#BringBackOurGirls Email Scam

The #BringBackOurGirls campaign which is aimed at pressurizing the Nigerien government to ensure the release of the kidnapped Chibok girls, has been hijacked by scammers. Some crooks are now exploiting the campaign to steal money from people especially the ones that care so much about the needs and happiness of other people.





The crooks are currently sending out a scam email claiming that one pregnant "Mary Sambo" is going through a tough time and needs help. The email claims Mary recently lost her husband to the terrorist attack in Nigeria and her daughters are among the girls kidnapped by Boko Haram.

Below is the email:

Hello,



My beloved brother and sister. I hope my message get to you in peace.



My
name is Mary Sambo from Borno state in Nigeria. I am crying while
putting this message together in the church hostel. I lost my husband to
the terrorist attack that is happening in Borno state, my daughters was
kidnap along with the 270 girls been kidnap in school chibok village in
Nigeria, by the terrorist.



Which the entire world is
now searching for them. I am 7 month pregnant and i am staying at the
church hostel, we are 30 in a single room, i don't have access to good
medical care and i am afraid my living condition might affect my unborn
child.



I am asking for help from you in other for me to
get a place for myself and also register myself to health center where i
will get proper medical care. Please help me with anything you, May
Almighty God reward you.



Hope to hear from you.



Regards.



Mary Sambo.

Please reply here: marysamb91@yahoo.com

As seen above, Mary Samsbo asks you to email her to further discuss providing her with money for medical care.



Should in case you receive this, SHINE YOUR EYES!



One message to the scammers: "There is God ooooooo" :)


PLEASE, share this with your friends!

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Common Banking Scams You Should be Aware Of

Although banks are investing heavily in technology and cyber-security in order to beat the best of hackers, there are some crooks that can still use some tricks to withdraw money from your account at an ATM even with your debit card in your pocket.

As with all types of frauds, the best way you can counter this is to have more information and be fully aware of the possible dangers that lurk in cyberspace. So, if you own a bank account, below are the most common banking scams you should be aware of; a list originally posted on Punch website:



1. Cheap Passwords



If your wallet or bag gets stolen, chances are that your ATM will be close to your ID card. Fraudsters can easily withdraw with your card if you are the type that use cheap passwords like date of birth as your PIN.



The best way to prevent this is to use more secure passwords. In case you lose your card, don’t wait till you begin to receive alerts, report to the bank immediately.


2. Phishing – Some ‘fake’ banks need your password to upgrade



While pretending to come from an original bank, they send out emails designed to lure you into revealing your banking/personal password, token pins or text codes which is then used to access your bank accounts online. Such mails comes with link which if clicked, redirects you to a cloned site (fake site that looks like your bank's site) where your data will be captured by the fraudsters.



No bank will need your password details for any upgrade. Ignore any email requesting such. Avoid clicking on such links and avoid using public computers for personal banking transactions.



When you spot a phishing scam, report it to the bank immediately. This allows the bank to take the necessary actions that get the website blacklisted, banned or taken down.



3. Text Fraud



With the emergence of text messaging systems which allow users to send bulk SMS while customising the name of the sender, fraudsters can dupe you if your business relies more on alerts systems (email or text).

Akin (not real name) is a car dealer who told a customer to go on and
make payment at the bank while he waited patiently for a text message.
No sooner had he received the text message from the ‘bank’ than he
released the car only to realize later that the text message from the
‘bank’ was fake. He had clearly fallen victim of advanced text fraud.

While most bulk texting gateways are already taking precautions to vet messages before they go out, always try to confirm payment independently from your account officer, your bank balance on your ATM, online banking channel or through systems created by the bank. Be wary of a credit alert that doesn't show your account balance.



4. Withdraw at gun point



Some crooks especially at nights, force their victims to withdraw cash from an ATM by threatening them with a gun.



Use only bank ATM machines in well-lit, high-traffic areas. ATMs inside busy supermarkets are considered safer. Don’t use ATM machines that are remote or hidden, such as being located behind buildings, behind pillars, walls, or away from public view. Beware of obvious hiding places like shrubbery or overgrown trees.



Avoid ATMs where people are lurking around. Since you cannot return the money to the ATM, don’t waste time counting money at night.



If you take the precautions above, those crooks won't find it easy to dupe you of your money.



Do you know other banking scams or tricks used by those crooks? Do you have an experience to share? Kindly let me hear from you via comments.



 

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How to Reveal Hidden or Shortened URLs

I use Twitter a lot! Using Twitter a lot comes with it's own challenges. One of such challenges is that I get lots of Tweets from people via replies and DM (direct messages) asking me to check out some URLs (links). Due to the fact that Twitter only allows 140 characters, people choose to hide or shorten the URLs.

Some of these URLs are genuine while most are complete spam. Clicking on these links might expose your Twitter account to hacking. It might also be a source of malware to your computer, tablet or mobile device. The best way to confirm this is to find a way to reveal all hidden or shortened URLs you get on Twitter.

You should also do the same thing for all the shortened URLs you get in your email address and over the internet and social networks. This would secure you from a lot of troubles and unnecessary clicking of the URLs you are not sure of.

How Do I Reveal Hidden or Shortened URLs?

I use UrlReveal to achieve this. The site has been very useful for me. You can use it also. You don't need to rush and start clicking all the hidden or shortened URLs you receive.

As shown in the image above, enter the hidden or shortened URL in the space provided and click on "Show me the real URL" button.

I hope this helps? Let me know if it does.

Follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/adesojiadegbulu

Regards,

Adesoji

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