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The Friday Fillip

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There’s been a lot of talk about phishing recently, and there’s always a low level growl about those spam emails that pass themselves off as some missive from work. It’s just a fact of life: people lie. At least some people do, and when there’s money in it, the lies get as big as the Brooklyn Bridge. But of course, we’d never lie. At least not like that.

wolverine.pngWe might adopt a transparent untruth, however. Just for fun. Such as a Super Hero Cycling Jersey. Svelte Slawers (try to say that six time quick) could choose between the Spider Man, with it’s deep red and stand up collar, or, my favourite, the Wolverine, with its notice-me yellow.

But what if we were Jason R. Beverly of 2922 Montreal Road, Ottawa, ON K1L 6C7? Well we wouldn’t be, because he’s a complete nonentity, a figment of the Fake Name Generator. This scary tool conjured up not just his name and address but a whole wallet of data as well

Jason R. Beverly
2922 Montreal Road
Ottawa, ON K1L 6C7

Email Address: Jason.R.Beverly@mytrashmail.com

Phone: 613-741-2644
Mother’s maiden name: Cloutier
Birthday: May 14, 1945

MasterCard: 5590 9113 0344 8396
Expires: 6/2008

The phone is phony — I checked. Google Maps tells me there’s no such address — though there is a 2922 Old Montreal Rd, Cumberland, ON. And I didn’t have the heart to try the Master Card.

smile.pngBut suppose Jason Beverly shows up at your door, smiling and offering you some deal or other. How could you spot him as a fake? The BBC’s Science and Nature website offers you a chance to check whether you can distinguish between a genuine and a false smile. It takes you through twenty short videos of smilers and asks you to choose yea or nay, and then tells you how you did. (I got 14 out of 20 — unless I’m fibbing — which means, I guess, I’d better find another way of spotting the liar.)

 

Comments

  1. Connie Crosby
    January 19th, 2007 at 4:11 pm

    What fun! 8-)

    (is the emoticon above giving a fake or real smile?)

    I received this email today, a very creative phishing message. Clicking on the “yes” or “no” button in the original message would take me to the same phishing webpage:

    >>>
    January 19, 2007

    Dear eBay Community:

    We have decided to close eBay on 27 February 2007 due to the repeatedly abuses on our company. We ask your opinion on this matter and we want to know if you agree with us or disagree .Below you can make your choice.

    If you want eBay to stay open click YES otherwise click NO .Your opinion is very important to us. If 50% of the eBay members vote positive eBay stays open otherwise it will be closed.

    Regards,
    eBay Team

    YES NO

    eBay sent this message to you based on your good account standing.
    Your registered name is included to show this message originated from eBay.
    >>>

  2. Kim
    January 22nd, 2007 at 2:42 pm

    I got 19. Noting the BBC’s suggested explanation for most people’s surprisingly low scores, what does this say about me? How about my aptitude for lawyering? Or librarianship?

    ;)
    Is that a real smile then?

    Cheers

  3. Rubinandjali Omatorisour
    January 23rd, 2007 at 6:33 am

    Mr. Jason R. Beverly,

    I am glad we finally found you because you are the heir of one of our rich client who died last year and for whom we have trying to identify the relatives for estate purposes but to no avail, up to today.

    Please send 1000£ to the following address to open your file and process your claim:

    Rubinandjali Omatorisour
    54 Baharanji Couliani
    Wasehda, Indonesia
    625463

    Best regards,

    Rubinandjali Omatorisour

  4. Simon Fodden
    January 23rd, 2007 at 8:51 am

    Delightful, Rubinandjali.