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Domain: fraud.org

Stories and comments across the archive that link to fraud.org.

Comments · 10

  1. Re:Useless by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0 · on FTC Bans Prerecorded Telemarketing Drivel

    How did this get modded Funny? It's Insightful. My dad is the same way. Apparently, so are a lot of seniors. The Funny goes right out of it when they start losing money, too.

  2. Statistics for 1997-2005 by ianscot · · Score: 5, Insightful · on Microsoft Helping Nigeria Fight Scammers
    From the National Internet Fraud Watch site, here are some:
    Internet Fraud Statistics from 1997 through the first half of 2005

    According to those Nigerian money scams were 8% of the total, with an average of two-and-a-half grand lost per victim, in 2004.

    (I can't say this group isn't overstating the problem to boost its own importance, but those are stats, anyway.)

  3. Statistics for 1997-2005 by ianscot · · Score: 5, Insightful · on Microsoft Helping Nigeria Fight Scammers
    From the National Internet Fraud Watch site, here are some:
    Internet Fraud Statistics from 1997 through the first half of 2005

    According to those Nigerian money scams were 8% of the total, with an average of two-and-a-half grand lost per victim, in 2004.

    (I can't say this group isn't overstating the problem to boost its own importance, but those are stats, anyway.)

  4. Putting "cloaking service" operators in jail by Animats · · Score: 2, Interesting · on Spamfighting Since the Death of MakeLoveNotSpam?
    RegisterFly, a service which "cloaks" domain registrations by using RegisterFly's contact information in place of the actual registrant, may be committing felonies by so doing.

    From the CAN-SPAM act:

    • Sec. 1037. Fraud and related activity in connection with electronic mail

      `(a) IN GENERAL- Whoever, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, knowingly-- ....

      (4) registers, using information that materially falsifies the identity of the actual registrant, for five or more electronic mail accounts or online user accounts or two or more domain names, and intentionally initiates the transmission of multiple commercial electronic mail messages from any combination of such accounts or domain names, ....

      "or conspires to do so, shall be punished as provided in subsection (b)."

      (2) a fine under this title, imprisonment for not more than 3 years, or both, if-- ...

      (B) the offense is an offense under subsection (a)(4) and involved 20 or more falsified electronic mail or online user account registrations, or 10 or more falsified domain name registrations;

    The CAN-SPAM act is soft on spamming, but tough on spam-related fraud. That can be useful.

    Note the "or conspires to do so" clause. Knowingly assisting in a criminal offense satisfies the legal definition of conspiracy. "Cloaking services" are in deep trouble if they knowingly provide that service for a spammer. Unlike ISP's, there's no "safe harbor" for them.

    As for the "knowingly" part, whenever you find a spam associated with a "cloaked" domain, send a note to the cloaking service, and post that you've done so to some public spam forum that's indexed by search engines. That will put them on record as knowingly cooperating in a criminal conspiracy. The next person who gets a spam from the same party will have that information as legal ammunition.

    When you've got that info, report it as Internet fraud..

  5. Re:I don't think this will work.. by RobertB-DC · · Score: 5, Interesting · on Spamholes Fighting Spammers

    reducing the value of spam to spammers. This can be done by reducing click-through, reducing traffic and filtering that traffic which is out there.

    That points to an interesting idea. What if you left your relay open, but modified the messages slightly? Munge the URLs, kill the scripts and web-bug images, change all the phone numbers to 800-876-7060. You could even try to de-l33t the subject lines (turn V*1*A*3*R*A back into "viagra"), if possible.

    Of course, you'd be violating any number of standards, plus you'd still get blackholed. So take it a step further... create a trojan that looks for open relays and turns them into spam-breaking open relays. Maybe you could then get someone to turn you in to Microsoft and split the reward.

  6. Report it to USPS instead. by GQuon · · Score: 2, Informative · on SCO Invoices For Unix Licenses Get Closer
    The NFIC accepts reports about attempts to defraud consumers on the telephone or the Internet.

    From the National Fraud Information Center:
    The NFIC accepts reports about attempts to defraud consumers on the telephone or the Internet.


    If the invoice/treath came by mail (in the United States), contact U. S. Postal Inspection Service instead. They are more likely to investigate if more people comlain.

    Assignment:
    Even before the invoice goes out, national media, especially financial media read by the "pointy haired bosses", should print a "fraud warning" against this invoice. It should be factual, and state that legal proceedings are pending.
    All SCO could have done about this was to sue for libel but that case would be even weaker, and also easier to understand for judges and the general public.
  7. Re:I am not paying anything without a PO number by Kurt+Gray · · Score: 5, Interesting · on SCO Invoices For Unix Licenses Get Closer
    But here's the point most readers here are missing: There are enough companies out there who are dumb enough (or have enough money to throw around without a care) to pay the invoice and that's all SCO is hoping for, a little more revenue plus a little more legitimacy in the eyes of the industry punditocracy as SCO will start reporting how much revenue they've gotten from "Linux licenses".

    It's sad and funny to see a publically traded company resort to an ages-old scam in order to get revenue. Anyone who gets an invoice should contact the National Fraud Information Center.

  8. Re:Cost? by Jucius+Maximus · · Score: 5, Insightful · on Cellphones On Airplanes
    "If they're really going to implement a technology to "block" cellphones, they'll probably leave it turned on all the time, even when you're at the gate. That will force you to "roam" on their network at $3.99 per minute, even if you are in your own service area."

    I can see it now. Companies with the morality of Verisign and Gator would set up their own "cell" networks in high traffic buildings and block out the traditional networks, just like on the airplace. The would secretly charge people $3.99+ per minute whenever they make a call from that location. Of course the person would be none the wiser.

    It sound just like a sneaker, more mobile version of slamming.

  9. Girlfriend Scammed By Romanian by Nintendork · · Score: 2, Interesting · on When Good Ebay'ers Go Bad

    She purchased a laptop off ubid.com and was naive enough to send a $600 money order. When she told me that she bought a laptop overseas and all they accepted was a MO, I knew she was screwed. I wish so much that she had checked with me before sending money. She was suspicious, but ended up asking her father (Never touched a computer) instead of me. All I have is the source IPs of the emails sent and they trace back to 2 DSL ISPs in Romania. I contacted their NOC and they in turn contacted the Romanian authorities. We have also contacted the FBI and the National Fraud Information Center. Word of advice: Do not purchase anything outside of the US and Canada and avoid placing yourself in any situation where you're not covered. Paying by CC is usually the safest method because you can dispute the charge and have it reversed. Sellers, use paypal.

  10. Fraud??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0 · on Mega Linux Boxes, and Cheap Ones Too

    Do they think anyone will buy this crap? Come on, $800 for an AT based machine with a 300MHz AMD processor running on a 66MHz bus? www.fraud.org Why the hell would anyone buy their crap, when it's clear they have *no* association with the Linux community? In fact, I notice they are running a Microsoft web server, it appears. Gee, Linux is really selling well lately. Let's start selling Linux machines. Psst. Put the cheapest crap you can together and sell it.