Latest internet scams are CPA and car billboards-FBI IC3

Fake messages from certified public accountants (CPA) and companies promising payments for using victims’ cars as nomadic ads are the latest Internet scams making the circle, according to the FBI’s Internet crime complaint center.

The FBI’s IC3 and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C) said a scam in which sufferers receive a malware-laden e-mail supposedly from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants that intimidates termination of accountant’s licenses. The spam campaign from aicpa.org intimidates termination of the spam receiver’s license for filing counterfeit tax repayments for their clients. The email gives a link to view the complaint. Receiver’s were advised to give feedback within a specific period of time and intimidated with possible termination of their accountant licenses if they failed to do so.

FBI’s IC3 analysis these scams and found that the emails were shoving out a Black hole exploit kit holding a Trojan redirector. It was also found that the IP addresses used in the campaign have been occupied in large volumes of Distributed Denial of Service (DDOS) action from the same botnet and appear to have originated from Brazil.

Another recent scam statement to IC3 involves assures of payment for advertising a company's banner on a victim’s private car’s while they go out. Although there are genuine offers for such advertising, said IC3, those scammed reported that they had replied to online ad postings regarding the opportunity. The online posting presented an easy way to make extra income by permitting businesses to advertise their logo on the complainant's individual vehicle through a vinyl decal or "auto wrap," said ICE3. The scammers utilize big corporation names like Coca Cola, Carlsberg beer, Monster Energy drink, Red Bull and Heineken Co.

The employment offer was completely fake, said IC3. Those who fell for the scam get a check or money order for more than the assured amount, it explained. They were directed to cash the check and wire the difference to a third person, who was supposed to be the graphics designer to pay for the rate of the design. The checks and money orders changed out to fake and the criminals, IC3 alleges, converted fraudulent checks and money orders into undetectable cash, leaving the victim accountable for the bank's losses.