The Federal Trade Commission announced today that the agency has received the 2008 HP/IAPP Privacy Innovation Award for excellence in protecting personally identifiable information. The annual award is sponsored by Hewlett-Packard and the world's largest association of privacy professionals, the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).
"To be recognized by the privacy industry for our efforts to protect personal information, and to have earned the industry's premier award, is a true honor,"FTC Chairman William E. Kovacic said, noting the leadership of the Commission's Chief Privacy Officer, Marc Groman, in spearheading the agency's privacy program. "Privacy considerations are woven into every aspect of our work," Kovacic added.
During this year's Privacy Week at the Commission, employees disposed of unnecessary paper and electronic files with personally identifiable information and certified that remaining information was stored securely. It was the first-ever mandatory event of its kind in the federal government. More than 30 federal agencies have requested copies of the Commission's materials on privacy protection, including the Department of Homeland Security, and many of them have incorporated the FTC's materials into their own programs. Americans surveyed by the Poneman Institute have rated the FTC as one of the most-trusted federal agencies for privacy protection.IAPP Board President Sandra Hughes lauded the FTC for emphasizing the importance of protecting information assets.
Posted on Wednesday, September 24, 2008
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From The Desk Of: Dr. JACOB, OSWEGO
The Project Director of the Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) .
Lagos-Nigeria.
ATTENTION: SIR,
I am Dr. JACOB, OSWEGO ,Project Director and Chairman of the Tender Committee of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) .My Committee is principally concerned with payment of all contract awarded from 1998 to date, in order of priority as regard capital projects of the NNPC. The information we gathered from the Foreign Office ofthe Nigeria Chambers of Commerce and Industries is so positive as to convince us that you could provide us with solution to a money transfer deal valued at Thirty One Million United States Dollars and subsequently a joint business venture. In the course of our duties as values, and project inspectors for the on-going liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project, we have over-invoiced the value of some jobs done by foreign contractors for the NNPC to the tune of US$31M. As follows: Computer optimization and Installation $16,000.000.00 Installation of 250,000.00,Monax Turbine$10,000.000.00,Turn Around.
Maintenance $5,000,000.00 Our aim of over-invoicing this payment is to divert the excess amount to a discrete account abroad.This fund is now floating in suspense account at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) . This is the fund my myself and colleagues have decided to transfer into your account since we, as civil servants are not allowed to operate or own foreign account .The money will be shared as follows after transfer:30% for you (Account Owner) 60% for me and my colleagues,10% for reimbursement for both local and international expenses that Would be incurred in the course of this transaction. To be able to claim the funds, we will be purporting your name and a company name to be the original contractor/ beneficiary of the funds so that all procedures for international transfer shall be strictly transfer. If this proposal satisfies you, please contact me through , with ,Account numberTel/Fax Telex of bank,with your personal Phone/Fax Numbers for easy communication. This transaction will last for 14 working days from the time we submit the required information,as all modalities concerning this transaction have been worked out and it is completely risk free. Please be informed that this subject is classified sensitive. Therefore treat the transaction with utmost confidentiality and urgency.
Yours Faithfully.
Dr. GODWIN, OBIEGO
The Project Director and Chairman
Tender Committee of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
Lagos-Nigeria.
The Project Director of the Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) .
Lagos-Nigeria.
ATTENTION: SIR,
I am Dr. JACOB, OSWEGO ,Project Director and Chairman of the Tender Committee of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) .My Committee is principally concerned with payment of all contract awarded from 1998 to date, in order of priority as regard capital projects of the NNPC. The information we gathered from the Foreign Office ofthe Nigeria Chambers of Commerce and Industries is so positive as to convince us that you could provide us with solution to a money transfer deal valued at Thirty One Million United States Dollars and subsequently a joint business venture. In the course of our duties as values, and project inspectors for the on-going liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project, we have over-invoiced the value of some jobs done by foreign contractors for the NNPC to the tune of US$31M. As follows: Computer optimization and Installation $16,000.000.00 Installation of 250,000.00,Monax Turbine$10,000.000.00,Turn Around.
Maintenance $5,000,000.00 Our aim of over-invoicing this payment is to divert the excess amount to a discrete account abroad.This fund is now floating in suspense account at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) . This is the fund my myself and colleagues have decided to transfer into your account since we, as civil servants are not allowed to operate or own foreign account .The money will be shared as follows after transfer:30% for you (Account Owner) 60% for me and my colleagues,10% for reimbursement for both local and international expenses that Would be incurred in the course of this transaction. To be able to claim the funds, we will be purporting your name and a company name to be the original contractor/ beneficiary of the funds so that all procedures for international transfer shall be strictly transfer. If this proposal satisfies you, please contact me through , with ,Account numberTel/Fax Telex of bank,with your personal Phone/Fax Numbers for easy communication. This transaction will last for 14 working days from the time we submit the required information,as all modalities concerning this transaction have been worked out and it is completely risk free. Please be informed that this subject is classified sensitive. Therefore treat the transaction with utmost confidentiality and urgency.
Yours Faithfully.
Dr. GODWIN, OBIEGO
The Project Director and Chairman
Tender Committee of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
Lagos-Nigeria.
Labels: Nigerian Scam
Posted on Thursday, September 18, 2008
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Bank of America tips off police after suspect allegedly uses New York man's card.
HAZEL PARK - Police say a Hazel Park woman living in a squalid basement stole about $20,000 in an ATM credit card scam targeting more than two dozen people from across the country.
The woman became involved with an unknown Nigerian man through the Internet in early 2007 and police said he arranged to have the ATM cards sent to her address.
Jailed on a $75,000 cash bond, Deborah Roggero, 52, faces a preliminary hearing today in Hazel Park 43rd District Court on three counts of stealing a financial transaction device.
Hazel Park police and the Oakland County Narcotic Enforcement Team last Wednesday raided the house where Roggero lives in the 300 block of West Woodruff.
Police said they seized four computers, eight credit cards, 10 PIN numbers for people's bank cards, 50 narcotic prescription pills and a small amount of marijuana.
Hazel Park Police learned of the scam last month when the Bank of America alerted them about someone using an ATM card issued to a man who lives near Albany, N.Y., at a bank machine in Hazel Park, said Detective Bruce Arthur.
Bank of America in June had contacted Hazel Park police when they noticed dozens of their ATM card holders from as far away as Texas and California were reporting their cards stolen and suddenly asking for new cards to be sent to Roggero's address in Hazel Park.
"People purporting to be the card holders were calling the bank saying they wanted new cards issued because they had been lost or stolen," Arthur said. "Bank of America received numerous requests for bank cards to be sent to Roggero's address."
After police learned of the New York man's fraudulent ATM card use at a bank in Hazel Park they got a surveillance photo of the suspect at the bank's ATM making the fraudulent transaction, police said.
"We matched her photo with an old arrest card photo," Arthur said. "We also had her address from all the ATM cards that had been mailed there."
Roggero lives in the basement of a house occupied by her ex-husband and two adult sons, police said.
The legitimate cardholders were duped in e-mails by someone falsely claiming to be the bank.
"They would ask (the cardholders) to update their online banking information and click on a link to provide new security codes," Arthur said. "That allowed whoever was doing this to access all the victim's banking account information and numbers."
ATM cards from victims began to be mailed to Ruggero's address early this year, he added.
Some of the ATM scam also involved several Chase bank card holders.
"The suspect told us she was going to marry this guy from Nigeria that she met online," Arthur said. "But they had never met each other or ever talked on the phone."
Roggero told police she joined an online chat room called American Nigerian Love Group about two years ago and eventually became emotionally involved with the man who was sending her the ATM cards, police said.
The suspect is currently on probation for a 2007 bad check conviction in Huntington Woods. Her hearing in the stolen ATM card case is scheduled for 1 p.m. today in Hazel Park District Court. Each of the three felony charges against her is punishable by up to four years in prison.
By Michael P. McConnell
www.dailytribune.com
HAZEL PARK - Police say a Hazel Park woman living in a squalid basement stole about $20,000 in an ATM credit card scam targeting more than two dozen people from across the country.
The woman became involved with an unknown Nigerian man through the Internet in early 2007 and police said he arranged to have the ATM cards sent to her address.
Jailed on a $75,000 cash bond, Deborah Roggero, 52, faces a preliminary hearing today in Hazel Park 43rd District Court on three counts of stealing a financial transaction device.
Hazel Park police and the Oakland County Narcotic Enforcement Team last Wednesday raided the house where Roggero lives in the 300 block of West Woodruff.
Police said they seized four computers, eight credit cards, 10 PIN numbers for people's bank cards, 50 narcotic prescription pills and a small amount of marijuana.
Hazel Park Police learned of the scam last month when the Bank of America alerted them about someone using an ATM card issued to a man who lives near Albany, N.Y., at a bank machine in Hazel Park, said Detective Bruce Arthur.
Bank of America in June had contacted Hazel Park police when they noticed dozens of their ATM card holders from as far away as Texas and California were reporting their cards stolen and suddenly asking for new cards to be sent to Roggero's address in Hazel Park.
"People purporting to be the card holders were calling the bank saying they wanted new cards issued because they had been lost or stolen," Arthur said. "Bank of America received numerous requests for bank cards to be sent to Roggero's address."
After police learned of the New York man's fraudulent ATM card use at a bank in Hazel Park they got a surveillance photo of the suspect at the bank's ATM making the fraudulent transaction, police said.
"We matched her photo with an old arrest card photo," Arthur said. "We also had her address from all the ATM cards that had been mailed there."
Roggero lives in the basement of a house occupied by her ex-husband and two adult sons, police said.
The legitimate cardholders were duped in e-mails by someone falsely claiming to be the bank.
"They would ask (the cardholders) to update their online banking information and click on a link to provide new security codes," Arthur said. "That allowed whoever was doing this to access all the victim's banking account information and numbers."
ATM cards from victims began to be mailed to Ruggero's address early this year, he added.
Some of the ATM scam also involved several Chase bank card holders.
"The suspect told us she was going to marry this guy from Nigeria that she met online," Arthur said. "But they had never met each other or ever talked on the phone."
Roggero told police she joined an online chat room called American Nigerian Love Group about two years ago and eventually became emotionally involved with the man who was sending her the ATM cards, police said.
The suspect is currently on probation for a 2007 bad check conviction in Huntington Woods. Her hearing in the stolen ATM card case is scheduled for 1 p.m. today in Hazel Park District Court. Each of the three felony charges against her is punishable by up to four years in prison.
By Michael P. McConnell
www.dailytribune.com
Labels: ATM Scam
Posted on Tuesday, September 9, 2008
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Source: Courant.com
What will they think of next?
We're all familiar with e-mail spam offering prescription drugs, cut-rate software and herbal potions.
But spammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in delivering ploys intended to dupe people into divulging personal information. Some of their most recent innovations are traps for people who might be seeking help with drug or alcohol addiction.
A recent report from Symantec Corp., the Cupertino, Calif.-based developer of Norton AntiVirus software and other programs, says that unsolicited e-mails offering information about alcohol or drug rehabilitation services could very well be spam.
Appearing new this summer was e-mail with the subject lines "Get help today with Drug Rehab Info" or "Overcome Alcoholism Today" illustrated with photographs of people who seem depressed, the Symantec report said.
"It's one of their more sinister attacks," said Dermot Harnett, the report's editor. "If you open it, it will bring you to a sign-up page asking for your name, address and e-mail information. It's the first step in trying to get credit card information."
Besides the innovations, the overall volume of spam is up, too. In July 2007, about 66 percent of all e-mail messages were spam, the report said. This year, the figure rose to 78 percent.
You may think it's all coming from overseas, but according to Symantec, Americans are the biggest offenders. In July, the largest amount of spam — 27 percent — originated in the U.S., followed by Turkey and Russia, which tied at 7 percent, the report said.
The bulk of that e-mail contained phony offers or nasty computer viruses, Harnett said.
In an attempt to spread Trojan viruses, which can delete files or turn your computer into a spam-spewing zombie or snatch your e-mail addresses, spammers resort to both old and new ploys.
Some new spam tapped into consumer concerns over the mortgage crisis, high fuel prices and interest in current events. Some spammers disguised their missives as news alerts from legitimate news organizations.
In a particularly insidious example, spammers sent a message proclaiming the start of World War III. The e-mail contained what appeared to be a video link showing a mushroom cloud from a nuclear explosion. When recipients tried to play the video, they got a computer virus instead, the report said.
"They're taking advantage of social issues. They're reaching out and sending things that would catch people's eyes," said Dmitri Donskoy, senior software developer at Checkfree Corp. in Wallingford, Conn.
"The purpose of spam has changed over the last decade," Donskoy said. "It originally started out as people flexing their intellectual or programming abilities. Now it's migrated into more money-making schemes."
This summer, e-mails promising nonstop online gambling fun, free products and up-to-the-minute information on U.S. presidential candidates topped the list of "phishing" and "brand spoofing" schemes, both intended to collect personal information from unsuspecting consumers, the report said.
"Spammers are in there to make money," Hartnett said. "They're going to try any angle."
Donsky gave this advice: Don't open any links or attachments in e-mail unless you know the sender. And even if it appears as if you're getting an e-mail form a bank or some other familiar institution, do not click on embedded links.
"Always use your own links you have stored," he said.
What will they think of next?
We're all familiar with e-mail spam offering prescription drugs, cut-rate software and herbal potions.
But spammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in delivering ploys intended to dupe people into divulging personal information. Some of their most recent innovations are traps for people who might be seeking help with drug or alcohol addiction.
A recent report from Symantec Corp., the Cupertino, Calif.-based developer of Norton AntiVirus software and other programs, says that unsolicited e-mails offering information about alcohol or drug rehabilitation services could very well be spam.
Appearing new this summer was e-mail with the subject lines "Get help today with Drug Rehab Info" or "Overcome Alcoholism Today" illustrated with photographs of people who seem depressed, the Symantec report said.
"It's one of their more sinister attacks," said Dermot Harnett, the report's editor. "If you open it, it will bring you to a sign-up page asking for your name, address and e-mail information. It's the first step in trying to get credit card information."
Besides the innovations, the overall volume of spam is up, too. In July 2007, about 66 percent of all e-mail messages were spam, the report said. This year, the figure rose to 78 percent.
You may think it's all coming from overseas, but according to Symantec, Americans are the biggest offenders. In July, the largest amount of spam — 27 percent — originated in the U.S., followed by Turkey and Russia, which tied at 7 percent, the report said.
The bulk of that e-mail contained phony offers or nasty computer viruses, Harnett said.
In an attempt to spread Trojan viruses, which can delete files or turn your computer into a spam-spewing zombie or snatch your e-mail addresses, spammers resort to both old and new ploys.
Some new spam tapped into consumer concerns over the mortgage crisis, high fuel prices and interest in current events. Some spammers disguised their missives as news alerts from legitimate news organizations.
In a particularly insidious example, spammers sent a message proclaiming the start of World War III. The e-mail contained what appeared to be a video link showing a mushroom cloud from a nuclear explosion. When recipients tried to play the video, they got a computer virus instead, the report said.
"They're taking advantage of social issues. They're reaching out and sending things that would catch people's eyes," said Dmitri Donskoy, senior software developer at Checkfree Corp. in Wallingford, Conn.
"The purpose of spam has changed over the last decade," Donskoy said. "It originally started out as people flexing their intellectual or programming abilities. Now it's migrated into more money-making schemes."
This summer, e-mails promising nonstop online gambling fun, free products and up-to-the-minute information on U.S. presidential candidates topped the list of "phishing" and "brand spoofing" schemes, both intended to collect personal information from unsuspecting consumers, the report said.
"Spammers are in there to make money," Hartnett said. "They're going to try any angle."
Donsky gave this advice: Don't open any links or attachments in e-mail unless you know the sender. And even if it appears as if you're getting an e-mail form a bank or some other familiar institution, do not click on embedded links.
"Always use your own links you have stored," he said.
Labels: 419 scam, Nigerian Scam, spam, spam news
Posted on Tuesday, September 2, 2008
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International money transfer scam targeted Lynne's small business
Emails were sent back and forth over some weeks to organise details and costs. The travel agent didn't seem to mind what dates were available and they didn't hesitate to agree to the first price offered by Lynne. The travel agent from Bali even agreed to pay the full amount in advance with their Japanese client's credit card. They asked what there was to see in the area, but didn't appear very interested in any details.
Lynne suggested that the Japanese couples pay via PayPal, but the travel agent claimed they couldn't use it, and instead sent the Japanese couples credit card details via email. When Lynne tried to process the booking, the credit card transaction was declined by the bank.
Lynne said in hindsight, the most suspicious factor was that the supposed travel agent wanted the Japanese clients to pay us the total amount, and then wanted us to pass on the commission to the agent’.
The scammers had used credit card details stolen from Japanese tourists who had been travelling in Bali. They were hoping that Lynne would send the 'commission' to them following their fake booking.
'It was interesting how elaborate the whole scheme was. Some of the emails from the scammers pretending to be from the Japanese couple were lengthy and spoke more about themselves and their relationship with the travel agent, trying to justify their connection' said Lynne.
Ultimately, Lynne didn't lose money to the scam, but there are plenty of small businesses around that may have.
Posted on Monday, September 22, 2008