Introduction
In a pamphlet from the American Bar Association, J. Anthony Vittal discusses a recent increase in online crime rates and its effect on companies used to lure victims. These scams through email involve fake “foreign nationals promising big pot profits in exchange for help moving large sums of money out of their country” (Vittal). After wiring funds to their bank account, the public official immediately disappears, leaving the victim with a loss of money. Additionally, links they suggest to click on could grant the scammers access to the user’s computer, allowing them to open any file they want; This is known as a “backdoor program” (Vittal). Lastly, he teaches pharming when scammers give the recipient a fake I.P. address, a clone of an existing company’s website, such as Old navy or Ikea. This Trojan Horse allows them to “plant a virus” in your computer, as well as “transmit your keystrokes, change your bookmarks, or cookies or change network settings” (Vittal).
CUNY’s Information Security Advisory released a document on how to avoid internet scams. This article is the result of numerous complaints from CUNY students and faculty regarding scam emails. This document goes over common scamming tactics and discusses how to avoid falling for them. In the end, CUNY gives students and faculty advice on how to not fall for these scams. They urge students to change their passwords regularly and not “reply to unexpected or unusual emails from any sender” (Secret-Mystery Shopper).
Michael Bossetta’s article, “The Weaponization of Social Media: Spimmediately fishing and Cyber Attacks on Democracy,” shows that online scams are not only over email and phone calls. And, recent political events have shown that these con artists can gain private, government information through social media apps. The two main terms introduced are spear phishing and cyber espionage. Spear phishing is specifically targeting someone rather than a group of people. Cyber intelligence “extract[s] sensitive government data” by spear-phishing (Bossetta). An example given in his article is the attacks on Hillary Clinton’s private emails with her campaign manager.
The Coronado Eagle and Journal released an article on phishing called “Something’s “Phishy” Online: Avoiding The Bait Of Online Scams.” This newspaper article focuses on internet phishing. For example, con artists receive account information by creating “spoofed” emails to lead consumers to counterfeit websites” (Coronado). With this information, they can steal the user’s identity “and commit crimes in the victim’s name” (Coronado).
Rhetorical Situation
A typical CUNY student can expect at least one scam email in their Outlook inbox every week. The problem has gained the attention of the Information Security Advisory. This memo explains that these scams are easy to detect, and they give examples of red flags found in these emails.
In 2005, phishing scams were at an all-time high; In August, “5,259 new phishing sites” were “reported during August, up from 4,564 new sites reported in July” (Vittal). Vittal delves into the topic more and explains how it is hurting companies. Con artists that use the company’s names in their schemes give the companies a bad reputation, despite not having anything to do with it.
The 2016 election had made several realize that spies can access so much information through social media. For example, ISIS-affiliated groups “hacked U.S. Central Commands Twitter and Youtube accounts in 2015, using the accounts to briefly spew propaganda” (Bossetta). With this in mind, Michael Bosseta deemed it necessary that other researchers become aware of cybercrime online and how they are affecting our public officials.
Like the first source, the Coronado Eagle and Joe in cyber scams in 2005, with this in mind, they decided to explore this idea of online phishing and discuss how it “has quickly become the fastest-growing security threat to Internet users” (Coronado).
Purpose and Tone
Vittal advises his audience on how to stop falling for internet phishing tactics. In addition, Vittal is spreading awareness about the multiples ways scammers get in contact with victims. For instance, he suggests changing passwords regularly and not use the same password twice. Additionally, targetted individuals should “review account statements regularly to ensure all charges are correct” (Vittal).
The Information Security Advisory is trying to inform CUNY students that not all emails are from trusted sources. They are also showing which emails are scams and which are not. They urge students to check if the address they sent them is a real office. An example email demonstrates that one scammer claimed their “Job Placement and Student Services” was on 42 St, which is invalid (Secret-Mystery Shopper).
Michael Bossetta is known for his research in politics and its impact on social media. In his paper, he studies how political schemes are “weaponizing social media to conduct spear-phishing against Western governments” (Bossetta).
The Coronado Eagle and Journal wants to explain internet phishing and focus on scammers making fake websites to trick their victims. For example, they explain to their audience that “phishers have been known to collect information using dummy-sites developed to fool targeted individuals into believing these are legitimate sites of trusted businesses or organizations” (Coronado). By sharing this information, they spread awareness on this issue and persuade users to be careful when using the internet.
Genre and Medium
J. Anthony Vittal’s pamphlet is a nonfiction excerpt. For instance, they discuss that “84.5 of all attacks” are targetted at “the financial services industry” (Vittal). This brochure is an excerpt from the GPSolo Magazine. However, this excerpt can solely access it digitally. It is apparent because there are clickable links to other websites scattered throughout the document.
CUNY’s “Secret-Mystery Shopper/Personal Assistant Scams” genre is a memo or memorandum (Secret-Mystery Shopper). After receiving multiple complaints, they are “advising the CUNY community” to stay alert in their inboxes (Secret-Mystery Shopper). The medium for this memo is through their website and posted as a PDF.
“The Weaponization of Social Media: Spearfishing and Cyber Attacks on Democracy” is a nonfiction journal article from the Journal of International Affairs’ special issue of “Contentious Narratives: Digital Technology and the Attack on Liberal Democratic Norms.” They discuss actual events when they talk about the 2016 election and the “Iranian hacking of the U.S. State Department in 2015” (Bossetta). Michael Bossetta is known for using “computational methods to investigate politicians and citizens’ use of social media during elections” (Bossetta). Readers can access this excerpt digitally and through their physical Journal.
Coronado’s “Phishy” Online: Avoiding The Bait Of Online Scams” is a newspaper article. The newspaper’s logo is printed on the top of the scanned paper. This article can be accessed digitally but is released initially in a newspaper.
Audience
In this article, Vittal targets those scammed before and searches for ways to avoid getting conned again, specifically through email or telephone calls. These readers are most likely subscribers to this magazine. Therefore, this document is not targeted at scholars but rather at everyday users of the internet.
“Secret-Mystery Shopper/Personal Assistant Scams” are directed at students trying to decipher which emails are trusted and which are from scammers. They do this by showing how con artists tend to lure their victims. For example, while analyzing a fake job opportunity, scammers tend to provide “lucrative potential earnings offer[s]” (Secret-Mystery Shopper).
Bossetta’s thorough research is a means to extend to researchers and other scholars. Originally published through Columbia University, this book is for other researchers who “were targetted as Academics and practitioners of international relations” (Bossetta).
“Something’s “Phishy” Online: Avoiding The Bait Of Online Scams” was published for the citizens of Coronado, California. Their origin is known because The Coronado Eagle and Journal published this article, and Coronado is a city in California. Additionally, it is directed at those susceptible to email scammers but do not use the internet to read articles.
Stance and Language
The article, “Phishing, Pharming, and other Scams,” has a tough stance on the topic of internet scams. As he describes common scam tactics, he reminds the audience to ask questions such as “Why would a stranger pick you to share a fortune? Why would you share your personal or business information, including your bank account numbers, with someone you don’t know?” (Vittal). The document has a formal language but is not complex. For example, he uses uncommon terms, but he provides definitions to ensure that anyone can understand what he is explaining.
CUNY recognizes the dangers of internet scamming and wants to spread its concern with its community. They recommend protips like “DO NOT click a link or open an attachment in an unsolicited email message. Instead, if you have reason to believe the request is real, type the web address for the company or institution directly into your web browser” (Secret-Mystery Shopper). Throughout the memo, the Information Security Advisory enforces the idea that these scams are a serious issue. The language in this article is considered official but not complex.
The journal entry regarding “the weaponization of social media” on democracy takes a serious look into how internet spies are infiltrating western public officials. Their negative stance toward con artists becomes known through their word choices; When discussing these spies, they use words such as “vicious” and “weaponizing” (Bossetta). Throughout the excerpt, Bossettas language is formal and complex.
Coronado Eagle and Journal is against online phishing. Similar to Michael Bossetta’s journal entry, their choice of words reveals their stance. Throughout the newspaper article, they use “insidious” and “dubious” when referring to cybercrimes (Coronado). “Phishing, Pharming, and other Scams” is similar to “Something’s “Phishy” Online: Avoiding The Bait Of Online Scams” because their language is formal but not complex. The author is aware that those reading are not tech-savvy, so they make a point to explain as much as they can.
Works Cited
Bossetta, Michael. “THE WEAPONIZATION OF SOCIAL MEDIA: SPEAR PHISHING AND
CYBER ATTACKS ON DEMOCRACY Michael Bossetta.” JSTOR, The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York, www.jstor.org/stable/26508123.
“Coronado Eagle and Journal, Volume 95, NUMBER 40, 5 October 2005.” Coronado Eagle and
Journal 5 October 2005 – California Digital Newspaper Collection, 5 Oct. 2005, cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=CJ20051005.2.50&e=——-en–20–1–txt-txIN-online%2Bscams——-1.
“Secret-Mystery Shopper / Personal Assistant Scams.” The City University of New York, Apr.
2020, www.cuny.edu/about/administration/offices/cis/information-security/cuny-issued-security-advisories/secret-mystery-shopper-personal-assistant-scams/.
Vittal, J. Anthony. Phishing, Pharming, and Other Scams. American Bar Association, Dec. 2005,
www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/23672964.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3A320ac875667e19220cd19f28e1a308d7.
