COPE) Act of 2006. I appreciate hearing from you.

H.R. 5252 passed in the House on June 8, 2006 and has been referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. I did not vote for this bill because it did not have any provisions that would ensure unfettered access to the internet. Congressman Edward Markey offered an amendment that would have established equal access and non-discriminatory treatment or "net neutrality," but that amendment was defeated. Further, floor amendments that would have improved the bill were not allowed.

The COPE Act also had provisions that would have possibly left consumers with higher cable bills, service degradation, inadequate consumer protections, and inequitable broadband deployment. Should this bill make it to the Senate floor, perhaps these important issues will be addressed. For your convenience, I am including a Congressional Research Service Report pertaining to net neutrality.

Again, thank you for contacting me about this matter. I appreciate hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Vic Snyder
Member of Congress

If you would like to sign up for my weekly e-newsletter, visit http://snyder.aristotle.net/newsletter.asp


THREE CHEERS for Rep. Snyder, we all owe him a big THANK YOU!!

Put LIVE webcams on bridge for SAFETY

Continuing the idea for installing live webcams on the new Pedestrian-Bicycle Bridge over Murray Lock & Dam, it would provide for better security by allowing for 24 hour monitoring by authorities, making for a far safer environment in a somewhat isolated area.

The same technology that is currently being used in the webcams you see above you at many Little Rock/North Little Rock intersections could be applied, sending the feed to the same bank of monitors that watch the traffic intersections.

In addition, the technology exists to feed this same signal live over the Internet, so the public could enjoy the fabulous scenery live without having to be there. You could, say, see a friend on the cam and wave at each other while chatting on your cell phone.

No only that, but live webcams would help promote central Arkansas
worldwide, since anyone could enjoy the view and perhaps want to come and visit someday.

If accomplished, it would be an important distinction to insure that LIVE webcams are incorporated, as opposed to those which only refresh periodically, a very ho-hum experience. Nobody wants to sit there and wait 1 1/2 to 3 minutes to get a refreshed view.

The City of Naples, Fla., for example, has a true LIVE webcam in its luxury 5th Avenue South shopping area.

As you watch it, think how cool and appropriate that we have the same tool for enjoyment AND safety at our new Pedestrican-Bicycle Bridge!

If you would like to see live webcams on the new bridge, please direct your requests to:

Pulaski County Judge Floyd G. "Buddy" Villines
201 S. Broadway, Suite 400
Little Rock, AR. 72201

Telephone: (501) 340-8305
Email: cojudge@co.pulaski.ar.us

How about live webcams on new bridge?

I took these pictures recently of the beautiful new pedestrian-bicycle bridge over the Arkansas River at Murray Lock & Dam, just upstream from Little Rock, now nearing completion with its grand opening scheduled for Sat., Sept. 30th.

Nicknamed the Big Dam Bridge, at 4,226 feet long it is the world's longest bridge built specifically for pedestrians and bicyclists, and will feature special lighting that can change colors to suit the occasion.

It is the upstream crossing of a 17-mile loop of asphalt trail along the river, that eventually will cross the river again at the Rock Island railroad bridge by the Clinton Presidential Center in downtown Little Rock.

And my question is this: Why not install live webcams on it so we can enjoy the view day or night from our PCs?

If you would like to see live webcams on the new bridge, please direct your requests to:

Pulaski County Judge Floyd G. "Buddy" Villines
201 S. Broadway, Suite 400
Little Rock, AR. 72201

Telephone: (501) 340-8305
Email: cojudge@co.pulaski.ar.us

"The Year In Pictures 2005" by MSNBC

Still off the beaten path of our thread, I wanted to share some really cool pictures I've received.

I want this blog to try to feature all aspects of technology and the Information Superhighway, and high on my list of aspectsis multi-media in all its forms today. (Besides, all text and no pictures makes Jack a dull boy!)

Earlier this year my favorite website, MSNBC, published "The Year In Pictures 2005" and in case you missed it, here's a powerpoint of many of them, set to the haunting lyrics of "Amazing Grace,"that my friend Joi sent to me. (Joi has a Great Dane named Maestro who comes up to my waist and weighs more than I do, but that's a post for another time!).

You'll need a powerpoint viewer to see it. If you don't already have one on your PC, you can pick one up for free at this Microsoft download page.

Or, if you prefer, you can go to MSNBC's page to view it in their slideshow format, which doesn't have the music.

When you click the link below, the presentation will download briefly (since most of you have a high-speed connection) and then open up into your browser and begin play. When're your finished you can come back here by clicking the "Back" arrow in your browser. Ready? Enjoy!

Start Powerpoint