Dodgy websites?

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Not quite a Newb Joined: 04 Jun 2008 Posts: 73

Through work, I've had an email forwarded to me from a UK local authority, who recieved it and immediately suspected something was awry!! It has a link to a website - www.s4r1d14n.com (letters changed just in case).

The email talked about youth and community programmes, and was "looking for grants of £15,000" etc, and linked to the above website, although the website doesnt seem to make any mention of this work. I havent had the headers through from the council yet, and I dont know if they spoofed the send address, but do you expert baiters suspect this is a fraudlent website? It seems to have a registered company attached to it (who according to Companies House have overdue accounts!!), but still something doesnt seem right.

I've sent something to all English & Welsh councils reminding them to keep their grant funding mechanisms robust and ensure they check who the cash is going to - probably the first time my baiting experience is of benefit to my work colleagues (as opposed to spending time at work baiting!!)

Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 8:37 pm

Well, it is certainly bizarre - I can't imagine why anyone would want to join the site, let alone why they should be in any way eligible for local government funding!

Being charitable, I'd say it was incompetent and bizarre. Having (and I quote)

Quote:

I am endoursing I am endoursing I am endoursing I am endoursing I am endoursing I am endoursing I am endoursing I am endoursing I am endoursing I am endoursing I am endoursing I am endoursing I am endoursing I am endoursing I am endoursing I am endoursing I am endoursing I am endoursing I am endoursing I am endoursing I am endoursing I am endoursing I am endoursing I am endoursing

written down the left hand side is just odd. If it *is* a real UK company, they're breaking the law by not having their registered address on their site

No less bizarre is the following - this site prices itself in £, so why is the English so terrible?

Quote:

Tickets sale in this arae are for none members. Special Notes! Members should go to their specific clubs for members admition. Members are usually free or get massive discount. Seee your area for more details.
Price: £250

It's like pure ladtalk.

And "membership" grants you all the following

Quote:

Gold Club
Saridian Gold Club offer to its members the most luxurious packages that money could buy. You will get all of the luxury of the Silver Club plus extra as a gold member.
You will be mixing with celebrities, business owners, chief executives, and managers etc. Click here to see more details about this wonderful life changing membership.

Saridian Gold Club Offers

All Saridian gold members will get the opportunity to enjoy......
Free ballroom and cocktail parties
Free open door barbeques
World event party tours
Private rented jets (world party tour)
Free tickets (major events)
Free Valentines Ball (yearly)
Easter parties (yearly)
Summer festivals local/international
Free membership cards
Free 30 days membership
Free entry and discount to any events worldwide
Free entry to any of our clubs worldwide
Free winter parties
Free entry/discount to any spa worldwide (terms & condition applies
Discounted gym prices
Free or discounted cruise worldwide
Free or discounted South American cruise
Free or discounted World cruise
Opportunity to get discount for house insurance
Opportunity to meet your favourite super stars
Opportunity to join golf clubs
Opportunity to join squash clubs
Opportunity to join gun/rifle clubs
Opportunity to holiday in private villas
Big savings on luxury items
Free membership card usage in 19 countries world wide
Free or discounted hotel rooms
Plus many many more…..

Free or discounted world cruise and discounted home insurance - all things to all men, so why are they begging for grants from local government. So I share your reservations, although I can't point out anything precise.

Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 11:43 pm

These 'holiday clubs' were found to be not a very good idea some years back so I wonder if this is a Lad trying to make use of a redundant site.

I went through the signing up process and the coding was poor and allowed me to put in any old rubbish. It finally led me to a paypal payment site.

The spelling on the website is poor and the overall design is basic.

Trophy Videos · Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 11:52 pm

A couple of emails ought to decide it for you. Wink

Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2008 5:31 am

Being a web design student I couldn't resist having a play.

Though I'm a digit or two short with my phone number (I told them it was "2"), but yeah you can type in anything, only to be told it "is endorsing "

It IS pretty bad either way.

Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2008 5:35 am

Oh and the "19 Countries" they operate in page all link to ONE country: Argentina!

Not quite a Newb Joined: 04 Jun 2008 Posts: 73

Thanks all for taking a look - I'd like to think councils wont fall for this, but knowing what happened over the Icelandic Banks stuff, I thought Id better put something out!!

Master Baiter Joined: 04 May 2007 Posts: 187

^^^ No, all countries are on the page. They just don't have #anchors set up quite correctly.

Domain name is registered for two years, but might have been renewed.

Definitely sketchy, but can’t quite prove to myself that it’s fraudulent.

Paypal might be interested though. Do they have a vendor satisfaction rating or some such?

Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2008 4:34 pm

For legal reasons one would never say that it is fraudulent.

However, after reading the website my brain went into phase shift when I tried to work out what you got for your money. As it hardly specifies, I can only guess, from the other ones I have seen, that you become entitled to discounts, and the company sign up other companies (for a fee) on the basis that they will drum up business for them.

The discounts are usually of little worth and available to anyone anyway, and the firms who sign up are usually not 1st class companies, so for your money you get - not a lot.

I think the membership option I chose was about £30 a month which is not a lot to pay for a holiday, but quite nice if you get a few people signed up.

A lot of these 'holiday clubs' were set up about five years ago and were reported on consumer watchdog sites and TV programmes. It's just surprising anyone would think of trying it again.

Having a dud site available I can only imagine that a Lad has tried to make his separate scam appear legitimate by linking it to it, which is something they often do, though usually they pick a more prestigious one.

All round it's fairly hilarious and silly.

Master Baiter Joined: 04 May 2007 Posts: 187

@GP: Check the whois; it’s a newish site, just over a year old.

Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2008 11:00 pm

I know.

I did actually dig a little deeper and the only company I could find that actually advertised that it had an association was a firm of doormen/security staff (commonly known as bouncers) which seems somewhat bizarre.

You would expect that the 'holiday club' and it's affiliated companies would advertise their relationship as it is symbiotic (good word for Scrabble) that is, mutually beneficial.

I think that Companies House also indicated that accounts were overdue.

I believe a Lad tried to moor his scam to a rotten post.