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Slippery_When_Oiled

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Mar 18, 2006
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Today's Montréal Gazette has three major stories on a series of financial fraud events that have turned up recently.

Accordingly, we all need to be extra vigilant when it comes to our finances, be it online or with the cash we carry in our wallets. On an annual basis, you should consider obtaining your own personal credit report to review for any unauthorized activity.

You can make your free request with this link: www.equifax.com/EFX_Canada/consumer_information_centre/docs/request_report_form_e.pdf

This Week Alone:

1.) A series of bogus $20 Canadian bills continue to circulate widely throughout Canada even though the RCMP shut down the operation suspected of producing them more than a month ago. More than 9,000 fake bills have turned up in banks and stores since the December 18 Montréal bust;

2.) TJX Companies Inc., which operates 252 Winners and HomeSense stores in Canada, announced it had been the victim of "an unauthorized intrusion into its computer systems" in the USA resulting in the theft of credit card data of its customers in Canada; and

3.) A backup computer file at CIBC / Talvest Mutual Funds was lost which contained names, addresses, signatures, date of birth, bank account numbers, beneficiary information and Social Insurance Numbers of 470,000 current and former clients.


Articles in Today’s Montreal Gazette:

$20 Canadian bills: http://www.canada.com/montrealgazet...=289f7b88-2d5a-426d-8b52-85fa8567a8b9&k=79477

Winners and HomeSense: http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=233301fd-d799-4f5f-ac52-c01a74997f98

CIBC / Talvest Mutual Funds: http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=68e93d19-9848-4241-ad32-d779a91df9d7


Useful Links to the Different Branches of the Government to Consult:

Government of Canada – Public Safety Portal (Identity Theft Questions and Answers): http://www.safecanada.ca/identitytheft_e.asp

Bank of Canada – Counterfeiting Prevention: http://www.bank-banque-canada.ca/en/banknotes/counterfeit/faq/index.html

RCMP – Scams: http://www.rcmp.ca/scams/index_e.htm

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada – Identity Theft Fact Sheet: http://www.privcom.gc.ca/fs-fi/02_05_d_10_e.asp

Office of Consumer Affairs / Industry Canada – Privacy & Identity Protection Resources: http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/inoca-bc.nsf/en/h_ca02226e.html


Hope the above is useful.
 

metoo4

I am me, too!
Mar 27, 2004
2,183
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If only I knew...
It the Gatineau area, the Interac system of a few "big stores" have been compromised by a very well organized group lately. Archambault and Metro being amongs them.

The crooks were visiting stores and, either while distracting employees or posing as service peoples from the companies providing the Point Of Sales terminal, they were swapping the entire terminal with their own. This "modified" terminal was set to record transactions, while still working completely normally. After a while, the crooks would go back to swap the terminal again. From that point, they had all the info they needed, including PIN, in order to recreate "new" counterfit bank card they were then selling all over the place.

A few peoples got called by their financial institution and asked if they actually bought expensive goods in places all over north america, when they actually lived in Gatineau/Ottawa. Some peoples had their account relieved of the daily $1000 maximum, until the account was empty. Lucky for them, this loss is insured by the financial institution.

Most financial institutions selected not to take any chances and cancelled all cards that were used at the presumably compromised service points within an unspecified period.

It is mentionned the compromised service points stores had nothing to do with the fraud in any ways and were also simply victims.

It is not known how many cards were copied, how long the crooks were operating or if other stores were victims. At this time, some financial institution are recommending not using the Interac network to pay at stores but to get money at banking machines and pay cash.

Some financial institutions are suggesting merchands "low tech" approach to protecting the POS terminals, such as securing them to the desk, put them out of reach from customers or even easier, sticking all kind of labels of their choice on the POS, in order to make any swap easily noticed. They also recommand not leaving any service person touch the POS without first checking ID and checking with them.

Apparently, a few guys were surprised swapping POS terminals at one store and got arrested. Police is currently checking surveillance tapes where available to see if other peoples can be identified.
 
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General Gonad

Enlightened pervert
Dec 31, 2005
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CIBC's blunder....

Slippery_When_Oiled said:
A backup computer file at CIBC / Talvest Mutual Funds was lost which contained names, addresses, signatures, date of birth, bank account numbers, beneficiary information and Social Insurance Numbers of 470,000 current and former clients.

I can't understand how a major bank can get away with this. The information stolen had clients' names, addresses and SIN numbers. Many of these clients are in the higher income bracket - just what an identity thief wants!

Financial crime is fast becoming an epidemic but the RCMP and Revenue Canada are both behind the eight ball. It's too bad cause many unsuspecting clients will be devastated once victimized by these crimes.

GG

P.S. Canada's Privacy Commissioner should slap CIBC with some heavy fines.
 

Just-ass-weet

New Member
Jan 9, 2006
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That stuff really worries me

I have spent the past several years paying off all my debts, making investments and setting aside a nice RRSP and now, starting the process of finding and buying my own home, I have become a bit paranoid about someone freakin' up my credit. I don't often use credit cards, but I use my bank card quite a bit and have found rogue charges on my card before! I try to know how much cash I need for any given expense and don't use even my bank card on unfamilliar machines. However, there seems to be no 100% proof way to secure yourself...

If you would have asked me 5 years ago, if I was worried, I would have said no, no one could screw up my credit more than I already had! lol! After working so hard though, I cannot imagine having to correct this is somehow things got screwed up!

xoxox
Anik
 

Slippery_When_Oiled

New Member
Mar 18, 2006
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Bank Card Fraud

More fraud ...

Last week, thousands of bank cards and personal identification numbers were copied and used to make purchases. The so-called "skimming" of customer information occurred at a West Island business. This fraud prompted banks to freeze the accounts of thousands of customers as a precaution.

Bank Accounts Frozen: http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/story.html?id=60c91c3e-285c-47d4-8826-e66df73beed3&k=13202

What To Do If Bank Card Is Blocked: http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/story.html?id=100d3c5f-6e53-4120-8e44-e3a9c8a5aec5
 

montreal_monk01

A monk on the loose ;p
Jan 10, 2006
1,689
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Slippery_When_Oiled said:
a new sophisticated virus hit the Internet that can actually drain bank accounts!!! This virus is known as the Silent Banker.

Slippery_When_Oiled,
Thanks so much for your usual highly preventive and useful infos.
 
Apr 16, 2005
1,004
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I winder if anyone has the answer to the following. Are both Windows and Linux based operating systems vulnerable? I had heard that some viruses in the past which could embed into Windows systems could not affect Linux based systems. And are "home " (free) versions of anti-spyware programs up to the task?
 

metoo4

I am me, too!
Mar 27, 2004
2,183
2
0
If only I knew...
http://www.symantec.com/security_response/writeup.jsp?docid=2007-121718-1009-99

Symantec web site said:
Discovered: December 17, 2007
Updated: January 8, 2008 12:54:17 PM
Also Known As: Spy-Agent.cm [McAfee]
Type: Trojan
Infection Length: 54,189 bytes and 98,304 bytes
Systems Affected: Windows 2000, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows XP

Trojan.Silentbanker is a Trojan horse that records keystrokes, captures screen images, and steals confidential financial information to send to the remote attacker.

ProtectionInitial Rapid Release version December 17, 2007 revision 023
Latest Rapid Release version January 10, 2008 revision 023
Initial Daily Certified version December 17, 2007 revision 032
Latest Daily Certified version January 15, 2008 revision 016
Initial Weekly Certified release date December 19, 2007
Click here for a more detailed description of Rapid Release and Daily Certified virus definitions.

Threat AssessmentWildWild Level: Low
Number of Infections: 0 - 49
Number of Sites: 0 - 2
Geographical Distribution: Low
Threat Containment: Moderate
Removal: Easy
DamageDamage Level: Medium
Payload: Records keystrokes and captures screen images
Releases Confidential Info: Steals confidential financial information
DistributionDistribution Level: Low

The Trojan may be downloaded or delivered silently through Web exploits and then executed. It arrives as the following file:
sk.exe

It then drops a dll file with the following file name pattern and then deletes itself:
[RANDOM CHARACTERS][RANDOM DIGITS].dll

At the time of writing, the following file names have been observed:

appmgmt14.dll
dbgen47.dll
drmsto34.dll
faultre66.dll
kbddiv55.dll
kbddiv79.dll
msisi83.dll
msvcp793.dll
msvcr25.dll
nweven2.dll
pngfil51.dll
pschdpr89.dll
versio40.dll
wifema85.dll
winstr21.dll
wzcsv64.dll


The Trojan drops additional randomly named files in the %System% folder to hold configuration information and to log information.

The Trojan also creates the following file which contains a list of all other file names that the threat uses:
%System%\[RANDOM CHARACTERS][RANDOM DIGITS].cpl

It creates the following registry entry so that it runs when an application calls for a sound device:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Drivers32\"midi1" = "[RANDOM CHARACTERS][RANDOM DIGITS].dll"

Note: This may have the side effect of disabling your sound device.

The Trojan may also add itself as a Browser Helper Object (BHO) in Internet Explorer by creating the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Browser Helper Objects\{[RANDOM CLSID]}

It also creates the following registry entries:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{[RANDOM CLSID]}\InprocServer32\(Default Value) = "[RANDOM CHARACTERS][RANDOM DIGITS].dll"
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{[RANDOM CLSID]}\TypeLib\(Default Value) = {[RANDOM CLSID]}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{[RANDOM CLSID]}\(Default Value) = "[RANDOM CHARACTERS][RANDOM DIGITS]"

The Trojan targets many different banks using various methods in order to perform the following:

Gain access to accounts
Divert transactions to attacker controlled accounts


The Trojan performs the following actions:

Redirects legitimate requests to attacker controlled computers
Alters the HTML of pages shown to the user
Alters requests sent by the user to the bank
Captures screen shots of Web sites where the user must click instead of type the password
Sends full pages received by the victim to the attacker
Downloads new versions of itself
Downloads new configuration files
Records user names and passwords
Records the content of the clipboard
Steals cookies, digital certificates, and Adobe .sol files
Sends a list of all software installed on the compromised computer to the attackers


The threat hooks APIs in the following browsers:

Internet Explorer
Firefox
(end on next post)
 
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metoo4

I am me, too!
Mar 27, 2004
2,183
2
0
If only I knew...
(end of previous post)

Symantec web site said:
It may also hook APIs to the following file:
explorer.exe

The Trojan hooks the following APIs in order to intercept traffic received to and sent by the browser:

Send
Connect
CryptDeriveKey
CryptImportKey
CryptGenKey
HttpOpenRequestW
InternetReadFileExA
InternetReadFileExW
CommitUrlCacheEntryA
InternetReadFile
InternetQueryDataAvailable
HttpOpenRequestA
HttpSendRequestA
HttpSendRequestW
GetClipboardData
DispatchMessageA
DispatchMessageW
ExitProcess


Next, it downloads compressed and encrypted configuration files from the Trojan’s control server. These configuration files contain the following information:

URLs to change the HTML
HTML to find on targeted pages
HTML to be inserted/deleted/replaced on targeted pages
URLs to redirect to attacker sites
URLs to target for stealing account information
URLs to take screen shots from
Keywords to search for
Domain names to monitor and send to the attacker
Location of control servers
Location of updated Trojan executable
Location to send all stolen data
Porn URLs
Various other configuration data


The Trojan creates the following mutex so only one instance of the threat is running:
nnfbytsb3y

The Trojan may attempt to access the following Web sites:

iloveie.info
screensaversfor-fun.com
webcounterstat.info
reservaza.com
mystabcounter.info
microcbs.com
85.255.119.218
209.123.181.63


It may change the users DNS settings to the following attacker settings:

85.255.116.133
85.255.112.87


The Trojan then sends the collected information to the following remote locations:

microcbs.com
reservaza.com
RecommendationsSymantec Security Response encourages all users and administrators to adhere to the following basic security "best practices":

Turn off and remove unneeded services. By default, many operating systems install auxiliary services that are not critical, such as an FTP server, telnet, and a Web server. These services are avenues of attack. If they are removed, blended threats have less avenues of attack and you have fewer services to maintain through patch updates.
If a blended threat exploits one or more network services, disable, or block access to, those services until a patch is applied.
Always keep your patch levels up-to-date, especially on computers that host public services and are accessible through the firewall, such as HTTP, FTP, mail, and DNS services (for example, all Windows-based computers should have the current Service Pack installed.). Additionally, please apply any security updates that are mentioned in this writeup, in trusted Security Bulletins, or on vendor Web sites.
Enforce a password policy. Complex passwords make it difficult to crack password files on compromised computers. This helps to prevent or limit damage when a computer is compromised.
Configure your email server to block or remove email that contains file attachments that are commonly used to spread viruses, such as .vbs, .bat, .exe, .pif and .scr files.
Isolate infected computers quickly to prevent further compromising your organization. Perform a forensic analysis and restore the computers using trusted media.
Train employees not to open attachments unless they are expecting them. Also, do not execute software that is downloaded from the Internet unless it has been scanned for viruses. Simply visiting a compromised Web site can cause infection if certain browser vulnerabilities are not patched.

The following instructions pertain to all current and recent Symantec antivirus products, including the Symantec AntiVirus and Norton AntiVirus product lines.

Disable System Restore (Windows Me/XP).
Update the virus definitions.
Run a full system scan.
Delete any values added to the registry.

For specific details on each of these steps, read the following instructions.

1. To disable System Restore (Windows Me/XP)
If you are running Windows Me or Windows XP, we recommend that you temporarily turn off System Restore. Windows Me/XP uses this feature, which is enabled by default, to restore the files on your computer in case they become damaged. If a virus, worm, or Trojan infects a computer, System Restore may back up the virus, worm, or Trojan on the computer.

Windows prevents outside programs, including antivirus programs, from modifying System Restore. Therefore, antivirus programs or tools cannot remove threats in the System Restore folder. As a result, System Restore has the potential of restoring an infected file on your computer, even after you have cleaned the infected files from all the other locations.

Also, a virus scan may detect a threat in the System Restore folder even though you have removed the threat.

For instructions on how to turn off System Restore, read your Windows documentation, or one of the following articles:

How to disable or enable Windows Me System Restore
How to turn off or turn on Windows XP System Restore

Note: When you are completely finished with the removal procedure and are satisfied that the threat has been removed, reenable System Restore by following the instructions in the aforementioned documents.

For additional information, and an alternative to disabling Windows Me System Restore, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base article: Antivirus Tools Cannot Clean Infected Files in the _Restore Folder (Article ID: Q263455).

2. To update the virus definitions
Symantec Security Response fully tests all the virus definitions for quality assurance before they are posted to our servers. There are two ways to obtain the most recent virus definitions:

Running LiveUpdate, which is the easiest way to obtain virus definitions.

If you use Norton AntiVirus 2006, Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition 10.0, or newer products, LiveUpdate definitions are updated daily. These products include newer technology.

If you use Norton AntiVirus 2005, Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition 9.0, or earlier products, LiveUpdate definitions are updated weekly. The exception is major outbreaks, when definitions are updated more often.



Downloading the definitions using the Intelligent Updater: The Intelligent Updater virus definitions are posted daily. You should download the definitions from the Symantec Security Response Web site and manually install them.

The latest Intelligent Updater virus definitions can be obtained here: Intelligent Updater virus definitions. For detailed instructions read the document: How to update virus definition files using the Intelligent Updater.

3. To run a full system scan

Start your Symantec antivirus program and make sure that it is configured to scan all the files.

For Norton AntiVirus consumer products: Read the document: How to configure Norton AntiVirus to scan all files.

For Symantec AntiVirus Enterprise products: Read the document: How to verify that a Symantec Corporate antivirus product is set to scan all files.



Run a full system scan.
If any files are detected, follow the instructions displayed by your antivirus program.
Important: If you are unable to start your Symantec antivirus product or the product reports that it cannot delete a detected file, you may need to stop the risk from running in order to remove it. To do this, run the scan in Safe mode. For instructions, read the document, How to start the computer in Safe Mode. Once you have restarted in Safe mode, run the scan again.


After the files are deleted, restart the computer in Normal mode and proceed with the next section.

Warning messages may be displayed when the computer is restarted, since the threat may not be fully removed at this point. You can ignore these messages and click OK. These messages will not appear when the computer is restarted after the removal instructions have been fully completed. The messages displayed may be similar to the following:

Title: [FILE PATH]
Message body: Windows cannot find [FILE NAME]. Make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again. To search for a file, click the Start button, and then click Search.

4. To delete the value from the registry
Important: Symantec strongly recommends that you back up the registry before making any changes to it. Incorrect changes to the registry can result in permanent data loss or corrupted files. Modify the specified subkeys only. For instructions refer to the document: How to make a backup of the Windows registry.

Click Start > Run.
Type regedit
Click OK.

Note: If the registry editor fails to open the threat may have modified the registry to prevent access to the registry editor. Security Response has developed a tool to resolve this problem. Download and run this tool, and then continue with the removal.
Navigate to and delete the following entries:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Drivers32\"midi1" = "[RANDOM CHARACTERS][RANDOM DIGITS].dll"
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{[RANDOM CLSID]}\InprocServer32\(Default Value) = "[RANDOM CHARACTERS][RANDOM DIGITS].dll"
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{[RANDOM CLSID]}\TypeLib\(Default Value) = {[RANDOM CLSID]}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{[RANDOM CLSID]}\(Default Value) = "[RANDOM CHARACTERS][RANDOM DIGITS]"


Navigate to and delete the following subkey:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Browser Helper Objects\{[RANDOM CLSID]}


Exit the Registry Editor.

Note: If the risk creates or modifies registry subkeys or entries under HKEY_CURRENT_USER, it is possible that it created them for every user on the compromised computer. To ensure that all registry subkeys or entries are removed or restored, log on using each user account and check for any HKEY_CURRENT_USER items listed above.


Writeup By: Liam O Murchu

So peoples, get a good antivirus and keep it up to date!
 

Slippery_When_Oiled

New Member
Mar 18, 2006
128
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Check Your Credit Card Statements

Once again … there has been a Credit Card breach !!!

If you travelled to the United States during 2008, you are advised to check your credit card statements and watch for signs of identity theft … a massive security breach at a U.S. company that processes millions of credit cards has been discovered.

Montreal Gazette Article: http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/credit+card+breach+prompts+anxiety+home/1204752/story.html

Company Website: http://www.2008breach.com/
 
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