How To Recognize Eviction Notice Email Scams

The scam artists and fraudsters seem to be getting bolder. Recently, I have received two bogus e-mail messages claiming that I am being evicted from my residence. Both messages include .ZIP file attachments, which probably include malware that either takes over my computer (e.g., "ransomware") or installs spyware to steal banking passwords.

The first spam message:

"From: "Eviction Notice" ([email protected])
To: [my e-mail account masked]
Subject: Vacate notice No2264
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2014 07:51:29 -0700

Eviction notice,

Hereby you are notified that you have to move to another location from the currently occupied premises within the next three weeks. Please find the lawsuit details attached to this letter. If you do not move within this period of time, we will have no other alternative than to have you physically removed from the property per order of the Judge. If we can be of any assistance to you during your relocation, please feel free to contact us any time.

Court representative,
Isabella Mason"

The second spam message:

From: "Vacate Notice" ([email protected])
To: [my e-mail account masked]
Subject: Urgent eviction notice No2806
Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2014 11:01:58 -0400

Vacate Notice,

You are hereby required to quit the premises of which you now hold possession until 03/07/14.

Your tenancy of the premises will be terminated on 03/21/14. Please find a summary court statement enclosed to this letter. Legal action will occur if you do not comply with this notice.

Court bailiff,
HARRIS Kelly

Of course, I did not open the attached .ZIP file. Doing so would have been dumb. Of course, I notified my Internet Service Provider that both messages were spam. How I recognized these e-mail messages as scams:

1. The sender doesn't know my name and residential address. Neither message is addressed to me, by name.
2. The sender doesn't know the status of my residence. They guessed that I rent, but I don't.
3. The sender doesn't specify a real court name, address, and contact information
4. Bailiff is misspelled. Plus, a bailiff would never send such a message. A court or landlord would send an important message via postal mail with a signature required
5. The text in both messages tries to get the recipient to open the attachments. I never open attachments from strangers. Never. Nor should you.
6. The only people that send .ZIP files to me are my consulting clients, and in those cases they notify me beforehand. Experienced, security-conscious Internet users do this and ask if it is okay to send .ZIP files.
7. While Perkins Coie is the name of a real law firm, a valid eviction notice would come from a court, landlord, or sheriff.

Don't be tricked by spam. Learn to spot it.

Comments

[Chanson de Roland]

A notice of eviction would be preceded by foreclosure or some legal process which requires that the Clerk of Court notify you by some means, usually certified mail or personal service, where your receipt of the notice is confirmed and placed in the court's records. So, if you haven't received notice from a court of the action against you by certified mail or by personal service, then you probably aren't being evicted, unless there has been some major clerical screw up in the Clerk's office.

[val]

I think I just avoided some unpleasantness to my pc....I received an email from this Isabella Mason ....Notice to Appear,

The copy of the court notice is attached to this letter.
Please, read it thoroughly.

Truly yours,
Clerk to the Court,
Isabella Mason
fortunate for me I know I have no offences against me.....be careful out there.