Scam Alert - Beware Of Scams Using The Publishers Clearing House Name.

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Make sure you are on guard for two (2) scams currently making the rounds. These scams involve unsolicited emails and phone calls from people claiming to be with PCH (Publishers Clearing House).

PCH Scam Type 1: Fraudulent Emails In The Name of PCH

Avoid all unsolicited emails that claim your email address has been selected a winner of the "PCH! Finance Bonanza". The emails instruct you to contact a Mr. Paul Anderson and provide personal information such as, Name, Date Of Birth and Social Security Number in your response, to claim your prize. An example of the email has been provided below.

Example - Fraudulent Email and Header. (Click To Enlarge)

It's quite obvious that this email is not from Publishers Clearing House and is an attempt to Phish personal information and money from those who reply to it. The email header shows quite clearly that the email did not come from the PCH domain and the reply email address isn't in that domain either. Publishers Clearing House does not hold contest in which random email addresses belonging people who never entered a contest with them, are selected as winners. They also do NOT send e-mails requesting personal banking, financial information or Social Security numbers in connection with a prize.

PCH Scam Type 2: Fraudulent Phone Calls In The Name of PCH

In the last few days there has been an increase of people receiving unsolicited phone calls from scammers claiming to be from Publishers Clearing House. The callers state that you have won a prize and must provide them with personal information and a payment to receive the prize. Publishers Clearing House does not charge individuals to claim prize awards. If you receive an unsolicited or "Out-Of-The-Blue" phone call claiming to be from PCH and the caller states you have won something but need to pay to receive the prize, hang up immediately.

Avoid These Types of PCH Scams By Remembering These helpful Tips.

1. Publishers Clearing House does not charge individuals to claim prize awards.
2. Publishers Clearing House does NOT send e-mails or make unsolicited phone calls requesting personal banking information, other financial information or Social Security numbers in connection with a prize.
3. If you have not entered a sweepstakes with PCH you will not be selected as a winner by them.

What to Do If You've Fallen Victim to a PCH Scam.

If you believe you have fallen victim to a scam using the Publishers Clearing House name and or logo contact PCH immediately by calling 1-800-645-9242. You are also advised to contact your local consumer protection office or the National Fraud Center at www.fraud.org. If you have made the mistake of handing over a Banking information or a credit card number, you should call your bank or credit provider as soon as possible to have them remove or dispute the charges that have or maybe made to the card. 

Resources:

PCH Learning Center - Fraud Protection
http://info.pch.com/consumer-information/fraud-protection

PCH Blog - Don’t Get Fooled By Sweepstakes Scammers!
http://blog.pch.com/blog/2012/03/30/dont-get-fooled-by-sweepstakes-scammers/

Stay Safe
~Black Knight

Phishing Scam - Visa And Master Card Customers: Avoid the Database Upgrading Email.

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Visa and Master Card customers should avoid a Phishing campaign currently targeting them by email. The email bares a subject line of "Credit/Debit Card Users" and tries encourage customers to open a "Database Upgrading" html file that is attached to the message. If the attachment is opened it displays another message that claims the customer is required to update their card details due to a security maintenance upgrade. The link provided transfers intended victims to a Fraudulent website that ask them to provide information such as their name, card number, bank name and other personal information. See Samples below.

Examples - Email, Headers, HTML File & Phishing Website

(Click to Enlarge)

Visa and Master Card do not send out messages asking their customers for personal information, bank names or card numbers and they never send attachments. If you receive any emails that claim to be from either company and are requesting this type of information, forward the messages to phishing@visa.com or consumer_inquiries@mastercard.com. After you have forward the fraudulent messages, mark them as spam and then delete them. 

Safety:

As a general rule of thumb you should never click the links or open attachments found in emails such as these. The links can easily point you to websites that have Malware on them and the attachments can contain Malware. It is also a good idea to get out of the habit of logging into your online accounts through emails. It is always better to open your web browser and navigate to websites directly, before you log into them. If there are problems with your accounts, most websites will generally notify you of them after you have logged in.

Stay Safe

~Black Knight

Facebook Scam Alert - Subway Surfers is not a Game, it's a Survey Scam.

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If you are a Facebook user you will want to make sure you avoid messages, posts or invites that state a family member or friend has recently play a game named Subway Surfers.

Scam Signature:
{User Name} -  Play Subway Surfers : ---Link---

What's Happening.

1. A users clicks or copies and paste the link provided in the Bait message.
2. The link takes them to a website setup to look like Facebook and are encouraged to click an image to play the Subway Surfers game.
3. Once the user clicks the picture, a Facebook dialog appears and request that the user log into the make believe game with their Facebook account.
4. If the user clicks the "Log In with Facebook" button, a Rogue Application will install and then asks the user to "Allow" some additional permissions, such as wall posting..
5. When the user clicks to allow these permissions the Rogue Application makes two (2) post to the users Timeline, behind his or her back.
6. The user is then transferred to another page and told they must verify their Facebook account, before they continue, by completing surveys.

Examples of The Scam - (Click To Enlarge)

 

 

 

What makes this a scam.

There is no Subway Surfer game on Facebook. The entire ruse has been setup to trick Facebook gamers into spreading spam and completing Fake surveys. The Fake Survey pays the con-artist who made this scam a few bucks for you doing it . The scam is simply designed to make money from your actions, you will not receive anything in return.

Avoidance:

It’s very easy to make it appear as though someone you trust has endorsed something on Facebook. Just because it may appear one of your family or friends has posted a message stating they received something awesome or did something cool with their Facebook profile, doesn't mean it really happen. The best thing for you to do is: “Ask First, Click Never.” It is also highly recommended that you never install Facebook applications without reviewing them properly.

Read:
How to Protect Your Facebook Account from Rogue Applications
http://facecrooks.com/Internet-Safety-Privacy/how-to-protect-your-facebook-account-from-rogue-applications-292.html

Why you should NOT install ‘Fun & Entertaining’ Facebook applications
http://facecrooks.com/Internet-Safety-Privacy/why-you-should-not-install-fun-entertaining-facebook-applications.html

I fell for the scam, What should I do now?

If you have fallen for any scams on Facebook, the best thing you can do is clean up your account and the mess immediately. You should remove any bad Facebook applications or browser plug-ins you have installed, change your password just in case and delete any content the scam caused you to post. I've compiled this cleanup process into four easy to follow steps. You can find them in the topic shown below.

How to Thoroughly Cleanup Your Facebook Account After You’ve Fallen for a Spam Attack.
http://www.scamsniper.info/2013/03/how-to-thoroughly-cleanup-your-facebook.html

Stay safe
~Black Knight

It Takes Zynga & Facebook 3 Weeks To Shut Down A Phishing Scam Ring.

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Or maybe someones sleeping at the wheel....

Alright, I'm not going to make this a long one. I'm just going to keep it short and sweet.

On March 2nd, 2013 I send out two emails. One to security@zynga.com and the other to phish@spamreport.facebook.com. I was just doing my part to report a Phishing Scam Ring that I had stumbled upon during a normal day on Facebook. The ring consisted of three (3) Facebook fan pages masquerading themselves as Zynga support and three (3) websites housed on different domains masquerading as the official Zynga website. I simply complied all of the links and send a quick message informing both Zynga and Facebook about them, and stating that they may want to remove them.

Below I will include both messages I sent out, which were identical, and the reply I received from Zynga, roughly 4 hours later. Facebook never replied, but I didn't really expect either one of them to reply, so,, ooooh!

Screen-caps

Emails Send to Zynga & Facebook (Phishing Scam Ring)

Click To Enlarge & Read Them

Screen-cap - Reply From Zynga

Click To Enlarge & Read It

While Zynga's reply seems very appreciative in the first paragraph, I have to say the remainder kind of made me fell bad for not Join Zygna's game kingdom. I mean the sales guy did pour it on thick, in a way. It's likely because I went through hell and high water to find a email address to inform them of a scam against their players, as a non-player, and he knows it. 

In any event, I logged out of my email that day, feeling a little good. I had helped them take out a pretty good sized scam and maybe, just maybe, helped someone I didn't know, keep their Poker Chips and Facebook accounts.

Boy was I wrong...

As of today, March 26th, 2013, this ring is still scamming Zynga game players on Facebook. They are still doing it from the same three (3) Fan pages I report directly to Zynga on the 2nd and while the three (3) original Phishing webites are gone, there is now a new one up.. 

Don't take my word for it.. See the Screenshots people...

Screen-caps - Scam Ring Still in Action 

(Click To Enlarge)

I mean I get it. I really do. You just can't clean it all up. I understand Zynga. These scammers are so good, so good in fact, they are just keeping you from phoning your pals at Facebook and having them delete the pages. Wow...

Boy do I feel bad for Zynga game players... And Boy do I feel bad for Zynga & Facebook Security..

I normally end my post, with "Stay Safe", this time however I think I'll end it with....

Gee Whiz...
~Black Knight

Facebook - 9 Scams Currently Found In a News Feed Near You.

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Quick Heads Up

If you are a Facebook user you will want to make sure you avoid the Scams shown in the examples below. None of these scams are new, they have been on Facebook for quite some time, but they are currently spreading around Facebook at a fairly alarming rate.

Example Set 1 - Profile Spies (Click To Enlarge)

 

 

 

 

There is no way for you to see who has Peeked, Viewed, Stalked or visited your Facebook profile. Knowing this one fact should be enough to keep you from falling for this type of scam. Facebook directly states in two separate help topics that they do not allow users to access this type of information.

Can I know who’s looking at my timeline or how often it’s being viewed?
https://www.facebook.com/help/210896588933875/

Can people tell that I've looked at their timeline?
https://www.facebook.com/help/205685226136386/

Example Set 2 - Various Scams (Click To Enlarge)

 

 

 

Note: You should also avoid scams offering to show you "what your name means" or something along the lines of a "Death Clock".

The above scams use various baits but all of them accomplish the same types of  malicious intent. They all promise to give you something free or show you something shocking, and if you fall for the promises you will end up compromising your Facebook account in various ways. Once you click the links provided in them you will be asked to either Copy and Paste Codes into your browser, Install A Rogue Facebook App, Add A Rogue Browser Plug-in or even worse, asked to had over your Facebook Password. Doing any of the aforementioned things will basically cause you to lose control of your Facebook account and to spread spam to the people in your friends list. None of these scams provide whats promised at the end. After you complete all of the clicking and spamming, you will be asked to fill out Fake Surveys which pay the con-artist who made these scams, a few bucks for you doing them. The scams are simply designed to make money from your actions, you will not receive anything in return.

Avoidance:

It’s very easy to make it appear as though someone you trust has endorsed something on Facebook. Just because it may appear one of your family or friends has posted a message stating they received something awesome or did something cool with their Facebook profile, doesn't mean it really happen. The best thing for you to do is: “Ask First, Click Never.” It is also highly important that you never follow instructions that ask you to copy and paste URLs or "codes" to and from your Facebook profile, and never hand over your Facebook password. Doing these types of things never end well.

I fell for the scam, What should I do now?

If you have fallen for any scams on Facebook, the best thing you can do is clean up your account and the mess immediately. You should remove any bad Facebook applications or browser plug-ins you have installed, change your password just in case and delete any content the scam caused you to post. I've compiled this cleanup process into four easy to follow steps. You can find them in the topic shown below.

How to Thoroughly Cleanup Your Facebook Account After You’ve Fallen for a Spam Attack.
http://www.scamsniper.info/2013/03/how-to-thoroughly-cleanup-your-facebook.html

Stay safe
~Black Knight

Dish Network Subscriber Alert - Avoid The Pay Six Months And Get Six Months Free Phone Scam.

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Dish Network Subscribers should be on guard for a phone scam that targets them by offering 12 months of service for only Six months of upfront payments.

How the Scam Works:

1. A Dish Network subscriber receives an unsolicited phone call.
2. The Caller ID displays the actual number to Dish Network.
3. When the subscriber answers the phone, believing its Dish calling them, the person on the other end tires to verify that are speaking with the account holder.
4. Once verification is made, the caller begins to go over the details of a special promotion and starts stating actual information from the subscriber's account. This makes the subscriber believe they are actually talking to a Dish Network representative.
5. They state the subscriber's current bill amount correctly and then ask them if they are willing to pay six (6) months in advance to receive six (6) months free, along with two (2) Premium Channels at no extra cost.
6. If the subscriber agrees, the con-artist then adds the two (2) Premium Channels to the account through illegitimate access to it and then request the six (6) months advance fee be paid through a Green Dot MoneyPak card.
7. The subscriber is then told to go buy the MoneyPak card and they will receive a return call at a later time so they can provide the authorization code from the card.

This particular scam is very convincing because not only is the con-artist able to call the subscriber from what appears to be the number for Dish, but they also have access to the subscribers account details and can make changes to their account during the call. These things combined give the scam a certain amount of believability.

How to Avoid the Scam

If you are a Dish Network subscriber there are a few things you should know to make sure you never fall for this type of scam.

1. Dish Network never requires customers to pay for services through Money Grams or Green Dot MoneyPak cards. If you receive a call that appears to be from Dish and you are asked to pay for services through a strange payment method, hang up.
2. Never reveal your Dish Network account information, password or anything else via unsolicited emails or phone calls. Dish will never email or call you asking for that information.
3. No matter what the caller ID reads, if what appears to be a Dish Network representative offers you a promotion that sounds too good to be true or raises any suspicion, hang up and immediately call Dish back at 1-800-333-3474.

What to do if you've fallen for the Scam

If you fallen for this type of scam the best thing you can do is notify Dish Network at their customer service number. Give them the details of the scam ask them to check your account for unauthorized changes to it. You should also notify your local authorities, Green Dot MoneyPak and the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) if the scam happens over the web. If you have made the mistake of handing over a credit card number or your Bank account information, you should call your bank or credit provider as soon as possible to have them remove or dispute the charges that may have been made.

Dish Network Contact:
Phone: 1-800-333-3474

Green Dot MoneyPak - Report Fraudulent Activity
https://support.greendot.cust-serv.com/greendotcare/General/AlertFeedback.aspx

Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
https://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx

Stay Safe
~Black Knight

Facebook - Account Restrictions. Why They Happen and How You Can Possibly Avoid Them.

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Quite a few people have messaged me on the Bulldog Estate stating Facebook has restricted their ability to share post, photos and send friend request, and that they were unsure whether or not the prompts they saw were legitimate or a scams. They also expressed annoyance over the restrictions and couldn't figure out why they happened. Hopefully the information I will provide below will shed some light on whats really happening and possibly help you solve the problem should you experience it. Better yet, maybe it will help you avoid the issue altogether.

First and Foremost: Let's make sure you don't fall for Facebook Phishing Scams.

If you are receiving messages in your Private Message box, News Feed, Chat or by Email that claim your account will be deactivated or blocked due to abuse or TOS violations, do not respond to them. Those types of messages come from scam artist who are trying to obtain your Facebook password and other personal information. The messages usually have bad wording, misspellings and odd looking links that do not point to Facebook's domain, www.Facebook.com. They also try to rush you into action by stating you must click the link within a certain time frame, like 24 hours. To learn more about Facebook Phishing scams and how to avoid them, please read the help topic >> HERE.

Receiving Prompts From Facebook That State Your Account or Action has been Restricted.

If you are receiving PROMPTS (Dialog boxes) while logged into Facebook, and these prompts (Dialog boxes) explain you have been restricted from using a feature like: Sharing, Posting Statuses/ Photos/ Videos or Sending Friend Request, DO NOT ignore the messages. The prompts (Dialog boxes) come from Facebook and are alerting you to a restriction that either has been or will be placed on your account by Facebook. These types of restrictions can last from a day to 30 days and if you continue the activity that caused or is about to cause your restriction, your account may end up being disabled permanently. Please see the example prompts below.

Examples (Click To Enlarge)

What causes these types of restrictions?

In simple terms the Facebook platform uses different software, algorithms and systems to detect and protect it's users from spam or spam like behavior within the social network. In general the system is not designed to restrict the average user's normal actions but rather to monitor all actions and flag what appears to be spammy, virus like or socially annoying behavior. While most people think the spam system is simply there to protect them from malicious spammers, scammers and other cyber-criminals, it's really there to monitor everyone and will flag or restrict anyone it believes or it thinks is breaking certain rules.

What rules am I breaking that is causing Facebook to restrict me? I'm not a spammer!

Facebook is very clear about certain actions that can cause accounts restrictions in certain areas. However Facebook doesn't actually tell ANYONE how much they should share, post content, send invites or friend request. When you think about it, it would be unfair for them to dictate that to users. However, everyone who has a little common sense will naturally adhere to what is unwritten about sharing, friending and what not. Below I have listed a few of the "unseen or unwritten" rules for these actions.

Your Facebook account can be restricted or even worse deactivated if:

• You send “too many” friend requests over a short period of time.
• You send "too many" friend request to users who don't know you and many of them reject your friend request.
• You make “too many” Timeline posts in one day/session/week – especially if the posts have identical content and links.
• You copy and paste the same message “too many” times.
• You send “too many” identical emails to individual friends and/or groups of people.
• You send messages to your Group members “too many” times.
• You “poke” too many people.
• You message your Event invitees “too many” times.
• You join "too many" groups.
• You post "too many" promotional links.
• You "Like" "too many" things too quickly.
• You have Malware on your computer and it's sending spam through your account.

The Keywords here are "TOO MANY", "TOO MUCH" & "TOO FAST"...

Meaning: "SPAMMER LIKE OR ANNOYING ACTIONS"

This is the part I think many people misunderstand since there are no clear numbers involved and they believe they should be free to do as they please, in certain areas, "Socially". Listen, if you're blasting post out all day long, sharing everything you see, trying to friend tons of people you don't know everyday, you really need to stop. You are actually misusing, and kind of misunderstanding what Facebook is about. You are also causing the "Anti- Spam" system to flag you for the behavior. There is nothing stopping you from sharing or friending normally and at a relatively steady pace. Take me for example: I never share more than 10 post a day with my friends and no more than 4 a day on my fan pages. I know I can exceed that but I have chosen not to. If I share more than that, I run the risk of most of the post not being seen anyway. Not only that but I may annoy my friends and cause them to start hiding/ rejecting what I post. I also don't send out of the blue friend request to people I haven't spoken to prior or know in real life. 

Facebook's way of handling certain people who have not realized they need to govern their actions a little, is to restrict them, so they get the point and throttle back. When you actually stop and think about it, there is nothing worse than a person who post, shares, likes or friends too much. It can be annoying when one person floods your feed with their actions and content all day long.

What can I do to not receive restrictions or to the get restrictions on my account removed?

All you really need to do to not end up with restrictions on your account is to act human and take things slow. If you have a bunch of stuff you want to share or a bunch of people you want to friend, space it out. Share a little then go do something else of a period of time. Act naturally, not like a bot or a spammer. Also be mindful of what you share. There are many times you may share something that has already been flag. If that's the case and and you've made that mistake too often, you may find you will be flag for sharing the content as well. As far as getting restrictions remove, that can be a hellish task and may result in you being left to wait for the restriction to be removed at the end of the time frame allotted. Facebook isn't too good with customer support and they really don't give users to many options for fighting restrictions such as these.

Resources, Help topics and Additional Information:

Below I am listing all of the information I have compiled on the subject matter. This includes information about Facebook's spam system, their help resources and a few additional tidbits of helpful information. Some of the information is a bit technical in nature but you should read it so that you can try to have a better understanding.

Facebook Help Topics:

Why does Facebook limit the use of certain features and what are the limits?
https://www.facebook.com/help/177066345680802/

I'm blocked from using a feature (ex: sending messages, tagging things, uploading photos, etc.).
https://www.facebook.com/help/116393198446749

I have been blocked from uploading photos.
https://www.facebook.com/help/172960776095154/

I have been blocked from uploading videos.
https://www.facebook.com/help/121965754552741/

You can also be restricted or blocked from commenting if too many other users complain about your comments.

Facebook extends censorship ban to a month
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/facebook/facebook-extends-censorship-ban-to-a-month/13018

Information on Facebook's Fight Against Spam.

A Look At How Facebook Fights Spam
http://www.allspammedup.com/2011/11/a-look-at-how-facebook-fights-spam/

Inside Facebook's massive cyber-security system
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21095-inside-facebooks-massive-cybersecurity-system.html

Fighting spam with pure functions
http://www.facebook.com/notes/facebook-engineering/fighting-spam-with-pure-functions/10151254986618920

The Fight Goes On
http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=58219622130

Updates in Facebook’s Fight Against Spam and Spammers
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=442722120765

Additional Tidbits and Things to be Aware of:

Note 1: - Site-wide Glitches

There are times when Facebook restricts users incorrectly. Sometime the system just goes crazy and starts tossing up security/ restriction prompts for no reason. If you are suffering that, you'll know cause the restrictions will suddenly disappear after a few hours to a day or so. If you believe you have had restrictions place on your account for no reason or as the result of a glitch, you can try to submit a bug report to Facebook.

Report a Bug
https://www.facebook.com/help/326603310765065/

Note 2: - Malware Related Restrictions
Some restrictions might actually have to do with a rogue app or malicious plugin you've mistakenly installed. The rogue app or plugin may be spamming through your account. If this is the case you will need to remove the malware from your computer and Facebook account.

How to Thoroughly Cleanup Your Facebook Account After You’ve Fallen for a Spam Attack.
http://www.scamsniper.info/2013/03/how-to-thoroughly-cleanup-your-facebook.html

Facebook’s Account Restriction Due To Malware.
Example Facebook McAfee Virus Scan
http://www.scamsniper.info/2013/02/facebook-account-lockout-please-run.html

Note 3: - Account locked till you provide your Phone Number. 

Facebook may lock you out of your account and request you provide a credit card or phone number as proof of your identity. If you are locked out in this manner, you will have to provide what is requested to regain access to your account. ( Might I suggest a $7.99 tracfone or other cheap throw-away. )

Why is Facebook asking me to confirm my identity by providing my phone number?
https://www.facebook.com/help/164063606990129/

How do I verify my developer account?
https://www.facebook.com/help/167551763306531/

Stay Safe
~Black Knight

PS> I'm not taking Facebook side in the matter. I'm simply offering an educational perspective on the topic at hand. I've been on the business end of Facebook restrictions in the past. It's no fun. Matter of fact I've actually had my fan pages removed and blocks put on me for sharing. I know what it's like.