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Blog Entry -  Submitted for:  Internet Fraud - Share Your Story!
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Fishing for someone unaware of phishing.
Added: 5/20/2008
Last Modified: 5/21/2008
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Ranking: 3
Score: 3734.21
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ChelseaContino
Like any other college student, the weekend means freedom.  Freedom from 18 hours of classes and 15 hours of studying during the week.  Freedom from professors with their monotone voices and repeating the same things we were already forced to read in our overpriced textbooks.  What I was about to go through this weekend, though, wasn't what I had waited for since Monday morning.

Friday night had finally come, and I was ready to let loose and enjoy a night out with my girlfriends.  Our campus' annual drag show was tonight, and I checked my email to confirm the time as we were leaving.  But my inbox had a new email, from PayPal saying that someone had made a $250 purchase using my account.  Like anyone else, I flipped.  The same email had a "Dispute this transaction" form, so naturally I clicked the link to the form.  I filled out all the information it asked for:  mother's maiden name, social security number, address, phone number, bank account number and password, driver's license number.  Upon hitting submit, the same form came up again; so I filled it out again.  Upon hitting submit again, the same form came up again.  I knew something fishy was going on, or should I say..phishy.

The information in the email included a name and address of the shipping address of this supposed $250 purchase of an iPod.  I decided to Google the name and address to see if I could be linked to a phone number.  Instead, 3 pages of search results came up all containing the same thing:  a phishing scam involving the same name and address.  This phishing scam didn't hack your PayPal account, it wanted your personal information.  Personal information that I had given 3 times before realizing that this was a scam.  It was the perfect scam.  It made you think you lost enough money to cause you flip out and give out personal information without thinking twice about it.  

Instead of going out with my friends that night, I spent my night calling credit unions and canceling credit cards, debit cards and taking all of my money out of banks.  I contacted PayPal and forwarded the email to them, as well.  I had to get new bank cards and credit cards, and my PayPal account had limited activitiy for weeks.  Not to mention I got the third degree from my mom, and a speech about why you shouldn't give personal information out on the internet.  It looked legit, and that's what mattered.

Luckily for me, I'm a broke college student with no income and a couple hundred dollars in the bank leftover from loans.  Although this phishing scam didn't turn into identity fraud, it could have.  We really do learn from our mistakes, don't we?  I was even worried about writing my social security number down on job applications after this.
  Posts: 8 Votes: 466 Views: 2,869 Reviews: 318
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flink182
7/14/2008 7:01 PM PT
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more for you
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califolife 04
7/14/2008 6:57 PM PT
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s-u-p-p-o-r-t :)
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flink182
7/13/2008 6:59 PM PT
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more s u p p o r t for the watch-listed faves!
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driven873
7/12/2008 9:55 PM PT
(0)
Early Sunday-V*TED FOR YOU:D Please V*TE for my *KID AT HEART* and *SUMMER SIZZLE* Campaigns:) TY!!
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flink182
7/11/2008 3:43 PM PT
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a v0te 4 ya!
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driven873
7/10/2008 8:46 PM PT
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V*TED FOR YOU:D Please V*TE for my *KID AT HEART* and *SUMMER SIZZLE* Campaigns:) TY!!
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bgodinez
7/9/2008 12:42 PM PT
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Happy Hump Day...:~D
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flink182
7/8/2008 5:10 PM PT
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Another V0TE! =]]
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bgodinez
7/8/2008 7:27 AM PT
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Stoppn' by to say, your entry is awesome. :~D
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flink182
7/7/2008 3:38 PM PT
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Monday Luv!
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CatchMyPas s
7/7/2008 12:30 PM PT
(+1)
XoXoXo;o)LoVeACE VoTeD {{{{{HUGS}}}}} ~*~

~!~L@@KING f0RmY "grEEdome~?~*~!~

h0pe U hAda sAfe & fUN h0LIdaY wEEkenD :-}
i luv ur entry PlZ check mIne & reTurn fAV0R~thnX
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bgodinez
7/7/2008 7:16 AM PT
(0)
Early Monday Morning LOVE. :~D
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flink182
7/6/2008 10:06 AM PT
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Sunday supp0rt!
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bgodinez
7/6/2008 8:51 AM PT
(+1)
Happy Sunday...My Never Stop Exploring Entry ends tomorrow. :~)
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driven873
7/5/2008 8:33 AM PT
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V*TED FOR YOU:D Please V*TE for my *KID AT HEART* Campaigns.Also if you can please ch*ck out my new **GAS CARD DESIGN** campaign.TY!!!
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