Fraud Awareness Alert - OEM Software Scams (2005-1)

Some PBGC employees are receiving e-mail from a firm called OEMCD, Inc. This firm offers high priced OEM software at extremely low prices.

What is OEM? OEM stands for "Original Equipment Manufacturer," which is the common reference for computer software that comes with a new computer. Is this what the OEM-named companies are selling?

The Scam. Take a closer look and you'll learn that only three enterprises and an assembly of affiliates are responsible for selling pirated software on the Web. OEMCD seems to be operating from China while OEMCD Inc has most of its servers in Brazil, but many of the "spamvertised" domain names are registered by Romanian or Russian citizens. OEMCD claims that the software is shipped from Eastern Europe. Soft-For-Sale.com is another dubious outfit, most likely situated somewhere in the Ukraine. People ordering from OEM software vendors usually do receive their software, according to several reports, but it comes without the manufacturer's packaging, manuals or customer support, making it very difficult to check authenticity. Some, however, never get the software and some have problems with added charges to the credit cards they used. More importantly, by ordering the software from these vendors you are very likely subsidizing enterprises with fingers buried deep into organized crime.

What do you do if you receive one of these e-mails? Forward the e-mail to zigan.frederick@pbgc.gov, and then delete the file. Under NO circumstances should you respond or contact these individuals.

How did these "scammers" get your e-mail address? They likely got your PBGC address because of your Internet usage and sharing e-mail outside the Corporation. If you order personal items from your government computer, or access a Hotmail (or other free Internet mail) program, your address is open for these types of contact. Be very cautious!

For more about Internet Scams, call Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Tom Zigan at ext. 3104.

For information about reporting suspected fraud, waste or abuse to the Office of Inspector General, please call an OIG investigator, Cornelia Green at x 3315 or Tom Zigan at x 3104. (TTY/TDD Users: 202-326-4115). We also invite you to visit our website at http://oig.pbgc.gov