Europol, FBI taken down Virtual Private Netwok VPL Lab used by cybercriminals and ransomware operations; took down 15 servers

FBI warn of malicious QR codes used by crypto scammers

Interpol hits Nigerian BEC group Silver Terrier; targeted 50,000; user names and passwords of 800,000 located; 11 arrested

Russia arrests those operating REvil ransomware; took in $200 million

Review and Recommendation:  The Glorious Cause, by Robert Hiddlekauff. This volume of the Oxford History of the United States covers the American Revolution through the drafting and adoption of the Constitution.   It is a very interesting and enthralling account of the ideals, incredible bravery, and long odds that faced early America.  This stands in sharp contrast to snarky history for the uneducated too often based on history books by Howard Zinn. 

Full report here

FBI warns scammers get telephone numbers from sellers on sites; ask seller to prove they are real with a Google voice authentication code; use those codes to get a Google voice phone number for themselves to do other scams, get access to gmail accounts

Review and Recommendation:  I recently watched the original Rocky again.  There is actually very little boxing in it. What makes it a classic is the portrayal of a working class young man who works to gain confidence and build a relationship against tough odds.

Scam fighters pull together.    In these divided times, it has been great to see so many people, from all over the world, some in law enforcement and many just because it is the right thing to do, work together to fight the criminals who often prey on those least able to afford the money stolen from them.  

BBB Studies. Here are links to the study topics of my studies: puppy fraud, romance fraud; BEC fraud, sweepstakes/lottery fraud,  tech support fraud, romance fraud money mules, crooked movers, government imposters, online vehicle sale scams, rental fraud, gift cards,  job scams, and online shopping fraud.

Full report here

Pet Scams continue to increase over holidays

BBB Studies. Here are links to the study topics of my studies: puppy fraud, romance fraud; BEC fraud, sweepstakes/lottery fraud,  tech support fraud, romance fraud money mules, crooked movers, government imposters, online vehicle sale scams, rental fraud, gift cards,  job scams, and online shopping fraud.

Full report here

Wishing all of you a wonderful Christmas with your loved ones!

Review and recommendation:  I just finished Pandemia, by Alex Berenson, and this apparently tops the NYT best seller list.  I’ve followed Alex through the pandemic, and he has been a close and thoughtful observer of the many mistakes we’ve made throughout its course.  As citizens it is our duty to be informed on important issues, and The Science is, of course and necessarily, a function of learning, disputing, and testing hypotheses.

BBB Studies. Here are links to the study topics of my studies: puppy fraud, romance fraud; BEC fraud, sweepstakes/lottery fraud,  tech support fraud, romance fraud money mules, crooked movers, government imposters, online vehicle sale scams, rental fraud, gift cards,  job scams, and online shopping fraud.

Full report here

BBC:  Two year investigation, leaked documents, show scope of activity by Nigerian violent gang Black Axe around the world

Question of the week:  What is happening with emails claiming I’m being charged for renewing Anti-virus programs I’ve never had?  I get on average three of these a week, supposedly from Norton, Geek Squad, or other companies.  They have a phone number to call.  Who is behind these, and what is the scam?

BBB Studies. Here are links to the study topics of my studies: puppy fraud, romance fraud; BEC fraud, sweepstakes/lottery fraud,  tech support fraud, romance fraud money mules, crooked movers, government imposters, online vehicle sale scams, rental fraud, gift cards,  job scams, and online shopping fraud.

Full Report here

Top Stories
DOJ announces 2021 money mule initiative; action against 4750 in ten week effort; more than 30 charged criminally
DOJ official’s  blog on this effort
 
BBB updates pet scam study

• Fake web sites use Christmas theme
• Complaints continue to increase dramatically

 
New FTC spotlight looks at scam losses paid by gift card

• $148 million lost first nine months of 2021, more than all 2020
• Target gift cards most popular, more than twice any other brand
• Scammers send victims to Target stores to buy them
• Median amount of loss to Target cards $2500; twice that for others

Thieves attach $29 Apple Tags to luxury vehicles in parking lots; find home location at night and steal the cars; send location to iPhones

Full report here

Top Stories

My new BBB study on online shopping fraud

• Biggest overall source of complaints to the BBB
• Break down into several categories
• Pet scams 30%, nonexistent vehicle scams, free trial offers
• Biggest category is items sold on Facebook/Instagram
• Nothing delivered, counterfeits, or cheap knockoffs instead
• Payment by credit card or PayPal
• Web sites often pretend to be in the US, items mailed from China

Europol announces actions against money mules in 27 countries; 1800 arrested; 18,000 identified

Thought of the week:  Who is behind the scams?    For example, we know many/most lottery scams are conducted from Jamaica, Romanian gangs are deeply involved in selling nonexistent vehicles online and in ATM skimming, and free trial offer scams usually emanate from the US and Canada.  Where law enforcement knows who is behind the scams, they can focus their efforts to fight it better.  So I try to give the best information available about who the scammers are.  This is an organized industry and there is a need to focus if we are to fight it.  Of course nothing on criminal groups can suggest that the broader populations of countries are complicit in the scams, any more than the presence of Al Capone in Chicago tells you anything about the character of the its citizens.   In these sensitive times there is a temptation to disguise countries where the scams flourish to avoid the potential of being accused of giving offense.   But crime exists, it tends to concentrate in specific places, and law enforcement both in those countries and elsewhere need the best information available to combat it.

Full study here

Scammers now calling claiming to be the bank, claim your account has been hacked, and you need to move money over to Zelle, crooks then steal it; also, if transactions are unauthorized banks must refund victims under Reg E; CFPB looking into payment apps

Note of the week:  I hope all will have a great time with your families and those you love as the US celebrates Thanksgiving. 

BBB Studies. Here are links to the study topics of my studies: puppy fraud, romance fraud; BEC fraud, sweepstakes/lottery fraud,  tech support fraud, romance fraud money mules, crooked movers, government imposters, online vehicle sale scams, rental fraud, gift cards and job scams.

Full report here

New study on how the pandemic has affected online fraud and policing in Europe

Europol releases 2021 organized crime threat assessment; cybercrime is flourishing

FBI says it has fixed error that allowed someone to send 100,000 emails from their system

BBB Studies. Here are links to the study topics of my studies: puppy fraud, romance fraud; BEC fraud, sweepstakes/lottery fraud,  tech support fraud, romance fraud money mules, crooked movers, government imposters, online vehicle sale scams, rental fraud, gift cards and job scams.

Full report here

Top Stories

FBI’s Internet crime complaint Center warns of bitcoin ATM’s

• Scammers have victims supply cash
• Provide victims with a QR code to direct payment to scammers
• Using these in romance scams, lottery scams, and government impersonation

DOJ indicts two Ukrainians for ransomware; one arrested in Poland

Tip of the week:   When you get dodgy emails, such as those telling you you’re being billed for an antivirus program you’ve never received, or those that come from a bank saying you need to reset your password, look carefully at the email address.  This is harder to do when you’re using your phone. Most of the time the email address itself is odd, and it is clear that it is not coming from where it claims.  This may seem simple and obvious, but educating people about this option might save people from being scammed.

Review and recommendation:  I recently reread Ray Bradbury’s Dandelion wine.  It is one summer’s experiences by a ten year old boy in Green Town, Illinois.   The story on new tennis shoes alone is worth the reading.  It will make you wriggle your toes.  And not all is happy.  It is a classic and I highly recommend it.

Full report here