Krebsonsecurity article: Where scammers get email addies

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Baiting Guru Joined: 03 May 2007 Posts: 18313

Full article is here: http://krebsonsecurity.com/2011/04/where-did-that-scammer-get-your-email-address/

Great article! Eater is mentioned and an image of ScamTracker is also included.

Intro paragraph:

Quote:

You’ve seen the emails: They claim to have been sent by a financial institution in a faraway land, or from a corrupt bureaucrat in an equally corrupt government. Whatever the ruse, the senders always claim to need your help in spiriting away millions of dollars. These schemes, known as “419,” “advance fee” and “Nigerian letter” scams seemingly have been around forever and are surprisingly effective at duping people. But where in the world do these scammers get their distribution lists, and how did you become a target?

Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 10:58 pm

A very well-written overview, and very interesting.

Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 12:35 am

Very nice article. I sent to a number of my friends.

Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 1:55 am

Very interesting indeed and some nice shout outs.

*** BANNED *** Joined: 18 Jul 2004 Posts: 2049

Excellent article Ima!

Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 6:13 am

Good article Ima.
One things caught my eye.

Quote:

BuyEmails.org further advises that, “Due to tremendously high rate of fraudulent payments we do not accept Credit Cards or PayPal. E-Gold has closed, so we don’t accept it either.

”
No shit. They are at least wise enough to know that their clients would gladly rip them off just like they do with their victims. But the say it in a tactful way at least, they might just as well say "You are stealing dirty scammers and we don't trust you for a second"

Baiting Guru Joined: 10 Oct 2003 Posts: 4747

Good article and a great source of information.

I notice that legitimate businesses are mentioned. The 419 fraud wouldn’t be as near as profitable if it weren’t for select “legitimate” businesses who turn a blind eye, sometimes a very blind eye to where their services are really used for.

Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 10:06 am

It makes a welcome change he refers to baiters as activists and not vigilantes. Wink

Both those email buying sites he mentions appear to have been taken down. Very Happy

Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 6:36 pm

^^^I just tried it too and got a dead link.

It's a shame because I thought this might be worth exploiting: Sad

Quote:

“Don’t waste money/times/resources sending [Western Union or Moneygram], Use local deposit option.” The ad links to a page with a list of payment options, which shows that Nigerian customers can pay for their email lists by wiring the money directly from their bank accounts at several financial institutions in Lagos.

"Why should I go to Western Union when we have this direct payment option, which I understand is tremendously popular in Nigeria?" Assuming that one could transfer funds into, as well as out of, a Nigerian bank.

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

Quote:

a group of activists

I am not an activist, I am a human being!

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 3:31 am

^^^ who happens to wear tinfoil accessories.

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