From Slimeballs to Horoscopes

Posted by Strangely Internet Add comments

Aug 172009

A Possible Start to Personal Details Theft?

Here’s how it works…

Some time ago I made a posting on the odiously chubby internet bankrupteer and millionaire self-publicist Robert Allen (see link here). As part of this investigation I used the name “Morton” coupled to my spam magnet email address in order to see what would happen.

Sure enough, ‘Morton’ appeared in heaps of spam I started receiving. Another example is in this comment to another investigation, here

Of course, the beauty of this system, is that you get all manner of spams to check out!!! Their prevalence allows you to spot trends in the spam and the latest “marketing opportunities” in the get-rich-quick world of the internet. You are privy to all the darkest goings-on in the seamy side of business…ha ha!

Horoscope Oddness

One spam today was this:

Return-Path: email hidden; JavaScript is required
Received: from external.boatprepare.com ([64.86.36.97]:1102)
Message-Id: email hidden; JavaScript is required
Reply-To: email hidden; JavaScript is required
From: Bethea (email hidden; JavaScript is required)
Subject: =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Morton, Complimentary Horoscope for 2009=A0 =A0=A0=A0=A0 =A0 ?=

This e-mail broadcast is for a complimentary Tarot, Biorhythm, and Astrological reading!

“A Grand Total of $8,934.00″ –J. F.

“Tarot Reading Predicted… My Soul Mate.” –K. S.

“The Magic of Biorhythms.” –B. J.

http://NXbcciigdjmgcVC.schoolcalculate.com/another.asp?a=c&u=277560601&s=3050&e=12288639

I’ve met many people who don’t believe in astrology and the Tarot, even though they have never experienced their own personal forecast or had their own Tarot reading.

But I’ve helped so many people who have used the predictions of the Tarot,astrology, and biorhythms, to earn more money, become healthier, and improve their lives in ways they never dared dream possible. I know these things could help you.

So, I’ve decided to create a complimentary Weekly Forecast, a complimentary Tarot reading and a complimentary biorhythm for you. See how these predictions can improve your life.

To receive your three life-changing gifts, please accept my invitation and contact me now. My mission is to help people discover a better life. And it will cost you absolutely nothing, ever.

Visit here to receive your complimentary Forecasts:

http://NXbcciigdjmgcVC.schoolcalculate.com/another.asp?a=c&u=277560601&s=3050&e=12288639

Sincerely,
Bethea Jenner
email hidden; JavaScript is required
Astrologer + Psychic + Tarot Expert + Numerologist + Teacher + Author +
Columnist + Lecturer

There then followed another list of testimonial phrases.

Horoscope Badness

This is all very laughable or laudable, depending on your view of horoscopes and free speech in a spam-laden commercial world. The bad bit is the questionnaire…

The email link ends up after the usual whirring and clunking of redirecting gears at….

joypeaceandhappiness in IE

this website if you use Internet Explorer and come from California:

http://www.joypeaceandhappiness.com/forecast/tbirthinfo.asp

joypeaceandhappiness in Firefox

…and this site if you use Firefox, and just paste the web address into the browser:

http://www.joypeaceandhappiness.com/forecast/tbirthinfo.asp

Notice any similarity? !!

Dodgy Questionaire

The problem is with the questions…

In these days of phishing and social engineering, the questions, especially, (as many people do), if you use an email address based on your real name, are a fraudster’s paradise!

‘She’ asks for:

Two email addresses
Your sex (from your title)
Your first name (can guess the last from your email addresses)
Your date of birth
Your time of birth
Your place of birth

In the UK, there’s almost enough information there to get a false passport, duplicate birth certificate or driving licence!!! With a bit of studious Googling you could get addresses and then bank accounts…..

Conclusion

Be very, very careful if you get any of this horoscope rubbish in your mailbox. It may be genuine carelessness or a deliberate phishing policy – who can tell? The results are the same.

Or look at it this way – I’ve never, ever, bought anything by unsolicited mail. It’s the desperation and lack of trust, see?

Furthermore, I know that the code word I set up, “Morton“, was planted by myself into a big vipers nest of spamophilia. I’m hardly likely to trust anyone who sleeps with those bedfellows, am I?

Extra Information on the Websites

schoolcalculate.com & boatprepare.com

Run by FlintMediaEnterprises.com of California. The contact is Barney Rockle! (you haff to laff). It’s in the ubiquitous mall, and handily has a UPS store nearby along with mailboxes and a bail bond service…