WebWatch and the Mediatech Foundation released this report today (check out the video here on YouTube):

Study Shows Children’s Web Sites May Be Entertaining,
But May Also Make Kids Cry
Most Popular Sites Commercialized; Some ‘Sell’ Kids’ Creations Back to Them

YONKERS, New York, Tuesday, May 6 – Publishers of many major children’s Web sites should do a better job disclosing sales and advertising information to parents, especially as more kids at younger ages go online to play and meet friends, says a study released today by Consumer Reports WebWatch and the Mediatech Foundation of Flemington, N.J.
For the study, parents in 10 families used video cameras to keep journals, providing insights into the way children use sites such as Club Penguin, Webkinz, Nick Jr., Barbie.com and others. Footage from those journals, which can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/cwwkids, illustrates how young children respond to advertising and marketing tactics online.

Continue reading "Like Taking Candy from a Baby: Our Study on Kids' Sites and Commercialization" »

Posted by Beau Brendler at 02:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Thanks to Derek Smythe at Artists Against 419 for this item.
The group dug up a PHP-based mass mailer using a fake domain name that sounds like a real bank (and is quite close to the domain name of the real bank). The fake bank is www.zenithbankplafrica.org (yes, .org, which most people attribute to non-profit organizations and therefore, attach more credibility). The real bank is here: http://www.zenithbank.com
aa419 cached a screenshot of this spam tool here if the real one is taken down. Of course, the bogus bank domain is a private registration. Click the link below for Derek's comments. Note, by the way, that a huge number of fraudulent domains are hosted here in the United States by U.S. registrars. In trying to spread the word about aa419's work, Derek says, "I have found it amazing is that American registrars are extremely tolerant of fraudulent domains and most unhelpful, much more so than their counterparts in other countries. Despite reports of fraud and fake whois, most registrars do not even bother replying. Those that do
state they can do nothing."

Continue reading "Uncovered: A Phishing Scammer's Toolbox -- Check This Out!" »

Posted by Beau Brendler at 10:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ran across this site while putting together our forthcoming press release on fraud in auctions. It's linked from the home page of Escrow.com, which has some fraud education content of its own worth reading. One of the funny things about LooksTooGoodToBeTrue.com is the slightly slick, slightly cheesy look reminiscent of so many fraud sites we see. And it's funny they would play on the most oft-repeated cliche of fraud education: If it looks/sounds too good to be true, it is. Take a look at this page on their site for a list of current phishing and other scams.

Posted by Beau Brendler at 02:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Let's trace a spam e-mail making current rounds that plays on one of the seven deadly sins -- vanity, supposedly Uncle Scratch's favorite, if you believe the movie The Devil's Advocate. We tracked down apparent exclusive biography publisher Princeton Premier (though not by the phone number in its spam e-mail). Shockingly, it's not in Princeton, New Jersey, home to the prestigious alma mater of John Stossel. In fact, it seems to be in bucolic but pleasant Astoria, N.Y., home to several excellent Greek restaurants. We're left wondering whether the company is legitimate or if someone's trying to hijack their mailing list -- we couldn't get Princeton Premier to return our calls to confirm. Click the link below and we'll start with the whole spam letter on the next page.

Continue reading "Princeton Premier -- Not in Princeton, and How Premier?" »

Posted by Beau Brendler at 10:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)