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Tsunami videos present opportunities for scumbags
Posted by Lance Powers
I got an interesting email the other day...
Hi Lance,
I represent a company that is interested in helping bloggers who are telling the tsunami story. We're interested in working with bloggers, like you, who are hosting these photos and videos. We will contribute bandwidth and sponsorship dollars to that end. Please respond if you are interested.
Immediately sensing I am being phished by an opportunistic scumbag I respond with a 'Hell yes I want free money' type of response. Two days later I get contacted by telephone from a salesy sounding guy named Paul from New York.
After insisting to put me on a speakerphone and blathering buzz-speak for about 15 minutes I finally get Paul to cut to the chase. He explains that he wants to host the tsunami videos and photos I and others are making available, and even better, he wants to do it for free. "hello? Free bandwidth you say Paul?" I get straight to the skinny and ask him how he is going to pay for this and the question is dodged via more techno blather from big Paul. Ok now I'm really curious. I work online. Like anyone in this business I search for schemes 24 hours/day. If there is a new scam running, I at least want to know what it is.
Now here is where it gets interesting. After some social engineering and ego stroking Paul finally spills the beans. He admitted that they wanted users to download the videos from them because they're company (a cheesy rebate site) was utilizing a recently discovered exploit in Windows Media Player which facilitates malware/spyware to be installed - without you ever knowing it. This basically equates to big bucks for Paul from people unfortunate enough to download the (otherwise free) content from his servers. Whoa Paul you just laid an egg, and ohhh man is it a stinker!
I mean how scummy is that?! I would post their website for everyone to mock and maybe even deface but they really don't deserve the link.
Withholding the desire to tell this guy what a cock smoker he is, I feigned interest for a few more minutes. I even fielded the usual questions about fun city, go-go bars, and spicy food, just to keep things friendly. Paul was literally frothing at the mouth for numbers on how many people were downloading the videos, to which I promised him full access to my logs shortly. Yeah right. He even said he would be willing to drop me $500 big ones if I start sending him tsunami video traffic right now.
10 minutes ago I fired off an email to Paul to let him know I had updated my blog and he should take a look as soon as possible.
Surprise Paul! Take your scammy opportunistic schemes and shove them up your ass.
If anyone wants to get in touch with Paul and maybe try and persuade him to put his marketing prowess to good use (tsunami relief?) here is his phone number and email for you're convenience:
Paul Hurley
phurley@alset.com
(212) 367-8118
New York, NY
Foe a no nonsence view of the best anti-spyware applications check out this spyware review which has just been updated for 2005.
Posted Jan 25, 2005 at 11:41 AM | Permalink |
Comments
We get this kind of stuff all the time at work. We run an I.T business, I only run the logistics side so I don't know a great deal about the techi side of it but, if youz don't know it already the link below will sort around 300 day spyware trial for you. Its taught us a load about how this stuff gets around.
I'm not against all things illigal just offering a hand, especially against tits like Paul.
Good man Lance.
redrus
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx
Posted by redrus on January 25, 2005 08:11 PM
Adware/malware sucks mmm'kay.
Posted by Spyware Review on January 26, 2005 11:39 AM
I think the main ass-munchers in this "business" are a company called Overpeer. With some luck (ok, actually lots of luck and the clear perception by the right people at MS that it costs THEM money, too), Microsoft might: A. implement some decent programming and security structures (HAW HAW HAW!) and B. use their lawyers to stove in the skulls of people who do this to Windows computers and Windows Media Player.
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,119016,00.asp
Posted by Nick on January 28, 2005 12:56 PM
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