Please, please, be careful out there. The Crypto-scammers are ramping up their game.
Below are eight of the ten spam emails I received only today. Each one was equipped with its own attachment, which would have doubtless encrypted my entire computer.
1)
Subject: Second Reminder – Unpaid Invoice
We wrote to you recently reminding you of the outstanding amount of $7096.64 for Invoice number #18268E, but it appears to remain unpaid.
For details please check invoice attached to this mail
Regards,
Norman Baldwin
Deputy Director of Finance
2)
Subject: Re:
Hello, info
Please find the document file attached to this mail. The attached file contains transfers and invoices history of your bank account
Regards,
Olive Booth
3)
To: “redacted”
From: Greg Maynard <MaynardGreg93@agenciaH.com>
Subject: Re:Good evening info,
As promised, I have attached the spreadsheet contains last 50 transaction and your account actual balance.
Regards,
Greg Maynard
4)
Subject: RE: Outstanding Account
This is a reminder that your account balance of $5315.75 was overdue as of 25 April 2016.
Enclosed is a statement of account for your reference.
Please arrange payment of this account today or, if you cannot make full payment at this time, please contact us to make a payment arrangement that is mutually acceptable.
Regards,Dolly Browning
CEO, CafedirectHave a nice day
Subject: Re:
Hello, info
Please find the document file attached to this mail. The attached file contains transfers and invoices history of your bank account.
Regards,
Clarissa Ewing
6)
To: redacted
Content-Type: application/zip; name=”TICKET-T1153854633273.zip”
Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=”TICKET-T1153854633273.zip”
X-Attachment-Id: 90725767494-local0
7)
Subject: FINAL NOTICE – OUTSTANDING ACCOUNT
Dear Client, We are writing concerning the amount of $3339.41 which was due to be paid on 01.05.2016 and, despite numerous requests for payment, remains outstanding. Details attached to this email. We demand that payment of the full amount be paid to us on or before 10.05.2016. If this account is not resolved by the specified date we reserve the right to commence legal proceedings to recover the debt without further notice to you, and you may be responsible for any associated legal fees or collection costs. If you wish to prevent this, please contact the undersigned as a matter of urgency and settle your account before the above date. Regards, Guadalupe Oneal Head of Finance UKGI Planning
Subject: FINAL NOTICE – OUTSTANDING ACCOUNT
Dear Client, We are writing concerning the amount of $6958.82 which was due to be paid on 01.05.2016 and, despite numerous requests for payment, remains outstanding. Details attached to this email. We demand that payment of the full amount be paid to us on or before 10.05.2016. If this account is not resolved by the specified date we reserve the right to commence legal proceedings to recover the debt without further notice to you, and you may be responsible for any associated legal fees or collection costs. If you wish to prevent this, please contact the undersigned as a matter of urgency and settle your account before the above date. Regards, Tad Whitney Chief Technology Officer
Even if an email claims you owe them money, if it threatens you, even if it looks like a legitimate invoice, even if it comes from someone you think you know, NEVER open attachments – especially .zip files – without verifying what it is and who it comes from.
Working as I do for a first-rate cloud backup company, I have noticed a definite uptick in people calling in for help to recover their files after having everything they own encrypted, and being blackmailed for anywhere between $300 and $2000 to get their data back (and there’s no guarantee the criminals will send them a decryption key even if they pay.)
You may want to consider these folks. They keep up to 12 versions of your data, making you almost Crypto-proof. This article at the New York Times mentions them by name.
The internet has made it excruciatingly easy for human scum to perpetrate financial crimes on their victims. Please be careful and don’t become one of those victims.
- Never open attachments from unknown senders.
- Keep your anti-virus software up to date.
- Back up your data safely.
The Old Wolf has spoken.
Playing in the World Game 
I got a new scam the other day. A recording on voicemail told me that my “Microsoft key” had expired. Wasn’t it kind of them to sell me a new one? And for only . . .. no, I didn’t bite.
That reminds me: I really need to keep my backups up to date!
Cheers,
Pit