I got an education today on something called "Vishing." Luckily, my persistent paranoia about online fraud saved me from falling for the trap. I use an excellent service called Constant Contact to send out e-newsletters. The company maintains an impeccable reputation. So it's no surprise that some scum out there used them to try and scam me out of credit card and other personal info. Someone claiming to be a Constant Contact consultant called me the other day to see how I was enjoying their services. She identified herself by name and gave me an 800 number to call if I should have any questions or problems. Take note, that on Constant Contact's website, ALL toll-free support numbers are "866" NOT "800." I noticed this discrepancy immediately.

Then a few days later I received an email from the person who had called claiming to offer a special deal on annual services (25% off). In order to accept the offer, I needed to call the same 800 number she gave me earlier. I did not call. This morning, I received another email from her with the same offer, but now instead of ending at the end of this month, the offer expires on June 15th. THIS is what confirmed for me that this was indeed a scam. Who has a sale and then changes the terms midway thru? BTW, there is NO mention of this offer anywhere on Constant Contacts website. RED FLAG, WARNING, WARNING ...

I immediately contacted customer support through the Constant Contact website and they were just excellent. They wanted to know everything and asked that I forward the last suspicious email. They said they will contact me as soon as they know more and thanked me for reporting the fraud.

BE WARNED, phishers have moved on and are now using vishing - fake 800 numbers to lure victims into disclosing vital personal info. Don't be fooled! ALWAYS protect your personal info and disclose it ONLY when logged in to the official website of the place of business, be it a bank, paypal, ebay, wherever you go online. If you are unsure, ALWAYS call the support number on the business's official website to inquire about email offers or requests for info.

I'm a fanatic about never giving out personal info. When I injured my back last year, I managed to use the services of a G.P., an orthopedist, an MRI facility, and a physical therapist without giving anyone my social security number. When I see that line on a form, I leave it blank. It's that simple.

Here's an interesting article about Vishing from the McAfee site. Be on the lookout for thieves, because they are certainly on the lookout for you!

Dial V for Vish
April 1st, 2008 CST
In a natural evolution of phishing, Internet scamsters are switching to "Vishing" — short for “voice phishing” in order to steal user information. Vishing combines the use of Voice over IP (VoIP) phones along with clever social engineering to gain access to personal and financial details of the victim by exploiting the perceived trust in traditional telephone services.

With increased user education about Internet scams, people are more aware of the fact that an e-mail containing a URL could be malicious in nature. Instead of using a misdirected Web link to some phony banking sites to steal user information, fraudsters are luring victims to something more credible like calling a toll free number and having an automated recording asking for account information.

Potential victims would get the usual convincing e-mail phish conjured to look like a genuine complaint. But instead of being directed to a website to resolve the pending issue, they are given a phone number to call. Those who call the “customer service” number are greeted with a pirated recording of an automated voice system for the targeted financial institution and are requested to enter their card number in order to authenticate. They are then led through a series of voice-prompted menus that ask for PIN codes, card expiration date, date of birth and other critical information. Once the victim enters these details, the visher has enough information to use it for identity theft and make fraudulent use of the information.

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www.DanielPutkowski.com

trudie, what's even scarier is that the identity theft i went thru a few years ago happened without the thieves ever coming within 5 miles of me, calling me, mailing me, searching my trash, getting an atm number, or, phishing, scamming or spamming my computer. they found a way thru a flaw in one of the cell phone systems (not the one i was using) to punch in an arbitrary 9 digit number and get your name. the 9 digit number was your social security number. (sounds like science fiction but i am getting all of the court papers as each one goes to trial) with a name you can use the phone book and voila, you have all you need. you never have to take it directly from the victim.

now if that isn't scary i don't know what is.

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Oh boy. Did anyone try to use your info to open a credit card account or anything like that? What a nightmare. BTW, I was just talking to a friend and telling her my vishing story and she's like - OMG, I got a call yesterday from someone who said they worked for Network Solutions customer service and offered me an 800 number if I needed future assistance. My friend uses Network Solutions to host her website. Geeeez ... these people sound totally professional when they call too. I can only imagine how many people are getting scammed :-(

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Paradise, But Not for Amateurs ... Are You Ready?
www.DanielPutkowski.com

they got instant credit from sears but the day after when sears was processing their card it popped up some sort of red flag. they called me. i verified i hadn't been there. sears had to absorb any losses since they gave the instant credit. they basically picked the wrong store. that started their downfall but the disgusting thing is that i had to do it all on my own at first because the county police took a report at my house but never filed it. it wasn't investigated until a few months later. i sort of got a few cops in deep trouble because of it.

just remember... you must immediately file a police report. you must follow thru on it an make sure they have filed the report once they got back to their precinct. you must get some copies of that police report because experian and the others will not put security measures on your account without it. you also must change all passwords and open new savings and checking accounts. password your accounts so that until each teller recognizes you, they will demand the password for anything other than a deposit. you must contact your credit card company and get new cards.

the people that do these things are very smooth. even though there is always a fool in the group that screws up, by that time you can easily be in deep trouble.

i would suggest that you contact the police in your area and let them know what happened. they may take it very lightly because it is property crime but you still need to do it. that is to protect yourself in case they got information without you even realizing it. you also need to warn others. posting on this board is a good start because you warn people who will warn others.

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