Genealogy Chat

HI ALL THIS A WARNING TO ALL BE AWARE THAT THERE IS SOMEONE STEALING MONEY FROM YOUR ACCOUNTS!!
THE NAME THAT COMES ON YOUR STATEMENT IS HELPMEDOWNLOAD.COM, only realised this today when my statements came in as they only come every 3 months have took over £100.
PLEASE BE AWARE MY FELLOW SEARCHERS!!
ANGELA

Angela, why would they be stealing from our accounts? Do you think its something to do with GR?

Looks like you are not alone!

http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/helpmedownloadcom-c53100.html

Looks to me like you signed up for something online or they would not have your card details.

Ron
www.genealogyprinters.com

I am not saying that it is happening on this site, yes this has happened to me. I decided to look at the website and found that this happening to a lot of people HelpmeDownload.com taking out money of an account which you have not authorised them. They have had a lot of complaints. The thing is that i haven't signed up for anything it is supposed to be a customer service support site. I have told my bank as soon as i found out about it.
angela

If you didn't give them your card details how can they take money from your account.

Rom
www.genelogyprinters.com

We have had money taken from several accounts - all online ones and involving a couple of banks. Somehow they can see the names of other legitimate transactions and "copy" or imitate the name so it isn't obvious that it is a fraud. The banks have refunded us now, but one was much quicker than another! They wouldn't give us any information on how it happened, which leads us to think the problem was with them, as if we could improve our security in some way, they would surely have told us. Oh - the reason it took so long for one to refund? They are inundated with similar cases!!!
My husband checks our statements CAREFULLY and found out that way.

Its dreadful isnt it. I think nearly everyone I know has been scammed in some way now.

One of the ways they get your bank info is sending you an email which appears to be from your bank, giving a link where you are invited to enter your details again for some reason or another.

Terrible.

Financial transactions online is the safest thing you can do if you follow the rules. It's securely encrypted and that encryption has NEVER BEEN CRACKED by hackers, it's been the dream of all hackers for years.

Almost all of the dodgy transactions are caused by people clicking on a link in an e-mail or on a website.

No financial institution will ask you to follow a link, they will always say "Log into your account" they will never provide a link for doing this logging in.

NEVER EVER click on a link in an e-mail or on a website to enter any financial transactions or to log in using a password, it's suprising how many people fall for it.

ALWAYS check for the golden padlock at the bottom right of your screen that ALL secure websites will have BEFORE you enter any details such as passwords or card details, if you double click on this padlock it will tell you what compay owns that website and that it's secure, this golden padlock cannot be fraudulently copied by fraudsters or hackers

Ron
www.genealogyprinters.com

I have received lots of emails lately supposedly from banks asking me to update my account information to avoid consequences. I never open them and report every one as a scam but still they keep on coming. I know none of them are genuine as many are from banks I have no dealings with. Even the ones supposedly from my own bank are fake as I have never signed up for internet banking. I can see how easy it is for people to be fooled by these things as they threaten consequences in the subject line and no one wants to risk their account being closed or cards cancelled so they rush to update their account details to avoid this happening.

Caz

That is so very true Caz.

People do fall for it, there's always plenty of newcomers using the internet who are not so online savy.

Ron
www.genealogyprinters.com

I´ve just had one from my "bank" saying that 3 attempts have been made to access my account. To keep my account open then I need to send my info........etc. etc. ..... Sometimes I can´t believe how dishonest people are. I remember once I was given 300 pounds too much from a bank (sealed in an envelope) it wasn´t until I got home and counted it that I realized their mistake, but it would never have crossed my mind to keep it.

Angela are you using Vista by any chance , as my new lappy well nearly year old but the only sites I ever go on are here , FTF, and Ancestry yet funny enough just noticed last night and read this thread again today and ugger me there in the new saved pages was ,
HELPMEDOWNLOAD.COM,
Now I have never ever been onto this site or clicked any links for it , so that god I have joined or give any details to them ;;;but how did it come up and there ;;;???
I get loads e-mails for Banks and Viagra lol


Babs

Babs, I'm using Vista and haven't had that problem, yet. I shall be keeping a very close eye out for helpmedownload.com from now on and telling everyone I know to do the same.

It's awful when you think about the amount of security measures we have to take online these days and still these things are getting through.

My advice would be to never open an email that appears to be from a bank even if it is your own bank. If you think it might be genuine give them a ring to check. If you do open it remember that if it is genuine it will be addressed to you personally and not just "Dear customer " or to your email address and it will never ask you to confirm sensitive information such as passwords, pin numbers or security codes etc.

Caz

Babs, when you say it was in your saved pages, do you mean your Bookmarks, I've not used Vista so I don't know if the terminolgy has changed.

Ron
www.genealogyprinters.com

Island

yes they are the same thing dear ;;;
Yes I have google toolbar and thats where it sows the saved pages
on the new tabs, thats where I saw the picture of
HELPMEDOWNLOAD.COM,


Babs

If it's in your bookmarks it could have been placed there by a malicious website that you have visited.

Ron
www.genealogyprinters.com

Ron I will have to check that tomorrow , I never looked in there as I never save in bookmarkers on lappy just favorites , many thanks will do


Babs