11/3/2009 FBI Press Release:
As part of a continuing effort to identify the latest cyber crime trends and warn the public, the FBI today released the following information:
Within the last several months, the FBI has seen a significant increase in fraud involving the exploitation of valid online banking credentials belonging to small and medium businesses, municipal governments, and school districts. In a typical scenario, the targeted entity receives a “spear phishing” e-mail which either contains an infected attachment, or directs the recipient to an infected website. Once the recipient opens the attachment or visits the website, malware is installed on their computer. The malware contains a key logger which will harvest each recipient’s business or corporate bank account login information. Shortly thereafter, the perpetrator either creates another user account with the stolen login information or directly initiates funds transfers by masquerading as the legitimate user. These transfers have occurred as both traditional wire transfers and as ACH transfers.
Further reporting has shown that the transfers are directed to the bank accounts of willing or unwitting individuals within the United States. Most of these individuals have been recruited via work-at-home advertisements, or have been contacted after placing resumes on well-known job search websites. These persons are often hired to “process payments,” or “transfer funds.” They are told they will receive wire transfers into their bank accounts. Shortly after funds are received, they are directed to immediately forward most of the money overseas via wire transfer services such as Western Union and Moneygram.
Customers who use online banking services are advised to contact their financial institution to ensure they are employing all the appropriate security and fraud prevention services their institution offers.
The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) has made information on banking securely online available at: http://www.us-cert.gov/reading_room/Banking_Securely_Online07102006.pdf
Protecting your computer against malicious software is an ongoing activity and, at minimum, all computer systems need to be regularly patched, have up-to-date anti-virus software, and have a personal firewall installed. Further information is available at: http://www.us-cert.gov/nav/nt01/
If you have experienced unauthorized funds transfers from your bank accounts, or if you have been recruited via a work-at-home opportunity to receive transfers and forward money overseas, please notify the Internet Crime Complaint Center by filing a complaint at: http://www.ic3.gov.
For a detailed analysis of this scam please visit http://www.ic3.gov/media/2009/091103-1.aspx
Filed under FBI Releases by 1 Comment. 
Since it's Halloween it seems only appropriate to share a few tricks AND treats for telecommuters.
But who wants to wait for their treats? So let's get to that right off the bat.
The folks at IveTriedThat.com – an excellent website about working at home have decided to make their eBook "The Complete Guide to Telecommuting" available to you for free.
Click here to learn more about their free eBook and grab your copy.
Oh, and expect to learn a few tricks from their eBook as well, such as how to:
- Properly prepare to work at home
- Revamp your cover letters and resumes to stand out to above the crowd
- Create and display a portfolio
- Speak to employers on a professional level
- Learn to recognize a fake online job posting
- Quickly and efficiently scan through job ads for legitimate postings
- Convince potential and current employers to let you work from home
- Manage and grow a telecommuting business
- And yes, show you how and where to find legitimate work at home jobs.
Click here to learn more about their free eBook and grab your copy
Filed under Recommended Home Job Sites by Comment.
Michael Webster recently wrote a fascinating and important post here about the relationship between:
"a) an internet marketing program
b) the FTC new rule on testimonials, and
c) a particular State business opportunity rule"
The first time I heard Michael Webster claiming that some Internet Marketing training programs were violating State business opportunity rules I thought that he clearly didn't understand how internet marketing training programs worked. After all, they don't supply the buyer of the training with a product or service to resell, right? So they aren't a business opportunity right?
WRONG!
I haven't reviewed all of the State business opportunity laws and I'm not an attorney, but I randomly took a look at what the state of Washington considers a business opportunity and as far as I can tell their definition doesn't require that the purchaser be provided with products or services to resell.
Here's how the State of Washington defines what a "business opportunity" is (IMPORTANT – pay attention to the "OR" logic after the initial "AND"):
" (1) "Business opportunity" means the sale or lease of any product, equipment, supply, or service which is sold or leased to enable the purchaser to start a business; and:
(a) The seller represents that the seller will provide locations or assist the purchaser in finding locations, on premises neither owned nor leased by the purchaser or seller, for the use or operation of vending machines, display racks, cases, or similar devices or coin-operated amusement machines or similar devices; or
(b) The seller represents that the seller will purchase any product made, produced, fabricated, assembled, modified, grown, or bred by the purchaser using, in whole or part, any product, equipment, supply, or service sold or leased to the purchaser by the seller; or
(c) The seller guarantees that the purchaser will earn an income greater than or equal to the price paid for the business opportunity; or
(d) The seller represents that if the purchaser pays a fee exceeding three hundred dollars directly or indirectly for the purpose of the seller providing a sales or marketing program, the seller will provide such a program which will enable the purchaser to derive income from the business opportunity which exceeds the price paid for the business opportunity.
(2) "Person" includes an individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, or any business entity.
(3) "Seller" means a person who sells or leases a business opportunity.
(4) "Purchaser" means a person who buys or leases a business opportunity.
(5) "Director" means the director of financial institutions.
(6) "Guarantee" means an undertaking by the seller to refund all or a portion of the purchase price paid for the business opportunity."
Of course many of the internet marketing training programs would meet this definition if they fell under the state of Washington's jurisdiction.
What's bizarre about all of this that I've never seen any of the popular internet marketing attorneys bring up these issues, but as I've learned over the past year just because you are engaged in "internet marketing" doesn't mean an "internet marketing attorney" is going to cover all of your legal bases.
For example, a Media and Communications attorney is likely to offer a deeper understanding of the legal issues surrounding online publishing and an attorney specializing in franchise and distributorship law (Michael Webster's speciality) is more likely to offer a deeper understanding of the legal issues in those areas.
Related:
Filed under Legal Issues by %s Comments.
