JUST HOW DUMB DO YOU THINK I AM?
(Tuesday) Somebody thinks I'm pretty brainless. I received another fraudulent email purporting to be from EarthLink (my primary ISP). It informed me that they were having trouble verifying payment on my account and needed me to update my information. I'd seen these things several times before so I knew that it was a fraud. But I started to laugh when I saw the information they wanted -- bank routing number, checking account number, PIN-code: 4 Digit code used in ATM's, social security number, mother's maiden name -- yeah, right! Although I suppose someone must fall for that stuff since they keep sending it out. Link here to visit the fraudulent website that I was sent to. Perhaps if we all went there and filled out fake info (made to look just real enough that they'd waste their time) they'd get so swamped that they wouldn't have time to sort the real from the fake and it wouldn't be worth it to them.

Yes, I reported the email and site to the EarthLink abuses department. But really, there is probably little they can do about it -- other than try to filter out future emails to other customers with the content that they are using to solicit people to the scam site.

Wednesday Update: Someone got in there this morning and shut the site down -- at least it is not available on my EarthLink connection.