Tuesday, May 5, 2009

SCAM -- RELATIONSHIP ESTABLISHMENT & DEAL NOTIFICATION

A scam artist wants to know if you can be trusted with £760,000,000.00 [Seven Hundred & Sixty Million British Pounds Sterling].

The scammer's grammar is abominable. I am particularly partial to his superior's job title - Top Bank Director, a position that is higher up in the food chain than that of Bottom Bank Director also known as a bottom feeder. To top it off, the thief's professional title in this fantasy of his is Financial Expert. This financial expert cannot even correctly write the amount that he wants to bait you with. Notice that £760,000.000.00 has two decimal points. Based on the first decimal point, the scammer only has £760,000.00 or $504,412.00 US Dollars; £760,000,000.00 is approximately $504,412,000.00 US Dollars.

Enjoy reading the email message below. Just remember not to fall for scams like the one below. There is no such thing as a free lunch. Never respond to email messages that you receive that are unsolicited. You never want to lose any of your money, and please be especially cautious during these difficult economic times.

From: martin james martinjames37@msn.com
Sent: Tuesday, May 5, 2009 12:07:11 PM
Subject: MR MARTIN JAMES

CONTACT: MR. Martin. F. James FOR BUSINESS DEAL
Address: E3 Pelham House, 32-34 Pelham Road, London, GW19 1SX United Kingdom.

"RELATIONSHIP ESTABLISHMENT & DEAL NOTIFICATION"

I am aware that this is certainly an unconventional approach to starting a relationship but I believe knowing each other starts from a step of which I believe I am not making a mistake exposing this very important business deal to you?

Firstly, let me identify myself without any intention of equivocation, I am Mr. Martin James, Financial Expert worked in a Bank here in United Kingdom, I will be happy if we can do business together in good faith and this proposal will be of mutual benefit for us. I have a transaction deal in the tune of £760,000.000.00-[Seven Hundred & Sixty Million British Pounds Sterling} to be transferred to any possible safe account with your good assistance. I have every possibility & advantages for the proceeds of this account to be paid to you and then both of us can share equal percentage meaning 50% for me and 50% to you. I am really serious" can I trust you on this subject matter? I had discussed this issue privately with the Top Bank Director and he agreed to help and have instructed me to look for a foreigner who can be trusted and capable to handle this transaction so that we can secretly move this money out from UK immediately basing on Investments plans in your Country. I guarantee that this will be executed under a concrete special arrangement that will protect us from any breach of law. I will not fail to bring to your notice that this transaction is hitch-free and you should not entertain any fears as the required arrangements have been made for the completion of this operation. This money was secretly deposited and placed for an Investment before the late holder died and none of his families or relatives knows about this money, I came across this great fortune during an annual pre-audition. If you can be trusted and capable to handle this business with me in full confidence & trust, please send me the following information for documentation preparation and also give me your word of confidence that we will work as one team and I will get in return what belongs to me after successful transmission of this operation :

Your expedient response will be appreciated as i look forward to hearing from you soon.Please send all email correspondence to personal email add:
(martin_james39_@yahoo.com)

(1). Full names:
(2). Private phone numbers:
(3). Current residential address:
(4). Occupation:
(5). Age and Sex:
{6}.Your Full Banking Coordinates as follows.
Bank Name:
Bank Address:
Account No:
Account Holder's Name:

I look forward hearing from you.

Kind Regards,
Mr. Martin F. James.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Scammers That Want Us to Become Their Relatives, Adopt Them, and Find Them Housing

Just received this email from a scam artist; supposedly, a college student that has horrendous writing skills.

I found this to be one of the more amusing scam letters and thought that I would share it, and, of course, give the scam artist 15 minutes of fame in perpetuity. What always puzzles me the most is why these scammers from Africa always have millions of U.S. dollars in metal boxes or in bank accounts or held at security companies. Why don't these scammers have millions of dollars in their own currency? Of course, all of this is fake, but some innocent people become victims of these scammers.

Why would someone that doesn't know me give me such personal information -- because it isn't real, and scammers want you to feel sorry for them. Of course, those that get involved are looking to make a fast buck too. Do not get taken advantage of.

Do not fall for these letters or respond to them. Delete them from your email box.

From maima bestman Fri Jul 11 09:53:53 2008
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From: "maima bestman"
Subject: i wish to be your family member. please read this.
MIME-Version: 1.0
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Respected dear,

Sorry for this on notified email. As a matter of fact, I wish to contact you because I wish to do this transaction with a complete neutral person. I decided to do this because I wish to keep the secret of my success from everybody who knows me or my family.

In brief introduction, I am Miss maima bestman Tutu. A Ghanaian university student. I am the daughter of a very popular gold and bauxite miner in Ghana who died close ten months ago. My dad was a polygamist married to five women. I am the sole daughter from my mother who is from Belgium among 24 other children from his other women.

My mum is a banker and was my late father?s banker. After the death of my father, and the family shared everything according to tradition, I got nothing because I am a woman and the 22nd child in the family.

My mother just called me to reveal to me that she kept secret an account of my late father containing a fixed deposit of twenty five million united state dollars ($25,000,000.00.) she has instructed me to look for a very reliable person who can help me outside this country in receiving this fund and investing it wisely.

I wish to go into estate developments and insurance company. I also wish that you help me buy a five bedrooms mansion with all social amenities of not more than $1,000,000.00. I will be coming to complete my school in your country and you will help me secure residence permit.

With all this assured, I wish to give you 14% of my money. Your comments are welcome.

Waiting to hear from you urgently.

Miss Maima Bestman Tutu.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Typical Scammer Email Stating Funds Have Been Recovered



Do not be tricked by email messages similar to the one below. No one writes to you blindly stating that funds stolen from you have been recovered. The email message is utter nonsense.

Always be leery of communications with misspellings, grammatical mistakes, and typographical errors.

Delivered-To: always.the.nekkid.truth@gmail.com
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Date: Mon, 26 May 2008 15:22:31 +0100
From: "EU Anti-Fraud Watch" Add Mobile Alert
Reply-to: david-eu-taxoffice@excite.com
Subject: EU Anti-Fraud (Urgent Message) We Have Capture Some of Scamers
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_Part_2652_23380394.1211811751110"
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ATTENTION VICTIMS OF SCAMS!!!

Complements of the season!

I am David Jackson of the EU Fraud watch team. This panel was set to look into recent fraudulent activities and scam victims in the past five years within Africa and Europe.

We wish to inform you that we have received several complain about victims of several Internet scams and suspicious activities going on at the some Blacklisted Banks through the internet fraud watch operatives at the World Bank level.

we recovered some huge amount of funds from internet scamms from Africa and Europe and Aisa.The fraud money recovered was deposited in world bank,Your lost money we be giving to you atfer the investiagation by world.

However, your name, email address and other related details appeared with some of the detail retrieved from some of our prime suspect now in our custody as follows.

The Fraudulent officers of the Barclays Bank and Government officials are still at Large alone with some remote cells working in Africa called EFCC.

This commission have re-confirm this information with World Bank and IMF financial crime list, which has agree to further investigate the genuineness of the transaction.

I will need you to contact me with all the relevant information to aid our investigation and uphold justice.

As soon as i hear from you. You will be further advised on what to do in other to recovery any money lost or make further claims.

I hope to hear from you soonest.

Thanks for your cooperation.

Sincerely yours,

David Jackson
(Director) Field Operation
EU Fraud Watch/Tax Authentication Team
8 Storey's Gate
London SW1P 3AT
EFCC Nigerian Abuje office
Tell:+234-7055762274
Uk Tel: +44-7031906684
Email: david-eu-taxoffice@excite.com

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Email Messages from a Scammer Posting on Autotrader.com

The following email messages were forwarded by a person that was interested in a vehicle being advertised on Autotrader.com. His radar went up as soon as the scammer mentioned eBay's Vehicle Purchase Protection Program. eBay and Autotrader are not affiliated with one another, and eBay DOES NOT operate any type of escrow service.

If you're going to buy a vehicle through the Internet, make sure that you can see the vehicle, test drive it, and bring it to a mechanic. Do not send money via Western Union or Moneygram to people that you do not know.

***VEHICLE LEAD***

The following lead was generated from Autotrader.com's website.

VEHICLE INFORMATION

Make: Toyota
Model: Camry
Year: 2007
Price: 12700
Mileage: 9140
Body Style: Sedan
Color: White
Cylinders: 6 Cylinder Gasoline
Transmission: Automatic
Doors: Four Door
Stereo: Unavailable
VIN: 4T1BK46K37U537107

Description: It is a 2007 (new body style) with less than 9,000 miles, always garaged. This XLE has the 3.5 liter V-6 engine with dual exhaust and 6 speed automatic transmission currently used in the Lexus, but uses regular unleaded. I average 28 mpg in local driving, 32 mpg highway. The color is super white with no dings; the interior is tan leather; the windows have been professionally tinted legally dark by Sun Toyota, where I bought it in February 2007. Oil changes were done at 3800 miles and 8100 miles. It has always been in Florida since I bought it new and has never been in an accident. Never smoked in and no pets, or kids. The JBL premium stereo has a six in-dash CD and Bluetooth which connects your cell phone automatically to the sound system, talk hands free, and voice activated dialing. Also has alloy wheels with no scratches or curb rash; and has Toyoguard which is paint sealant, roadside assistance, and vin number etched windows. Still has plenty of factory warranty for your piece of mind. Comes with all manuals, keys, and Toyota mats and trunk mat

------- Original Message Follows -------
From: Alan Rosenlicht [alanrosenlicht@gmail.com]
To: INTENTIONALLY DELETED
Subject: Re: Owner 62388151: AutoTrader.com: Vehicle Lead 2007 Toyota Camry
Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:39:54 -0700

Hi

Thank you for your interest in my car. It is in perfect condition, no technical or cosmetical problems. It has no scratches and has never been involved in an accident. This car was always garaged. I assume you already know the price from the AutoTrader site.

The sale will be conducted through eBay, for the protection of both of us. If you have any questions regarding the car please e-mail them to me. I can also send you more pictures. If you like the car and you want to buy it, contact me and we will discuss the terms.

Alan

----- Original Message -----
From: INTENTIONALLY DELETED
To: Alan Rosenlicht [alanrosenlicht@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2008 7:36 PM
Subject: Re: Owner 62388151: AutoTrader.com: Vehicle Lead 2007 Toyota Camry

If you can please email me more pictures of the interior and a close up of the tires for tread. I will be going on a short vacation this weekend and will be back Monday April 15th.

From: Alan Rosenlicht [alanrosenlicht@gmail.com]
To: INTENTIONALLY DELETED
Subject: Re: Owner 62388151: AutoTrader.com: Vehicle Lead 2007 Toyota Camry
Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2008 01:59:21 -0700

Hi INTENTIONALLY DELETED,

Please see the attached pictures. I want to tell you that I am not selling this car for profit or due to financial problems. All I can say is that some recent events in my life made me change my perception on certain things, things I've considered important in the past. Therefore, all the funds obtained from this sale will be donated to a children foundation.

I am currently on a trip for UNICEF in Europe. I will not be able to meet you to show you the car, but I am available for any information you may need. Feel free to e-mail me, I check my inbox very often. I have already included the car into the eBay Vehicle Purchase Protection, so I would like to use this program for the transaction.

Here is how the process works:

- you give me your shipping address,
- I start a transaction on eBay Motors,
- they send you the payment instructions,
- you send the money into eBay trust account,
- they confirm me that they received the funds,
- I ship the car,
- you receive the car and approve them to pay me,
- they send me the money.

You'll receive the car papers along with the car. They will hold the money until the car is delivered to you, with properly executed title. You will have 5 business days for inspection. If the car is not like described you will have to ship it back at the end of the 5 business days on my expense, but I am sure that you will love it.

In order to move forward I will need your full name and address. EBay will get in touch with you with further details and instructions.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Alan

Monday, April 7, 2008

An Email Message from a Craigslist Scammer

A word to the wise ... purchase vehicles locally. See them in person, test drive them, and have mechanics check them out before you enter into an agreement to buy a vehicle. DO NOT buy a vehicle sight unseen.

Do not fall for a scam like this. Although eBay owns a percentage of Craigslist, that is its only affiliation. Craigslist deals cannot be consummated through eBay. eBay does not offer an inspection period to buyers, and eBay does not hold money in escrow for sellers.

Think about it! Craigslist posts are free ... why would a legitimate seller that has posted a vehicle for sale on Craigslist want to pay eBay a hefty listing fee? The only possible reason is to scam the buyer. Take control. Do your homework. Do not give your money to a thief!


From: S W
Sent: Monday, April 7, 2008 9:36:02 AM
Subject: 2003 Corolla

Hello and sorry for my delay, I`m Sgt. Robert Simpson. This 2003 Corolla is in perfect working condition. This vehicle engine runs very, very smooth. No electrical problems on this beauty. This detailed vehicle makes the exterior looks like it just came off the assembly line. The car has 76200 miles. VIN Number: jtdbr32e130038947

Options:
KEY LESS ENTRY
POWER WINDOWS
CD
POWER DOOR LOCKS
POWER STEERING
POWER MIRRORS
AIR CONDITIONING
AM/FM RADIO
LE
2 WHEEL DRIVE
AIR BAG
4 CYLINDER 1.8 LITER
Transmission: Automatic

Here are the pics of the car.

As I know that my current situation is pretty special I want the deal closed only through eBay Motors Vehicle Purchase Protection (VPP) in order for you to be 100% protected. You will make the payment to eBay and they will hold the money until you receive the car. ONLY AFTER you receive the car and you inspect it (for 10 days) eBay will release the payment to me; in this way we are both protected.

Anyway I am sure that if you will don't be satisfied about the car I will surely find another buyer in your area and there will be no need for you to ship the car back. I am located in London, United Kingdom and I was sent here to improve the military relationships between USA and UK. One month ago, my wife moved here with me and brought the car with her but now we have to sell it back in the United States because we can't register it here; it has US specs and everything, and registering it here in Europe will take for ever.

My final price on it is US 2,960 $. If you will take it for this price, I am willing to handle the shipping. It will be shipped from here by plane with US Air Military Cargo so it will not cost me anything. You will get it to the nearest airport in your area and then it will be trucked forward to your place. You will receive the car in about 3 max 4 business days. Please get back to me asap if you decide to buy, and include in your e-mail your full name and address where you want it shipped so I can start the deal with eBay. You will receive all the transaction payment and shipping details from them.

Best Regards,

Robert Simpson

Americans, whether they live in the United States or abroad, do not place the dollar sign ($) after the dollar amount.

Sunday, May 20, 2007

eBay Members Crying Out for Better Security


It has been more than a month since Rob Chesnut, eBay's Senior Vice President of Global Trust & Safety, announced to the eBay community that new fraud prevention initiatives were implemented on eBay's platforms. However, this blog has mentioned many times since Chesnut made his announcement that we have not seen any signs of the new initiatives. Nothing proactive has occurred, eBay member accounts are still being hijacked and fraudulent listings continue to appear on eBay's platforms 24/7/365.

However, there is a simple solution to instill member confidence in eBay, and that is for eBay to require all of its members to use the PayPal key fob that was rolled out onto PayPal's platform in March. Called the "PayPal Security Key", PayPal gives it free of charge to all users that have business accounts and charges $5 to users that have premiere or personal accounts. The "PayPal Security Key" can also be used on eBay, and eBay gave the "PayPal Security Key" to eBay PowerSellers at a certain level for free.

Although the "PayPal Security Key" does not stop fraud, by using it, members have some comfort knowing that they have added an additional layer of security to both their PayPal and eBay accounts. PayPal spokesperson Sara Bettencourt told CNET News.com in January that "If a fraudulent party somehow got hold of a person's username and password, they still wouldn't be able to get into the account because they don't have the six-digit code."

Just as eBay does not want to require new members to take tutorials to learn how to protect themselves from fraud, eBay does not want to require all of its members to use the "PayPal Security Key". However, we have a few solutions to at least instill buyer and seller confidence on eBay's platforms, and an additional enhancement for PayPal to implement. Moreso, the solutions are simple because PayPal and eBay have already rolled out and implemented the "PayPal Security Key".

If an eBay/PayPal member obtains the "PayPal Security Key", the member must activate it on either PayPal or eBay and must register the unique alpha/numeric serial identification number on the back of the key. The member would then also activate the "PayPal Security Key" on the other platform. To use the key on both PayPal and eBay, the member has to log on with his user ID, password, and input the 6-digit number that is randomly generated by the "PayPal Security Key". Once the member successfully logs onto PayPal or eBay he can fully access his account. Members do not need to log into eBay and use the key if they only wish to surf eBay.

The unique alpha/numeric serial identification number on the back of the "PayPal Security Key" is solely assigned to the PayPal/eBay account for a specific person or business. Presently, only one PayPal account can be associated to one eBay account; therefore, if a member has a combination of two or more PayPal/eBay accounts, each PayPal/eBay account would require its own "PayPal Security Key".

If a "PayPal Security Key" is lost, it is of no value to anyone else because the alpha/numeric serial identification number has already been registered with PayPal/eBay and cannot be reassigned or transferred. Should the key become faulty or is lost, the "Paypal Security Key" will be disabled by PayPal/eBay once the member it is assigned to reports such to PayPal/eBay. Members who may leave their "PayPal Security Key" at home, while wanting to access their PayPal/eBay accounts from another location, and those who are waiting for a replacement "PayPal Security Key" are still be able to access their PayPal/eBay accounts, but must answer security questions of which the answers are only known to them. Hijackers are unable to gain access to any PayPal or eBay accounts that are activated with the "PayPal Security Key" because the hijackers are unable to successfully answer the security questions.

The bottom line is that hijackers cannot tamper with PayPal/eBay member accounts that have activated the "PayPal Security Key".

Click on the thumbnail images below to enlarge them for a visual illustration of the PayPal and eBay log on pages when the "PayPal Security Key" is activated.



On a side note, we would like to mention that the estimated life of the battery in the "PayPal Security Key" is approximately one to two years. The battery cannot be replaced, so a member must obtain a new key from either eBay or PayPal.

We suggest that both PayPal and eBay create an icon that will appear as follows:

PayPal

• The new icon will appear on the PayPal message sent to the seller that the buyer accessed his PayPal account by using the "PayPal Security Key" and has paid for the transaction.

• The new icon will appear in a new column on the PayPal transaction register only for transactions in which the "PayPal Security Key" was used.

By implementing this new icon in these locations, it will give the seller confidence that the buyer did indeed authorize payment for the transaction. Although thieves can copy and use the icon in spoof messages, users will be able to verify the authenticity of a payment/receipt by accessing the transaction register on their PayPal accounts.

Click on the thumbnail images below to enlarge them for a visual illustration of the proposed changes to PayPal.



eBay

• Listings that are created and uploaded onto eBay platforms where the seller has logged in to his account with the "PayPal Security Key" will display the key icon in the blue listing box and in the location where the PayPal buyer protection information is located. It will also be necessary to use the "PayPal Security Key" to upload listings through Turbo Lister and any other third-party programs.

• If an existing listing that displays the key icon is revised, the eBay member must log in to access his eBay account with the "PayPal Security Key". If the member does not log into his account with the "PayPal Security Key", he will be unable to revise the existing listing. The member also will be unable to cancel the listing by himself. The member will have to contact eBay's Live Help for Fraud group to have the listing canceled and will also be required to provide verification information to the Live Help agent. eBay will not refund the listing fee to the member, as it will be considered canceled and not TKO'd. The eBay member will be able to list items without the key, but the "PayPal Security Key" will not appear in the listing. By only allowing members to revise listings with the "PayPal Security Key" this further prevents hijackers from accessing accounts and revising genuine listings for their own illegal benefit.

• The key icon will appear for all listings that are uploaded with it in a column on the eBay search results page.

• Just as members may search for listings that have PayPal as a payment option, the key icon will be added as a search function on the left hand side of the search page.

• The key icon will be added as a search function on the Advanced Search screen.

• The key icon will appear on the My eBay Summary screen for all applicable listings sub-categorized under "All Buying" and "All Selling" that are uploaded using the "PayPal Security Key" and paid for through PayPal with the buyer's "PayPal Security Key".

• We also suggest that because PayPal is not accepted by every seller, available in every country, or available to every member, that on eBay's platforms the key should be renamed the "eBay Security Key". eBay should also add its own logo to the existing key (which only says "PayPal") or create a key solely with the eBay logo on it.

Click on the thumbnail images below to enlarge them for a visual illustration of the proposed changes to eBay.



eBay Member Confidence

• eBay members will have confidence in these specific eBay listings, as they can only be uploaded to eBay platforms by the true member that is assigned the "PayPal Security Key".

• Buyers will have more confidence that listings are genuine because they will be able to search for listings containing the "PayPal Security Key."

• Buyers will continue to have confidence when obtaining general search results. They will be able to immediately see the "PayPal Security Key" icon related to each item and know, without having to click on the listing, that the listing is genuine.

• Instilling buyer confidence in eBay listings will generate more sales and higher sales dollars for sellers that use the "PayPal Security Key," and will also increase the average selling price (ASP), final value fees and increase revenue for eBay.

• Should an eBay member be assigned and have in his possession a "PayPal Security Key" and then be NARU'd, eBay will automatically disable the key for all eBay accounts associated with that particular key until the member is again in good standing. PayPal accounts will remain unaffected. However, because eBay and PayPal are considering allowing the "PayPal Security Key" to be used for multiple accounts in the future, this safety mechanism will prevent NARU'd members from having the opportunity to log in to eBay with the key.

• The more exposure the "PayPal Security Key" icon receives through eBay marketing, promotion, and announcements, the more it will convince other members, and specifically, sellers to obtain the "PayPal Security Key" for their own use.

Site Key

There may be some eBay members that infrequently use eBay, and therefore, might find the added security by using the "PayPal Security Key" to be cumbersome or not worth the $5 investment. Therefore, we suggest that to accommodate these eBay members and to provide further security, eBay also implement a site key.

A site key is a small image, chosen by the member to "individualize" his account. Each member will select an image from a random array of 50 images, and set up a security question. Each time a member logs in to his account, after entering his user ID, he will be directed to a second screen showing a random set of images. The member must choose his preselected site key and input his password to complete the login process. If the member does not choose the correct site key, he will be allowed a second attempt. If again unsuccessful, on the third attempt he will be asked to answer the security question. If the security answer is incorrect, the account will be completely disabled for 4 hours. The member will be sent an email message addressed to his eBay registered email account notifying him of the three unsuccessful attempts to log in to his account, and that the account is disabled for 4 hours. The email will also provide instructions on how to contact Live Help for assistance to have the account reactivated, though no action will be required by the member if he did not access his account and if he can wait through the 4 hour disablement period.

• The security question choices will be out of the ordinary. For example, questions with common answers will be easy to guess at. However questions such as "What is your eldest sibling's middle name" and "Name your first employer" will be nearly impossible for a thief to answer.

• Site key images will always appear in random order, and because the member will have two attempts to select the correct image to log into eBay prior to answering the security question, hijackers will be unable to determine which image is correct through keylogger programs.

• We further suggest that eBay create a library of 3000 site key images to choose from, although it only needs to offer a member an array of 20-30 images to choose from to initially activate the site key account protection. By implementing the site key and security question precautions, a hijacker would be unsuccessful in leading a member to a fake eBay login page.

• Since we are aware that there are millions of dormant accounts in eBay's database, we suggest that if a member has not activated either the "PayPal Security Key" or the site key within 30 days of the site key being rolled out, that eBay temporarily disable such accounts and require verification of membership when accessed. In the alternative, at a minimum, eBay should disable the selling privileges on the dormant accounts so hijackers already having access to an undetermined inventory of user IDs and passwords are unable use the dormant accounts to create fraudulent listings for their own purposes.

Click on the thumbnail images below to enlarge them for a visual illustration of the proposed changes by adding a site key.



Email Messages, Hyperlinks and Member Registration

• Both eBay and PayPal will remove all hyperlinks from its messages and only send messages to members stating they have new messages to read in the My eBay My Messages/PayPal accounts.

• By removing hyperlinks from messages and educating its members that neither eBay nor PayPal send email messages with hyperlinks, members will learn that any messages that look like they appear from either eBay or PayPal with hyperlinks in them are spoof and phishing attempts to obtain member IDs and passwords. By removing hyperlinks and educating members, the members will be less likely to be spoofed or phished, and thus not give up their private information.

• eBay will no longer allow members to register member IDs that are at all similar to their eBay registered email addresses. In this way, members will be less likely to receive fake Second Chance Offers from scammers who use random generator matching programs to detect member email addresses for their scams. This is extremely important because eBay's SMI initiative only obscures member IDs when a listing with bids reaches the $200 threshold.

• eBay will no longer expose any member's email address in Ask the Seller a Question and member to member messages. eBay will allow sellers to answer bidder questions that request additional images by creating eBay generated disguised links through the eBay messaging system similar to the way TinyURL works. Furthermore, eBay will perform malware scans on the links and images to ensure that neither the links nor the images are infected. Bidders wishing to see the images will click on the links to view them.

Click on the thumbnail image below to enlarge it for a visual illustration of the proposed changes to email messages.



If eBay requires its members to either use the "PayPal Security Key" or the site key, thieves will be unable to hijack eBay member accounts and existing listings, therefore, thieves' activities will be limited to the listings on the brand new accounts they create for themselves.

By implementing the above security processes as a complete package, eBay gives its members options, along with offering true security and assurances, that listings on its platforms are created by the true account holders and not hijackers. Member confidence in eBay being a safe marketplace will increase, members will be able to properly evaluate other members through feedback, the public's perception of eBay will be positive, and eBay will be proactively taking action to combat fraud on its platforms. Transparency will return to eBay's platforms.

Implementation of the security processes will allow eBay employees assigned to removing fraudulent listings, securing accounts, and assisting members with fraudulent activity due to hijackings to spend their time doing better things than repetitively removing listings, securing accounts, and advising its members how to keep their accounts secure. eBay's Trust & Safety team will become more effective and have the manpower and opportunity to concentrate its efforts on the problems with the Chinese counterfeiters, shilling violations, and other important trust and safety issues.

By no means will these security processes eliminate all of the fraud on eBay, however, it is a step in the right direction and a way to remove most of the fraudulent listings from eBay's platforms, while keeping its venue status, and protecting its members. We urge eBay's and PayPal's management teams to evaluate these security processes and implement them immediately.

The Nekkid Truth blog thanks the administrator of the Company Exposed website, eBay member "thepursesboutique", Team Whack a Hack, and the many eBay members wishing to remain anonymous for collaborating on this blog entry and providing the illustrations.

For press/media contact, please write to the blog administrator at always.the.nekkid.truth@gmail.com. We welcome all reader comments and questions. Please feel free to post your comments directly to the blog or email always.the.nekkid.truth@gmail.com for further information.

***NOTE***

We believe that we are proposing viable security solutions that eBay can easily implement, which will benefit eBay and its members. On Sunday, May 20, 2007, email messages were sent to eBay executives Bill Cobb, Philipp Justus, Rob Chesnut, Matt Halprin, and Dave Cullinane requesting that they review the proposed security suggestions and respond to this blog entry (see email message below). We will keep our readers updated and let you know if and when we receive a response from eBay.

Date: Sun, 20 May 2007 12:04:18 -0700 (PDT)
From: "The Nekkid Truth"
Subject: Security Proposal to Reduce Fraudulent Listings on eBay's Platforms
To: billc@ebay.com, pjustus@ebay.com, robc@ebay.com, mhalprin@ebay.com, dcullinane@ebay.com
CC: ina@auctionbytes.com

Dear Messrs. Cobb, Justus, Chesnut, Halprin, and Cullinane:

A group of eBay members that have been critical of eBay's lack of security have taken it upon themselves to find solutions to reduce fraud, and increase security and member confidence on eBay's platforms. Implementation of our proposed security enhancements are solutions to the issues eBay faces daily, and, will ultimately increase sales and revenue on eBay. Please review the proposal posted at http://nekkidtruth.blogspot.com/2007/05/ebay-members-crying-out-for-better.html.

We believe your IT group is technically capable to write the required code and perform the beta testing in order for these security enhancements to be implemented on eBay's platforms prior to the Christmas 2007 listing/buying season.

Further, by implementing these solutions, eBay returns transparency to its marketplace. Our proposed security solutions have merit and not only will solve eBay's security and fraud issues, but will strengthen eBay and give eBay members confidence in eBay. This is a win/win situation for eBay.

If you are in favor of implementing our proposed solutions this would be a wonderful announcement you can make at eBay Live. eBay's upper management will be getting the message out to a very large audience that it is proactively pursuing solutions to increase security and reduce fraud on its platforms.

We welcome your comments.

Sincerely yours,

The Nekkid Truth Blog

Company Exposed

Team Whack a Hack

Anonymous eBay Members

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

The Nekkid Truth Blog Announces New Event Ticket Verification/Validation Service for eBay Members


Effective immediately, The Nekkid Truth blog is now offering an event ticket verification/validation service for eBay members. This service has come about because of the number of bogus event ticket listings offered on eBay, and will offer all eBay members confidence when both selling and bidding on/purchasing event tickets. eBay will not implement a mechanism to verify/validate that event ticket listings are genuine, so we are offering this service.

The Nekkid Truth blog and Team Whack a Hack have reported over 150,000 bogus ticket listings to eBay, consisting of over 20,000 bogus Superbowl listings, 5,000 UEFA Champions ticket listings, Disney Hopper tickets, and other sports and concert tickets. We bring a great deal of experience to the table and can immediately recognize both fraudulent and genuine ticket listings, along with fraudulent listings in all other eBay categories.

This event ticket verification/validation service benefits both the bidder and especially the sellers that do not have a track record selling event tickets.

This is how the service works:

eBay Seller:

1. The eBay seller must have the event tickets in hand in order to use this service.

2. This service is only offered to eBay sellers that have paper tickets, with alpha/numeric section/seat numbers for sale. The event, date, time and location of the venue must be imprinted on the tickets.

3. The eBay seller will email clear jpeg images of both the front and back of each ticket for sale to The Nekkid Truth blog.

4. The eBay seller will email a clear jpeg image of the paid receipt for the tickets, including, if available, a clear image of the confirmation letter and mailing envelope to The Nekkid Truth blog.

5. The eBay seller must provide his eBay user ID, and send an email message from the email address that is registered with eBay.

6. The eBay seller must provide a verifiable land phone telephone number, along with a verifiable snail mail address.

7. The eBay seller must accept PayPal for the transaction.

8. Once the tickets are proven to be valid by The Nekkid Truth blog, the eBay seller must watermark each image with his eBay user ID and use said images in the eBay listing so that they cannot be copied and used by others.

9. The eBay seller will be provided with specific language and a direct link to The Nekkid Truth blog to be included in his listing.

10. The event tickets must be listed in the appropriate eBay category.

11. The eBay seller will forward The Nekkid Truth blog a copy of the eBay confirmation message that the listing has been confirmed and accepted by eBay.

12. If the listing is for a "Buy It Now" and/or "Best Offer" the "Buy It Now" and/or "Best Offer" logos must appear in the blue box of the eBay listing.

13. If the listing for the tickets sells, once paid by the buyer, within 72 hours of payment, the eBay seller must ship the tickets via a trackable overnight delivery service, with delivery confirmation, and if the sale price of the tickets is $250 or greater, must require signed delivery confirmation.

14. The eBay seller may not ask to be contacted off of eBay for "Buy It Now" and/or "Best Offer" or use any other common scammer language in the listing.

15. If the eBay seller alters the listing to change any of the information that is significantly different than from what is printed on the tickets, The Nekkid Truth blog reserves the right to remove the listing from the blog.

The Nekkid Truth:

1. The Nekkid Truth blog will verify that the tickets the eBay seller wants to sell are valid and will verify the eBay seller's contact information.

2. Once the contact information is verified and the tickets are authenticated as genuine by The Nekkid Truth blog, the eBay seller will pay The Nekkid Truth blog for the verification/validation service. Once the The Nekkid Truth blog receives confirmation that the verification/validation service has been paid for by the eBay seller, The Nekkid Truth blog will post the listing title, listing number and direct URL to the listing on The Nekkid Truth blog in a blog entry that will be the very first to appear on the blog.

3. The Nekkid Truth blog will spot check the eBay listing during its duration to ensure that it has not been hacked.

4. If the listing has been altered by the eBay seller, The Nekkid Truth blog will verify that the specific ticket information provided for verification/validation has not changed to mislead the eBay buying community.

Fees:

1. The fee for this verification/validation service is $20 per eBay listing and must be paid to The Nekkid Truth blog's PayPal account immediately after the eBay seller's contact information is verified and the tickets are verified/validated to be genuine, but before the listing is uploaded to eBay. This fee is non-refundable.

Miscellaneous:

1. If the tickets do not sell during the duration of the listing, and the eBay seller wishes to relist the tickets, he will not be charged a second fee by the Nekkid Truth blog as long as none of the parameters above change.

2. The eBay seller must notify The Nekkid Truth blog of the relisting, including forwarding a copy of the listing confirmation in order for The Nekkid Truth blog to add the new listing number and URL to the blog.

Benefits:

1. This service will provide buyer confidence that the eBay seller's listing is genuine because The Nekkid Truth blog has credibility.

2. This service will provide seller credibility and that the tickets for sale are genuine.

3. The eBay listing may very well get greater exposure because the URL to the listing will most likely be posted to the blog before the eBay listing is actually indexed and visible to the eBay buying community as The Nekkid Truth blog generates its own daily visitors.

4. The Nekkid Truth blog is indexed at least 6 times per day by Google, therefore the eBay listing through The Nekkid Truth blog will appear in a Google search, providing greater exposure to the listing. Also, The Nekkid Truth blog's primary URL is listed on over 140 message boards, blogs, and websites, thus possibly offering even additional exposure to the eBay seller's listing.

5. Hijackers have been known to hack into legitimate eBay listings, but they cannot alter eBay listing numbers. The eBay listing number will be posted on The Nekkid Truth blog for bidders to verify that the eBay listing is genuine.

6. Should the eBay seller's ticket listing get hacked, because The Nekkid Truth blog will be spot checking the listing, the eBay seller will be directly contacted and informed how to cure the listing and secure the eBay seller's account.

7. Hijackers cannot hack The Nekkid Truth blog.

Other:

1. The procedures above may be altered if The Nekkid Truth blog determines that necessary changes are required.

2. Plastic tickets that look like credit cards are not to be submitted and will not be verified/validated or included in this service.

3. Disney Hopper tickets or any other tickets that may be used over a time period will not be verified/validated or included in this service.

4. If tickets are not transferrable, have names imprinted on them, or are not allowed to be sold on eBay, this service will not verify/validate the tickets.

5. The Nekkid Truth blog is only providing a verification/validation service and does not attest to whether any eBay member is in good standing with eBay. eBay members are to check the trading partner's feedback.

6. This service is presently only available to eBay members registered in the United States and only for tickets associated with events occurring in the United States.

Should you wish to partake in this service or have further questions, feel free to contact always.the.nekkid.truth@gmail.com.

Monday, May 14, 2007

eBayGate: Covering Up Fraud on eBay


At the Town Hall Meeting held on April 30, 2007, Rob "Pinocchio" Chesnut, Senior Vice President of eBay's Global Trust & Safety Group, stated that curtailing fraud on eBay's platforms is eBay's number one priority. He also stated that the group is securing hijacked accounts and nullifying fraudulent listings within 2-3 hours of the first report it receives from eBay community members that spot and report fraud. Chesnut's comments are so far removed from the truth that we are surprised that he hasn't been struck by lightning. Fraudulent listings continue to run rampant on eBay's platforms.

On April 9, 2007, Chesnut announced new fraud prevention initiatives to the eBay community, however, his announcement was vague, and we continue to not see any filters implemented to catch the fraudulent listings prior to them uploading on eBay's platforms. Despite the implementation of Safeguarding Member IDs (SMIs) for items that have bids exceeding the $200 threshold, members continue to receive fake Second Chance Offers. Shill bidding continues and eBay handsomely profits from it, but it is now nearly impossible to report the infraction due to eBay's SMI initiative. There has not been one iota of improvement in curtailing fraud since Chesnut made his announcement.

When questioned by a caller at the April Town Hall Meeting regarding implementing mandatory educational tutorials for new members, Matt Halprin, eBay Vice President for Policies and Procedures, stated that eBay does not want to force its members to take tutorials; it wants to make the buying process simple so buyers can get in and out quickly. The only mandatory educational tutorial that eBay requires new members to take is for members that have feedback ratings of 10 or less that wish to leave neutral or negative feedback for a transaction.

A few weeks ago, the administrator at Company Exposed installed new RSS feeds powered by FEEDBITE. The RSS feeds consist of common scammer phrases, specific email addresses, and well-known items the scammers are known to list on hijacked eBay accounts. At any one time the RSS feeds expose hundreds, if not thousands, of active fraudulent eBay listings. The fraudulent listings appear for endless hours, if not days, certainly exceeding the 2-3 hour window that Chesnut proclaimed was the eBay response time for nullifying these listings and securing accounts.

Although there have been announcements made by eBay that it is actively protecting its membership, there have been no significant or positive changes implemented, therefore, eBay continues to be a thief's best friend and accomplice when it comes to defrauding eBay members.

Recently an eBay member that frequently participates on the Trust & Safety forum provided an excellent definition of fraud:

Fraud: A knowing misrepresentation of the truth or concealment of a material fact to induce another to act to his or her detriment. A concealment or false representation through a statement or conduct that injures another who relies on it in acting.
eBay proclaims itself as a "safe trading environment." Based on the definition above, is eBay's proclamation true or false?

eBay commits fraud by concealing the extent and prevalence of fraud on its platforms and, therefore, places eBay members at risk through the false representation that eBay is a "safe trading environment." eBay's misrepresentation as a "safe trading environment" is for its own financial enrichment and such conduct truly injures eBay members.

Misrepresentation

eBay claims it is safe and claims only 0.01 to 0.1% of the visible listings are fraudulent. Unsuspecting new buyers are lulled into becoming members without being properly educated that by becoming eBay members and actively entering into transactions on eBay they will become the number one target to be hacked, hijacked, phished, spoofed, and lured into sophisticated fraudulent schemes to purchase non-existent merchandise.

eBay's fraud calculations are grossly misleading and are only based on claims paid out through PayPal. Members that are defrauded and make payment to thieves through any mechanism other than PayPal do not have actionable claims and, therefore, are not included in the calculations, nor are fraudulent listings that are uploaded and eventually removed by eBay. Also not included in the calculations are fraudulent payments made to sellers through mechanisms other than PayPal. eBay does not publicly report in the aggregate the number of fraudulent listings uploaded on its platforms.

Conduct

eBay actively conceals and censors its members on eBay community message boards by removing warning posts provided by eBay members illustrating and documenting fraud on eBay's platforms. eBay actively acts to conceal and misrepresent the fraud.

eBay removed member posts on its March Town Hall Forum thread that did not violate board policies. Pointed questions were removed regarding fraud in an effort to conceal members' concerns about this issue. Days prior to the April Town Hall Meeting, eBay blocked access to the March Town Hall Forum thread.

eBay removed and continues to remove any post on eBay's Trust & Safety community board and on other eBay community boards that point to specific or even non-specific proof of fraud on eBay's platforms.

On April 16, 2007, Avery from eBay's Community Development group posted a thread entitled Discussing and Reporting Member-Specific Activity and in part stated:
The manner in which accounts or listings are referenced is less important than the reason why they are being referenced. If it is being used to report a violation, then search strings, item titles, item descriptions, links to other threads with reports, etc. are also examples of posts that are likely not appropriate in these forums.
The original argument for pulling certain posts off eBay community discussion boards was to protect innocent eBay members from mistaken accusations.

However, Avery's comments clearly state eBay members may not discuss fraud in any shape or form, including posting links to the German eBay Trust & Safety community board where eBay members have an official thread to report hijacked accounts.

eBay removed posts linking to its own German Trust & Safety community board when users report hijacked seller accounts with fraudulent auctions. Instead of eBay creating a thread for members to post questions on for the April Town Hall meeting, eBay members were told to submit their questions to an email address. This was done intentionally so eBay members could not review the questions being presented to the panelists at the Town Hall meeting.

It is quite apparent that by eBay's recent actions that it no longer wishes to have transparency on its platforms. Certainly, eBay management is aware of its members' criticisms, but instead of proactively working with members that are knowledgeable about fraud, eBay instead prefers to cover up any traces of both the criticisms and the fraud.

Who is kidding who here? Contrary to what eBay is telling its members, investors, and the media, eBay is not making any visible or significant progress in reducing the number of fraudulent listings on its platforms. eBay has not implemented proactive fraud initiatives; instead it is making its best efforts to conceal fraud, and to censor and sanction its members from discussing fraud. There is no "Trust & Safety" at eBay.

This is an eBayGate cover up; the proof is on Company Exposed's website and is visible by reading the threads on eBay's community message boards and the many blogs and message boards throughout the Internet.

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Employment Opportunity/Identity Theft Scam - Ritz Holiday Inn Hotel


Do not get taken in by unsolicited email messages sent to you like the one below. The Canadian hotel (Ritz Holiday Inn Hotel) does not exist, and if it did, the hotel certainly would have its own domain and would not be using a Yahoo email account. The spelling and grammar are atrocious. It appears that the con-artist added quite a bit of gibberish to confuse the reader. The email message is so confusing that we do not believe that the con-artist knows what he is doing; in fact, we think he is illiterate, and sloppily cut and paste information together from various websites and then attempted to edit it. Perhaps next time he will at least use a spell check program. Nigerian 419 scammers are more illiterate than the typical eBay Romanian gypsy scammers, so we think this con-artist is somewhere in Africa.

Although the positions are located in Canada, salaries are quoted and to be paid in US dollars, payroll taxes are in Canadian dollars, and holidays in the United Kingdom are observed (there is even some mention about Iraq that we cannot make heads or tails out of). Possibly, the scammer thinks that all currency in North America is the same. Also, all of the positions are on a Monday through Friday schedule. Have you ever heard of a hotel that was closed on weekends? The hotel and the jobs do not exist.

We did a Google search for the hotel address stated in the email message, and could not find that location in Montreal, Canada. However, we did find a Holiday Inn located at the same street address at 4 Sipson Road at Heathrow Airport in the United Kingdom. The well-known first class Ritz hotels have not merged with the moderately priced Holiday Inn hotels, they are separate corporations and they do not have an alliance.

If you read closely, this is an identity theft scam as the con-artist is requesting that applicants provide their passport information along with their resumes. If you were to send a copy of your passport, you would be subject to identity theft. Scammers can easily obtain false birth certificates to obtain duplicate passports, and then will open up bank accounts and obtain credit cards, etc., with your name on them and eventually ruin your credit and subject you to collections for debts that you did not incur. DO NOT give your personal information to strangers.

A Google search brought us to the Quicktopic message board, in which many people describe receiving the same, or nearly the same, email. Apparently this email has been resurrected from another that was distributed in 2006. Employers do not send out blind email solicitations for employment, and they do not make employment offers without conducting interviews. We have found that there is, in fact, a fee requested for visa processing, however, when an employer relocates an employee, relocation expenses are traditionally paid by the employer. Even if an employee paid a fee to the employer, all hotels have credit card merchant accounts and process their own payments. They will never use an instant money transfer service such as Moneygram or Western Union. No one should ever send funds via an instant money transfer service to anyone they do not know.

This type of email has been floating around for quite a while, changing hotel names and being authored by various scam artists. We also discovered that much of the information has been plagiarized from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) website.

Date: Sat, 12 May 2007 18:26:29 -0400 (EDT)
From: "RITZ HOLIDAY INN RITZ"
Subject: RITZ_HOLIDAY_INN_SALARY_AND_BENEFIT_2007.
To: always.the.nekkid.truth@gmail.com

WELCOME TO RITZ HOLIDAY INN HOTEL

M4 Junction 4 Sipson Road,
Verdun,
Montreal,QC,
CANADA.

HELLO DEAR,

THE MANAGEMENT AND STAFF OF RITZ HOLIDAY INN HOTEL MONTREAL,CANADA WISHES TO INFORM YOU ON JOB VACANCIES AT THE HOTEL FROM 15-04-2007 READ CAREFULLY FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING. THE HOTELS NEED MEN AND WOMEN WHO CAN WORK AND LIVE IN OUR HOTEL HERE IN CANADA.

Employment decisions are made solely on the basis of qualifications to perform the work for which you are applying. Qualifications include education, training, work experience and other factors which are relevant in determining job performance. Credentials and experience will be verified through schools, former associates and licensing/certification agencies, if applicable. Ritz hotel decision to hire and promote are made without regard to race, religion, colour sex, nationality, origin, age, disability, or any other classification as proscribed by federal, state or local law.

Would you like to be a part of the Ritz Hotels team? Experienced managerial candidates, as well as entry-level applicants, are invited to apply for positions in rooms operations, food and beverage, sales and marketing, finance, human resources, culinary arts, Director Of Catering and Conference Services, Guest Services Manager, Restaurant Manager, Engineers, Guest Ambassador, Guest Services Driver, Operator, Room Service Server, Director of Food & Beverages, Doormen, Housekeepers, Security Officers, Real sex workers, Concierge, Assistant Controller, Restaurant Manager, Banquet Cook, Banquet Steward, Cold Station Attendant, Convention Service Floor Supervisor, Bell Person, Clerk Attendant, Loss Prevention, Storeroom Manager, Various Restaurant Positions, Various Spa Positions, Ritz Holiday Inn,Express Meeting Sales Manager, Director of Rooms, Bartender/Pool Attendant, Assistant Executive Steward,Yoga doctors , Director of Purchasing, Soup Chef, Director Of Banquets, , Group reservation Coordinator, Leader in Development in F&B, Utility Steward, Front Desk Agent, Night Manager, Night Auditor, Leader In Development Rooms Division, Housekeeping Supervisor/Dispatcher, Busier, Valet - Parking Attendant, Steward Supervisor Salary very attractive, excluding family allowance, road allowance, medical allowance, housing allowance transport allowance, miscellaneous allowance etc

Section B
Professionals
Medical/engineering fields.

We implore the services of Doctors/Nurses in Ritz, holidayinn outfits also the services of engineers in our engineering department, electrical, mechanical, xerographic technicians, computer technicians, programmers, machine operators, Industrial engineering (IE) Chartered accountant etc. Depending on your area of specialization and technical known how!

IF ARE INTERESTED U CAN CONTACT ME THROUGH THIS EMAIL ADDRESS ritzholidayinn@yahoo.ca

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW YOU CAN COME OVER TO CANADA. THE HOTEL WILL PAY FOR UR FLIGHT TICKET AND FEEDING, WHEN YOU START WORK THE HOTEL WILL DEDUCT IT GRADUALLY FROM YOUR SALARY . YOU SHOULD APPLY WITH YOUR CV/RESUME FOR EVALUATION.UPON VERIFICATION,IF YOU ARE SHORT LISTED,WE WILL SEND OUR EMPLOYMENT FORM TO YOU. NOTE,YOU SHOULD ALSO SEND YOUR INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT NUMBER WHILE SENDING YOUR APPLICATION

REGARDS,
OLIVER SMITH
RECRUITMENT MANAGER.

CSL SALARY & BENEFIT RITZ HOLIDAY INN HOTEL Salary & Benefit Summary of Conditions of Service for Established Staff Members of Ritz Holiday Inn.

Ritz Holiday Inn, Hotel OnLine General job opportunities)

The following information is in summarised form intended for Ritz Holiday Inn, - general guidance only. The complete text governing the conditions of service in force for permanent members of staff is given in the Staff Manual, which contains in particular the Staff Regulations, Rules and Instructions. This Manual is accessible in Ritz Holoday Inn,online by staff members only that has the secret code.

Appointments

Appointments to the staff are made by an acceptance letter. Appointments are for a fixed term, initially three or six years. During the six months' probationary period, notice of one month may be given, and thereafter four months' notice.

Emoluments

The basic salary is specified in the offer letter and is payable in US DOLLARS, as are all other allowances (family allowances, expatriation and installation). Emoluments (basic salary and allowances) are payable in arrears, with the exception of the installation allowance which is payable on taking up duty.

Emoluments are exempt from . Income tax in CANADA

Monthly Basic Salaries:

A-grades

4,708.51- US DOLLARS, for Economists/Managerial staff and other staff of grade A2/A3.

6,751.60 - US DOLLARS for Human Resource Management officer/Senior Policy Analysts, Managerial staff and other staff of grade A4.

7,818.64 - US DOLLARS for Heads of Divisions and other staff of grade A5.

9,240.55 - US DOLLARS for Deputy Directors and other staff of grade A6.

10,114.79- US DOLLARS for Executive Directors and other staff of grade A7.

B-1-grades

3,898.44- US DOLLARS for junior translators and interpreters of grade LT1-LI1.

4,785.60- US DOLLARS for junior translators of grade LT2.

5,953.79- US DOLLARS for translators and interpreters of grade LT3-LI3.

6,277.24 - US DOLLARS for translators/revisers and interpreters of grade LT4-LI4.

7,139,67 - US DOLLARSs for senior linguistic and managerial staff of grade L5.

B-2-grades

2,089.41 –US DOLLARS for staff of grade B1 (e.g. office clerks)

2,380.44 -US DOLLARS for staff of grade B2 (e.g. secretaries, safety and reception officers, technical assistants)

2,733.51- US DOLLARS for staff of grade B3 (e.g. secretaries/assistants, accountants, IT technicians)

3,120.45- US DOLLARS for staff of grade B4 (e.g. personal assistants, administrative assistants, statisticians, junior programmers, documentalists)

3,624.76- US DOLLARS for staff of grade B5 (e.g. more senior administrative and statistical staff)

4,212.69- Pounds Sterlings for staff of grade B6 (e.g. heads of units) C-Grade:

NOTE, ALL SALARIAL PAYMENT ARE IN US DOLLARS

1, WACHING CARS IN THE HOTEL. MONTHLY SALARY - 4,300

2, CLEAN IN THE HOTELS ROOM. MONTHLY SALARY -4,800

3, SALE IN THE BAR HOTEL. MONTHLY SALARY -3,900

4,HOTEL DRIVER MONTHLY SALARY-5,150

5,HOTEL SECURITY-MONTHLY SALARY 3,850-

6,HOTEL COOK. MONTHLY SALARY 100

7,HOTEL BUTCHERS. MONTHLY SALARY 3,000

8,HOTEL HAIR DRESSERS. MONTHLY SALARY 3,250

9,HOTEL BAKERS. MONTHLY SALARY 4,800

10,HOTEL CASHIER. MONTHLY SALARY 3,900

11,HOTEL MECHANIC. MONTHLY SALARY3,200

12,HOTEL WAITER-MONTHLY SALARY3,650

13,HOTEL TECHNICIAN. MONTHLY SALARY 5,8 00

14,HOTEL SALES MANAGER. MONTHL SALARY 4,300

16,HOTEL COMPUTER OPERATOR& ACCOUNTING MANAGER-MONTHLY SALARY 5,900

17,HOTEL MARKETING MANAGER-MONTHLY SALARY 7,900

18,HOTEL DOCTORS. AND. NURSE . MONTHLY SALARY 8,000/4,000

19,HOTEL BARBER-MONTHLY SALARY5,000

20,HOTEL MASSAGE THERAPIST-MONTHLY SALARY 3,600 RESPECTIVELY

Family Allowances

Family allowances comprise a head of household allowance paid under certain conditions, an allowance for each dependent person other than the spouse, as recognised by the Ritz Holiday Inn,Hotel -Group.

Household allowance:

If you have one or more dependents, this allowance will be paid at a rate of 10 per cent of your basic monthly salary. If you are married with no dependents, this allowance may be granted subject to the amount of earnt income of your spouse (up to a maximum of 10 per cent of your basic monthly salary).

Dependent child allowance (or dependent person other than spouse):

474.70-Pounds Sterings 4/month. Children are considered dependent if they are under the age of 18, or up until the age of 26 if they are in full-time education.

Expatriate allowance:

The expatriation allowance is payable to staff members who do not hold Iraq nationality and who have not been continuously resident in Iraq for more than one year at the time of taking up duty.

Rate for single staff: 14 per cent of basic salary.

Rate for staff receiving household allowance: 21 per cent of basic salary.

Expatriation child allowance: 379- US DOLLARS,/child per month. This is paid if you receive the expatriation and the dependent child allowance. It may be replaced by the education allowance (90 per cent reimbursement of real expenses subject to a ceiling).

Annual leave and holidays

Annual leave amounts to two and a half working days for each month of service. Working days (8 hours per day) are Monday to Friday inclusive, and United Kingdom public holidays are observed.

Staff members who are entitled to the expatriation allowance are entitled, once every two years, to an additional eight working days' home leave, for which their travel expenses are met by the Ritz Holiday Inn, in the case of staff members who receive the household allowance, travel for spouses and dependent children are also met by the Ritz Holiday Inn, subject to a ceiling.

The Medical and Social System of the Ritz Holiday Inn,

The Ritz Holiday Inn, has an excellent and comprehensive medical and social scheme. This includes paid sick leave and paid maternity leave. The healthcare insurance covers staff members and their families.

All staff members are required to subscribe to the Medical and Social System of the Ritz Holiday Inn,Hotel Management . Contributions are deducted automatically from monthly emoluments at the rate of 0.2 per cent of basic salary for health care. Compulsory death and invalidity insurance contributions are deducted at the rate of 0.55 per cent of total emoluments.

Pension Scheme

All staff members are required to subscribe to the Pension Scheme at the rate of 9.2 per cent of their basic salary.

The maximum age for retirement is 65, but staff members are entitled from the age of 63, and after at least 10 years of service, to a pension amounting to 2 per cent of the final basic salary per year of service up to a maximum of 80 per cent for 35 years of service. A reduced pension can be paid to retiring staff members from the age of 51.

Staff members leaving the Ritz Holiday Inn, before completing 10 years of service are entitled to a leaving allowance (instead of a pension) calculated at 2.25 times the rate of the personal contributions as applied to the last annual salary (monthly salary multiplied by twelve), multiplied by the number of reckonable years of service. In case of successive rates of contribution, these are applied pro rata temporis.

The regulations provide for other benefits in the case of disablement and death.

Travelling and removal expenses

Travel expenses of a staff member related to taking up duty at Ritz Holiday Inn, -Headquarters and on termination of appointment are reimbursable. Under certain conditions the staff member's family travel expenses may be reimbursed. (Please check with the Staff Service Centre as to which members of your family qualify for travel reimbursement.)

On the same occasion, and under certain conditions, the cost of removal of furniture and other personal effects is paid by the Ritz Holiday Inn,Hotel.

Currency transfer

Staff members receiving an expatriation allowance may transfer through the Ritz Holiday Inn,up to 50 per cent of their total emoluments to the country of which they are nationals or to their country of residence at the time of appointment.

The important thing here is speed. The hotel management wants the whole thing settled in 45days time. If you can meet our requirement please reply for further procedure's.

The management will take care of your feeding, accommodation including your air ticket.

We will provide all the relevant backup documents to enable the applicant get his or her visa at CANADIAN-Embassy in the applicant´s country. The applicant will take care of his or her + work permits + Airport Immigration clearance document in Canada. Visas will be issued upon approval from CANADIAN-Immigration Bureau.

If you are interested to work with us, respond to this mail as a matter of urgency.

EMAIL ritzholidayinn@yahoo.ca

Hope to hear from you soonest.

Thank You and Regards

LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING YOU SOONEST.
YOURS
OLIVER SMITH
MANAGER
RECRUITMENT DEPARTMENT
RITZ HOLIDY INN.
***UPDATE***

We have tracked the con-artist that sent out this email message to Kenya, as he clicked on the link for this entry from an email message that we sent to him. This Kenyan is a moron. He harvested all of the scammer email addresses from this blog and sent out his idiotic email message to the other scammers. Certainly, this was an act of futility that will never pay off based on the email addresses he used, but we don't mind that he wasted his time and also spammed the email boxes of other con-artists.

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

An Email Exchange with an eBay Motors Scammer


The eBay member that forwarded the following email messages understood early on that she was dealing with a thief that hijacked an eBay member's account to list an automobile on. The eBay listing stated that inquiries were welcome to the email address posted in the body of the listing. The automobile was listed as being located locally to the eBay member, but the scammer states in email communications that the automobile is in Germany, thus inferring that it cannot be inspected or taken for a test drive.

Read the conversation for yourself and be aware of the warning signs. Luckily, the potential buyer did not lose a dime; she did, however, waste the scammer's time for awhile. Take notice of the scammer's lies, inconsistencies, and spelling and grammatical errors in the "official eBay documents".

From: INTENTIONALLY DELETED
To: xeloperw@yahoo.co.uk
Subject: mini on ebay
Date: Sat, 5 May 2007

Hi.

Are you still offering this at the buy it now price? Can I come and see the car this weekend?

Thanks.

Date: Sun, 6 May 2007
From: xeloperw@yahoo.co.uk
Subject: Re: mini on ebay
To: INTENTIONALLY DELETED

Hello,

First of all you must know that right now Im located in Germany due to my job and the car will be shipped from here. I have a car from my job to drive here, so I can`t keep this one anymore, pay insurance and all the associated taxes, as I have a 5 years contract here. It is very difficult for me to drive a right-handed car in Europe, so I`m forced to sell it.

There is no outstanding finance on the car. It has no damage, no scratches or dents, no hidden defects. It is in immaculate condition, meticulously maintained and hasn't been involved in any accident. The motor runs awesome. The tires are like new. Also, I found about the very high import duties and I've changed my mind and I've decided to sell the vehicle. I want to sell it in UK because is still registered there. You will get from me the keys and all documents to register the car into your name.

Buy it now price is £4,300.00 with shipping/handling included. The car will be insured during transportation and will be delivered in front of your door.

If you are still interested we will complete the deal only through Ebay using their Vehicle Protection Program. If you agree with these terms, please reply with your full name and shipping address. I will forward your details to ebay and they will notify you about our deal.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Date: Sun, 6 May 2007
From: INTENTIONALLY DELETED
Subject: Re: mini on ebay
To: xeloperw@yahoo.co.uk

Hi,

Thanks for your response. I appreciate all of the details you have sent through. I can relate to being relocated and understand the stress of sorting out all the details. As the car is not located in the UK at the moment is it possible that I can ask a few more details please.

I did an hpi check on the car and it seems you have only owned it since 12 March 2007. Was this a recent purchase?

Also normally I'd like to see the car before I buy it or at the very least speak to the seller. Is it possible to arrange a call? I can't find anything on ebay about their vehicle protection program. Can you please send me a link to the information on Ebay before I send my details to you? I will normally only buy through ebay and paypal so there hopefully will not be an issue with this.

Thanks for understanding my caution.

Kind Regards,

INTENTIONALLY DELETED

Date: Sun, 6 May 2007
From: xeloperw@yahoo.co.uk
Subject: RE: mini on ebay
To: INTENTIONALLY DELETED

Hello,

Thanks for your e-mail. Yes, this was a recent purchase but as I sayed in my e-mail, I had to move down here and have to let it go. However, all I need from you is your name and shipping address and I will have than ebay send you all the details needed.

Regards!!!

Date: Mon, 7 May 2007
From: INTENTIONALLY DELETED
Subject: Re: mini on ebay
To: xeloperw@yahoo.co.uk

Hi ya,

Here's my name and address:

INTENTIONALLY DELETED

I'd like to come to Germany to test drive the car before I buy it. I can come on easyjet as it's quite cheap. Plus that will save both of us the hassle on shipping.

Also can you please send me the link on the vehicle protection program please? And I'd like to arrange that call with you to discuss the car.

Thanks! I am really looking forward to this car it's such a good deal.

Kind Regards,

INTENTIONALLY DELETED

Date: Mon, 7 May 2007
From: xeloperw@yahoo.co.uk
Subject: RE: mini on ebay
To: INTENTIONALLY DELETED

Hello,

Thanks for your e-mail. However, I will not be able to meet anyone at this time, as my work requires a lot of travel in the country, this is why I choosed ebay to handle the transaction for us. I will have ebay send you all the deal details and after they will contact you, please let me know so we can make the final arrangements.

Regards!!!

From: eBay Safety Department
Reply-To: ebay@safety-board.com
To: INTENTIONALLY DELETED
Subject: [eBay Motors Purchase Protection - Case ID: 140114745559]
Date: Mon, 7 May 2007

Verified Member Profile

eBay Member: carsmini2006 (Mathias Schwark)

An eBay Member in good standing since 02-Mai-07. Identity and/or Contact Information Verified. Continues to meet strict Membership Criteria. Committed to Dispute Resolution and Mediation.

Purchase Protection Coverage up to £10,000

Case ID: 140114745559

Buy with confidence on eBay Motors!

eBay's Vehicle Purchase Protection program protects your vehicle purchase against fraud and material misrepresentation.

E-mail address: xeloperw@yahoo.co.uk

Vehicle Purchase Protection

Ensures that you receive the vehicle you paid for, with coverage up to $20,000 against fraud or material misrepresentation.

The program covers cars, trucks, motorcycles, motor homes, boats, watercraft, off-road vehicles and trailers.

Your vehicle purchase is protected for up to $20,000 or the vehicle purchase price, whichever is lower.

Buy Confidently with our Vehicle Protection Programs
Vehicle Purchase Protection

Ensures that you receive the vehicle you paid for, with coverage up to $20,000 against fraud or material misrepresentation.
Condition
Guarantee by Seller
Provides added confidence that the vehicle’s condition is accurately described and protects you if it is significantly different.
Extended Warranty
Protect your vehicle from unexpected repair bills.

The Seller has selected Vehicle Purchase Protection in this transaction

Buyer INTENTIONALLY DELETED should feel confident purchasing from eBay Member Mathias Schwark.

eBay Member Mathias Schwark has been verified by eBay Safeharbor Team and is committed to customer satisfaction and resolving disputes via mediation.

Vehicle Purchase Protection | Overview

The Vehicle Purchase Protection program protects your vehicle purchase against fraud and material misrepresentation. This program is provided by eBay Motors for FREE on all eligible transactions completed on eBay Motors. There's no sign-up, opt-in, or registration necessary.

The following types of fraud and material misrepresentation are covered:

Paying for a vehicle and never receiving it;

Sending a deposit for a vehicle and never receiving the vehicle;

Paying for and receiving a vehicle:

that was a stolen vehicle at the time of the transaction;

with an undisclosed or unknown lien against its title;

of a make and/or model that is different than what was described in the seller's listing;

without receiving the title for that vehicle from the seller, if it is impossible for you to obtain a title from the appropriate Department of Motor Vehicles;

whose title is subject to an undisclosed salvage, rebuilt/rebuildable, unrebuildable, reconstructed, scrapped/destroyed, junk, lemon, manufacturer buyback, or water damage title brand at the time of the sale;

with a model year that is different than the model year described in the seller's listing;

with an odometer reading that is different than the odometer reading described in the seller's listing

Your vehicle purchase is protected for up to £10,000 or the vehicle purchase price, whichever is lower.

Payment Instructions

Payment must be submitted via Western Union Money Transfer.

If you are not familiarized with Western Union Money Transfer services please visit: www.westernunion.com

Pay for the transfer with cash at a local Western Union agent.

Western Union Agent locations are independent businesses that provide money transfer service to their customers on behalf of Western Union. In the United Kingdom, Western Union Agents are primarily retail locations - grocery stores, check-cashers, mail box centers, drug stores, travel agencies and depots and other retail locations.

Independent Western Union Agents may impose different limitations on the maximum amount that can be submitted per day. For this reason, in case of a larger amount to be sent, we recommend that you go to more than one agent and submit the total sum in separate transfers. Click here to locate the agents in your area.

Purchase protection and refund

Currently, the Seller (Mathias Schwark) has a £10,000 deposit in an eBay managed purchase protection account. Transactions with this seller are covered by purchase protection against fraud and description errors. For your safety this account was locked today, for a 30 days time period. The Seller is unable to withdraw any money from it within this period.

Should you need a refund for this transaction, the insured amount will be taken from the seller's purchase protection account and sent to you. The refund is sent to your bank account, by check or money order. The way you are refunded is at your sole discretion. Refund requests are processed within 48 hours.

Purchase Protection Coverage

Here are the situations suitable for a refund request:

• If the vehicle doesn't arrive and/or the seller stops communication after the payment is received;

• If the vehicle you receive is clearly different from what you purchased in a way that significantly affects its value or utility. (The eBay Claims Administrator makes this determination in its sole discretion and may require you to provide a written statement from a qualified appraiser, at eBay's sole discretion);

• If your vehicle arrives in a much longer period than the one you agreed on (more than 20 days from the payment clearance day)

Sincerely,

Howard Marshall
eBay Motors Financial Department

Mathias Schwark 's Selling Standards

Disclose pricing, shipping and return policies in a clear and accurate manner
Disclose contact information, if requested to do so by a buyer
Respond to disputes filed and participates in mediation, if buyer requests
Commits to meeting eBay Motors Standards

For further questions please contact us at eBay@safety-board.com

Copyright © 1995-2007 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of the eBay User Agreement and Privacy Policy.

From: eBay Safety Department
Reply-To: ebay@safety-board.com
To: INTENTIONALLY DELETED
Subject: eBay Safeharbor Department [eBay Motors Purchase Invoice # 140114745559]
Date: Mon, 7 May 2007

eBay Motors Purchase Invoice # 140114745559

eBay member Mathias Schwark started a new transaction through eBay

We have verified all the details of this transaction and concluded that they are accurate. Please follow our instructions to complete the transaction safely. Your vehicle purchase is protected for up to £10,000 or the vehicle purchase price, whichever is lower.

Payment must be submitted via Western Union Money Transfer

If you are not familiarized with Western Union Money Transfer services please visit: www.westernunion.com

Seller Information:

Mathias Schwark
Goethestr. 34
Potsdam
14482
Germany

Buyer Information: INTENTIONALLY DELETED

Total Amount: £4,300.00

Deposit : £0,00.00

Subtotal : £4,300.00

TRANSACTION DETAILS

Transaction Date: 07 Mai 2007

Case ID: 140114745559

Item Description:

2006 MINI MINI COOPER S BLACK

Sale price: £4,300.00

Quantity: 1

Shipping and handling: Check with seller

Insurance: Offered

Seller ships to:

*Please check the details for an accurate delivery in order to avoid delays:

INTENTIONALLY DELETED

How to make payment

Click below to find the nearest Western Union office

Find Agent Location

Submit payment using Seller's details as payment details:

Send a fax to eBay with the following information:

MTCN ( Money Transfer Control Number )

Sender's Name and Address

Receiver's Name and Address

Amount

We strongly recommend that you also fax the Western Union payment receipt to our Central Fax Number: +1 (330)-754-2107

IMPORTANT

For security reasons please DO NOT submit the payment details to the Seller or any other unauthorized person/corporation.

• The payment details are confidential and will not be released under any circumstances.

• Seller is authorized to ship only after eBay verifies good funds.

• Upon payment verification, the seller is authorized to ship the vehicle and submit tracking information.

HERE IS THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED TO SUBMIT PAYMENT

First Name: Mathias
Last Name: Schwark

Address:
Street: Fritz-Lang Str. 1
City: Potsdam
Zip Code: 14482
Country: Germany

• When payment is received, it will be verified and secured into a non-interest bearing trust account. Payment verification process usually takes less than three hours. After payment is secured, the Seller is authorized to ship merchandise. The seller has three business days to send the buyer and eBay the tracking number of the shipment. If no tracking number is provided, a full refund is immediately sent to the buyer.

• Buyer receives the merchandise and has three days to inspect it. If it is complete and as described, the buyer should accept the merchandise. If he refuses the merchandise, the buyer must ship the merchandise back to the Seller within three business days.

• After the inspection period is over, the Buyer must contact eBay Motors Customer Support with the result of the inspection. If the buyer refuses the merchandise, the refund will be sent to the buyer after the tracking number for the returned shipment is verified. If the merchandise is accepted, eBay submits the payment directly to the Seller within 3 business days.

Copyright © 1995-2007 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of the eBay User Agreement and Privacy Policy.

From: INTENTIONALLY DELETED
To: xeloperw@yahoo.co.uk
Subject: RE: mini on ebay
Date: Mon, 7 May 2007

Hi,

Got the invoice from ebay and your last email and am a bit confused. I heard on the news that ebay now owns pay pal. Why would they send information to pay on Western Union and not through pay pal?

Also you said that you are travelling a lot. How is it that you will be able to ship the car to me? Are you using it for work? I have some friends in Germany (Hamburg and Stuugart) they said they'd be happy to speak to you?

In the ad that was placed it was placed by your girlfriend? Is she in England? If so then can I speak to her?

Also why is the invoice in Dollars as you are in Germany and I am in England? Is this vehicle protection thingy in the US or something?

Thanks for all your help.

INTENTIONALLY DELETED

Date: Mon, 7 May 2007
From: xeloperw@yahoo.co.uk
Subject: RE: mini on ebay
To: INTENTIONALLY DELETED

Hello,

Thanks for your e-mail. However, I will not be able to meet anyone at this time, as my work requires a lot of travel in the country, this is why I choosed ebay to handle the transaction for us. My whife posted the ad and she is here with me in Germany. There is no insurance in US dollars, everything is in pound sterling. Please let me know if we can make the deal.

Regards!!!

From: INTENTIONALLY DELETED
To: xeloperw@yahoo.co.uk
Subject: RE: mini on ebay
Date: Tue, 8 May 2007

Hi,

Reading the email from ebay I wrote to enquire if I could pay by pay pal and it bounced back saying the domain doesn't exist. The invoice said to email to ebay@safety-board.com if I had any questions.

A friend of mine did an internet search on that email and found it on a blog called http://nekkidtruth.blogspot.com and he told me it could be a scam address. Please can you explain? I am really concerned about this.

INTENTIONALLY DELETED

The eBay member never heard from the scammer again once she informed him that the email address for the invoice is posted on this blog.

If people were not getting scammed, we would be having a good belly laugh after reading the email exchanges and fake "official eBay documents". Luckily, the eBay member that baited this thief did not get scammed, but many people innocently fall for these fake documents, enter into off-eBay transactions, pay via instant money transfer services, and never get either the item or the money back.

This is a reminder. DO NOT enter into off-eBay transactions. Make sure you bid or use the "Buy It Now" feature. If you win or purchase the item, make sure that the listing appears in the "Won" column in your My eBay account. NEVER pay for items via unsafe methods. eBay warns all members to NOT make payments via instant money transfer services such as Western Union and Moneygram.

eBay does not verify or approve transactions, verify its members, or state that its members are in good standing. eBay does not act as an escrow agent, or have eBay agents that collect funds. eBay does not offer sellers "Vehicle Purchase Protection". Sellers do not have eBay "Managed Purchase Protection Accounts" with funds in it held by eBay. eBay does not have an inspection period. eBay does not have a warehouse or own a shipping company. And, email from eBay does not come from domains such as "@safety-board.com".

If you are going to purchase a vehicle from a seller listing on eBay Motors, make sure that you familiarize yourself with eBay Motors' policies. Do not take unnecessary risk. Good sellers answer questions and will provide telephone numbers upon request. Good sellers will allow potential buyers and certified mechanics to do inspections and test drive vehicles. Good sellers provide vehicle identification numbers, copies of the title and registration, service records and additional photographs on request. Good sellers are forthcoming about all defects.

As a potential buyer, if you cannot find a seller to comply with your requests, find another seller that will and that you are at ease with.

***UPDATE***

The eBay member that alerted us to this scam just informed us that since this scam was reported to us that she has been spammed with many Nigerian 419 scam email messages. This is out of the ordinary for her. The eBay member's email address has not been disclosed on this blog, so she can only surmise that her email address was posted elsewhere by the scammer in retaliation for providing us with the email messages, and this is the reason why she is now receiving the spam email messages.

Again, we remind you that if you are inquiring about an eBay listing that you DO NOT write to email addresses posted in listings, as they are most likely bogus items listed on hijacked eBay member accounts. Disregard all the excuses as to why the seller wants direct email contact.

Communicate with the seller ONLY through eBay's "Ask the Seller a Question" (ASQ) link located just beneath the seller's user ID. Make sure that you DO NOT expose your email address to the seller, but DO send yourself a copy of the message by placing "checkmarks" in the two boxes below the message (the eBay default is to AUTOMATICALLY PROVIDE your registered eBay email address to the seller and to NOT send you a copy of the ASQ). ASQ messages arrive in a timely manner; you will be able to determine that for yourself.

If you need to request photos or other information and it must be sent to you via email, provide the seller with a throw-away email address for communication so that you do not subject your primary email address to spam. Provide your throw-away email address in the body of the message. DO NOT provide the seller with your eBay registered email address.