Feds Thwart Extortion Plot Against Best Buy

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?"

Comments

I think...

[Anonymous Coward]

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

Blogzine

Re:I think...

[isorox]

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.

No Wonder

[PoitNarf]

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

Re:Web bug (Handy for job application e-mails)

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

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...

Wait until he actually received the payment ...

[Anonymous Coward]

Imagine his surprise when he received a $2.5 million Best Buy Gift Card in the mail. Doh!

Re:U.S. government surveillance

[Anonymous Coward]

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:If you break in to someone's system

[quonsar]

My house has many known security flaws. The largest would be the windows.

hey! just like my computer!

</obligatory karma whoring>

Belongs on America's Dumbest

[salesgeek]

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.