[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Email Scams; Was Re: Jan Textor

[Jerry Frank]

As indicated in my original warning, please do not continue this discussion on the mail list.  

The type of hacking described here takes place at the server level.  Though a personal firewall is certainly recommended, it would not protect against this type of hacking.



Jerry Frank
List Administrator



----- Original Message -----
From: Dave Krause <davidekrause at gmail.com>
Date: Thursday, June 17, 2010 10:01 am
Subject: Re: [Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Email Scams; Was Re: Jan Textor
To: Jerry Frank <FranklySpeaking at shaw.ca>
Cc: ger-poland-volhynia at eclipse.sggee.org

> Everyone;
> A personal computer NEEDS a firewall to provide protection to 
> any system
> that connects to the internet.  There is no honor amongst 
> those who take
> pleasure in "surfing" into other peoples systems/files.  
> There are too many
> individuals that will try to inflict harm for no good reason 
> other than
> "it's there".
> Thanks, Dave Krause
> 
> On Wed, Jun 16, 2010 at 4:34 AM, Jerry Frank 
> <FranklySpeaking at shaw.ca>wrote:
> > I would just like to add that our mailing list is safe.  
> Jan did not use
> > the gmail account to subscribe so this scam did not make it on 
> to our list.
> > Because I have now seen 2 of our SGGEE members hacked in this 
> way, I will
> > give a brief description of the scam.  This is not 
> normally something I
> > would post to the list but I am using my List Admin 
> prerogative to do so.
> > Please DO NOT continue the thread.  If you have any 
> further comments or
> > questions, direct them to me personally.  I would also 
> point out that,
> > although 2 members have been hacked, this is not an attack on 
> our system.
> > These are attacks on gmail, hotmail,  yahoo or similar 
> type email accounts.
> >
> > Briefly how the scam works:  Someone hacks an email 
> account and changes the
> > password.  They use the address book to send out messages 
> to all contacts on
> > the list.  The story is that they are on vacation and 
> have been mugged with
> > all cash and credit cards and possibly plane tickets 
> stolen.  They have
> > contacted the Embassy with no luck in getting help.  The 
> hotel is holding
> > them hostage until they can pay their bill and/or they have no 
> money to buy
> > plane tickets to get home.  They want your help in 
> sending them some money
> > via Western Union.
> >
> > It is an emotional appeal so you might want to kick in to help 
> the person
> > but, as with any such message, common sense should 
> prevail.  In the case of
> > Jan, I immediately questioned why a Danish citizen would be 
> going to a US
> > Embassy.  How would he find such an Embassy supposedly 
> located in Wales
> > where he was supposedly vacationing?  Embassies are only 
> located in the
> > capital cities of countries.  Why were they asking me to 
> send the money to
> > Glamorgan which is in Scotland when they are stuck in Wales.
> >
> > So if you receive a similar message, either personally or 
> through this mail
> > list, do not respond.  If you do, more emotional appeals 
> will follow in an
> > attempt to suck you in.
> >
> > Jerry Frank
> > List Administrator
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Gerhard Koenig <Gerhard.Koenig at gmx.net>
> > Date: Tuesday, June 15, 2010 11:57 pm
> > Subject: [Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Jan Textor
> > To: ger-poland-volhynia at eclipse.sggee.org
> >
> > > Yesterday I received an e-mail from his gmail account, but the
> > > contents is false. I spoke with him some minutes ago. His e-mail
> > > account was hacked. Jan is at home in Denmark.
> > >
> > > gerhard
> > > --
> > > GRATIS für alle GMX-Mitglieder: Die maxdome Movie-FLAT!
> > > Jetzt freischalten unter http://portal.gmx.net/de/go/maxdome01
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Ger-Poland-Volhynia Mailing List hosted by
> > > Society for German Genealogy in Eastern Europe 
> http://www.sggee.org> > Mailing list info at 
> http://www.sggee.org/listserv>
> > _______________________________________________
> > Ger-Poland-Volhynia Mailing List hosted by
> > Society for German Genealogy in Eastern Europe http://www.sggee.org
> > Mailing list info at http://www.sggee.org/listserv
> >
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Take care, Dave
>