26 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
26 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

Best Phishing Email I've Seen

by AceOfShirts
20 replies
I just got this email this morning:

************************************************** ******
March 12, 2010
Crosby & Higgins
350 Broadway, Suite 300
New York, NY 10013

To Whom It May Concern:

Enclosed is a copy of the lawsuit that I filed against you in court on March 11, 2010.
Currently the Pretrail Conference is scheduled for April 10th, 2010 at 9:30 A.M. in courtroom #33.
The case number is 3485934. The reason the lawsuit was filed was due to a completely inadequate response from your company for copyright infrigement that our client Lumberton Trading Company is a victim of.
Lumberton Trading Company has proof of multiple Copyright Law violations that they wish to presentin court on April 10th, 2010.

Sincerely,

Mark R. Crosby
Crosby & Higgins LLP
************************************************

First thing I did was go to the domain it is sent from. Turns out it is a real law firm.
Second thing I did was do a Google search. First result is news story of them successfully suing someone for Copyright Infringement. Now I'm getting worried. I print custom t-shirts and I was worrying if I printed something I wasn't supposed to.

A couple of search results down the page was a blog post about the scam email. I went to the blog and found out that several people got the same thing, all the way down to the same case number. Other people received an attachment with their email, but I didn't. No attachment was another reason I thought it might be real.
#email #phishing
  • Profile picture of the author Jill Carpenter
    The reason the lawsuit was filed was due to a completely inadequate response from your company for copyright infrigement that our client Lumberton Trading Company is a victim of.
    Well, if you never got anything from this company that would have been your first clue. They would likely have needed to provide proof of delivery and you would have signed for something along the way.

    I apparently have a million packages that were not delivered to the right address (it's a ups or usps scam). Who keeps sending me gifts? :p
    Signature

    "May I have ten thousand marbles, please?"

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1860538].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author dave stahly
      right off the bat i see 2-3 spelling errors, that should be the 1st clue.

      dave
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1860614].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author LetsGoViral
        Originally Posted by dave stahly View Post

        right off the bat i see 2-3 spelling errors, that should be the 1st clue.

        dave
        It's not really an indicator. Jurists are known for being bad spellers.
        Signature
        Time of thinking is over.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1860702].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
          Banned
          [DELETED]
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1867123].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Paul Guilfoyle
            Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

            They're also known for sending out letters that have been spell-checked.

            The grammar and syntax of this one are also shocking: very little plausibility there. :p

            That sentence alone contains two grammatical errors and a spelling mistake. There's no way someone educated enough to have gone to law school could have written and sent that!
            I agree that in the cold light of day its not very plausible and there are enough errors to realise that it is on balance probably a scam. However, there are so many stories doing the rounds about spurious legal threats that when it actually hits your inbox it can put the wind up you. It certainly did me which is why I went straight to google.If there had not been a post on the lawyers home page about these scam emails I would have contacted the lawyer direct as clearly many others now have.

            Also bear in mind it was an email with a word doc attachment not a letter. We all know that, rightly or wrongly standards aren't quite as high in emails as they is in letters like (or forum posts lol).

            I think it was right of dnsg to start this thread and warn others. I came to this thread having done a forum search with the same intention ie to post a warning to other warriors .These scam tactics must work to some extent or these bXXXXXXs wouldn't keep using them.I just don't get their motivation.

            All the best,
            Paul
            Signature

            Easiest, fastest way I know, and working for countless others to create an online income.
            Click Here to Watch Free Video and start learning how to really profit from the internet

            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1868328].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Don Schenk
    If you were being sued, notification of the suit would never have come to you by email. They would start out with certified USPO mail, and send (in person) a process server.

    But what has me concerned is the scammer's use of the name Crosby & Higgins. That law firm probably has no idea their name is being used. They would probably like to know. Give them a phone call.

    Their website is crosbyhiggins dot com, and there is a contact email at the site.
    Signature

    Studies prove happier people have massively more success. It has worked for me. Use this one trick too... Click Here

    Total Competition Stomper - Simply the most powerful tactic your IM or Offline business will ever use... See it here!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1860669].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author BrinsonMHarris
    I got one with an attachment, but knew better than to open it because I'm familiar with how real lawsuits are served.

    I deleted it, but when I did what the OP did and found out there was a real lawfirm that specialized in intellectual property, I got nervous enough to check my YouTube videos--sure enough, one had a copyright claim.

    I deleted it just to be safe (it and the rest of my videos are composed of many clips from all kinds of movies and TV cut together to illustrate different mass media theories and are covered under fair use, but I'd rather not get into a hassle over it), but I have to admit it's a clever bit of phishing that probably works sometimes.

    The phishers must be trolling the web for any business that even kinda sorta remotely deals with intellectual property--the OP's t-shirt biz and my own site, which, oddly enough, is to advertise my litigation videography service but also has a personal page that describes and links to my YouTube videos, which are all about mass media/pop culture. The purpose of my business is to videotape stuff for real lawsuits.

    I'll ask some of the lawyers I know about this--they'll be interested for sure.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1865989].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Shaun Lee
    Wow, for someone totally inexperienced with lawsuits, it can really be concerning.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1866093].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author mywebwork
    So you got this fake e-mail without an attachment? What was the actual information they were trying to get from you? The text you've printed doesn't seem to indicate they want anything from you.

    Just curious as to what the intent of the mail was. I agree with those who say you should contact the actual law firm and make them aware of this issue.

    Bill
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1866156].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Deepak Media
    I once read in Mile Filsaime's book that 1 in every 4 people will get sued within the next 1 year. It may not be statistically correct, but it does show how things are in USA.
    Signature
    Digital Marketing Author | Speaker | Consultant

    Read my Blog: DigitalDeepak.com

    @ Bangalore, India.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1866186].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author UKTim29
    [QUOTE=dnsg;1860286]I just got this email this morning:

    ************************************************** ******
    March 12, 2010
    Crosby & Higgins
    350 Broadway, Suite 300
    New York, NY 10013

    To Whom It May Concern:

    Enclosed is a copy of the lawsuit that I filed against you in court on March 11, 2010.
    Currently the Pretrail Conference is scheduled for April 10th, 2010 at 9:30 A.M. in courtroom #33.
    The case number is 3485934. The reason the lawsuit was filed was due to a completely inadequate response from your company for copyright infrigement that our client Lumberton Trading Company is a victim of.
    Lumberton Trading Company has proof of multiple Copyright Law violations that they wish to presentin court on April 10th, 2010.

    Sincerely,

    Mark R. Crosby
    Crosby & Higgins LLP
    ************************************************

    That in itself would have indicated to me it's spam! How on earth did you think it's real?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1866231].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Paul Guilfoyle
    I got this email this morning.

    I googled the law firm crosby & Higgins. It is indeed a New York litigation firm.

    On its Home page is a section about the scam email. Someone is using their name to send out these bogus emails. The word doc attachment in the bogus email appears to contain a virus so don't open.

    All the best,
    Paul
    Signature

    Easiest, fastest way I know, and working for countless others to create an online income.
    Click Here to Watch Free Video and start learning how to really profit from the internet

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1866775].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author sloanjim
    I wouldn't even have read it. Delete. They can contact me on the phone/ regular mail, etc....NEVER through email.
    Signature

    15 Minute Forex Bar Trading System Free at
    http://www.fxscalpingmethod.com

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1867097].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author badboy_Nick
    Whoa now that is something. I would have called my lawyer who I;m sure would have investigated further, especially calling the company by making some inquiries. Don't think I would have spotted this to be a scam-mail right off the bat.
    Signature
    Read my incredible story: www.affiliatechamp.co.uk
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1867116].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Sean Ski
    A lot of people are clueless when it comes to legal stuff so if they get an email they'll just open it, spammers are getting more sophisticated along with everyone else, its not enough anymore to say "hey you want the Turkish lottery"... But at the end of the day, I don't trust anything that comes via email, thats just a good rule of thumb... the person can call me or send snail mail
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1868357].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Raygun
    I cannot believe how many emails I get from people that say I have won $10,000,000 from my lost great great great uncle. They just need my contact information. Wow, there really must be a lot of suckers out there.
    Signature
    $25,000 Prizes===>>>
    http://clicknbank.com/jv-invite.php
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1868510].message }}

Trending Topics