This Day in Blogging History: Pharma companies lied to doctors about meds; Paulson's 419 letter; JetBlue won't help spy on customers — maybe

One year ago today

Pharmaceutical companies deliberately mislead doctors into prescribing useless and even harmful meds: Thanks to aggressive manipulation from the pharmaceutical companies and passivity from regulators, doctors often don't know that the drugs were ineffective (or harmful) in a majority of their clinical trials. — Read the rest

Keylogger service provides peek inside Nigerian 419 scammers' tactics


Security researcher Brian Krebs has had a look at the contents of "BestRecovery" (now called "PrivateRecovery") a service used by Nigerian 419 scammers to store the keystrokes of victims who have been infected with keyloggers. It appears that many of the scammers — known locally as "Yahoo Boys" — also plant keyloggers on each other, and Krebs has been able to get a look at the internal workings of these con artists. — Read the rest

Desperate banks fall for the 419 advance-fee fraud

The FDIC has issues a special alert warning that America's debt-haunted, cash-strapped banks are falling prey to conmen working the advance fee fraud, the same scam used in the familiar "Nigerian prince" or "419" scam. The banks fork over big bucks to supposed high-flying investors who are supposed to come through with large sums in return, but who vanish into the ether instead. — Read the rest

419/FBI poetry: "Issues of fraud crime against you"

Trackligh

My friend Vann Hall received the following email from the FBI. Apparently, they caught him through their, er, track light monitoring device. Vann, I hope you can clear this up quickly!

respectively,
pesco

——– Original Message ——–
Subject: ISSUES OF FRAUD CRIME AGAINST YOU
Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:25:36 +0200
From: Mr Ronald Anthony (info@fbi.com)

— Read the rest

Interview with a Nigerian 419 scammer

The British Scam Detective site conducted a three-part interview with a self-identified reformed Nigerian 419 scammer, who described how the scams work. Scam Detective has a disclaimer on these posts to the effect that the facts can't be verified, so take them for what they're worth — it's still fascinating reading. — Read the rest

Honest dialog with a 419 scammer

Here's a refreshingly honest IM session between a 419 scammer and a savvy mark who's wise the game (This may be fake, don't care, still funny):

Mr Robert Dutu: Am Robert Dutu. I have very important business proposition for your consideration.

— Read the rest

419 scammer impersonates the nation of Ethiopia, takes $27 million from Citibank

A Nigerian scammer is accused of posing as the central bank of Ethiopia and bilking Citibank out of $27,000,000:

To carry out the elaborate scheme, prosecutors in New York said on Friday, the man, identified as Paul Gabriel Amos, 37, a Nigerian citizen who lived in Singapore, worked with others to create official-looking documents that instructed Citibank to wire the money in two dozen transactions to accounts that Mr.

— Read the rest

Were McCain Supporters 419-scammed by Nigerian "African Press International"?


tongodeon says,

In the months before the 2008 election, rumors were circulated by everyone from right-wing bloggers to Fox News and members of the McCain campaign about a secret tape containing alarming statements by Barack or Michelle Obama. David LaFontaine at HardNewsInc summarizes the events as the "secret tape" turns into a classic Spanish Prisoner / Nigerian 419 scam with a $150,000 price tag.

— Read the rest

Hank Paulson's bailout 419 letter

Hal sends us this "brilliant satiric email phrasing Hank Paulson's giant Wall Street bailout as Nigerian spam."

Dear American:

I need to ask you to support an urgent secret business relationship with a transfer of funds of great magnitude.

I am Ministry of the Treasury of the Republic of America.

— Read the rest

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