New Scam – Better Business Bureau

The Better Business Bureau have been targeted as the latest providers of a “trusted source” for email phishing attempts. Not that the BBB are actually doing something wrong, but have been targeted by the spammers as a face for their campaign due to their trustworthiness, and in this case, the concern that happens when you get an email from them saying something is wrong.

With this latest email (I received 2 today, even though I am not in the US) they use the threat of a complaint against your company to get you to click on a link in the email.

Here is a copy of the email

RE: Case # 18558568
2011/12/20

Hello,

The Better Business Bureau has been filed the above-referenced complaint from one of your clients on the subject of their dealings with you.
The detailed information about the consumer’s concern is presented in enclosed document.
Please give attention to this matter and let us know about your opinion.
We encourage you to open the ATTACHED REPORT to reply this complaint.

We look forward to your prompt response.

Sincerely yours,

Louis Gerald

Dispute Counselor
Better Business Bureau

So again, it is a case of being careful when something like this appears in your mailbox. Don’t panic and click the link to see what the issue is, if in doubt hover over the link and it will tell you in the status bar of your email program the real link that it will take you to.

If it looks in any way suspicious, leave it alone.

Posted in Email and Web Scams | No Comments »

Malware/Phishing Attempt About declined Payment

I have received an email saying that a payment has been declined, as with many of these things, I have nothing to do with the service or vendor concerned and so I automatically think it is a scam.

In this instance it appears to be a phishing scam by trying to trick you to click on an apparent document link that takes to to a webpage.

Other known reports of this (here) talk of zip files being delivered to entice people to run the included .exe file (similar to the UPS scams)

This appears to a bit cleverer as it takes you to a website rather than the hassle of unzipping and running the executable.

The organisation mentioned does not send out these emails and so you can delete with impunity.

Here is the message:

Posted in Email and Web Scams | No Comments »

ANZ Bank Phishing Target Again

These phishing attempts are usually found by my virus scanner, but this one got through.

Anz Bank

We’d like to inform you that your Secure Messages Center has 1 new message.

Please login to your Online Banking and visit the Secure Message Center section in order to
read the message.

Log On to Online Banking.

(The Message Center contains only important information about your account and online banking.)

Copyright Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited ABN 11 005 357 522, 1996-2011.
ANZ’s colour blue is a trade mark of ANZ.

The log on link goes to http:// nogueirametalurgica . com . br/www . anz . com/index . php

This is a typical ploy where they hide the link to a hacked website. Here they have placed a site that looks the same as the target (This time ANZ) and hope that you do not look at the link that appears in the URL section of your browser.

Whenever you get a dodgy email, you can often just hover over the link in the email, and the email program will show you the link that you will be taken to.

If it is anything like this, then stay away

Posted in Email and Web Scams, NZ Industry News | 2 Comments »

Google+ Pages – More Social Real Estate

Deepweb

on Google+

Google has released Pages for Google +

Google+’s Pages are similar to Facebook Pages and allow Brands such as companies, organisations, local businesses, celebrities and other entities to create a presence on Google+

Previously there had been a lot of criticism of Google for not allowing these from the start of Google+. To the point that the “Real Names” policy caused the deletion of some profiles that are now essentially what Google+ Pages is meant for.

Similarly to Facebook Pages, you can add your brief business information and start using Google+ to share information.

There are some key things to note with these Pages

• Google+ Pages can’t add others to their circles (or follow / friend) until those people have added the brand page to their circles (to try and stop spamming)
• As a follow on from the first point, it is more difficult to promote your page without having a personal Google+ account to promote the Page, the more people in your personal account circles the better.
• The profile information is limited, if you want to get more information out there, use links to your website or use the post facility to add them into your stream
• Your personal Google+ profile is your administrator account, you can switch between the two and post as the respective accounts.
• It is important to do the Google+ Direct Connect (this puts you in the running to have the ability to be found on Google Search by adding “+” at the start of your name like a keyword)

It would have been nice to have a connection between your Google Places listing and your Page, I hope this is integrated as this would be a sensible way to combine these common things (maps, business details etc)

It is also a new kid on the block. There are no Apps like in Facebook to add other functionality like E-Commerce, but I expect this will be added later.

Hangouts (where you can host a video chat session) can be a really novel way of interacting with people following your page. I can see this being really good for video training, Q+A sessions and other mass interactions that are currently done via forums, wiki etc.

Posted in Internet Marketing, Social, Web Design | No Comments »

Rugby World Cup – can I say that?

So after 6 or so weeks, the 2011 Rugby World cup finishes with the final tonight pitting the hosts New Zealand against their bogey team France.

Now while I expect the All Blacks to win, I don’t think it will be as easy as some are predicting.

The only way I see the French having achance is if they come out with huge intensity and get over 14 points clear in the first 20 minutes.

Then doubt would come in and spoil the AB’s gameplan.

However, I expect a score of around 25 – 13

Come on NZ, win the tournament playing the best rugby – not just winning rugby, but winning rugby that is entertaining to watch!

Posted in Soapbox | No Comments »