Scam -- Engadget Mobile

scam posts

Investigators demonstrate Nokia 1100's criminal potential

by Ross Miller posted May 22nd 2009 @ 2:22AM

In case you weren't already convinced of a certain model of Nokia 1100's hackability by the exponential surge in its aftermarket value, fraud investigation firm Ultrascan has successfully recreated a virtual bank heist by reprogramming one of the devices to receive another phone number's text messages. Using this trick, shady characters in fancy suits can get your mobile transaction authentication number -- provided you live in a country like Germany or Holland that use mTANs -- and use it to get into your bank account and transfer funds. They'd also need your account name and password, mind you, but obtaining that data isn't nearly as complex when there's plenty of people clicking on the wrong emails and signing into fake website with all those deets and the associated digits. It all sounds a bit like the stuff of crime novels, doesn't it? And before you go running to eBay with that 1100 you stashed away in a drawer years ago, please note that it only works if the candybar was produced at a very specific plant in Bochum, Germany.

Nokia warns that KIRF phones are a threat to personal safety, national security

by Darren Murph posted Nov 24th 2008 @ 12:33AM

Over the years, Nokia handsets have fallen victim to the infamous KIRFing process time, and time, and time again. Evidently the suits up in Espoo have had enough, as evidenced by a new marketing campaign urging bargain hunters in India to avoid unbranded / duplicate handsets. The ad, which was spotted in the Mumbai Mirror, is comical in a number of ways. For starters, the notion that "originals last forever" is obviously ~~misleading~~ untrue, and secondly, the whole "instilling fear" tactic is severely unnecessary. Nokia asserts that all KIRF handsets lack an IMEI number, and thus owning one "could be a threat to your safety and national security." Or is that longhand for "a threat to Nokia's bottom line?"

Keepin' it real WTF, Part II: Russian iPhone "boots up," does nothing else

by Darren Murph posted Oct 7th 2008 @ 9:07PM

It's been a long time coming, but we've finally found a KIRF suitable to become the one and only successor to our very first "Keepin' it real... WTF?!" This here iPhone -- which is little more than a familiar chassis with a lead weight and a small amount of internal hardware -- is reportedly used by scammers in Russia in order to barter for train tickets, grub, etc. In essence, the phone has just enough electronics within it to give the appearance of a "boot up" sequence, complete with the Apple logo; the scammer in possession of it then explains that the battery is simply drained, but that it will work perfectly fine once charged. After any given sucker hands over something quite valuable in exchange for this heap, he / she proceeds to crush it into a million pieces while cursing the unknown name of whoever fooled them in the first place. Moral of the story? Stay sharp, street traders.

[Thanks, Abhijit]

Western Union hopes to enable mobile money transfers, scammers rejoice

by Darren Murph posted Oct 19th 2007 @ 5:56AM

Just when you thought those Nigerian scammers were simply running out of avenues to coerce you into cashing some counterfeit check for $4.98 billion, along comes this. Western Union is apparently buddying up with 35 or so cellphone operators to "develop a system that would allow consumers to transfer money from country to country via their mobile phones." Reportedly, the outfit has successfully tested the service in a number of US cities, and if everything goes as planned, it could launch in Q2 of 2008. Notably, it still sounds like an actual human will be a part of the process, as the system will purportedly "connect the user to a company operator to complete the transaction." Quite frankly, we appreciate the convenience of such a service, but don't you go falling for any sappy stories of long-lost cousins needing your help to funnel in millions as you ride to work, alright?

Watch out: Xero merges, now a publicly traded company

by Ryan Block posted Apr 11th 2006 @ 10:31PM

Well wouldn't you know it, the same people behind Gizmondo who're now behind Xero Mobile (those that aren't in jail, anyway) have found a way to bypass an IPO in getting Xero as a publicly traded company. Basically they merged with Desi TV, a publicly traded company (that couldn't dig up even a little info on), swapped the ticker symbol to XRMB, and started trading on the Over-The-Counter Bulletin Board securities market. Oh, did we mention the first thing they did with their stock was split it 25-to-1? 25 to freaking 1, man! Peter Lilley, CEO of Xero Mobile (and former head of Gizmondo's Smart Adds division) seemed pretty stoked about "implementing [their] ground-breaking business plan." Uh, would that be the same business plan that sunk his former game company and lost a half a billion dollars? Right, dude. Investors beware; remember those who learned a hard lesson about that fateful UK-based game company that seemed eager to cash in on VCs and work a pump n' dump stock scam on all y'all.