March 1st, 2004

Morgan Webb 2

XBox Email Scam!

I just received the following email and you know the saying "if it looks too good to be true, it's most probably not true". Well, that's what I found about this email. Three things clicked in my head when I checked out the site.

</p>

1) Graphics sucks
2) Ask only for Debit Card (because Credit Card function is not available)
3) Additional "SPAM" tactic text included at the bottom.

Here's a sample of the email.

The Spam, the Scam Greetings,

Your email address was registered into our March competition by one of our members at PikaPrize.net. This is a prize draw, I am writing to inform that you have won a Microsoft X-Box gaming console!

Your X-Box bonus pack also includes these top 5 games:

Panzer Dragoon Orta
Halo 2
Soul Calibur 2
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 2
Grand Theft Auto - Double Pack

You are now invited to visit our website and claim your prize. We have provided you with a special link to our site, which expires within 72 hours. Please visit within this time, or unfortunately your X-Box will be returned to the prize pool.

Here is your link!
[LINK]

You will need to use this prize code to enter:

prizecode: [PRIZE CODE]

(Important, do not lose your prizecode!)

We hope that you will enjoy your new X-Box gaming console! If you have any enquiries please do not hesitate to contact me, by replying to this e-mail.

Congratulations on winning!

Best regards,

Ken Kawaguchi
------------------------------
Administrator - PikaPrize.net

Now, the website was evident in trying to make itself look credit by using the once-popular "Pokémon" theme -- but when it asks for only debit card (which of course has less securities than a credit card) something is definitely wrong.

I did a scan on the internet for other such events and found this posting on about.com.

Go here for the MovableType entry.

Morgan Webb 2

McAfee [W32/Netsky.c@MM] from [68.185.213.163]

 McAfee VirusScan  ********************* McAfee VirusScan ************************ ***** Alert generated at: Mon, 01 Mar 2004 22:09:32 -0500 ***** ***************************************************************

McAfee VirusScan has detected a potential threat in this e-mail sent by schwiegm@cgb.com.

The following actions were attempted on each suspicious part.

We strongly recommend that you report this virus-related activity to schwiegm@cgb.com.

The attachment "all_document.pif" is infected with the W32/Netsky.c@MM Virus(es).

Actual origin of the email: 68-185-213-163-rcp2.ubr2.cpgd.mo.charter.com [68.185.213.163] and not from cgb.com [63.167.227.53].

Go here for the MovableType entry.

Morgan Webb 2

Average Joe II

For those that still have TiVo units and haven't see it yet, I won't spoil it... so don't click on the extended entry... it contains spoiler information.

Go here for the MovableType entry.