Yahoo, Microsoft, WU work to beat scams

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Not quite a Newb Joined: 04 Jun 2008 Posts: 74

[source: Yahoo News]
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/16/20081029/ttc-yahoo-and-microsoft-take-aim-at-lott-6315470.html

Yahoo and Microsoft are teaming up in an effort to stop lottery email scams.

The two companies have signed on with Western Union and the African Development Bank to head a new effort to aid victims of the attacks and help catch the perpetrators.

Lottery scams often reach users in the form of spam messages. The user is told that they have won a special internet lottery, and are then advised that to claim the prize and securely conduct the transaction, bank details must be provided.

The account information is then harvested by the attacker and sold or used for fraudulent transactions.

The campaign will establish a new service that allows victims of the scams to share police reports. The companies have set up web sites and email addresses through which users can contribute their reports to a database.

The hope is that the database will better enable both the companies and law enforcement agencies to link the lottery scam cases and track down the criminals behind the frauds. Interpol will also contribute to the project by spreading awareness of the site and encouraging law enforcement groups to utilise the database in investigations.

"At Yahoo, we've long told our users that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. But as internet fraudsters continue to get more creative in their approaches, consumers continue to be deceived," said George Hadjigeorgiou, Yahoo's European general manager of communication and community products.

"This unique initiative is a continuation of our online safety and trust initiatives and is intended to help support our consumer awareness efforts."

Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 11:18 am

Yahoo doesn't mind accepting payments from stolen credit cards to fund fake websites though.

I guess they still deserve some credit for doing what they should have been doing all along.

Quote:

George Hadjigeorgiou

I found a new baiting name. Right up there with Peter Cockelbanger.

Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 11:35 am

Quote:

The account information is then harvested by the attacker and sold or used for fraudulent transactions.

Since when? Aren't they all advance fee scams?
And why just target lottery scams?

Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 11:42 am

Because a mass number of the lottery scams have always claimed to be from Yahoo and MS.

Baiting Guru Joined: 10 Oct 2003 Posts: 4747

Hmm it sound like the PR meeting at yahoo and MS went well, maybe its an election year.

I really wonder how many emails are sent from their services and both know it? how many sites do they host?

Elite Baiter Joined: 19 Jan 2008 Posts: 1043

It would be nice if I saw one press release without at least one glaring mistake in it.

Hears to them actually doing it, I hope it makes some kind of difference.

Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 7:24 am

I find it amazing that the USA can track every email/phone call/fax for terrorist activity, using keywords, but can't stop scams that use formatted scripts, which actually damage the economy more than any terrorist could.

Plus the victims usually fall foul of LEO, and a high percentage end up with criminal records from cheque scams

Misguided perceptions?

Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 3:19 am

I hope they hurry up. Checked my yahell account today, to see there was SPAM from myself! I think it's time I got rid of the account. GRRR

Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 3:32 pm

@ Ex.
George Hadjigeorgiou - This is a Greek Aromanian name Wink

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