How to Avoid Internet Fraud When Holiday Shopping Online

With the holiday season rapidly approaching, more and more consumers will be turning to the Web to purchase gifts for family and friends. According to the National Retail Federation, nearly half of consumers plan to use the Internet to purchase holiday gifts this year. But these shoppers need to be aware and prepared for a very real concern when surfing the Web -- online fraud.

In conjunction with International Fraud Awareness Week (November 8 to 14), AutoTrader.com, is setting out to help educate consumers on how to protect themselves when shopping online.

"The Internet has made shopping easier than ever, even for high-ticket items such as homes and vehicles," says Sid Kirchheimer, author of Scam Proof Your Life. "But with this increased convenience comes a growing number of scams, especially during the busy holiday shopping season, and there's a greater need for people to learn what to look out for and how to protect themselves."

Kirchheimer offers the following online fraud awareness tips when shopping online:

• Research Prices. When researching cars and other big-ticket items for sale online, similar items typically fall into a general price range. If one falls way below that range, be suspicious. Scammers use ridiculously low prices to lure consumers to their ads. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.

• Don't Fall For Sob Stories. Beware of "act now" low-ball price offers accompanied with a story that speaks of some hardship on the seller's part -- such as a soldier needing to sell a car quickly before being deploying to Iraq, or a recent divorcee wanting to sell her husband's belongings. These bogus ruses usually just empty your wallet, as the items typically don't exist.

• Don't Rush. A seller pushing to rush a transaction could be trying to prey on a consumer's desire for the item.

• Watch for "Scammer Grammar." Many scammers posting fraudulent ads are based overseas, and English is not their native tongue. In online ads or in email correspondence, watch for frequent misspellings, misused words or other errors not likely to be made by someone fluent in English.

• Make Phone Contact. Be suspicious of sellers who want to correspond only by email -- and are not willing to provide a telephone contact number.

• No Wire Transfers! A wire transfer is the quickest way to lose money -- especially if it's sent overseas, outside the jurisdiction of U.S. officials. If buying a car or another large item locally, make an in-person transaction with cash, money order or another method sanctioned by a bank. If buying from a more distant seller, talk to a bank or reputable escrow service about ways to safely conduct this transaction.

• Never Go Alone. When meeting a seller to look at a car or other big-ticket items or to conclude the transaction, always go with a friend and, if possible, meet in a public place during the day.

• Don't Go Off-Site. Many scammers cruise reputable online auction sites, but may entice you to go offline for a similar item. Others will email a link to another site, claiming that it is helping with the transaction. But once you leave a reputable site, your vulnerability to a financial swindle or identity theft increases.

• See the Product. Many scammers post ads for cars and other items that don't even exist -- they simply steal the pictures and descriptions from other sources. When buying any high-ticket item, insist that you see it in person, get proof it is owned by the seller and be able to have it inspected before any money is exchanged.

• Use Common Sense. If a shopping experience does not feel right, pay attention to the warning signs and verify that the site and seller are safe before proceeding with the transaction.

"It's easy to fall into a trap when shopping online if you're not prepared or don't know what to look out for," said Keely Funkhouser, director of fraud prevention strategies at AutoTrader.com. "But by following just a few simple tips, consumers can be more confident and careful when using the Web to make any online purchases."

Bank of Israel Warns Public To Beware of Phishing Scam

The Bank of Israel warned the public Tuesday to be wary of a phishing scam in which hackers lure people via e-mail to a fake central-bank Web site to update confidential information about their bank accounts.

"In recent days, e-mail messages have been circulated in the name of the Bank of Israel, requesting that the recipients link to a Web site that looks almost identical to the central bank's Web site, on which they are asked to fill in personal data," theBank of Israel said in a statement. "The Bank of Israel, which does not deal with or manage individual bank accounts, is not sending out requests to link to this site for the purpose of filling out personal information such as credit-card numbers or any other passwords."

The central bank said people should be alert and not give out confidential information.

Phishing is a form of online fraud that is typically carried out by e-mail or instant messaging. It directs users to enter details at a fake Web site. Thepersonal information requested often includes user names and passwords of bank accounts, which the phishers can then use for identity theft.

The Bank of Israel said e-mails from a fake central-bank address (service@bankisrael.gov.il) have been sent out in recent days, asking the recipients to enter a Web site through the attached link and update theirpersonal information because of a new security system that is being installed to secure the highest level of safety for Internet-banking customers.

Recipients who click on the link find themselves at a Web site that looks like Bank of Israel's home page. On the fake Web site visitors are asked to fill in confidential information including their name, address, e-mail address, credit-card number, number on the back of the credit card, credit-card expiry date, PIN number, bank-account number and ID number.

The police were investigating the scam, the Bank of Israel said.

In the era of Internet banking, phishing scams are becoming more common. In September, a phishing scam targeted customers of Israel Discount Bank and First International Bank of Israel. They were asked via e-mail to update their access passwords to the banks' online services. Last year, Bank Leumi fell prey to hackers who created a dummy Web site purporting to be the bank's and asked customers for their user names and passwords.

Cybercrime on The Increase Due to Icrease in Internet Users

Cybercrime is evolving internet with more people becoming online who are not aware of how the internet works and how vulnerable they may be.

There are groups of cybercriminals who exploit and deface webpage's to gain personal information.

Criminals have the ability to drop a 'code' in on webpage's without people knowing.

A person surfing for a topic, place or person will be led to a webpage that may have had vulnerability and was targeted by criminals who are then able to steal personal information.

There are roughly 100 to 200 thousand malicious webpage's created a day.

60 per cent of those sites are up only for a day before cyber criminals move onto another webpage.

Most infected webpage's are PC's.

Source: Sky News

CyberDefender Increases Commitment to Fighting Cyber Crime

LOS ANGELES -- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- CyberDefender Corporation (OTCBB:CYDE), an award-winning provider of PC security, Antispyware/Antivirus Software, PC Optimization, PC Support, and Identity Theft Prevention solutions, today announced its active participation in a number of strategic industry associations committed to fighting cyber crime.

The Company announced that it has become a member of the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG), www.apwg.com, a well-recognized industry association focused on eliminating identity theft and fraud that result from the growing problem of phishing and email spoofing. Along with leadership level members that include Microsoft, Yahoo!, eBay and WebSense, the organization provides a forum to discuss phishing issues and evaluations of potential technology solutions, and access to a centralized repository of phishing attacks.

“With over five million active users in our patent pending Collaborative Internet Security Network, or the earlyNETWORK, CyberDefender is committed to aggressively combating cyber crime, as such, we are pleased to join the APWG’s alliance of international high-tech industry leaders,” said CyberDefender VP of Engineering and Threat Research, Brian Yoder. “Collecting a broad set of threat data from many sources will further maximize the threat protection that CyberDefender identifies using our proprietary web crawling system, CyberHunter, and we believe this further enables us to offer our subscribers the absolute best possible solution on the market today.”

Further validating its commitment to fighting cyber crime, CyberDefender also announced that it recently became a sponsor of StaySafeOnline.org, the National Cyber Security Alliance’s (NCSA) project whose mission is to empower and support digital citizens to use the Internet securely and safely, protecting themselves and the cyber infrastructure.

In addition, CyberDefender is now an affiliate of PhishTank, a collaborative clearinghouse for data and information about phishing on the Internet. PhishTank also provides an open API for developers and researchers to integrate anti-phishing data into their applications.

“The threat of Internet fraud and scams on consumers is everywhere, in fact in the first half of 2009 alone, rogue anti-malware programs grew 585 percent and the number of unique phishing websites has doubled. It is more important now than ever before that the major players in our industry cooperate, share information and innovate jointly to work toward our common goal of solving this problem. We will continue to seek out every quality resource available to us to ensure our software continues to be state-of-the-art, easy-to-use and gives consumers real tools with which to fight cyber crime,” concluded Yoder.

About CyberDefender Corporation

CyberDefender Corporation is a leading provider of Internet security technology, specializing in state-of-the-art early detection and aggressive defenses against Internet security attacks. CyberDefender uses a patent pending secure peer-to-peer collaborative threat protection network, called the earlyNETWORK, to combat spyware, viruses and identity theft. Products employing the company’s earlyNETWORK technology include CyberDefender Early Detection Center and MyIdentityDefender. CyberDefender also offers PC optimization utilities and Live Premium Technical Support services. CyberDefender products are fully compatible with Microsoft's Vista Operating system and are available at http://www.cyberdefender.com. To date, more than 15 million consumers have used CyberDefender products. CyberDefender is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA.

Source: BusinessWire

Small Firms More Vulnerable And Susceptible to Cyber Crime

CHICAGO (Reuters.com) - A couple years ago a crippling cyber attack on one of Nanette Lepore's haute couture boutiques served as a wake up call for the fashion retailer to get serious about its online security.

In 2007, Nanette's Las Vegas store had its router hacked by a cyber criminal and confidential point-of-sale information was accessed, potentially impacting hundreds of the company's well-heeled patrons. The sensitive data was then transferred to Italy, where it was used to create phony credit cards that were subsequently distributed in Spain.

After a meeting with FBI and local crime officials, the Caesars Palace store was shut down during crucial Saturday shopping hours, but the company gained a valuable lesson about protecting its data.

"If they can gain access to your network routers, you're pretty much an open book," said Jose Cruz, Nanette Lepore's director of information technology, who has since developed a Fort Knox-like security protocol for the confidential information flowing through the company's 10 boutiques and its New York headquarters. "The first thing I did was lock it all down."

Unfortunately Nanette Lepore is not alone among small and medium-sized businesses for its lack of planning for a cyber attack. A new study issued by the National Cyber Security Alliance and software company Symantec confirmed that small businesses are among the most vulnerable to Internet crime due to their unstructured approach to online security.

The study found only 28 percent of small businesses have formal Internet security policies, despite the fact they store valuable data such as credit card information, financial records, intellectual property and other sensitive content online. Only 35 percent of the small businesses polled provided any training to employees about Internet safety and security, according to the study, which surveyed 1,500 firms across the United States. At the same time, 86 percent of respondents had no single individual focused on IT issues.

"Small businesses are increasingly vulnerable to cyber attacks," said Michael Kaiser, executive director for the National Cyber Security Alliance. "We know from evidence we hear when we talk to people in law enforcement and others about cyber crime that small businesses are pretty robust targets."

Kaiser said he was particularly concerned about the study's disclosure of the lack of Internet protocol and employee training on the part of small companies, a trend that could be exacerbated in a recessionary environment, where budgets are strapped.

"If you're not engaging your employees, saying this is how you protect the data you have, how you protect your customers, the employees that work here, our important financial information, it creates a pretty significant vulnerability," he said. "That's the one that jumped out at me."

Beyond attacks that steal confidential data, is the increasing threat of malware - software programs that infiltrate a computer unbeknownst to the user and perform illegal tasks such as sending out spam email or crashing a network, noted Kaiser.

PREVENTIVE STEPS

Kaiser pointed to simple, preventive steps that small companies could take with little additional cost to their bottom line. These include regularly updating the software already purchased, ensuring that virus protection programs are installed, and keeping Web browsers current.

In addition, Kaiser urged management to talk to employees about changing their passwords on a regular basis and making them more complex. Internet service providers (ISPs) as well are becoming more concerned about protecting their small business clients' data and can serve as a valuable resource.

"We obviously want to see a more proactive approach," said Kaiser, whose organization is a public-private alliance between the Department of Homeland Security and technology companies such as Cisco and Microsoft. It operates a Web site (www.staysafeonline.org) that includes Internet security resources for small companies.

Douglas A. Brush, a computer forensic investigator in New York, said many small businesses fall into Nanette Lepore's ranks, overlooking important data security safeguards until a harmful event forces them to react.

"Unfortunately so much in the small to mid-sized market is how do we put out the fire, rather than how do we fireproof the house," he said. "It's scary the amount of information I come across - people just leave too much sensitive information out in the open."

In down times data protection often takes a back seat to more urgent matters, such as meeting payroll and finding new business, experts said. Businesses are also exposed to additional threats, such as exiting employees who may have an axe to grind, said Mike Spinney, a senior privacy analyst with the Ponemon Institute, a Michigan-based research firm specializing in data security.

"People are being laid off, walking out the door with information," he said.

Since 2005, when the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse began tracking data-breach incidents, more than 250 million customer records have been lost or stolen, according to a January 2009 Ponemon report. The average cost of each stolen record, including legal fees and related expenses, is about $202, but Spinney said small companies tend to have higher costs, because they don't have economies of scale. Spinney added cyber attacks on small companies don't get the attention by law enforcement that big breaches, such as the 2007 theft of more than 40 million T.J. Maxx and Marshalls credit cards, brings.

It's all enough to keep IT watchdogs like Cruz on his toes, who said Nanette Lepore has tripled up on its security: "We literally have three layers of firewalls to come through before you can get on the network."

Source: Reuteres

Be Ware! Its a Cyber World - - Reality of Floating Volcanic Stones and New Island in the South Pacific

Be Ware! Its a Cyber World - - Summary:

Emailed photographs claim to depict large areas of volcanic stones floating on the ocean as well as the birth of a new volcanic island.

Although the images, seen in the following mail, are certainly unusual yet they are genuine.

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Subject: FW: AMAZING SIGHT IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC

AMAZING SIGHT IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC The yacht 'Maiken' was traveling in the south Pacific when the crew came across a weird sight. It was sand in the water, and the sand was floating ON TOP of the waves... Look at these photos and try to imagine the feeling, the thrill of experiencing this phenomenon close-up.







This is not a beach, it is volcanic stones floating on the water.









The trail left by the yacht... through the sand
And then this was spotted ... just behind them... ash and steam rising from the ocean...



And, while they were watching...



A plume of black ash...






A brand new island formed...



Awesome!

Can you imagine the thrill of being the first & only people to see a new island being created ... where there was nothing before?

Then, can you imagine thinking -- "Gee if I been a few minutes later, I might have gone up in that explosion of black volcanic ash when the eruption occurred"

-- Now there's a scary thought!!!

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Be Ware! Its a Cyber World - - Explanation:

This email forward arrives with a series of photographs that depict a yacht's encounter with a large area of floating volcanic stones and the apparent birth of a new volcanic island in the South Pacific Ocean. Although the images are certainly unusual, they are genuine. Both the phenomena of the floating stones and the newly formed volcanic island have now been well documented by a variety of reliable sources including NASA.

The images in the email were taken from a post on the blog operated by Fredrik Fransson and the crew of the yacht 'Maiken'. In August 2006, the Maiken was sailing in the South Pacific near Tonga when it came across a large area of floating volcanic stones (pumice). When lava with a high gas and water content erupts from a volcano and then cools it can produce pumice, a very light rock material filled with gas bubbles. Pumice is the only kind of rock that can float on water. A large mass of pumice floating on the ocean surface is known as a "pumice raft".

The Maiken attempted to sail into this massive pumice raft but was soon forced to turn back:

And then we sailed into a vast, many miles wide, belt of densely packed pumice. We were going by motor due to lack of wind and within seconds Maiken slowed down from seven to one knot. We were so fascinated and busy taking pictures that we plowed a couple of hundred meter into this surreal floating stone field before we realized that we had to turn back. Just as we came out of the stone field and entered reasonably normal water we noticed that there came no cooling water from the engine.

Several other vessels in the region at the time also observed large pumice rafts.

The day after their encounter with the pumice raft, the Maiken crew discovered the volcano itself:

A couple of hours ago we identified the active volcano as the one close to Home reef, and we are on our way there now to take a closer look.

We are two miles from it and we can see the volcano clearly. One mile in diameter and with four peaks and a central crater smoking with steam and once in a while an outburst high in the sky with lava and ashes. I think were the first ones out here so perhaps we could claim the island and name them(?)

The following satellite image published by NASA's Earth Observatory clearly shows a large pumice raft as well as the new island:

Compensation Scam Reborn - - Using the Name of United Nations

Once again cyber criminals are attacking innocent internet users with the so called "Compensation From United Nations". The following mail I received just yesterday and immediately sharing with my readers so that we collectively may stop cyber cowboys to be succeeded in their bad intentions.

===============================================

From: UNITED NATIONS
Sent: Thu, November 5, 2009 10:14:47 PM
Subject: united nations compensation bank draft

The UNITED NATIONS has agreed to compensate all the people that had an unfinished
transaction or international Fund transfer that failed due to Government
problem or those that have been Frauded in the Internet by dubious Individuals.The
sum of US$350,000.00 was issued to each of you .We found your name in our
list as one of the
beneficiary and that is why we are contacting you through this medium. This
have been agreed upon and have been signed.
You are advised now to contact Dr Stephen Alabi of Intercontinental
Bank Plc via his Email Address;drstephenalabiprivate02@hotmail.com,as he
is our representative who is in charge of dispatching your bank draft to
you.

You are to Send the information below to Dr.Stephen Alabi via his email
address; drstephenalabiprivate02@hotmail.com for immediate delivery of your
Draft to you.

Full Names (Surname First).......
Current Address...................
Country........................
Telephone #..............
Age.....................
Contact him immediately with the requested information above for your
International Bank Draft of USD$ 350,000.00 USD.

Have a nice day and Hope you use this Money Wisely

Regards,
Gen Ban Kin Moon
Secretary General (UNITED NATIONS)

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Be ware! Its a cyber world and try to share this mail as much as possible; so that we can save innocent internet users to be victims of such scams and frauds.