Feds Thwart Extortion Plot Against Best Buy

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Feds Thwart Extortion Plot Against Best Buy

Posted by timothy on Tuesday January 6, 2004 @11:33PM from the black-hat-size-extra-small dept.

hiero writes "From an article in the Star Tribune: 'Federal authorities said Tuesday they thwarted an extortion plot against Best Buy Co. Inc. by a man who sent the company an e-mail threatening to expose what he claimed were weaknesses in the retailer's computer system unless he was paid $2.5 million.' What's really interesting to me, though, is this paragraph further on in the article: 'The federal search warrant was obtained the morning of Oct. 24 and allowed the FBI, with Best Buy's cooperation, to use an Internet device known as an Internet Protocol Address Verifier. It contained a program that automatically sent back a response to Best Buy after the company sent a message to the e-mail address. The response allowed investigators to identify Ray as the sender of the e-mail threats, according to the government.' Internet Protocol Address Verifier? Is this Carnivore in action?"

20 of 942 comments (clear)

I think... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-06 23:37 · Score: 5, Funny

I think it's called a return receipt :-D Probably was using Outlook which automagicly sends one when requested.

Blogzine
1. Re:I think... by isorox · 2004-01-07 00:19 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  I do wonder about the sanity of our boss, who sends an all-employee email out (5 in the last two months) with a read receipt request. IIRC there's somewhere in the region of 20,000 employees.
2. Re:I think... by Sivaram_Velauthapill · 2004-01-07 01:43 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  lol maybe he is trying to figure out how many people actually read his e-mail... and then fire the rest ;)
  
  Sivaram Velauthapillai
  
  --
  Sivaram Velauthapillai
  Seeking the meaning of life... @slashdot of all places ;)
3. Re:I think... by thedillybar · 2004-01-07 04:03 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Why does it have to be a 1 pixel transparent image? It might as well be a huge image that says "Dude, you're busted."
  By the time it starts loading, the damage is already done.
4. Re:I think... by nahdude812 · 2004-01-07 05:09 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  /me takes a moment to hug his Thunderbird.
  
  Why, are you in the extortion business?
  
  Ye... oooh, nice try feds! Almost got me on that one!
  
  --
  Slay a dragon... over lunch!
5. Re:I think... by Ian+Wolf · 2004-01-07 08:01 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Some would say that if you bought Office 2003, you've already been scammed. :-)
  
  --
  "The words of the prophets are written on the Slashdot walls."
No Wonder by PoitNarf · 2004-01-06 23:37 · Score: 5, Funny

That's what happens when you try to extort a big company using Outlook.

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"0101100101? It's just jibberish. *looks in mirror, gasps* 1010011010@!? AHHHHHH!!"
Internet Protocol Address Verifier ... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-06 23:41 · Score: 4, Funny

sounds so much better than "ping"
Note to extortionists... by Black+Parrot · 2004-01-06 23:52 · Score: 4, Funny

Make sure you turn off Message Disposition Notification in your e-mail client.

--
Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
Re:Web bug (Handy for job application e-mails) by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · 2004-01-07 00:18 · Score: 5, Funny

A top tip (tm) is to embed a web bug in a job aplication e-mail. Its interseting to watch your aplication being pushed around various departments and see who actually reads it.

Yes, it's very interesting. For example, here's the log of all the machines who accessed my web bug when applied for a job at the DHS:
frontdesk.dhs.gov hr.dhs.gov check.dhs.gov ch eck.ins.gov check.irs.org it.dhs.org counterter rorism.dhs.org legal.dhs.org submitsubpoena.aol. com bust.usmarshals.gov
brb 2 secs, someone's at the door...

--
"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
Wait until he actually received the payment ... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-07 00:48 · Score: 5, Funny

Imagine his surprise when he received a $2.5 million Best Buy Gift Card in the mail. Doh!
Re:U.S. government surveillance by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-07 00:56 · Score: 5, Funny

Somehow, this power accumulation and surveilance (sic) reminds me of Senator Palpatine. I just hope I'm wrong.

Huh. It reminded me of Stalin and Beria and the NKVD, but you're right, better we should take our lessons from space opera than from history.
In Imperial Coruscant, history takes lessons from YOU!
Re:IP Address Verifier == web bug by azaris · 2004-01-07 00:59 · Score: 3, Funny

Methinks that would be marketing speak for an HTML mail with a web bug (1x1 transparent pixel image loaded from remote server). If the 'villain' is using a mail program that displays HTML, his IP address is logged.
The villain didn't of course use any mail program but some generic webmail address (most likely outside the US). The lesson? Use Lynx to read your webmail when extorting Best Buy.
Re:If you break in to someone's system by quonsar · 2004-01-07 01:40 · Score: 5, Funny

My house has many known security flaws. The largest would be the windows.
hey! just like my computer!
</obligatory karma whoring>

--

Sacred cows make the best burgers.
As opposed to... by gosand · 2004-01-07 02:00 · Score: 4, Funny

That's what happens when you try to extort a big company using Outlook.

As opposed to a big company who tries to extort us to use Outlook?

--

My beliefs do not require that you agree with them.
Belongs on America's Dumbest by salesgeek · 2004-01-07 02:04 · Score: 5, Funny

Here are three ways to get on America's Dumbest:

1. Rob Taco Bell right after filling out job appication and interview. Be arrested when cops show up at your address on the application.

2. Send extortion/blackmail emails using MS-Outlook from your normal ISP account. Be busted when FBI sends email using marketing tool like Neighborhood Email or eZine Manager. FBI is too embarassed to admit they used an e-newsletter tool and come up with the "ip address verifier" device.

3. Shoplift naked. Be arrested when cop identifies the incredibly stupid butcher's meat chart tatoo when streaking through campus on a dare.

4. Keep crack pipe, crack and lighter in glove box. Be arrested when you see a billboard advising "Drug checkpoint next exit" and begin throwing crack, lighter and pipe out the window while police are video taping looking for people throwing drugs and paraphanellia out the window.

--
-- $G
A great use for Internet Protocol Address Verifier by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-07 02:20 · Score: 3, Funny

Can we use it to trace and arrest those bastards that send out 'pay us $699 for Linux' extortion letters?
Re:Please Think Before Exposing Paranoia by __aagmrb7289 · 2004-01-07 02:21 · Score: 4, Funny

Oh no! The FBI doesn't want to investigate little Jimmy being extorted for his lunch money on the playground at school? What is this world coming to?

This example of the counter-"point" is brought to you by the citizens for people thinking first before typing. Thank you.
Re:Uhh... by Ayaress · 2004-01-07 02:26 · Score: 3, Funny

Also, it wasn't everywhere, just certain idiot stores, apparantly. Imagine the disappointment of all the hackers out in the parkinglot who couldn't get any credit card information at the one here in Saginaw.
I know what he was doing by puppet10 · 2004-01-07 03:42 · Score: 3, Funny

I bet he was just trying to get his rebate money from them.

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