My Dad just fell into a phishing scam...I need help ASAP

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Hello I'm New here! Joined: 08 Oct 2008 Posts: 5

Title edited, I thought it was to do with fish! - RC

Hi... I just recieved an email message from my Father asking me to send him $3000 urgently to Nigeria. The only problem is my Dad is a College professor currently at a conference in Switzerland.

I was immediately alarmed so I called him and he says he hasn't been able to get access to his emails all day because his pasword is invalid. After probing he says he responded to a message from MSN asking for his account information in order to update their database.

I am so angry at these people but more than anything, we are stuck because we cannot access the account anymore. Not only has the password been changed but the security question as well.

I can use all the help I can.

Thanks.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 08 Oct 2008 Posts: 5

This is the Scam my Dad fell for...can anyone help?
THanks

http://emailsupport.spaces.live.com/Blog/cns!5D6F5A79A79B6708!7764.entry

Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 8:14 am

This is an unfortunate situation, and I'm sorry for your father. I don't know how to advise you here - is anyone able to confirm if MSN can be convinced to hand back control to the original owner?

If you have any of your father's contacts in your address book, you should let them know that he is not in Nigeria and does not need any money from them. You also might want to set up an identification protocol for when (if) he regains his account.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 08 Oct 2008 Posts: 5

Thanks.... Do you think its worth trying to bait the scammer into giving back the account information?

Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 8:26 am

It just suns up what a cancer (and if anyone objects to me using that word - I've been there) these people are.

In MSN's eyes they are going to be in a fix to know who is the rightful owner of the mailbox. It may be easier to get it killed if MSN won't let your Dad have it back. Then, if he knows his list of contacts, to contact them all to let them know that they cannot trust any communication received from that addie.

Of course, that will be very embarrassing for him, but that's better than having any of his contacts lose money, or worse, over this.

Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 8:31 am

https://support.live.com/eform.aspx?productKey=wlmail&page=wlsupport_home_options_form_byemail&ct=eformts&scrx=1
MSN form

Complete that form to get MSN looking into it. That account needs shutting down (or at least locking) as soon as possible.

The rest of this is going to be painful, but it's adviseable in my opinion.
If your Father had any personal details including emails from banks etc, then you'll need to contact your local authority on ID theft. If you are in the USA, I have a link, if you're elsewhere I'll find one. PM me if you don't want to disclose that publicy.
You'll need to file a report with your local law enforcement also.
I would also consider informing other agencies, depending on what information was held in the account.

Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 8:34 am

1) Urgently contact MSN and get the account frozen
2) Contact everyone your father knows, particularly family, and ensure they know what's happening and that he does not need their urgent help
3) set up a new address for your father
4) educate him and spread the word, contact your local newspapers etc, get the word out, education is the key to protecting yourself and other people
5) if you ever get to meet the theiving f*cker who did this slap him hard (but you never will, sadly)

Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 8:40 am

GomerPyle wrote:

In MSN's eyes they are going to be in a fix to know who is the rightful owner of the mailbox. .

Forwarding them a copy of the email should prove that. They will be aware of this scam.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 08 Oct 2008 Posts: 5

Thanks...I will try that...I contacted them an hour ago. I think it should take no more than 24 hrs for them to get back to me

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 08 Oct 2008 Posts: 5

~ Mugatu,

Thanks for the info....I live in the US.

Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 9:00 am

In the USA The Federal Trade commission are the authority on ID theft. They have a good site where you can report that you may have been phished:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft//

MSN has a page containing some good information:
(Scroll down until you find the bit you need)
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Banking/FinancialPrivacy/TheFiveMinuteGuideToProtectingYourIdentity.aspx

419Eater is my life Joined: 10 Jul 2008 Posts: 366

@dagone You have phishers name for Western Union or Money Gram purposes that should be useful to law enforcement.

It is not impossible that WU might help you if send them directly the information that you have. By telling them that a specific recipient is part of a phishing scam might have some interesting legal issues.

I had an email exchange with Western Union a few days ago over a 419 scam impersonating a Western Union office. Despite appearances sometimes they actually do want to run a respectable business. At the end of the exchange I asked what was the correct email addresses to use for 419 type fraud.

Specific Western Union related fraud should be forwarded to [email protected] This email address will forward messages to the appropriate internal individuals. The response I got was within a day.

Part of this exchange included the following where they wanted emails that reference Western Union in 419 activities to be directed to www.ic3.gov and to WU directly [email protected] .

Quote:

Please forward us the e-mail(s) you received with expanded or full message header information displayed.Instructions for displaying full
header information are listed below. Keep in mind that we are unable to view attachments, enclosures, or hyperlinks. Please send the
expanded header information in plain text only. Thank you. Western Union recommends you report this matter to Law Enforcement via the
Internet Fraud Complaint Center at the following address: www.ic3.gov.

p.

Baiting Guru Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 3193

^^^ I read that as sending the mail to ic3 as well as WU.

"forward us the emails" and then "recommends you report [via ic3]"

Send them the emails, but send a report of the crime to ic3.

419Eater is my life Joined: 10 Jul 2008 Posts: 366

^^^ Good point @thud419 "ic3 as well as WU" My post is edited to be clear.

Three real points from my exchange.

1) WU is interested and I have at least one data point that they will act.
2) WU has a single point of contact for fraud and other problems [email protected]
3) When fraud includes WU contact WU [email protected] and www.ic3.gov as an appropriate contact with as many details as possible.

p.

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