Phishing with Apples
Meier
Posted: Saturday, December 5, 2015 6:00 am
Phishing is the practice of disguising an electronic communication to appear as coming from a trusted or legitimate source, with the objective of tricking the recipient into revealing personal or financial information. Much the same as someone who is fishing dangles fake bait to lure in a fish, phishing uses fake messages to lure in victims.
For the most part, I get phishing reports from folks who get such messages through email. But these fake messages can also come through cellphone text messages, as a Clinton woman discovered to her loss last week.
This woman, we’ll call her Linda, received a text message on her Apple iPhone 5, which told her someone hacked into her phone, and she needed to call Apple at a toll-free number. Linda did as instructed, and reached a man who spoke with a strong Indian accent. He persuaded her to connect her phone to her desktop computer, which allowed him remote access to the computer.
This man showed Linda some files on the computer which “proved” it needed fixing. The man offered her two options. Take the computer to the Apple Store in Jordan Creek Mall in West Des Moines, or allow him to fix it online for $199. Linda decided to take the convenient route, and gave the man her credit card number, which he used to charge her card.
Linda allowed the man to remain logged into her computer, but started to get second thoughts. She called a relative, who told her to disconnect the computer right away (good advice).
The disconnection prompted the scammer to call right back and ask what she did. Linda told him she disconnected because he was a scammer, and she intended to cancel the credit card charge also. The man, who said he worked for Quick Solutions, argued with her, telling her she needed a real good reason to cancel the credit card charge. But by this time, Linda was on her guard, and would not be talked out of her plan. Unfortunately, this was too late. Linda needed to close her credit account as it was compromised. She also needed to take her computer to a local shop to ensure no one installed malicious software, or malware, or spyware, on it. So, more expense and inconvenience.
Linda’s episode is a pretty good example of the harm arising from phishing messages, and how the crooks that run the tech support scam use it to support their fraud.
Remember, if you receive such unsolicited messages by text, email, or voice message, it’s pretty hard to tell just from the message if it is legitimate. If the message wants you to do something, take the time to contact the company or organization that supposedly sent the message, and ask if they sent the message. Don’t call the number on the message. Use your research to find out a real number for the company.
As another example of this, it is common for scammers to send out voice messages claiming to be from a bank, telling customers they need to verify their debit card number, or call in because of some issue with the debit card. Ignore those calls. All the bankers I spoke with tell me they do not ask for such information through text messages or emails.
Charitable giving
The end of the calendar year often prods people to tidy up their tax year by making charitable donations. It is also at this holiday time of year when many organizations make fund-raising appeals. I can offer some general advice on giving:
n Decide where your passion is, research what organization does the best job furthering that mission and support that charity. For example, if your passion is to support humanitarian relief overseas, be diligent and find out the top organizations serving in that field and support them.
n Do the research. Charities or non-profits are required to file reports with the Internal Revenue Service. Several groups review all these reports and evaluate and rank charities as to how effectively they serve their mission. I recommend checking out Charity Navigator, Charity Watch or Guidestar. These groups look at things like how much do the charities pay their officers, how much do they spend on fundraising and overhead, or how transparent is their reporting. You can even go to the Internal Revenue Service website and search out the charity’s filing with that agency.
n Think about local charities. Often you will see the results of their programs right in front of you, and quickly.
One of the worst ways to give is to wait for the direct mail fund-raising appeals, and give just a little money to each one, without checking them out. This is a great way to ensure your name will go on lots of direct mail lists, so if you are looking forward to receiving six or 10 pieces of junk mail every day, I recommend this method.
Contact Seniors Vs. Crime
Let me know about scams, fraud or other crookedness you run across. Most of what I learn, I learn from you. Contact me at Seniors vs. Crime, Clinton County Sheriff’s Office, 242-9211, Ext. 4433, or email me at randymeier@gapa911.us
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Saturday, December 5, 2015 6:00 am.