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PC World Reports:The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is conducting a review of Listing Corp., a company whose mailed marketing pitches look like domain-name invoices.

When the mail carrier delivered what looked like a Web-domain-related bill for $60 from a company called Listing Corp. last year, the San Diego chapter of the American Society for Industrial Security immediately sent in the money.

The document, sent via the U.S. Postal Service, was actually an advertisement for Listing Corp.’s services. For an annual fee of $60, the company said, it would submit the nonprofit’s Web site to 20 unspecified major search engines and later e-mail a quarterly “search engine position and ranking report.”

But ASIS hasn’t heard from Listing Corp. since it paid the firm in November 2005.

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,125366,00.asp#

(Govexec) Thrift Savings Plan officials said Monday that they think few people were taken in by an e-mail hoax targeting participants in the 401(k)-style retirement plan for federal employees.

The scam first came to plan administrators’ attention last Thursday, when calls began arriving around 2 p.m. regarding a suspicious e-mail, according to a TSP official who asked not to be named. The message guided recipients to a TSP look-alike Web site and sought personal data, including Social Security numbers and TSP personal identification numbers, the official said. Visitors then were prompted for credit card, ATM and account information.

By Friday morning, the link to the fraudulent site no longer worked, the official said, and online access was restored Friday afternoon. The official said online withdrawals and loans initiated since Thursday are being reviewed internally before being processed, with a delay of up to two days expected. Full Story

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Beware: E-mail scam targets Thrift Saving Plan participants

‘Phishing’ Scheme Targets Thrift Savings Plan Holders

(Federal Times) The FBI is investigating a bogus e-mail that was sent March 16 to some of the 3.6 million Thrift Savings Plan participants asking for their Social Security numbers and other personal information that could be used to access their accounts, TSP officials said.

TSP officials said March 17 they are unsure how many participants received the e-mail and whether any accounts were breached. As a precaution, officials shut down the portion of the Web site that allows applicants to withdraw funds or apply for loans several hours after learning of the scam March 16. Access remained suspended as of press time March 17.

Transactions requested online are processed each day after noon. The bogus e-mail was sent a couple hours after the transaction period had closed for the day. TSP officials shut down the site around 6 p.m. March 16 and said they would review transactions made during the period in question to determine whether any appear suspicious before deciding whether to reactivate account access. 

The e-mail, purportedly sent from the address   mailto:accounts@tsp.gov informs users that an e-mail address had been added to their accounts and instructs them to contact TSP customer service with any questions by clicking on a link provided in the e-mail. The link takes users to a bogus version of the TSP account access screen, where they are asked to enter their Social Security numbers and the four-digit personal identification number (PIN) used to access their accounts. After entering that information, users are taken to another Web page where they are asked for credit card and banking information, TSP officials said

Anyone who responded to the e-mail and entered personal information on the bogus Web site should call the TSP customer service center, their credit card company and their bank immediately, TSP officials said. 

More from TSP Officials

E-Mail Scam

Some TSP participants have received an e-mail purporting to be from the TSP.  The e-mail asks for confirmation that the participant has added an e-mail address to his or her TSP account.  The link in this e-mail takes the person to a bogus version of the TSP account access screen where it asks for your Social Security Number and PIN.  It then takes you to another screen where it asks for credit card and banking information.

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THE E-MAIL IS NOT AN OFFICIAL THRIFT SAVINGS PLAN COMMUNICATION!

You should never give any personal, credit, or banking information in response to unsolicited e-mails; the TSP would never ask for this information via an e-mail.  If you did provide this information, contact your credit card company/bank immediately and seek guidance.  In addition, call the TSP and ask to have your account access blocked (1-877-968-3778).

Do not try to access the TSP Website by clicking on links in this or any other e-mail.  They are trying to steal your personal information (always access your account only by opening a new Browser window, and typing http://www.tsp.gov into the Address/URL field).