Shameless Online Scammers Exploit Japan Quake
According to security firm McAfee, within hours after the quake hit, unscrupulous cyber criminals had begun designing online scams with the intention of preying on people's good will. One such scam involves sending out fake "donate" emails that appear to come from legitimate organizations, when in fact they really link to sites setup to steal your credit card information and other personal details.
If you plan to donate to Japan's earthquake relief efforts, be sure to visit sites like the Red Cross directly rather than click on links in email.
Other tricks include malicious videos and images. As you're searching the Internet for news and updates on the quake and subsequent fallout, there's a chance you could run into a link that downloads malware to your machine. And of course there's the social media attacks that involve posting donation requests and links to malware on social networking sites.
McAfee says there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. For one, don't respond to a donation request that arrives in your inbox or via instant message. Instead, go directly to a reputed agency like the Red Cross by manually inputting the URL into your browser. Be suspicious of any links that promise "dramatic video" or images, and keep in mind that anyone can register a .org address,.
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I am disappointed in the criminal's personally, could they not get creative rather than continually using the same tactics to rip people off. This junks been around since the Kournikova click through virus pictures come on! |
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I despise people who profit off tragedy how low can you go to you hit bottom! Pretty damn low! |
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Maybe some one should tell the media this as well? |
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You mean like how defense contractors do it in Iraq and Afghanistan? |
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Pretty common sense stuff really. Just visit https://www.RedCross.org and make sure the url is actually spelt right. For added protection ensure that you have a secure connection (look for http s in the url bar) when making any donations online. If a charity site doesn't have a ssl or a secure connection, that should raise flags as to whether it's a legitimate site or not. |
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These people have no feeling, its even pointless to even talk about it... |
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This is pretty low in my book. Some people have no heart but I do believe in carma. |
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I wonder how much these people make doing things like this. Is a sleazy $500 worth defrauding people in need? |
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such kind words from a guy that runs a scam "real privacy application" website. zengxeng, you're in the same bowl as those maggots that post fake quake donation ads... |
Ha-Ha! He's deleted and marked to be banned. This is better than the smell of Napalm in the morning! |
ACinca:
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Nice grab ACinca and realneil, ban the maggots! |
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Good Bret Easton Ellis essay discusses shamelessness in post-Empire U.S.: |
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Here is the link for the American Red Cross to donate funds apparently they can deliver about .91 cents on every dollar donated ..pretty darn good if you ask me. |
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People who do this sort of crime should be shot. |
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