Input/Advice needed on a possible project...

By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics and access other forums reserved for members. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today by clicking here.

Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2009 7:48 pm

I would like some input from our community here. I have an idea for a project, actually I have already been working on it, just to see what can be done.

What would be the value of owning the mail server that lads use? I don't mean hacking a google box or anything like that, but a new setup, new domain.

It is actually an old server I have, that has no other use, I slapped CentOS on it and installed Zimbra. One possible issue is that it is located here, in my home, on a static IP. I know most lads are too stupid to track it down. Would you risk it?

My thinking is that we could con the lads into switching over to this "new secure e-mail service", exposing victims if we could access their e-mails. Then of course independently contact them and inform that that they have been scammed.

Has anyone tried this before? Is it a "shit idea". Let me know.

Thanks in advanced! Razz

Baiting Guru Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 3193

I wouldn't do it. I just don't need the hassle of hearing a gang of drunks rolling along the road at 2am and wondering if its the lads come to firebomb me.

Given the correct Terms and Conditions, it would be legal, but I'm not sure if it would be considered too grey-line for discussion here.

Also consider if you are the right person to be warning these people - some of their stories can be harrowing.

Also, if every scam they ran from your service failed to pay, I don't suppose they'd hang around for long.

Someone here had a project of creating a webmail system that never actually sent out any mails. I'm not sure what became of that. It had the advantage that it wasn't on a personal static IP.

If you go ahead with this, and you haven't already, get your address removed from your public whois data. You can do that if it is a personal address. (But not if it's commercial.)

Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2009 8:31 pm

^^ I have received your message and its contents are very well noted... jk

I have tried to trace the IP in question all the way back to me, but I can only get the general area at best. Anyone wanna give me some more avenues to try? I've tried MaxMind and a few other GeoIP locators, but gneral area at best. If I can find myself, of course, the idea is out, or at least, postponed.

Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2009 8:46 pm

Mjwoody: Ask yourself two questions. Are you a gun owner? Do you have children living at your address?

Don't take the lads too lightly, but remember that they aren't the hard-ass omnipresent mafia they make themselves out to be.

In the end, the choice is yours and yours alone.

Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2009 9:02 pm

^^ Good advice. Yes on both counts. I'll delay it till I can be more anonymous.

Thanks!

Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2009 9:24 pm

A couple of things to consider.

1. The most likely use that Lads will put your server to is for mail bombing - that is the high volume mass mailing that could get you into trouble.

Effectively it's spam and there are laws in the USA against it, and you would be facilitating the Lad doing it.

2. Most bombing accounts, as they call them, are accepted as being short lived, which is why Lads often have a different 'reply to addie', and they'll make sure they aren't on the same server for security.

If you notice Lads often use college addies, as students are the least clever when it comes to falling for phishing mails.

3. If you don't have the 'reply to' addie on your domain, you have nothing.

4. When Lads make bombing runs they always send at least one of the messages to another of their addies to confirm that the run went through okay, in case it got closed before being sent. If it happens to be ther 'reply to' addie you can spot it if they ever make the BCC's CC's in error. So trashing the bombing run won't work. Thay'll spot it.

5. The legality of snooping on mail going through the server may be possible to take care of in the T & C's, but it seems risky to me.

6. You may note from another thread - Lads do use 'mail bombing' as a weapon. One baiter here has mentioned it is happening to him now and it's happened to me in the past. You would have no control over who he decides to do it to.

It is a fascinating idea - but one with some very real risks, and you need to be careful how criminals will use technology you put in their hands. Me - I prefer the hands on feeling of my fingers round their necks, not literally though. Laughing

Input/Advice needed on a possible project...	View next topic View previous topic