The Conservative Cat

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February 27, 2006

EMAIL Hell - New Twist on an Old Trick

Back in December I warned about phishing emails disguised as messages from eBay members. There's now a new variation on this old theme. Instead of a fake message asking for advice, there's a fake message asking for clarification regarding a deal gone sour.

We are contacting you about the following item: Toshiba rd-xs54 dvd Recorder w 250 gig hard drive (#5856334211)

The seller, lkaroll tells us you have mutually agreed not to complete the transaction (e.g. because you returned or are returning the item for a refund or because there was a misunderstanding) and has requested a credit for their eBay fees.

Please respond by 15-Mar-2006 so eBay knows whether you have agreed.

This is a little sneakier than the old ploy, because the implication is that your eBay rating is at risk.

Phishers are getting smarter with time. The newer ones use trickier URLs that look more legitimate. For example, an eBay phishing email might use http://security.ebay.com.paynoattentiontothispart.org hoping you won't notice the stuff after the first three segments. There are even phishers pretending to be the IRS and the Social Security Administration. This is why it's important to have at least one EMAIL address for your cat. The Social Security Administration is a lot less intimidating to a superior life form, and that helps.

So, as always: be careful, be safe, and listen to your cat.

Respectfully submitted,

Ferdinand T. Cat

# At Mon 10:50 PM | Permalink | Trackback URI | Comments (1) | More EMAIL Hell

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Posted by: maggie katzen at February 28, 2006 1:05 PM