Four hundred and 19 …

Hello again, out there … !

You know, after mentioning the Conficker* virus, this morning, I thought I’d show you something else.

I had am email, this evening. Well, a few, to be honest. People do; – emailing goes on a lot.

But one of them was … interesting.

Definitely interesting.

But lets be honest, malicious software isn’t the only thing to worry about on the net. There’s also things called 419’s lurking about the world.

And, before you assume a 419 – in this instance – is a nasty virus, Chinese gangster, or odd slang phrase for a weird sexual position, let me clarify for you.

It is a slang phrase.

But for what’s technically called an Advance Money Scam.

And it’s named for the specific part of – believe it or not – the Nigerian criminal code that covers various types of fraud. It seems a lot originate in Nigeria, so …

But, here, here’s the one I got, earlier this evening.

From: blissgallery@googlemail.com

Subject: Applicant details for Online -

Date: 1 April 2009 19:04:42 BST

To: Paul Downie

My name is Hilary Bliss, an Artist and also the manager of Bliss Art Gallery,congratulations,I got your CV,quite impressive.Would you like to work online from home and get paid without affecting your present job? Here is a huge opportunity for you to get involved with something reasonable and stress-free.
Basically,Bliss Art Gallery deals with raw materials and textiles.It is a Large Scale business with reputable profile across the globe which I believe with the commitment of our Clients it gets to greater height to achieve more success.Actually I need a representative who can be working for our company as online book-keeper/Representative,we make lots of supplies to our clients in the USA/CANADA/UK,but its always too expensive and stressful for me to come down and receive such payment twice in a month or more,depends on the height of transacton,I therefore decided to contact you. I am willing to pay you 10% for every payment received by you from our clients who makes payment through you.
Apply now and a trial will definitely convince you.
Kindly get back to me as soon as possible if you are interested in this job with your:
FIRST NAME......................
LAST NAME.......................
ADDRESS.......................
CITY.........................
STATE......................... ..
ZIP CODE........................
COUNTRY....................... .
PHONE NUMBER (S)....................
GENDER........................
AGE.....................
BANKING INFORMATION...........

Please send your reply and any further enquiries to our processing/information desk asap to hblissgallery@yahoo.com
ATTESTATION
According to how you have been briefed earlier by a qualified representative of this establishment. You are required and mandated to receive payment on behalf of the above mentioned firm. You are to deduct 10% of all funds processed on a particular order and forward the balance payment via Western Union Money Transfer and MONEY GRAM to any of BLISS ART"Group regional warehouses that will be given to you later.You will notify the company a week ahead if eventually you want to discontinue this job so as to terminate all payment coming your way to avoid conflict.
Warmest Regards,
H Bliss

Here’s another example I found relating to the same “House of Bliss Art Gallery”

What clued me is Hilary Bliss asking for the basic sort of details — identity theft being as prevalent as it is — which could be very useful to a fraudster. From what I’ve learnt over the years, and others of the type I’ve had, this is fairly typical. It offers large potential earnings as an incentive, and the originator is hidden behind a common public address that one can set up from a public library, or a friends computer, here in the UK. From what I’ve been told by the various IT guys I’ve pulled pints for over the years, the people behind this sort of thing will – before you see any of the promised big money – ask for an advance or administration fee. Just to help sort out some of the registration, their end. Or get the transfer in motion, what have you.

All the while, of course, making use of the details you’ve innocently given them, to start getting up to all sorts of havoc.

Nice little earner, isn’t it … ?

I’ve had a few, over the years, as have many people I know.

I usually trash them …

* Which could be a lot of fuss over nothing, given the date, today, but that’s the way, I’m told, a lot of malicious software works; it’ll often seem like harmlessly date related, and thus convincing you that opening it is not a bad thing to do. Which is when the virus attached to the email/image/irc chat window/what-have-you slips on to your machine, and does whatever it’s set up to do.