04-22-2004, 08:28 PM
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WebProWorld 1,000+ Club
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Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,645
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Fraud Police Issue Warning to Internet Users
Our very own Duncan Pollock has just advised WebProWorld of the following Scam Alert, which his local real estate board received from their neighbourhood Fraud Squad:
Quote:
April 13, 2004
Fraud Unit Police Issue Warning to Internet Users
"The Niagara Regional Police Service Fraud units have been receiving an unusually high number of complaints in the last week from members of the public concerning mysterious charges on their phone bills, which appear to originate from their internet usage.
The phone bills list calls placed to various numbers in foreign countries, such as the Cook Islands, and Sao Tome, which is located in Africa.
These complaints appear to originate as a result of an Internet scam known variously as 'the dialer scam,' 'modem hijacking,' and 'Internet dumping.'
What do they all have in common? They all find different ways to trick the user into downloading a dialer plug-in without reading the fine print.
The typical phone charges are about $3.00 per minute. Some people have had enormous phone bills in the thousands of dollars as a result of this scam.
The victims of this scheme have been enticed into downloading a “free” plug-in for their web browsers under various pretenses, usually the promise of access to free games, videos, psychic readings or pornographic material. The “free” plug-in then disconnects from the user’s Internet Service Provider and installs a new dial-up internet connection to a premium off-shore phone number, making itself the default internet connection. The user then has the access to “free” content, but unwittingly begins to rack up sizeable long-distance charges.
The charges continue to add up, since the default Internet connection is now the premium-priced offshore account.
This not a matter which is being actively investigated at the local level due to the international connections. However, this information is being provided in a proactive manner so that members of the public can take steps to protect themselves from becoming victims.
The Niagara Regional Police Service does not endorse any private software manufacturer, but there are a number of software programs, which can be downloaded free from the Internet to scan for and remove these types of programs.
Alternatively, members of the public can contact a trusted computer repair technician, or their Internet Service Provider for further information on removing malicious content from their computers.
All computer users should practice the following safe-computing practices:
1. Install reliable anti-virus software and keep it up to date. Many of the dialer programs are detected by up-to-date anti-virus software.
2. Employ pop-up blocking software or start using a web browser that supports pop-up blocking natively.
3. Scan your computer regularly for spyware and adware using readily available free software.
4. Be cautious when installing free software, which often contains the afore-mentioned spyware and adware.
5. Unplug your modem at the wall when not using the Internet.
6. Consider installing an Internet Firewall.
7. Keep your operating system up to date with the latest patches and security fixes.
8. Don’t visit illicit sites such as hacking, cracking, warez and porn sites. Be aware that some sites can monitor your computer and install software just by visiting them.
9. Read the fine print before downloading “free” software. Make sure you know what you are agreeing to when you say “Yes” to the End-User Licence Agreement."
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