Computers Anyone heard of vitalwerks? - Page 2

**luv** · 01-02-2010, 11:27 PM

A friend of mine got money automatically deducted from her checking account.

Description Unit price Qty Amount
SMTP - Alternate Port (750 Msgs) b.t
Item# 0 $59.95 USD 1 $59.95 USD
SMTP - Alternate Port (750 Msgs) b.u
Item# 1 $59.95 USD 1 $59.95 USD

This was on three different invoices, so over $360 was taken out of her checking. It was paid via paypal, and she does not, to her knowledge have a paypal account. She's disputed these chrges with her bank, with paypal, and with vitalwerks.

Do these charges mean anything to anyone? She's not familiar with what SMTP is, and so am I. Just thought I would try to help her figure out what might have happened.

**Bowser** · 01-02-2010, 11:48 PM

Blatantly stolen from ClevelandBronco and truebigdog: here's what phishing is -

In the field of computer security, phishing is the criminally fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. Communications purporting to be from popular social web sites, auction sites, online payment processors or IT administrators are commonly used to lure the unsuspecting public. Phishing is typically carried out by e-mail or instant messaging,[1] and it often directs users to enter details at a fake website whose look and feel are almost identical to the legitimate one. Even when using server authentication, it may require tremendous skill to detect that the website is fake. Phishing is an example of social engineering techniques used to fool users,[2] and exploits the poor usability of current web security technologies.[3] Attempts to deal with the growing number of reported phishing incidents include legislation, user training, public awareness, and technical security measures.

A phishing technique was described in detail in 1987, and the first recorded use of the term "phishing" was made in 1996. The term is a variant of fishing,[4] probably influenced by phreaking[5][6], and alludes to baits used to "catch" financial information and passwords

**Old Dog** · 01-02-2010, 11:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bugeater

I understand what phishing is, but the person in question has never used PayPal to begin with.

Possibly they got her banking info via pfishing and then opened a paypal account using it.

**Bugeater** · 01-02-2010, 11:49 PM

Blatantly reposted for no reason whatsoever-

In the field of computer security, phishing is the criminally fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. Communications purporting to be from popular social web sites, auction sites, online payment processors or IT administrators are commonly used to lure the unsuspecting public. Phishing is typically carried out by e-mail or instant messaging,[1] and it often directs users to enter details at a fake website whose look and feel are almost identical to the legitimate one. Even when using server authentication, it may require tremendous skill to detect that the website is fake. Phishing is an example of social engineering techniques used to fool users,[2] and exploits the poor usability of current web security technologies.[3] Attempts to deal with the growing number of reported phishing incidents include legislation, user training, public awareness, and technical security measures.

A phishing technique was described in detail in 1987, and the first recorded use of the term "phishing" was made in 1996. The term is a variant of fishing,[4] probably influenced by phreaking[5][6], and alludes to baits used to "catch" financial information and passwords

**luv** · 01-02-2010, 11:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClevelandBronco

All they needed was to send out an e-mail to her address (or millions of random addresses hoping that some of them were real). If she replies in any way at all, she's doing their spy work for them.

Even answering with the equivalent of "Bugger off. I'm not falling for it," lets the phishermen know that they've hit a legit e-mail address.

Gotcha. I can see her replying to something, as she forwards me stuff all the time that I delete without even opening. I'll have to give her the lecture on not opening items or responding to IM's from people she doesn't know.

**Bugeater** · 01-02-2010, 11:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by truebigdog

Possibly they got her banking info via pfishing and then opened a paypal account using it.

OK, so they spoofed her bank's website then, not PayPal's.

**Bearcat** · 01-02-2010, 11:52 PM

ClevelandBronco · 01-02-2010, 11:52 PM

luv says that funds were withdrawn from her friend's checking account. I doubt it. I'll bet she has invoices saying the funds came out, and the phishermen are hoping she'll begin a dialogue with them that will reveal her account information.

Something like...

luv's FRIEND: I did not authorize these charges.

THEM: We can help you get to the bottom of this problem. Can you tell us the checking account number you think the funds may have been transferred from?

**luv** · 01-02-2010, 11:53 PM

Thanks for the info. I think she'll be good with disputing the charges. I wonder though, what information they got. I'm hoping it will be good enough to cancel her checking account and open a new one. It's been so long since I've opened my paypal, I don't remember ig it asks for anything like SSN. I'm trying to determine how nervous I should let her be (she tends to freak out very easily).

**luv** · 01-02-2010, 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClevelandBronco

luv says that funds were withdrawn from her friend's checking account. I doubt it. I'll bet she has invoices saying the funds came out, and the phishermen are hoping she'll begin a dialogue with them that will reveal her account information.

Something like...

luv's FRIEND: I did not authorize these charges.

THEM: We can help you get to the bottom of this problem. Can you tell us the checking account number you think the funds may have been transferred from?

She checked her account. It's minus the charges.

I will advise her to deal with her bank on it though, and let them deal with the vendor.

ClevelandBronco · 01-02-2010, 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luv

Thanks for the info. I think she'll be good with disputing the charges. I wonder though, what information they got. I'm hoping it will be good enough to cancel her checking account and open a new one. It's been so long since I've opened my paypal, I don't remember ig it asks for anything like SSN. I'm trying to determine how nervous I should let her be (she tends to freak out very easily).

If she's only talked to her bank and you about it, she's fine. If she's talked with Vitalwerks about it, panic is appropriate.

ClevelandBronco · 01-02-2010, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luv

She checked her account. It's minus the charges.

I will advise her to deal with her bank on it though, and let them deal with the vendor.

Damn. That sounds very bad, indeed. I'd say that she should close any accounts that may have been compromised and contact the attorney general's office in her state.

I SHOULD ALSO ADMIT THAT SINCE MONEY HAS CHANGED HANDS, THIS THING IS WAAAY OVER MY HEAD.

Time to ask the CP lawyers what to do.

SEND A PM TO banyon, ASAP.

01-03-2010, 12:02 AM

Your "friend" is dumb as a horse and should not be trusted with financial information of any kind. You should tell your "friend" to hire somebody to handle her money and all financial decisions.

**luv** · 01-03-2010, 12:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClevelandBronco

Damn. That sounds very bad, indeed. I'd say that she should close any accounts that may have been compromised and contact the attorney general's office in her state.

Yeah, I'm thinking she said she disputed the charges with the company as well. She talked to me a little bout it, I got as much detail as I could think of to get in order to ask you all.

Now that I understand more about it, I'm in a better position to tell her what she needs to do and who she needs to contact.

If she's contacted vitalwerks, I'll definitely see what information se might have given them in doing so.

The information they got for her (address and such) was her house in Missouri. She's moved to Kansas during the process of getting divorced. I have no clue what she's one with her checking account. I'll talk to her more in the morning.

Thanks again.

**luv** · 01-03-2010, 04:11 PM

Got an email from my friend saying that I should cancel my paypal because she got an email from them saying accounts had been hacked. I'm pretty sure it's someone who hacked her and created an account after that.

JD10367 · 01-03-2010, 04:17 PM

I'll take care of it for her. I just need her SSN, credit card # (with three-digit verification PIN on the back), mailing address, and mother's maiden name.

01-02-2010, 11:27 PM
luv MY LITTLE #15 Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Springfield, MO Casino cash: $6029600	Anyone heard of vitalwerks? A friend of mine got money automatically deducted from her checking account. Description Unit price Qty Amount SMTP - Alternate Port (750 Msgs) b.t Item# 0 $59.95 USD 1 $59.95 USD SMTP - Alternate Port (750 Msgs) b.u Item# 1 $59.95 USD 1 $59.95 USD This was on three different invoices, so over $360 was taken out of her checking. It was paid via paypal, and she does not, to her knowledge have a paypal account. She's disputed these chrges with her bank, with paypal, and with vitalwerks. Do these charges mean anything to anyone? She's not familiar with what SMTP is, and so am I. Just thought I would try to help her figure out what might have happened.
Posts: 63,450

01-02-2010, 11:48 PM	#16
Bowser sorta mod-ish Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: KC North Casino cash: $3091616	Blatantly stolen from ClevelandBronco and truebigdog: here's what phishing is - In the field of computer security, phishing is the criminally fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. Communications purporting to be from popular social web sites, auction sites, online payment processors or IT administrators are commonly used to lure the unsuspecting public. Phishing is typically carried out by e-mail or instant messaging,[1] and it often directs users to enter details at a fake website whose look and feel are almost identical to the legitimate one. Even when using server authentication, it may require tremendous skill to detect that the website is fake. Phishing is an example of social engineering techniques used to fool users,[2] and exploits the poor usability of current web security technologies.[3] Attempts to deal with the growing number of reported phishing incidents include legislation, user training, public awareness, and technical security measures. A phishing technique was described in detail in 1987, and the first recorded use of the term "phishing" was made in 1996. The term is a variant of fishing,[4] probably influenced by phreaking[5][6], and alludes to baits used to "catch" financial information and passwords
Posts: 101,199

01-02-2010, 11:49 PM	#18
Bugeater The Maintenance Guy Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Renovated Bugeater Estate Casino cash: $6232680	Blatantly reposted for no reason whatsoever- In the field of computer security, phishing is the criminally fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. Communications purporting to be from popular social web sites, auction sites, online payment processors or IT administrators are commonly used to lure the unsuspecting public. Phishing is typically carried out by e-mail or instant messaging,[1] and it often directs users to enter details at a fake website whose look and feel are almost identical to the legitimate one. Even when using server authentication, it may require tremendous skill to detect that the website is fake. Phishing is an example of social engineering techniques used to fool users,[2] and exploits the poor usability of current web security technologies.[3] Attempts to deal with the growing number of reported phishing incidents include legislation, user training, public awareness, and technical security measures. A phishing technique was described in detail in 1987, and the first recorded use of the term "phishing" was made in 1996. The term is a variant of fishing,[4] probably influenced by phreaking[5][6], and alludes to baits used to "catch" financial information and passwords
Posts: 70,443

01-02-2010, 11:52 PM	#21
Bearcat Would an idiot do that? Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Arizona Casino cash: $2424931
Posts: 55,735

01-02-2010, 11:52 PM	#22
ClevelandBronco I'm with the banned. Join Date: Sep 2006 Casino cash: $5658955	luv says that funds were withdrawn from her friend's checking account. I doubt it. I'll bet she has invoices saying the funds came out, and the phishermen are hoping she'll begin a dialogue with them that will reveal her account information. Something like... luv's FRIEND: I did not authorize these charges. THEM: We can help you get to the bottom of this problem. Can you tell us the checking account number you think the funds may have been transferred from?
Posts: 28,113

01-02-2010, 11:53 PM	#23
luv MY LITTLE #15 Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Springfield, MO Casino cash: $6029600	Thanks for the info. I think she'll be good with disputing the charges. I wonder though, what information they got. I'm hoping it will be good enough to cancel her checking account and open a new one. It's been so long since I've opened my paypal, I don't remember ig it asks for anything like SSN. I'm trying to determine how nervous I should let her be (she tends to freak out very easily).
Posts: 63,450

01-03-2010, 12:02 AM	#27
Phobia Guest Casino cash: $	Your "friend" is dumb as a horse and should not be trusted with financial information of any kind. You should tell your "friend" to hire somebody to handle her money and all financial decisions.
Posts: n/a

01-03-2010, 04:11 PM	#29
luv MY LITTLE #15 Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Springfield, MO Casino cash: $6029600	Got an email from my friend saying that I should cancel my paypal because she got an email from them saying accounts had been hacked. I'm pretty sure it's someone who hacked her and created an account after that.
Posts: 63,450

01-03-2010, 04:17 PM	#30
JD10367 Cheaterlover* Join Date: May 2009 Location: RI Casino cash: $10010716	I'll take care of it for her. I just need her SSN, credit card # (with three-digit verification PIN on the back), mailing address, and mother's maiden name.
Posts: 12,916