Conflict Resolution in Canada – 90s Edit
#WritingFromIsolationWard
Tag: crime
On a story about Rez youths, the commenters come out to show off their disdain for all First Nations people.
On a story about Rez youths, the commenters come out to show off their disdain for all First Nations people.
Following up on yesterday’s social engineering post, the banking scammers don’t just rely on ZBot – the good old “paper based” advance fee or fake letter approaches still work, too.
ISC reader David, for example, got a fedex envelope with an unexpected check over 2’850$, with him as recipient. Diligent security specialist that he is, he called the issuing bank .. and found out that the account against which the check was drawn had zero funds. The way this works is that the bad guys follow up the first letter with a second, where they apologize for the mistake, ask the victim to “wire back” 2500$ and “keep the 350$ for your trouble”. If you go ahead with this, by the time the check bounces, you have wired the money, and wired money is gone or at least very very hard to get back. Given that the crooks incur quite some expense and risk in this scenario (fedex isn’t cheap and often traceable back to the source) they must still be making a killing out of this scam.
The second scheme is phishing via old-fashioned paper mail. You get a letter stating that “for security reasons” calling the bank now requires a pin code, included below. Follows a pin code of a length and complexity that makes it unlikely anyone would want to remember it, and two lines down, the helpful comment that the pin code can be changed by calling 1-800-whatever. You do so, and here’s what happens next:
Voice: Please enter your account number, followed by the pound key [you type] Voice: Please enter your current telephone access code [you type in the access code in the letter] Voice: This access code is incorrect. Please try again. [you type – correctly again] Voice: This access code is incorrect. Please hold for an operator. [you hold] Operator: XYZ Bank, my name is QRS, how may I help you [you explain] Operator: To identify you, we have to ask a couple of security questions. What are the last four digits of your social security number ?
Yep. You get the drift. After this exchange, they have everything they need.
Lesson learned: Do not ever call “your bank” on a telephone number included in a letter, email or left on your voice mail. Get to know some employees at the bank branch you do business with, and call them with any questions you might have. Recognizing someone’s voice beats a “security pin code” any day.
Following up on yesterday’s social engineering post, the banking scammers don’t just rely on ZBot – the good old “paper based” advance fee or fake letter approaches still work, too.
ISC reader David, for example, got a fedex envelope with an unexpected check over 2’850$, with him as recipient. Diligent security specialist that he is, he called the issuing bank .. and found out that the account against which the check was drawn had zero funds. The way this works is that the bad guys follow up the first letter with a second, where they apologize for the mistake, ask the victim to “wire back” 2500$ and “keep the 350$ for your trouble”. If you go ahead with this, by the time the check bounces, you have wired the money, and wired money is gone or at least very very hard to get back. Given that the crooks incur quite some expense and risk in this scenario (fedex isn’t cheap and often traceable back to the source) they must still be making a killing out of this scam.
The second scheme is phishing via old-fashioned paper mail. You get a letter stating that “for security reasons” calling the bank now requires a pin code, included below. Follows a pin code of a length and complexity that makes it unlikely anyone would want to remember it, and two lines down, the helpful comment that the pin code can be changed by calling 1-800-whatever. You do so, and here’s what happens next:
Voice: Please enter your account number, followed by the pound key [you type] Voice: Please enter your current telephone access code [you type in the access code in the letter] Voice: This access code is incorrect. Please try again. [you type – correctly again] Voice: This access code is incorrect. Please hold for an operator. [you hold] Operator: XYZ Bank, my name is QRS, how may I help you [you explain] Operator: To identify you, we have to ask a couple of security questions. What are the last four digits of your social security number ?
Yep. You get the drift. After this exchange, they have everything they need.
Lesson learned: Do not ever call “your bank” on a telephone number included in a letter, email or left on your voice mail. Get to know some employees at the bank branch you do business with, and call them with any questions you might have. Recognizing someone’s voice beats a “security pin code” any day.
Horn told the dispatcher that he doesn’t know the neighbors well, unlike those living on the other side of his home. “I can assure you if it had been their house, I would have already done something, because I know them very well,” he said.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/17/national/main3517564.shtml?source=mostpop_story
It looks like Old Joe Horn had shooting someone on his mind long before he called 911. The guy walked out into the street and shot two guys that were robbing his neighbour.
The author of the law that allows Texans to kill in order to protect themselves had some comments on Joe’s actions:
But the legislator who authored the “castle doctrine” bill told the Chronicle it was never intended to apply to a neighbor’s property, to prompt a “‘Law West of the Pecos’ mentality or action,” said Republican Sen. Jeff Wentworth. “You’re supposed to be able to defend your own home, your own family, in your house, your place of business or your motor vehicle.”
This throws a spanner into the works for Joe. He’s a murderer at this point; never mind that. Some folks love a good “honor killin'”
“Finally, someone who has the guts to do the right thing and protect himself. It appears the bad guys approached the wrong fellow and paid with their life”
“The dispatcher stated to Mr. Horn that no property is worth the life of another. True enough and somebody should have said the same to the two burglars.”
“Cry me a river… the criminals were exterminated. Don”t steel other peoples property and you might live another day.you dare to call it Vigilante… its called Justis Thank the framers of the Constitution for the 2nd ammendment and thank the Texas legislature for correct laws that protect law abiding citizens against the scum of the earth. Death to common criminal!”
(spelling and punctuation preserved)
I wasn’t there and I don’t have a gun on hand most days. Sure, I’ve been unnerved by folks, unnerved enough to kill? I don’t know. I’ve certainly shooed away my share of dumpster-diving meth-heads from my back yard, all without waving a gun. During a robbery, when the cops are already on the way? Take some pictures of the guys as they escape then get out of sight. That’s what insurance is for.
If there was a threat of physical violence on me and mine, I have no idea what would happen. One would hope that they would be level-headed enough to threaten the guys into submission or wound them into cowing.
Good old Joe has some hard days ahead. I wish his neighbor well, and hope that Joe never mistakes him for a robber.
These guys need to be found, arrested and punished
Published by NiteMayr on November 3, 2008Seriously? This is simply unacceptable. These people need a long thrashing with the clue stick, as much as the people in “Jesus Camp” are backwards idiots, these guys are the same. Hiding behind a 2000 year old imported religious tradition to justify long-term terrorism, and terrorism this is, the 1,000 witnesses were not volunteers, they were there to “spread the word” that this “militia” are the hardest and most observant Muslims in the area. Why don’t they just start a rap label and just sing about how hard they are?
Well, what is going to be done about this folks?