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Internet Scammers now send SMS too!

I have developed a familiarity with the spam mails directed to me. Every morning I know what to expect in my spam folder. The subject lines always look familiar. No surprises there!
I thought getting an average of only 40 spam mails a day (with one odd one a week sneaking into Inbox) was not bad at all. Years ago, I learnt not to reply back to these mails with “Hey! Stop spamming me!” kind of mails. The best thing to do is not to respond back. I thought I took utmost care in keeping my email id safe and Inbox clean. After a bad experience initially, now I even choose online services (even for my blog) more judiciously.

I am even more careful about not giving out my mobile number, thanks to telecaller! I do not give out my mobile phone number anywhere, definitely not at some website. I do not even leave my number in the feedback ledgers of shopping stores. I know even those numbers are later sold out, just email ids are sold out by most online ‘job consultancy’ firms. It is a fact. I delight fully registered at the NDNCR (National Do Not Call Registry) when it was first launched.

Still, recently I had to rethink the reach capability of online scamsters when I got the following SMS on my mobile:
YOUR MOBILE NUMBER HAS WON YOU $200,000 IN 2008 XMAS SHELL INT’L MOBILE DRAW UK(PIN SPDC081511) TO CLAIM, EMAIL YOUR NAME AND PIN# TO: MOBILEDRAW2008@LIVE.COM

SENDER:
TELE-WORLD
For those who reach this page googling to know if they have won the $$$:
Sorry, but it's a scam. It always is.

Sad thing is I know people who would actually reply back to such messages.
-0-
Related post:
Information Overload: Email and Spam
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Comments

  1. AnonymousDec 12, 2008, 9:32:00 PM

    yeah i just recived one here in Egypt too, i didnt think they would send something through txt though,
    it says:
    Your mobile # has won you US$3 Million in the 2008 shell international Xmas Mobile Draw (PIN# = 081511). To claim, email your name and PIN to shellxmas@live.com.

    it was kind of obvious when you read the mail (@live.com) which is simply a spam mail. i think they use these msgs to gather email lists and locations to sell them to Internet advertising companies (spam mail) and now i think they are using MSGs to gather mobile numbers to sell.
    i think it worls when u reply with your name and pin it reads it from a pc and approves your number.

    anyways just dont reply!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. jbragadeeshApr 3, 2009, 1:55:00 PM

    Hey folks,

    First of all dont get over excited. Approach this problem logically. I know lottery business means great bucks. But why the heck they should send an SMS to your mobile phone. First of all, you dont even know it is legit. Plus you are coming here and asking whether you'l get your money or not. Infact there is no money. This clearly is an action of fraud or forgery or even fooling around.
    These people (SHELL) try to attack human's non-stop needs - MONEY without work. I see that more than 400 have replied to this thread all having a same motive, that "what if the message is true?". That is what drives these fraudulent fellas. Well, this cannot be avoided. But try to be sensible.
    Conclusion: YES THIS IS A FRAUDULENT SMS. DO NOT BELIEVE THIS.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousApr 3, 2009, 2:36:00 PM

    Thanks for enlightening, most of the time people donot believe too.
    But is there a way that thi scan be stopped ?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Nila RajeevanOct 5, 2009, 4:20:00 PM

    I recieved a similar sms a few weeks back and identified the similarity between the sms and the spam mails i usually get.

    Just a piece of advice to those who are inquisitive to find what you've won in such mails: DO NOT OPEN AND READ THE MAILS OR REPLY TO THE GIVEN MAIL ID FROM YOUR PERSONAL ID.
    The simple reason being, these are generally called "worms" just like a virus but a seemingly "not-so-bad"type. So even if you open one of these mails, all your inbpx details and your addresses in your inbox are directly copied to a hacking site. So your privacy is gone the moment you even open to read one of those mails, and not only yours but your friends on your address book as well!!
    And moreover these "worms" also creep into your system creating confusion.

    So just beware of what you're in for when you see such mails and sms's.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Vinayak RazdanOct 5, 2009, 5:14:00 PM

    Thanks for the great comment, Nila! I have also read about these worms that activate on opening.

    ReplyDelete

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