September 1994 Fraud Terminology Topics
Vaporware, Salted Name, Foil Transfer, Softlifting, Counterfeit Software, Acronymphobia, Jerry Case,
Be Full Jerry to Someone, and Scuttlebutt
 

The software industry estimates that two softlifted copies are made of every licensed application.
 

Fraud In Other Words™
Professional Jargon and Uncensored Street Slang
by Larry C. Adams, CFE, CPA, CIA, CISA

 

Scuttlebutt
Rumor. Gossip. A vague unsubstantiated story. An exaggerated story. Idle talk. A scuttle (hatch) - butt (cask) was a barrel on a ship’s deck that held the day’s supply of drinking water. The water cask had a hole in the top for dipping. Informal conversations often started around a ship’s water cask, or today’s water coolers in the office.
Photo: www.ussconstitution.navy.mil/ wetstores.html

 

Vaporware
Computer software that is being developed, but has not been completed. This software is heavily publicized and advertised, but it is not available for use by the customer. Production of the software may never be completed if the demand for the product is considered insufficient by the manufacturer.

 

Salted Name (Seed)
A fictitious name or altered name used on a mailing list by a direct mail company or a professional association. The address is usually a real address of an executive of the company, or a blind post office box for the company. The phony name (or seed) is used as bait to detect unauthorized users of the mailing list. Various codes may be used in the name or address or account information to identify the source location of the original list or the date the original list was prepared. Several salted names may be added to a single mailing list to increase the detection of unauthorized uses of the list. A mailing list may be protected to preserve the privacy of the real persons on the list, or to protect the sales revenue of the direct mail company. Telephone lists may included salted names also.

 

Foil Transfer
Colored foil that may be purchased from a copy shop, an office supply store, or a mail order catalog. A foil transfer is available in gold, silver, bronze, and other colors for less than a dollar per sheet. Some people use a foil transfer to make a document or award certificate more colorful. A scam artist may use a foil transfer to make an ordinary piece of paper look like a stock certificate or a document with an official seal. A small piece of the colored foil is placed over a portion of a photocopied document. The document and foil are run through a photocopier or a laser printer. The foil is neatly transferred by the machine’s heat onto the previously printed image. Color photocopiers may not be able to reproduce metallic colors of an original document, but a foil transfer can. Unsuspecting persons may be duped by the phony documents.

 

Softlifting
This is the unauthorized sharing of computer software. Softlifting occurs within many companies. The software industry estimates that two softlifted copies are made of every licensed application. In 1992, illegal copying cost the industry an estimated $12 billion in sales. The Business Software Alliance is an international agency dedicated to combating piracy and educating the public.

 

Counterfeit Software
It looks real, but the boxes, the software on the diskettes, and manuals are phony. Legitimate software packages usually contain an original registration card, and during the installation the software will display a unique product identification number.

 

Acronymphobia
The fear of not understanding all the different acronyms used in business, in the media, or on the streets. Some persons may not understand a speaker or a writer when too many unfamiliar acronyms or cryptic words are used in a conversation or a report. Some persons feel a sense of panic or inadequacy. An acronym is a word formed from the initial letters of a string of words. Examples: CFE (Certified Fraud Examiner), WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get), NQ (Not Qualified).

 

Jerry Case
An investigation of a scam which has deceived an elderly victim. Jerry is a slang term for geriatric.

 

Be Full Jerry to Someone
To be fully aware of someone’s tricks or schemes or ulterior purposes. “Get jerry” means to wise up or understand.

 

Larry C. Adams, CFE, CPA, CIA, CISA, teaches fraud examination at the Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Arizona. He publishes the book and online editions of “Fraud In Other Words.” His Web site is www.larry-adams.com. His e-mail address is fraudwritr@aol.com.

 

ã Copyright 1994 Larry C. Adams. All rights reserved.
“Fraud In Other Words” is a trademark of Larry C. Adams.
 

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