Robin Frederick's Diary

Robin Frederick's Diary

2004-01-16 - 8:43 p.m.

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STRATEGY FOR THE DAY: steam ahead

Here's the latest email scam and one virus poem. The scam was sent to so many people and created so many problems that CNN even did a piece on it, warning people that it was a hoax. It arrived in two parts. Here's the first email exactly as I received it:

From: CITIBANK
Reply-To: CITIBANK
Subject: Citibank-Online E-MAIL Veerification

Dear CitibankOnline Cleints,

This message was sennt by the OnlineCitibank server to veerify your e-mail address. You must cmtleope this pocress by clicking on the link below and enteering in the litle window your Citibank ATM Card Nummber and card pin that you use on local Atm. This is donne for your ptcerotion -Y- becouse some of our members no lenogr have acsecs to their email addeesrss and we must verify it.

To veerify your e-mail addres and akcess your Citibank-Online account, click on the link below. If nothing hapepns when you klick on the link -k copy and passte the link into the adderss bar of your web broswer.

http://www.citibank.com/?DObbunQ0KorfVyG9LaZKy3HtACI46LxJCTV67L6Tcz878OgUZg [Don't!!!]

Thank you for using Citicard!
This automaitc email snet to: [my email address]
Do not rpely to this email.

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Okay... so we all know the above email can't actually be from Citibank. We're not stupid. It's obviously some poor illiterate schmuck who couldn't possibly fool anyone into giving their ATM number to a bogus website. We are too smart for them, we say smugly. But now comes the second part. This is truly a creative scam. A day later, the following email arrives...

From: Citibank
Reply-To:
Subject: Important Fraud Alert from Citibank

Dear Citibank Account Holder,

On January 10th 2004 Citibank had to block some accounts in our system connected with money laundering, credit card fraud, terrorism and check fraud activity. The information in regards to those accounts has been passed to our correspondent banks, local, federal and international authorities.

Due to our extensive database operations some accounts may have been changed. We are asking our customers to check their checking and savings accounts if they are active or if their current balance is correct.

Citibank notifies all it's customers in cases of high fraud or criminal activity and asks you to check your account's balances. If you suspect or have found any fraud activity on your account please let us know by logging in at the link below.

Click Here To Login : http://citi.bridgetrack.com/cbol/_stra.asp?o=3 [Don't do this!!!]

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Of course, clicking on the above link takes you to a website that is identical to the real Citibank website. It's impossible to tell just by looking at it that it's not the real one. By now, I'm sure it has been removed from the internet. But the real flair shown by these scammers is in the two part design. We are set up to think we can recognize a scam when we see it. Then along comes something that verifies our sharp opinion of ourselves. These people really understand human nature. The fact that CNN felt it worth commenting on tells me that a lot of people must have been suckered in. I'm so sorry the internet is mis-used in this way but it is amazing to watch these people at work!

Speaking of email tomfoolery, there are now dozens of viruses out there making and sending emails full of nonsense language. At first, I trashed them, but now I'm beginning to enjoy them as "found" art. Here's a bit of poetry created by a virus email. (The title, linebreaks and punctuation are mine. I believe in human intervention in art.)

"Who Is Hackett?"

Christlike condiment,
nymphomania.
Catskill accountant in communion
demo declaim agnomen gottfried campanile.

Alfalfa pandora descendant
Oh, tame denudation
workday
broom amicable applause.

Congenial chili ate rubbish,
ameliorate brouhaha!
Impediment rust.
Coven candle.
One orthophosphate deem Athena.
Toledo pence.

Headwater pyre acclaim analyst.
Abject beechwood, Hackett,
Bridgetown cart compartment.

Laureate, prefabricate.
Descendent, delete teflon.
Indiscretion cytology intone.
Denigrate dreamlike, decisive, orderly motherhood.

Roach framework fall detract.
Suggest Apache covariate folk.
Surmount testbed tampon suds.
Scottish catholic callisto,
goal tenderloin dysplasia culinary.

Patent commentary...
windbreak
capstone
crises chief bourbaki.
Accompaniment gerbil bugaboo,
luminous husband traverse fadeout!
Incommutable Australia.
Oh, Hackett!!!

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