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What are Phishing Scam Emails And Why Should I Care?

Phishing scam emails are emails that a hacker sends to trick you into revealing sensitive information. These emails can get victims to reveal their account username and password, even credit card and bank information.

Are you a small business owner with a merchant services account for accepting credit card payments? Then here's an important message for you about HOAX MESSAGES.

Online scam artists are sending fake “MasterCard Security Alert” e-mail messages to merchants. These emails ask the merchant to conduct payment card test transactions and then send the transaction data to an e-mail address not affiliated with MasterCard.
 
Criminals gain merchant transaction information this way. Then they make fraudulent purchases and refunds using stolen payment card information.  
Like almost all companies, MasterCard does NOT contact merchants directly to request payment card transaction information or to conduct test transactions.

MasterCard is obviously not the only company affected by such scammers, so be aware that other credit card companies can also be targeted.

Have you received an unsolicited call, e-mail, text, or social media request from anyone claiming to be a MasterCard Security Representative? DO NOT RESPOND! Do send their information to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

When in doubt you can also simply call your credit card company for verification.

Another warning about another online hoax brought to you by Kahl Consultants.

Here is another scam that reminds us not to blindly give out our private information over the phone.

Most of us take summons for jury duty seriously, but enough people skip out on their civic duty that a new and ominous kind of fraud has surfaced.

The caller claims to be a jury DUTY coordinator. If you protest that you never received a summons for jury duty, the Scammer asks you for your Social Security number and date of birth so he or she can verify the information and cancel the arrest warrant. Give out any of this information and bingo; your identity was just stolen.

The fraud has been reported so far in 11 states, including Oklahoma, Illinois , and Colorado , AZ and more. This (swindle) is particularly insidious because they use intimidation over the phone to try to bully people into giving information by pretending they are with the court system.

The FBI and the federal court system have issued nationwide alerts on their web sites, warning consumers about the fraud.

Remember folks, DON'T PANIC and BE PREPARED!

Source:

This scam has been verified by the FBI. And here is the Snopes report.

You may receive an email that contains this message:

DOUG COPP'S ARTICLE ON THE "TRIANGLE OF LIFE"

My name is Doug Copp. I am the Rescue Chief and Disaster Manager of the American Rescue Team International (ARTI), the world's most experienced rescue team.

The information in this article will save lives in an earthquake...

1) Everyone who simply "ducks and covers" WHEN BUILDINGS COLLAPSE is crushed to death -- Every time, without exception. People who get under objects, like desks or cars, are always crushed.

STOP! These recommendations are inaccurate for application in the United States and inconsistent with information developed through earthquake research. .

Mr. Copp's assertion that everyone is always crushed if they get under something is incorrect.

Mr. Copp based his statements on observations of damage to buildings after an earthquake in Turkey. It is like "apples and
"to compare building construction standards, techniques, engineering principles, and construction materials between Turkey and the United States.

Identifying potential "void areas" and planning on using them for earthquake protection as suggested by the "Triangle of Life" may be the best thing to teach in countries where the risk of building collapse, even in moderate earthquakes, is great.

The "Triangle of Life" email contains advice that is not consistent with information developed through earthquake research.

DO NOT SIMPLY FOLLOW THIS!

READ ON TO LEARN WHY!