p1mark

Anyone had the following email from the above addy? For some reason it looks pukka to me? They have my credit card number, name and address all correct. Havibg already been the victim of credit card fraud don't want to have it again!




Dear Mark,


Red Alert: We have found that some of your personal and financial information are compromised over the Internet. Though you are not our customer, we are sending you an alert message so that you can take necessary measures and stop being a victim of Identity theft.



Here is your information we found on the web:

***********| Mark ******** | ************* | **** | *** |
******** | ******** | **** ***| ********** |
************| United Kingdom |


If this is not your information, Please delete the email and report back to us.


About Online guards:



Online guards is a proactive Identity Protection company fighting against Identity theft and Credit card Fraud over the internet. We monitor the web 24/7/365 to check if any of our customer's personal and financial information is compromised or prone to misuse by fraudsters. When we identify a threat, we alert our customer via Phone and Red alert email. Our customer can then react by contacting the bank or concerned authorities and take necessary action to stop being a victim of fraud.



For more information about us, visit our website http://www.onlineguards.com




Frequently Asked Questions:

1. How did you find my information?


In the process of monitoring our customer's information, we also come across other victim's information. Sometimes we do send red alert emails to help them.


2. Why didn't my bank inform me?

Your bank might not be aware of this theft as it happened over the internet and there might be many reasons for the information leak.



For example

1. You might be a victim of Phishing (Check the topics page on our website)

2. Your computer might be infected with a spyware application like Keylogger.

3. It can be a hacker who got the access to merchant databases where you submit your personal and financial information.

4. It can be a security breach of any firm where your information is stored.

5. It can be Physical theft.



Please follow the links below to take necessary action and stop being a victim of Identity Theft.




Important: Please make a note that your Social Security Number, Drivers License, Mother's Maiden Name, Date of Birth and Passport number are your vital Personal Information. Flag your profile at the concerned authorities to avoid misuse of your information incase they are compromised.



If your Credit cards, ATM cards, Bank login details, e-commerce Login passwords or any other financial information are compromised then please follow the link below:

http://www.onlineguards.com/securitycenter/reportidtheft.aspx



If your SSN is compromised, then follow the link below:

http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10064.html



You might be interested in our proactive ID Monitor service which costs you $19.95 a year to avoid Identity Theft in the future. Please click the link below to know more about ID Monitor.

http://www.onlineguards.com/services/idtheftsolutions.aspx



For more information or any queries, please reply this email or call us at 1-201-331-2851 ( Monday - Friday 9 am - 5 pm PST ). If you are calling from UK,you can call us at + 44 0870 974 9080



Thank you,

Online guards Team.

NACRO

Avoid, scam.

Vampire

Not heard of this, but if the info in the email is definitely yours then probably best to get the affected cards cancelled/notified asap. I wouldn't reply to the email though, since you don't know exactly who sent it.

wrxsti280

iTrader: (6)

looks dodgy to me, send it to trading standards, they will have a list of websites that are known to be dodgy i would think, they should be able to check it out for you

p1mark

Is it a known scam then Nacro?

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

I'd contact your bank. A lot of people who get something like are likely to be concerned. If you bank with a major bank they should have at least heard of these people and be able to tell you a little more.

To me it sounds like they are touting for business.

p1mark

The title of the email was 'Red alert - please contact your bank immediately'

obviously when i read thought it was a scam immediately. They don't have my bank details, just a credit card. It is a credit card i have used for quite a few online purchases recently though.

vega

As above get the cards closed and re-isseud with new numbers, I doubt they've encrypted the email they sent you with your details on

vega

I work for a certain local bank and there's no information about them via our internal comms. I'll speak to our fraud team.

Also check the 'contact us' section of the website they're based in the US and India

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

Your welcome to call me skeptical. However, the way I see it is that they are doing some scare mongering advertising. They give you a little for free (contact your bank), but when you go to their website, low and behold you can pay for their service.

Have you googled their name? Have a look around the internet and see if you can find any reputable sources talking about their services.

NACRO

It's a variation on well known scams. Just look at what they've sent you it reeks to high heaven of a swindle. I'd worry if people like this had my details.

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

Now this is what we want to hear

p1mark

Cheers for this chaps.

Trading standards site is rubbish, but have found this and fired it off to them.

Anti-Phishing Working Group

richardg

nice of them to send all your personal info to an email address they can't be sure is yours...

i wouldn't respond to that if i were you. i think you've done the right thing by asking other people though - probably worth a good look round the web too (by reference to a whois lookup on their domain and then checking the address with 192.com foir directors names/addresses and then searching for them on the web)

...edited to say that would be a bit pointless if they're base din the states and india though...

EvilBevel

Registrant:
Online Guards
405,Parimala Sadan
Chaitanyapuri
Hyderabad, AP 500060
IN

Domain Name: ONLINEGUARDS.COM

Administrative Contact, Technical Contact:
Panasa, Sridhar onlineguards@yahoo.com
Online Guards
405,Parimala Sadan
Chaitanyapuri
Hyderabad, AP 500060
IN
1-305-767-1438


Record expires on 12-Nov-2008.
Record created on 12-Nov-2006.
Database last updated on 14-Nov-2007 04:18:10 EST.

TopBanana

I don't think it's a scam, as they aren't asking you for any extra information, or to do anything other than contact your bank. It's a bit thick sending it out by email though.

EvilBevel

The owner used to call himself "webrobinhood"

vega

It mentions this in the email = If this is not your information, Please delete the email and report back to us.

By reporting back to them this is not your info, they no they can't use the info and try someone else!!!

Its the same as when Chip & PIN was first implemented, people were asked whether they knew their PIN (not what is it) and they'd say yes it's **** without thinking what they're saying

TopBanana

It's not like that at all. It's like someone saying I know your PIN is ****, contact your bank immediately.

EvilBevel

Did you by any chance purchase something from RANKHOUR.COM - Cheapest Online Electronics Store :: lately ?

This blog mentions the same email: Pressing F5

p1mark

No i have not Evil Bevel

Rather oddly though i have had a specific request from a supplier recently for my home phone number as the guy with the blog has. I normally just give them my mob no.

Going to ring up the credit card company i think and get a new one (again)!

NACRO

Of course it's a scam. They want money out of you for 'protection' and secondly what they'd do with your details when they got them is anyone's guess.

I do wonder about the credulity of some people.

TopBanana

Come on, engage your brain man. They've ALREADY got all they need to take him for a good deal more than $19.95. What sort of fraudster gets hold of a load of credit card details, then tips off the cardholder first? They've done him a great service by letting him know his information has been compromised.

Of course the product they're offering sounds like a load of rubbish, and I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole. That doesn't constitute a scam.

NACRO

I think you're the one who needs to start using the grey matter.

It's a scam. They aren't necessarily fraudsters but what they are doing is selling snake oil. That by any definition is a scam. If even a small percentage of people sign up to their wonderful $19.99 offer they will rake in a tidy sum, all legal and above board. Smart operators.

Brendan Hughes

Shouldn't this be on the "£50k a year" thread?

TopBanana

You've essentially paraphrased my post, save for semantics. I don't think snake oil is a scam, I bathe in it daily and I haven't been struck by lightning once. Thank you and good night.

NACRO

What I've actually done is carried on saying what I've done from the beginning. It's a scam, avoid.

I have no idea what your agenda is but I have a bridge for sale if you're really as gullible as you are making out.

TopBanana

It looks to me like you've attempted to extend to definition of 'scam' to include poor value products, in order to say you've been right from the off. In fact, scams are always fraudulent and rely on deception, by definition.

You're digging your heels in. It's not very becoming.

NACRO

Again I have no idea what your agenda is here but as I've said from the off it's a scam. The definition of scam includes selling you a product that doesn't do anything.

If I sell you a fantastic product that will allow your car to do 1000mpg and it doesn't then it's a scam.

If I sell you insurance that infact doesn't insure anything it's a scam.

If I sell you my 'proactive monitor service' and it doesn't actually pro-actively monitor anything then it's a scam.

You seem to be set on turning this thread into a petty argument, that's not only rather sad but you've lost.

edit to add:

Anyone who may not have thought 'online guards' was a crock of **** and a scam should take a look at this

https://www.onlineguards.com/anti-ph...solutions.aspx

TopBanana

My agenda? Answering p1mark's question. They look to be perfectly genuine outfit to me, albeit with a questionable product offering. That's not a crime. Having said that, it's picked up one instance of identity theft, who's to say it won't pick up more?

NACRO, petty arguments have a funny way of following you around don't they? Unfortunately you don't get to declare yourself the winner in any of them. I'm sure you'll feel compelled to get the last word as ever. Fire away.