Domain Listing Center Scam
I just received some spam from people calling themselves the "DOMAlN LlSTING CENTER". It described itself as a "final notice" and asked for $75 for what they called "ANNUAL WEBSlTE SEARCH ENGlNE SUBMISSlON".
They are evil spammers, using very dodgy business techniques. Have nothing to do with the folk at:
Domain Listing Center Inc.
8171 Yonge St. Suite# 149
Thornhill, ON L3T 2C6
Canada
What did they do wrong?
- They spammed me - unsolicited bulk email is one of the curses of today's Internet.
- They used an email address which is only used as the administrative contact for a domain we own, and which has been used for no other purpose. There is no legitimate way they could have got this email address.
- They tried to trick me (and all their other victims) into thinking this was an actual bill - not just an ad. Be wary of unexpected bills!
- They forged the sending address.
- They provided a nonexistent "unsubscribe" hotmail address. At least they won't have harvested many email addresses if anyone was daft enough to mail that address.
- They have failed to commit hugely painful ritual suicide!
Bah! Spammers! Hanging's too good for them!
Don't EVER buy ANYTHING from spammers - however much you might want the product. It's the one moron in a million who bites that makes the whole spamming racket so profitable.
Just say no.
11 comments:
ahhh spam scammers - they are getting very clever :>
Today in my inbox were some spams dated 07/23/2006. Huh?! How did the evil spammers figure out time travel? I want some of that!
Um...well spammers will be spammers innit. It's a bit like "boys will be boys" (until wimmin take them in hand).
I mean, imagine how BORING your life will be without all these little excursions into spammer mafia warfare? You love taking out the spam-sabre and brandishing it at them and WHAM killing them. G'wan admit it -- you have a secret enjoyment of being "cybernetically challenged" by spam pirates.
:D Me - I have a simple policy in terms of cyber stalkers. Just slam delete on any unknown email arriving. Ofcourse this means that I might lose the blinding, revelatory email of a long lost friend, lover, psychotic ex-husband or wife (um not really an ex-*wife*) trying to track me down with intent to murder by slow degrree.
True - I might be missing out on a rivetting experience of a lifetime (I mean after all being chased by a psychotic loony bin IS a rivetting experience, although somewhat mobile and nerve shattering), but never mind, I am sure I will survive the deeply sad loss of a "might have been" experience.
Bastards got me too! They used my admin address for sites I manage. These same bastards also send letters out asking site owners to transfer dns to them at a low-cost. They are nothing but sleazy dns hi-jackers. In the old days cattle rustlers were hung from the nearest tree. I would like to do the same to thse dns rustlers! PS I smear cacca all over their return form and then mail it back to them! smelly..oh yeah!
They're apparently still at it, using the same techniques described above, in violation of US federal law. The spam arrived at an address we use for domain registration and was reported today to federal authorities. I also sent a copy to a law enforcement official in Canada who contacted us recently on an unrelated matter. I think he'll find it interesting.
And almost two years later, they're still "in business" at the same address, still sending out their messages. Like most spam, this and their written letters are clearly fraudulent as well, but the authorities aren't interested in solving the problem.
All the police would have to do is go to the address (a mail drop, of course) with a court order to have the mail drop operator release whatever information they have (I'm sure the mail drop operator gets paid, and probably not in cash).
what they're doing is completely legal!
what do you find illegal in what they're doing?
To:
Anonymous said...
what they're doing is completely legal!
what do you find illegal in what they're doing?
Here is what is illegal:
The provisions of the CAN-SPAM act:
1.) It bans false or misleading header information.
In our case, they 'spoofed' a gmail from address. The gmail address bounces because it is fake.
2.) It prohibits deceptive subject lines.
Their subject line is "Domain Notification: name This is your Notice of Domain Listing"
However, this is *NOT* a notice of domain listing (their interpretation may be different). The subject line is deceptive at best.
It could be prosecuted. I'd personally just go track down the drop and beat it out of them.
These people are scumbags and anyone who defends them is in the same class of low-life scum as they are.. you don't work for them do you anonymous?
how do you know that the original from email address is fake? it is possible that they had registered that email with gmail and gmail suspended it, which means they did do what they were supposed to do.
and #2, the subject line isn't deceptive, it doesn't say Open me now! or it doesn't say Hi or it doesn't say Urgent.. reply... what it says is in regards to the domain.
I think the fact that you are complaining and upset is because you might have had sent them a payment and later relized you are not interested in this service, and you got upset at yourself for lack of reading then blamed it on them.
Therefore Domain Listing Center is NOT a scam
That was my personal opinion.
I have recieved one of these emails and it is a total scam in my opinion too! The subject heading, the return email, the general tone being of urgency -- when in fact it is a solicitation that SOUNDS like an invoice.
If they lived in my town I would go bang on their door - well, kick the door in with my 'buddies'...
Hi anonymous apologist,
It's an advertisement pretending to be a bill or invoice. Of course it's a scam.
Do you think deceptive business practices are OK so long as you reckon there is no specific law against it?
Since I wrote the article, spam has increased to 90% of all emails (according to some estimates). I think it's time for another look at anti-spam legislation.
Paul
Um, of course it's a scam.
There isn't one single thing about it that's legitimate.
In our case, I have filed a complaint because they could only have harvested our information from the whois database, which is of course an ICANN violation. And, yes, it can be pursued legally.
We've done it before and collected some damages. Not a lot in the whole scheme of things, but a few thousand dollars here and there does adds up.
Plus, a negative result in court has always led to shutting down the scammers, which is even better.
Don't be afraid to use the courts! As a judge, I use them all the time; we're friendly places, honest.
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