scam alert

Offending SPAM message

Look at this clever little monkey filling out every contact form on the Internet. I’m quite offended now, more because I thought it was a personally completed form. Someone has written a script to complete the contact form and fill in the facebook account information to make the message appear legitimate.

Of course, it is not legitimate. It is form SPAM. I’ve received the same message from several of my Client’s contact forms.

Here’s the offending SPAM message:

From: John Sampson <johnsampson@rocketship.com>

Subject: To the owner of yourdomain.com…….Great Site!

Message Body:

Greetings

My name is John and it seems to me that yourdomain.com is on its way to massive success. It is evident this is a professional business and thus I can only assume you are busy indeed but can yourdomain.com be busier?

I am sure you know how important it is to have a strong image and fanbase on Facebook in 2015. No doubt you have realized how tricky it can be to get people to like your page or how costly it can get doing Facebook CPC.

For the past 5 years I have been a manager for a professional social boosting company named BuySocialFans.com and we have delivered millions of USA targeted and Global Facebook likes to tens of thousands of clients over the years. We are among the few companies that do not send fake accounts or bots. Some of our methods of sending Facebook likes is by sharing your page across our massive proprietary networks that we have built and use incentive based marketing.

Needless to say we can bring thousands of fans to your facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Your Domain.com/493504513998731 for a fraction of the cost of doing Facebook CPC and less headaches than marching down the street with a big sign saying “Like My Business”

USA Targeted Facebook Likes:

https://buysocialfans.com/facebook-likes-usa

Real Global Facebook Likes:

https://buysocialfans.com/facebook-likes-global

We also do services such as these for Instagram, Twitter, G+, Youtube, SoundCloud, Vine, and Pinterest.

Also I mean no offense contacting you through your websites contact form and I am sorry if I offended you. You will only hear from me once. If you are interested in seeing your businesses Facebook or other social platforms fanpages grow with real likes from the USA specifically or from all over the word I am the man to talk to.

Questions? I have answers Simply reply to this email and I will get back to you ASAP or I can give you a call. Let me know your number and when a good time to call is and I would love to chat. Myself and the company I work for https://buysocialfans.com are interested in forming long-term business relationships as we have thousands of return clients currently.

Look forward to hearing from you!

John Sampson

Manager

BuySocialFans

https://buysocialfans.com

1-866-986-2060

** Contact me on Skype** john.sampson77** I am always online!**

—

This e-mail was sent from a contact form on Your Domain.com(http://www.yourdomain.com/contact)

Just another scam to steer clear of.

Perhaps this “John Sampson” (if that is his name?) should read this post on Workopolis.com – Ten reason why no one will hire you.

You creeping the company social media
You’ve got a bad attitude
You don’t do any research
You smell bad
You’re sloppy
Your resume makes you seem like a weirdo or a pain
You’re desperate
You have no references
You don’t look the part
You have unrealistic salary expectations

Finding a job is hard, and the competition can be fierce. But if you keep getting turned down for jobs that you know you’re qualified for, maybe it’s time to make sure that you’re not inadvertently acting in one of the ways that repels most. Find a role that adds value and stop bothering people with your SPAM messages.

Solicitations Galore

Do not respond to the unsolicited e-mail.

It’s a new year and the aggressive solicitations are coming in full strength. You’ll probably notice an increased number of special offers from “people” who want to redo your website, offer you a loan, sell you insurance, provide photo editing services, etc.

The senders of these messages are not really “people” but SPAMMERS. These messages are getting through your spam filter because the SPAMMERS are employing similar mailing tactics of legitimate marketers. The messages are personally addressed, contain the name of a sender, have a company address and may be digitally signed. All of these elements of a properly written e-mail will fool the SPAM filter and allow the mail to arrive in your in-box.

“Spamming is when one person or company sends an unwanted email to another person. Spam emails are the computer version of unwanted “junk mail” that arrives in a mailbox, such as advertising pamphlets and brochures. Spam emails are usually sent to try to get the person to buy something or do something else that will cause gain for the sender.” Wikipedia

Many of the well written spam messages start with:

“My name is Jason and I’m a website designer. I’m reaching out to find out…”
“I just wanted to tell you about a company that may be able to help your business.…”
“Hope this message finds you in the best of health! We are a team of specialists…”
“We scan millions of public records to deliver you the most up-to-date data possible…”
“I have analyzed your current website which is outdated in terms of user experience, sales conversions, design and layout…”
“Find Your — Credit History Fast…”
“My name is Sanjay Rajput, and working with a reputed leading S.E.O. Company in INDIA having the experience of getting our customer’s websites top in Google, Yahoo…”

You don’t know these “people”. In fact they don’t know you either. Their e-mail was crafted to appear personal. SPAM senders are becoming cunning and are starting to follow the rules of legitimate marketers. Except that SPAMMERS don’t have permission to send mail to you.

The bottom line is that if you didn’t ask for the e-mail, it is an unwanted solicitation and should not be trusted. If you have any questions or would like to figure out how to get rid of this clever spam, please contact me.

Remember: Banks don’t send e-mail. Legitimate companies don’t send e-mail unless you requested contact or joined a mail list. Unwanted solicitations are usually Phishing schemes. These deceptive tactics are used to get your personal information and a credit card. Do not respond to the unsolicited e-mail. Add them to your SPAM folder and stay safe.

DS 3501 – Spam Phishing Search Engine Registration Scam

Security blue puzzle pieces assembled - Phishing Alert

Beware this email that attempts to trick you into paying another company for your domain renewal or Search Engine Marketing. Here is an example of what the email looks like: (I have replaced your actual domain with YOURDOMAIN.COM and personal name with MR JOHN SMITH)

Subject: Domain Notification: MR JOHN SMITH This is your Final Notice of Domain Listing

Complete and return by fax to:
1-716-242-0409

ATT: MR JOHN SMITH
ADMINISTRATIVE CONTACT
YOUR COMPANY NAME.
OWNER@YOURDOMAIN.COM
CANADA
WWW.YOURDOMAIN.COM
Please ensure that your contact information is correct or make the necessary changes above
Requested Reply
JULY 16,2014

PART I: REVIEW SOLICITATION

Attn: MR JOHN SMITH
As a courtesy to domain name holders, we are sending you this notification for your business Domain name search engine registration. This letter is to inform you that it’s time to send in your registration and save.
Failure to complete your Domain name search engine registration by the expiration date may result in cancellation of this offer making it difficult for your customers to locate you on the web.
Privatization allows the consumer a choice when registering. Search engine subscription includes domain name search engine submission. You are under no obligation to pay the amounts stated below unless you accept this offer. Do not discard, this notice is not an invoice it is a courtesy reminder to register your domain name search engine listing so your customers can locate you on the web.
This Notice for: WWW.YOURDOMAIN.COM will expire on JULY 16,2014 Act today!

Select Term:
[ ] 1 year   07/16/2014 – 07/16/2015 $75.00
[ ] 2 year   07/16/2014 – 07/16/2016 $119.00
[ ] 5 year   07/16/2014 – 07/16/2019 $199.00
[ ] 10 year -Most Recommended- 07/16/2014 – 07/16/2024 $295.00 [ ] Lifetime (NEW!) Limited time offer – Best value! Lifetime $499.00

Today’s Date: _____________________ Signature: _____________________

Payment by Credit Card
Select the term above, then return by fax: 1-716-242-0409

YOURDOMAIN.COM
——————————————————————————————-
By accepting this offer, you agree not to hold DS liable for any part. Note that THIS IS NOT A BILL. This is a solicitation. You are under no obligation to pay the amounts stated unless you accept this offer. The information in this letter contains confidential and/or legally privileged information from the notification processing department of the DS 3501 Jack Northrop Ave. Suite #F9238 Hawthorne, CA 90250 USA, This information is intended only for the use of the individual(s) named above. There is no pre-existing relationship between DS and the domain mentioned above. This notice is not in any part associated with a continuation of services for domain registration. Search engine submission is an optional service that you can use as a part of your website optimization and alone may not increase the traffic to your site. If you do not wish to receive further updates from DS reply with Remove to unsubscribe. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that disclosure, copying, distribution or the taking of any action in reliance on the contents for this letter is strictly prohibited.

The e-mail is filled with personal information which makes you believe it could be legitimate. This is not a legitimate message from your trusted supplier.

While there are legitimate search engine optimization companies, local lead generation and other internet marketing services that will help your business succeed, all of these types of mass solicited marketing offers are total trash.

Anyone that is soliciting you blindly through e-mail offering these sorts of marketing services is probably trying to scam you or get you to buy something you don’t need.

Unfortunately, so many people have been burned by unscrupulous outfits offering marketing scams like this one that they hesitant to purchase from legitimate internet marketing companies that can actually help your business and not just rip you off.

Action: Delete the Email – Do Not Reply – Do Not Click on any Links – Do not send this fax with payment.- Only renew your domain with the company that looks after your domain (e.g. WeGo.ca)

Canada Post Tracking Scam

New emails using Canada Post’s name or brand are circulating, inviting customers to either click a link or open a document to obtain their tracking information. We wish to remind customers to not click on any links or open documents. These fraudulent messages are known as “phishing” and may contain viruses.

If you are not expecting a package, delete the email. If you are, please do not click on the hyperlink. Instead, enter your tracking number directly on the canadapost.ca site to find out about delivery status.

Cold-Calling Scam

In a report from Symantec in October 2012. Finally, some good new broke this month as authorities in Australia, Canada, and the US joined forces to shut down global tech support scams responsible for cold-calling users and erroneously telling them their computers are infected with viruses.that they had shut down two companies, froze the assets of six operators. Canadian authorities announced and fined them over $500,000 in total. Meanwhile, US authorities announced that they initiated legal action against 16 companies and 17 individuals.

Phone Scammers target PC users with phony virus reports

They are calling Canadians. I’ve experienced these calls twice in the last year. They know my name. Clearly they are calling from the Canada411 directory.

Remember: Nobody is going to know your computer has a virus. You most certainly will not receive a phone call from a computer technician “out of the blue”.

Here’s some good text from ZDNet: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/phone-scammers-target-pc-users-with-phony-virus-reports/4198

An old social-engineering scam appears to have taken on new life lately, targeting PC users worldwide.
Ironically, the scam doesn’t use a computer at all—at least, not initially. Instead, it starts with a phone call from someone who claims to be affiliated with Microsoft or another legitimate company or government agency.
The caller then asks for the primary computer user in the house, who is told: “Your computer has downloaded a virus.” And, of course, the caller is ready and willing to fix the problem. All you have to do is navigate to a web site, click a link to install some remote-control software, and allow the “technician” to get to work.
The perps are using legitimate remote-assistance software, like the Ammyy Admin program from Ammyy Software Development, which posted a warning that included some reports the company has received from scam victims: