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US Financial Quagmire Bringing Out the Scammers

Posted by timothy on from the brother-where-is-your-empathy? dept.

coondoggie contributes this snippet from NetworkWorld: "You could probably see this one coming. With all of the confusion and money involved you knew there would be cyber-vultures out there looking to cash in. Well the Federal Trade Commission today issued a warning that indeed such increased phishing activities are taking place. Specifically the FTC said it was urging user caution regarding e-mails that look as if they come from a financial institution that recently acquired a consumer's bank, savings and loan, or mortgage. In many case such emails are only looking to obtain personal information — account numbers, passwords, Social Security numbers — to run up bills or commit other crimes in a consumer's name, the FTC stated."

10 of 272 comments (clear)

  1. well ... by Average_Joe_Sixpack · · Score: 5, Funny

    I've heard Americans are so broke they are now scamming Nigerians

    1. Re:well ... by svnt · · Score: 4, Funny

      There you are!

      Hey guys, he does exist! You betcha!

    2. Re:well ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      I've heard Americans are so broke they are now scamming Nigerians

      Did you see the latest?

      SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR URGENT BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP

      DEAR AMERICAN:

      I need to ask you to support an urgent secret business relationship with a transfer of funds of great magnitude.

      I am ministry of the treasury of the republic of america. my country has had crisis that has caused the need for large transfer of funds of 800 billion dollars us. if you would assist me in this transfer, it would be most profitable to you.

      I am working with mr. phil gram, lobbyist for ubs, who will be my replacement as ministry of the treasury in january. as a senator, you may know him as the leader of the american banking deregulation movement in the 1990s. this transactin is 100% safe.

      This is a matter of great urgency. we need a blank check. we need the funds as quickly as possible. we cannot directly transfer these funds in the names of our close friends because we are constantly under surveillance. my family lawyer advised me that i should look for a reliable and trustworthy person who will act as a next of kin so the funds can be transferred.

      Please reply with all of your bank account, ira and college fund account numbers and those of your children and grandchildren to wallstreetbailout@treasury.gov
      so that we may transfer your commission for this transaction. after i receive that information, i will respond with detailed information about safeguards that will be used to protect the funds.

      Yours faithfully minister of treasury paulson

  2. not just phishing mails.. by owlnation · · Score: 5, Funny

    Also, look out for legitimate emails from banks -- they are probably being sent by scammers too.

  3. Yep. by Shadow+Wrought · · Score: 5, Funny

    One of the scammers was so brazen he came right to my doorstep! Said he needed a "contribution" so he could "go to Washington" and "fix this mess."
    Yeah, right! I fell for that one four years ago!

    --
    If brevity is the soul of wit, then how does one explain Twitter?
  4. Bernanke by areusche · · Score: 4, Funny

    Dear BENJAMIN BERNANKE,

    I am the Chairmen of the Nigerian Treasury. I have recently come into the possession of inheritance from the Esteemed Master Defenestrator . Unfortunately I cannot use take possession of his honorableness's inheritance locally. I therefore must move it into a foreign account. For the sum of 700 (SEVEN HUNDRED) BILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS (USD$) I can deposit this into your banking reserve system. You may keep 15% (fifteen percent) of the total amount for your troubles.

    We look forward to your correspondence. Please make your time.

    Sincerly,

    Chuck Norris

  5. Make it an even trillion! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Dear Mr. Norris,

    Why don't we make it an even $1,000,000,000,000 (ONE TRILLION) dollars? We can use the extra $300,000,000,000 (THREE HUNDRED BILLION) dollars to buy up mortgages so that taxpayers lose money when the loans default, instead of the banks. My economists are convinced that it's a great way to prove that I'm actually a Socialist who understands the economy so that those loony liberals elect me instead of that one.

    I look forward to your reply, my friends.

    Sincerely,

    John Sidney McCain

  6. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 4, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  7. Re:Of course, it was caused by scammers. by Konster · · Score: 5, Funny

    Always a bad move basing a currency upon poorly made Italian cars.

  8. Correlating Gov't announcments and the Market... by NotQuiteReal · · Score: 4, Funny

    It seems like the biggest scam does start with line "I'm from the government and I'm here to help."

    --
    This issue is a bit more complicated than you think.