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Writers and professionals are increasingly targeted by sophisticated phishing scams, as highlighted in the recent fraudulent email received by Brian J. Noggle. The email, pretending to be from “Tracy Beele” of iapweov[.]com, offered a freelance writing position with a malicious registration link.
You Should Know:
1. Verify Suspicious URLs Before Clicking
Use tools like VirusTotal to check URLs:
curl -X POST --url "https://www.virustotal.com/api/v3/urls" --header "x-apikey: YOUR_API_KEY" --data "url=https://iapweov[.]com/register"
Or use Linux command-line tools for quick checks:
whois iapweov[.]com Check domain registration dig +short iapweov[.]com Verify DNS records
2. Inspect Email Headers for Forgery
On Linux, use `mutt` or `swaks` to analyze email headers:
swaks --from tbeele@iapweov[.]com --to [email protected] --server mail.example.com --body "Test email header analysis"
For Windows, use PowerShell:
Get-MessageTrackingLog -Sender "tbeele@iapweov[.]com" -EventId "RECEIVE" | Format-List
3. Detect Phishing with Browser Extensions
- uBlock Origin (blocks malicious domains)
- NoScript (prevents JavaScript-based attacks)
4. Secure Your Email with SPF/DKIM/DMARC
Add DNS records to prevent spoofing:
SPF Record Example "v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all" DKIM Setup (Linux) opendkim-genkey -s default -d yourdomain.com
5. Report Phishing Attempts
Forward scam emails to:
- [email protected] (Anti-Phishing Working Group)
- [email protected] (CISA)
What Undercode Say:
This scam exploits writers’ aspirations, leveraging urgency (“respond within 5 days”) and fake legitimacy. Always:
– Cross-check unexpected job offers via official channels.
– Use sandbox environments (e.g., Any.Run) to test suspicious links.
– Monitor domain blacklists:
curl -s "https://urlhaus.abuse.ch/downloads/text_online/" | grep "iapweov[.]com"
Expected Output:
Awareness + proactive verification = reduced phishing success. Stay skeptical, use cybersecurity tools, and report scams.
Relevant URLs:
References:
Reported By: Heathernoggle Writers – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅
