BCBusiness

nOVEmBER 2018 BCBusiness 17 M AT R I X ( the informer ) scamcouver Duped by delivery fraud? Misled by "Microsoft"? Sideswiped by sextortion? In B.C.'s largest city and beyond, such deceptions have grown into a sizable business by Guy Saddy TECH SUPPORT: "Your computer has an issue" AttACk veCtor: telephone, or pop-up warning from a suspicious website the sCAM: "microsoft tech support" has noticed some unusual activity and suspects your computer may have a virus. it offers to remedy the problem–sometimes by direct- ing you to a website, asking your permission to remotely control your machine the goAl: money, identity theft, malware insertion, botnet integra- tion (claiming your computer as part of a matrix of remotely controlled computers, which in turn are used for illegal ends) the tell: You work on a mac; you don't actually own a computer FeAr FACtor: $$$–the pop-ups can be alarming SEXTORTION: "We've been watching you… enjoy yourself" AttACk veCtor: Email the sCAM: You receive an email with a password you've used before in the subject title. (the password has been purchased from a list of breached ones.) the email says the fraudster has installed two-way/split- screen videocam software on your computer and has recordings of the pornography you've been viewing, and you, since you've been watching it. if you don't pay up, they'll send the video to your entire contact list–yikes! the goAl: money–$7,000, paid in bitcoin, to keep your "dirty little secret" the tell: You don't watch porn FeAr FACtor: $$$$ DELIVERY SCAMS: "You have a package waiting for redelivery" AttACk veCtor: Emails from delivery companies like dhL, fed/Ex and Ups the sCAM: a company emails you to say it tried but failed to deliver a package–and asks you to click a link to have it redelivered. the link will then take you to a dodgy website or install a virus the goAl: identity theft, malware or keystroke logger insertion the tell: When you click on the sender's address, it's from a dif- ferent domain or ends in a foreign country suffix. grammar and spelling errors FeAr FACtor: $$ or $$$$$–if you actually click on the link RANSOMWARE ATTACKS: "We have your Œles" AttACk veCtor: internet hacking the sCAM: hacker takes control of your computer, then quarantines all your files so you can't access your own information the goAl: to get you to pay a "ransom" to release the files the tell: none. By the time it's happened, you're out of luck FeAr FACtor: $$$$$–even if you pay, there's no guarantee they'll turn over your files HOME RENTAL SCAMS: "Just pay the security deposit, and the place is yours" AttACk veCtor: Craigslist "home for Rent" ads the sCAM: fraudster places a fake Craigslist "home for Rent" ad. Responders are asked to wire transfer a security deposit to the owner, who is conveniently out of town. Or the "landlord" shows the home to several prospective tenants, collecting a cash security deposit from each the goAl: money the tell: in the first scenario, you'll be asked to send money–often by wire transfer–to someone in another city before seeing the property. in the second, you may not know until you (and all the others the "landlord" has scammed) show up, expecting to move…into the same place FeAr FACtor: $$ (Anger factor: $$$$$) ' I n 2017, Canadians lost nearly $85 million to schemes, scams and rip-os, according to RCMP Sgt. Guy Paul Larocque, acting oœcer in charge of the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre in Ottawa. Of that total, B.C. accounted for $7.9 million—a Œgure topped by this August, when losses for the year reached $8.7 million. The number of ruses in this cottage industry is vast, from romance burns and extortion to investment fraud. Here are a few. Top five scams by number of complaints nationwide 1. Extortion 2. Service scams 3. Merchandise scams 4. Employment fraud 5. Romance rip-os Top five scams by dollars lost nationwide 1. Romance rip-os 2. Loan scams 3. Wire fraud (on average, a $100,000-per- incident loss) 4. Investment fraud 5. Extortion source: guy paul Larocque, Canadian anti-fraud Centre. Both the number of complaints and the losses incurred are likely underreported, especially for scams involving reputation extortion istOCk

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