A week or so ago, I received an inquiry from a man in Indonesia about buying multiple copies of certain items on my website. I immediately suspected fraud, so I explained that I only had one piece of each. The man, who wrote impeccable English, said that was fine. I asked why he wanted to buy so much money's worth of jewelry (it was around $250). He said it was for his wife and daughters.
He then asked if he could email me the billing and shipping info instead of using the catalog. I told him the catalog was better, since it was more secure, and figured if he was a scammer, it would be too much work for him.
No such luck. He was unusually together. He placed an order for the same items he had asked about (most scammers forget). I started allowing myself to feel happy about such a large order and the money that would bring. At the same time, I started researching shipping to Indonesia, as well as fraud protection, and found that a) Indonesia is second only to Nigeria in credit card fraud levels, and b) jewelry is prohibited to ship to Indonesia.
Per suggestions on another site, I asked the customer for a CVV number, the bank listed on the credit card, and the customer service number on the card. He sent me the CVV and customer service number. He also said he had just received a diamond ring sent to him, so he didn't think the prohibition existed.
Today I started checking. I called the customer service phone number he gave me; it was for a Canadian bank, and the number didn't belong to one of their cards. The fishy smell grew stronger.
I then contacted an American bank to find out where the number originated. They gave me the runaround for a while until someone there gave me the number for Visa International, 800-847-2911, since the card number started with a 4. Visa International told me which bank to call.
When I finally got to the right bank, and told them I was a merchant checking on fraud, they confirmed my suspicions. The card was at an American address, and it had no other suspicious charges on it. I asked if there were any tiny charges, like for penny amounts. Indeed there were. This part is important!
In Indonesia, they are very sophisticated; one of the ways they get credit card numbers is to run random computer-generated numbers with expiration dates until they get some that go through. They put through charges for tiny amounts that people won't bother to contest, and if the charge goes through, they know it's good. So do watch out for penny amounts showing up on your credit card bills.
I asked the woman to check the CVV number as well, and she said it did not check out. So the charge would not have gone through anyway, but I feel better having checked, even if it took way too much time.
Lesson: the scammers are getting more sophisticated all the time. They can also read materials on the internet that give warning signs about scammers. So they are trying to avoid some of the more obvious signs. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
Author Susan Midlarsky of Aspiring Arts handcrafts jewelry with stones that harmonize well and are beneficial to the human body, color combinations that are connected to refinement, and sometimes offerings from nature. She has also recently started making glass beads; you can see her progress at her online blog. Susan loves the magical glow people feel upon finding a piece of jewelry that is exactly right for them.
Can you protect your computer from all possible viruses and... Read More
Geek SuperheroGeek Superhero watches your computer for changes, immediately notifying... Read More
So called phishers try to catch the information about the... Read More
It has been said that with the wealth of information,... Read More
Imagine my surprise when I received a phone call from... Read More
In recent days, I was one of the unfortunate persons... Read More
If you have used a Windows machine for a while,... Read More
As the number of people using the Internet as an... Read More
"You've just won a fabulous vacation or prize package! Now,... Read More
My first experience with a spyware BHO based infection was... Read More
A little bit of time invested into learning about internet... Read More
Airport Menace: The Wireless Peeping Tom As a network... Read More
If you constantly deal with bank or electronic accounts, it... Read More
Glieder (Win32.Glieder.AK), Fantibag (Win32.Fantibag.A) and Mitglieder (Win32.Mitglieder.CT) are not names... Read More
This is the second in a series of articles highlighting... Read More
With the Internet entering our lives in such an explosive... Read More
1. Importance of a Virus Scanner: A Antivirus program can... Read More
Whether we like it or not, we are all living... Read More
At this point, if you've got the whole "turning the... Read More
Adware. Spyware. Pesky pop up ads. Internet congestion. Computer malfunctions... Read More
Have been an Internet user for more than 9 years,... Read More
Phishing: (fish'ing) (n.)This is when someone sends you an email... Read More
Remember the television show about the nosy neighbor Mrs. Kravitz... Read More
A friend called me one day and asked if I... Read More
There are several basic concepts to keep in mind when... Read More
Spyware/adware is a new major concern for PC users everywhere.... Read More
Identity theft ? also known as ID theft, identity fraud... Read More
You'd better learn news from media, not from emails, security... Read More
Nowadays more and more people are using a computer. A... Read More
Spyware symptoms happen when your computer gets bogged down with... Read More
While clicking from site to site on the internet you... Read More
By browsing a web page, you could infect your computer... Read More
I am in the midst of Oscar Wilde's The Picture... Read More
Have you ever bought a product or service from the... Read More
As more people are logging onto the Internet everyday, Network... Read More
The trash folder in my main inbox hit 4000 today.... Read More
When it comes to a secure website and passwords it... Read More
My first experience with a spyware BHO based infection was... Read More
Nowadays more and more people are using a computer. A... Read More
Millions of people make purchases online, but many people are... Read More
Much has been said on the theory of password protection... Read More
A crowded marketplace can lead to unethical webmasters using underhand... Read More
There you are busily typing away on your PC or... Read More
This really chapped my lips...I recently bought a new computer.... Read More
Some months ago, before there was much publicity regarding phishing... Read More
Do you know what "phishing" is?No, it doesn't mean you... Read More
This is not some new fangled techno-speak, it is a... Read More
Microsoft routinely releases new security updates, many of which are... Read More
Chris Simpson, head of Scotland Yard's computer crime unit was... Read More
Have you ever had to call Symantec or McAfee to... Read More
Imagine my surprise when I received a phone call from... Read More
It's a sad statistic, but hundreds of unsuspecting kids are... Read More
I'm in the Anti-Spyware business, and I'm doing a lot... Read More
You'd better learn news from media, not from emails, security... Read More
1. Importance of a Virus Scanner: A Antivirus program can... Read More
"You've just won a fabulous vacation or prize package! Now,... Read More
What is computer security? Computer security is the process of... Read More
For many, the daily walk to the mailbox evokes mixed... Read More
Spyware is the most troublesome software to appear on the... Read More
A few nights ago I received an email from "2CO"... Read More
Ok, ok, I know you've seen them. All those pop... Read More
Everyone should eliminate spyware and adware from your hard drive... Read More
Internet is the ocean of knowledge. In this ocean you... Read More
In a word, no - an email message has always... Read More
Afraid that someone is monitoring your PC or installed a... Read More
If you run any type of Internet business, Adware and... Read More
Internet Security |