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Crooks Bombard Victim's Phones While Swiping $399,000
Last November, Florida dentist Robert Thousand, Jr. was the victim of a denial-of-service attack where crooks initiated transfers totaling $399,000 from Thousand's Ameritrade retirement account. When Ameritrade attempted to call Thousand to confirm the transfer requests, Wired reports, the thief (or thieves) used several VoIP accounts and automated dialing software to tie up Thousand's home, work and mobile phones, playing messages for sex hotlines or just simply staying silent. The barrage of calls kept Ameritrade from successfully contacting Thousand.Many financial institutions have stepped up their efforts to identify fraud and verify legitimate transactions, which often involves calling customers to confirm large account transfers. To thwart these safeguards, crooks have adapted the popular hacking technique known as the denial-of-service attack, or DoS, for telephony.
While there's been no confirmation from the FBI, which is investigating the case, it's likely that Thousand fell for a phishing scam, and unwittingly handed over his account info to the crooks. Since many banks try to confirm such transfers, simply having the account information is often not enough. The DoS phone attack, meanwhile, prevents the bank from contacting the account holder, and puts the request on hold. The thieves will then call the company to complain that the transfer hasn't been completed, explaining that they (posing as the account holder) are having phone trouble.
Thousand is not the only victim of such a scam. The FBI is investigating several similar crimes, and telecommunication companies have been advising customers to check their financial accounts when they call to complain about harassing calls. It's just one more thing you should know. If you're getting bombarded by silent phone calls or recorded messages, now is the time to go check your accounts, and possibly change your passwords. [From: Wired]
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Comments
49
Subscribe to commentsCooperMay 14th 2010 2:48PM
What's scary is the headline AOL put on their homepage: "Man was frauded out of $399,000." Frauded out of???? Are you freaking kidding me? Does anyone in this country know how to speak English?
How about "Man (was) defrauded of $399,000?"
SUSIE H.May 14th 2010 3:24PM
That's your biggest issue with this story?
That's the thing that would keep you up at night?
Are you really so comfortable with your pedantic behavior that the issue of another fellow human being is the; and I want to quote you correctly:
" What's scary is the headline AOL put on their homepage: "Man was frauded out of $399,000." Frauded out of???? Are you freaking kidding me? Does anyone in this country know how to speak English? ".
So, just for kicks and giggles; how is it for you, living alone with your house full of cats? Yes, I am aware that the cats weren't listed in your post. I just know they are there because a cat is the one domesticated animal that can suffer someone as anal retentive as yourself. This is true, because a cat has no problem walking away from someone as pedantic and anal as you, when you no longer have food, or continue to be entertaining.
So Cooper: What kind of therapy deprived hell must it be like to either be you; or live with you. In the mean time, I'll pray for salvation for your cats; you I won't bother with.. Your anal and pathetic. What must it be like to be you?
Thank you,
Susie H.
Julie MillerMay 14th 2010 3:30PM
You are so right! The grammar is absolutely abominable. I think alot of it is the age of the people who are running these website division of companies. I was watching a tv show the other night and the girl (I won't call her a woman...yet) who runs Public Relations for Elle Magazine (Elle.com division) is about 26!!!! Thanks for your comment.
HUHMay 14th 2010 4:01PM
Dang it all Cooper, you beat me to it. I guess that the headline writer is bery young, a product of todays schools where they no lnger learn to spell or use correct grammer.
howlar2May 14th 2010 5:00PM
You are absolutely right. Aren't they even hiring high-school graduates at AOL?
davidMay 14th 2010 5:07PM
I agree. Its so sad to see "journalists" who cannot write or spell. What's worse is that very few people even notice.
WILLMay 14th 2010 6:26PM
COOPER THE DUMBING DOWN OF AMERICA IS IN FULL SWING OUR "EDUCATORS" ARE SO BUSY INDOCTRINATING OUR YOUNG TO THE LIBERAL AGENDA THEY DONT HAVE TIME TO TEACH...
LitaMay 14th 2010 6:26PM
You are absolutely right, Cooper. That annoying lead-in caught my eye as well. People like Susie H are content in their stupidity (willful ignorance), and I learned long ago that you can't fix stupid. That's why I laugh when I hear people demand that people who come to this country learn English when I hear them mangle the language... and it's their native tongue. Sadly, I have come to expect this in the comment areas, but there is absolutely no excuse for the stories as they are the "professional" part, whether it is the link/hyperlink or the story itself.
LitaMay 14th 2010 6:36PM
My goodness, Cooper. I just can't let Will's comment go--another example of stupidity. He is one of the morons who injects liberal/conservative crap into every comment, no matter what the subject. (He's not much more intelligent then the spammers we see here.) Here, he writes off the deterioration of the language to liberals. I guess he has never heard George W Bush or Sarah Palin speak. Neither of them is what I would consider "a liberal." I hope Will finds contentment in his stupidity, as it penetrates to his very core. How sad.
BillMay 14th 2010 6:38PM
Geez Suzie H. Having a bad day? Yes, the person was a little over the top with his "really scary" description, but you go and jump down his/her throat with all your psychobabble. How can you possibly know it must be "hell" to live with him/her or be him/her based on one comment? You owe that person an apology.
OmMay 14th 2010 3:40PM
we must be used to this kind of actions by the 'leader' and bankers all day long
unorthodoxicMay 14th 2010 3:44PM
Perhaps if the bank was getting such suspicious voice messages when they called the dentist's phone, they might have tried to reach him via USPS. I'm sure the dentist would even have been willing to repay the postage rather than be defrauded of such a large sum;
BTW, it is not pedantic to expect those who write for a living to have at least a passing acquaintance with spelling and grammar. I usually excuse the poor writing skills of those who post on these boards because there is no intellectual requirement precedent to posting even the most irritating, rude, or unintelligent nonsense.
marksmant001May 14th 2010 4:11PM
The word is "DeFrauded". No wonder this country is going down the drain into the sewer!
charlcra8May 14th 2010 4:44PM
I would, If I was him check the business that services his copy machine at the office. They have hard drives in them that record every piece of paper that is copied on it. They just rounded up a bunch of identity thieves that were opening copier businesses trying to put them in doctor's, Lawyer's offices and hospitals. If he copied something from Ameritrade, it would show account number,ss number and balance ect. They come in to service copy machine switch out the hard drive and presto.
terryMay 14th 2010 4:48PM
Susie H. and Cooper,
Were you guys ever married? I think you were and you're still trying to outdo one another. Just have some make up sex and let it go already. Oh....if I mispelled anything....who gives a shit!
SUSIE H.May 14th 2010 5:11PM
LAMO!!!!
Touche, Terry.
Toooooo, funny.
You never know if you've left the bathroom with tissue on your shoe, or your skirt tucked in your underwear until someone else points it out. Thanks for being a stand up guy and not letting me walk around the rest of the day like that.
I felt a draft.
LMAO!
Thank you,
Susie H.
NancyMay 14th 2010 5:11PM
Right on, Cooper! People who are paid to write should know how to write. I also think the blame can be placed on the public schools. When I read posts, I also shudder at the blatant ignorance and stupidity of the posters. How can I understand what you are trying to convey when you don't write, spell, or puncuate properly?
NancyMay 14th 2010 5:13PM
Sorry, punctuate.
Matthew ZurasMay 14th 2010 5:20PM
See? We all need editors.
AngieMay 14th 2010 5:16PM
Hey Susie H,
This is Cooper's wife and it is not difficult to live with him at all. And this is why:
"Your anal and pathetic." YOUR is incorrect, it should be YOU'RE as in YOU ARE. "Your" is something that belongs to you. Like 'Your car."