[NSR] Newest Scam alert

[agrogod]

So I have gotten a few of these and felt that all should be aware of this newest threat to your online security. It is all very vaguely written as most scams are, with nothing specific to the addressee. If you get one of these absolutely under no circumstances open the attached file, even though it is a small file it can do big harm to your computer and/or network. Here is what the body of the message is, it may be worded differently depending on your location, but it will have an attached file in all cases.

Notice of appearance,

Hereby you are notified that you have been scheduled
to appear for your hearing that will take place
in the court of Huntington Beach in April 05, 2014 at 10:30 am.

Please, kindly prepare and bring the documents related
to this case to court on the date mentioned above.

Please, download the copy of the court notice
attached herewith to read the details.
Note: If you do not attend the hearing
the judge may hear the case in your absence.

Yours very truly,
Alexander Nieves
Clerk of court

The scammers don't ever stop and neither should your vigilance. Be safe all.

[skully93]

Heh.

Being in IT, I deal with malware infections all the time from this kind of crap.

FFS, don't open it .

[ender07]

Heh.

Being in IT, I deal with malware infections all the time from this kind of crap.

FFS, don't open it .

Ditto. Don't do it!

[TVB]

If you get one of these absolutely under no circumstances open the attached file, even though it is a small file it can do big harm to your computer and/or network. Here is what the body of the message is...

The body of the message isn't even important. I've been dealing with this stuff for over 20 years, and here's the rule:

If someone sends you an attachment, and it isn't something you already knew they were going to send you, do not open it. Period.

If it's from someone you don't know, delete it and don't look back. No government agency, bank, etc. is going to contact you this way. Even if it appears to be from someone you know, that's super-easy to fake, or their computer might be infected, so call (or email, text, whatever) that person to verify that they really sent an attachment to you before opening it.

[Syd]

Really, who gives their email address to the city/county,state court? Haha!

But I also work with people who are smart enough to know better, but I'll have to fix it later anyway.

[agrogod]

All the above points were the first thing on my mind when I got the first one about one month ago. Since I am at the end of a 3-1/2 year divorce the first thing that came to mind was why the heck would the courts send me an email to go to court, that's what my lawyer is for. After reading through it I realized it was a fake.
And since my divorce isn't on public record, I still am left wondering how any one would be able to get any kind of info that I was tied up with the courts at this time.
My biggest peeve is that Alexander Nieves seems to be a real estate agent, and now his name is being dragged through the mud because of this.
As I have said before "WTF is wrong with people?"

[TVB]

And since my divorce isn't on public record, I still am left wondering how any one would be able to get any kind of info that I was tied up with the courts at this time.

They didn't. They don't know, and they don't know you from Angela Merkel, Prince Rogers Nelson, or Clive Cussler. They just have your address on a list. It costs them literally nothing to send it to every e-mail address they get their hands on, and hope that the subject of their scam (court case, speeding ticket, lottery, voicemail, fax received, tax rebate, whatever) connects with some of them. That's why I say that the text of the message doesn't matter: it's just ever-changing bait.

[Syd]

^^ This.

It is possible that someone you know has picked up an old-school virus that sends out email to random entries in that address book, using other random entries in the From: field. But more likely is TVB's assessment that someone got your email address from a scavenged list and your address was one of thousands used.

[agrogod]

Good points TVB and Syd, just seemed so 'timely' with what's going on in my life at this time.

[Scooterboi]

It was bound to resonate with somebody on the list. Congrats, you are the "lucky" winner. As you said "just vague enough"

And, since it cost them nothing to try, ANY money generated from this is profit, even one in 10,000, 100,000, etc.. The trick is finding out how you got on that list. It could have been a friend's infected email but have you taken out any magazine subscriptions lately? Online shopping? Facebook? Shopped at Target recently? Sadly, the list goes on.

[Syd]

I got one of the "Hi, I am from Windows Support company..." calls last night. Normally I play with them for a while, feigning concern, but last night I wasn't in the mood.

[agrogod]

It was bound to resonate with somebody on the list. Congrats, you are the "lucky" winner. As you said "just vague enough"

And, since it cost them nothing to try, ANY money generated from this is profit, even one in 10,000, 100,000, etc.. The trick is finding out how you got on that list. It could have been a friend's infected email but have you taken out any magazine subscriptions lately? Online shopping? Facebook? Shopped at Target recently? Sadly, the list goes on.

Gee does that mean I am not the lucky winner of $5,ooo,ooo in the Nigerian Lottery?