Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

I seriously feel for those who aint has lucky to have sites like us and get scammed this way, I mean some perhaps who have registered here ages back ask a question get a answer an leave, who perhaps gets this mail :( the people who do this should be made to give the victims there money back it sucks they get away with this.

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Oh don't you worry, as I explained to the guys earlier; whoever has done this will be hit with the full extent of the law or failing that, a large stick with a nail in it.

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Me too, and I don't remember ever getting a paypal account... sent it to them, and spamcop.

The addresses seem to vary, but I bet it's all direct-route spam from zombie PC's

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

I've had a reply from spoof@paypal.com to confirm that is is not from them.I should imagine everyone has told them by now. :)

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Well I've never had a Paypal account either and got an email too - in case anyone wants to know! ;)

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

That's what I was wondering too. I gather that the second newsletter was emailed in batches to members. With members reporting different email IDs at the bottom of the PayPal email could it be that the email IDs related to the batches of newsletters sent out?

From what has been posted in this thread it would appear that the spammers have either got a list of email addys from the site server or from a source after newsletter emails have left the site server. Could another system that handled the newsletter emails be compromised and logging email addys going through it?

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

No - vBulletin sends the e-mail seperately to each user, i.e. each one has only one addressee - that's why it's done in batches - because it floods the smtp process with 100's of e-mails.

That's an interesting thought - not likely once they have left the server as they are transferred direct to the receiving mail systems - but the servers mail system logs them - it's another thing to check.

It's unlikely we will ever know how - but a number of possibilities have been investigated and some changes made as a result.

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

I still can't see [mind you I'm pretty suspicious anyway] how people fall for scam mails in massive quantities. It doesn't make sense to me.

Surely the common sense approach would be to load your own window and log in directly.

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

i can see how people would click a link instead of opening a new window, and that's one reason why phishing pays off and these people make so much money from the few hits they get.

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Yes, I understand that. But surely if the bank rang you and asked for your credit card details you wouldn't give them?

It's exactly the same concept, the common sense approach is to close the email, load up FF / IE etc- and log in manually.

Same as ringing the bank back or going in in person. Common sense to me.

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Hello all

Right I got one of those mails and what seems strange to me is this

I use e-bay, I do not and have never had anything to do with paypal.
The mail account that is used for e-bay is not my primary one (main account)

I do not use the primary ntl e-mail account for anything HAS IN ANYTHING and my ebay mail account has no tyings with my ntl primary mail account.

So how the hell did this spam mail regarding pay pal come through my ntl primary mail box????????????????????????????

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Just FYI, we are making some real progress on our own internal investigation.
As soon as we know the facts, we'll let you guys know asap.
Thanks for being so supportive. :tu:

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

yep, you & I would do that, bit I fear some users wouldn't be as naturally aware of the dangers (can't think of the right word to use.... beer is making my brain go all wobbly).

Similarly, Social Engineering shouldn't happen, but it does all too frequently.

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

:LOL: don't worry, I feel hung over except two things:
- I've not touched alcohol for 1-2 weeks
- it's 1 am
:o

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Just to add my name to the list of recipients, got it on a non paypal address thats only been used here. :(

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

I nearly fell for it, though if the pages had loaded I would probably have been suspicious of the address bar. Why? It went to my work email address, and that is changing soon, so in a carpe diem moment I was going to change my paypal email address and agree to the new terms. Clicking the link reminded me that this was something else that goes to this address.

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

I just got an email offering a paypal atm/debit card paying 1.5% cashback - could be genuine but it has a link on it where you go to apply.

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Probably not genuine then.

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

I received this e-mail and clicked on the link, I'm glad it did not work, so thank you for the info about this being a hoax, strange thing is I do not have a paypal account so where did they get my address from ?

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

I have received one ...sent to the email addy i use for registering on here and other forums.

Andy E
ntl pirate

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

It's rather easy to fall for these sort of emails. I could have done, but fortunately, as I have IE, the links didn't work.

Quite simply a lot of it is about timing. I had just put a load of stuff onto ebay, and yes I have Paypal account. When I next checked my email, in the morning having just got up, the Paypal thing was there. Quickly glanced through it, seemed genuine on the face of it, without any indepth read, so clicked the link.

Now if the link had worked, and it started asking me for details, I may well have become suspicious, but then again .....

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Just received the scam email - before I knew about this thread and clicked on the link, it failed to load. I'll have to be a bit more vigilant in the future.

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Just a word of warning - check your bank statments this month - i just looked at my statement online and there has been a transaction of 300 USD from my account via an online payments company called scandorderinc, https://www.scandorderinc.com/ for something.

Already been in touch with my bank and that company as they can track payments - but i just wanted to make sure there was no funny stuff here related to this.

I doubt it - but hey - nothing to lose by checking eh.

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

I don't get any spam in any of the 5 or 6 ntl accounts but did get this yesterday.

Tried the link, never worked. Maybe the dodgy proxies did good for me this time ;)

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Any news yet?

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Out of curiosity, if someone had managed to get hold of everyones e-mail address from here, wouldn't we all expect to receive this?

I'm only asking 'cos I haven't received this message, and it's my work e-mail in here.

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Do you have any spam filtering system in place at your work, ie Blackspider, that would have caught the mail and not delivered it to you?

I was kinda worried, not by the original email I received, but by whether the address would be sold/passed on to other spammers and the sort of mails I'd be getting in the future.... but then I remembered that our email addresses are all changing following a recent takeover :) :) :)

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Could have been blocked by a work spam filter? :shrug:

Truth is - this could be just a mass mail - it may not have come from here - its just that the mods are checking.

EDIT: Damn your skiny metal ass... ;)

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

That's what I thought, but you wouldn't believe some of the rubbish I get on e-mail here - I mean, someone actually sent me something about work the other day!

Oh well, I'll probably come in to about 15 of the messages tomorrow :D

EDIT: Scrub that - I've just found out that work use Blackspider, so that'll be why then :tu:

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Heh, your version of Blackspider is configured better than ours.... I got the spam, but my work-related ones tend to get blocked :D

It means I don't have to do much work, and I'm now an expert at reducing baldness, improving my sexual prowess, getting a good mortgage and fighting toenail fungus!

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Reducing baldness, eh? Why don't I get those :fit:?

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Realistically though it's far too coincidental NOT to be related to this site. The only mail I've had through to the address I've got registered here are the CF newsletters and the this particular paypal one. Like others, I have more than one email account set up (8 in total) in Outlook .. this email was only delivered to the one address.

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

When it gets to a certain point, even science can't help :p: :)

Actually our email system prefixes the workd 'spam:' to the subject of everything that it thinks is spam, which usually includes anything sent from the other office - but it does let through all the ones about breast enlargement. I am actually very tempted. I think I'd look good as a buxom blonde

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Like many others i got the same email.

The Email addy is not one i have used anywhere else for some time, but it is the one that i use for here.

curiouser and curiouser.


M

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Adding myself to the list. I received one of these and it is to the address I have used and only used for registering with this forum :(

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

got one of those emails forwarded it to spoof at paypal dot com and then deleted it

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

I got this mail as well, on an address only ever used here.


I can see a pattern!

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Hi everyone

Just thought I would mention that I only registered here about 10 minutes ago and I received the paypal spoof email so probably not anything to do with this site IMHO.

Incidentally, I receive upwards of 20 spoof paypal messages PER DAY, along with similar for all sorts of US banks and other institutions I have never heard of let alone got an account with.

Leads me to believe some script kiddie is just emailing to a whole host of randomly generated email addresses in the hope someone will be caught off guard and give them access to their accounts.... and I know a few who have !

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Padawan, :welcome: to cableforum. I wouldn't think that any spammer would only target one group of users. There are probably hundreds of methods that have been used to get email addresses so your experience does not mean that they have chosen addresses at random. I would be extremely worried if I got 20 spoof Paypal messages a day and would ditch the addresses that they were coming in on and modify my use of the new ones that take their place

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Hi ianathuth

What you say is fair comment and I fully understand that my surfing habits could lead to my email addresses becoming know to spammers, spoofers, etc. However the baffling part for me is that I receive these and other spoof emails on addresses that I have set up but NEVER used either for incoming / outgoing email or registering with any website. Hence that I believe SOME of these emails at least must be sent out at random.

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Yes, some are sent out to random addresses but these are usually dictionary attacks on specific domains.

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

That message and its variants are being sent out every day by the million.

The point is that myself and several other people used a unique address here, which received that particular mail (probably in the same mailshot).

It's probably not a dictionary attack either. I have my own domain that has at the moment about 20 live address's in total, it's not cost effective to spam a small domain using that method. gmail, hotmail, ntlworld yes. joebloggs.com, no!

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

you use your domain email here? we allowed to do that when i first registerd on .com i tryed to use mine and they said it had to be an isp address :(

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

You can use any on this site, but on the .com site it did have to be an isp address...

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

ah thanks changed it to my gmail i like to have all my forum notifiers go there as it seaperates it from the rest of my email ;)

better get back on topic...

when we forward these to spoof at paypal dot com do paypal really bother to investigate or are they just saying that

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

So, anybody any clue as to how the address's were compromised?

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Clues - yes. Certainties - no.

We think it was via the nthellworld domain. A quite old copy of the vB software was still present on the old domain (which we hadn't realised) and this had a number of security holes in it that could have been used to extract addresses, if someone with the right technical knowledge had wanted.

There is no way of ever actually proving this, other than a confession from the people involved, but after three days of investigations, this seemed the most likely route. It doesn't explain why only a selection of addresses appear to have been extracted.

Needless to say, that old software has been removed (and a few other changes made).

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Oh well, stuff happens I guess.

This serves as an excellent demonstration as to why you should use disposable but traceable address's.

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Can I just repeat my earlier question re: the DPA and NTHW Ltd?

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

I got the email as well

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Well you would need to check with Frank - but I believe cableforum.co.uk and the forum database (and software) are owned by him, not nthw ltd. As I recall, nthw was set-up to deal with advertising revenue, but I'm not sure if this was ever actually implemented, as the amounts are quite small.

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Oh right, it's just that your company homepage mentions this as one of the "Official" site's it owns.

And your privacy policy mentions disputes to be first raised to CF, then to the Information Commissioner, so I was curious as to where our personal data stands with regards to coverage.

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Well the main page confirms what I thought ;

and I checked the domain, it is definitely still owned by Frank ;
It looks like those other pages are just wrong, or out of date, and should really be updated. (the site still mentions the blogs as well as pem & Tezcatlipoca - and they changed over six months ago). I'm sure the relevant person will update or remove them as soon as they are able.

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

It seems like a bit of a loophole, and I'm more than a little confused. Frank's in Canada, Frank owns the domain, does that mean that the personal data stored on members isn't covered by the DPA? A few members I'm sure can be personally identified through their email addresses and a whois, if that is the case, I'm confused about the privacy policy and why it mentions referring to the Information Commissioner or was that put in place in light of recent regulations surrounding terms & privacy details for web sites? Who is your companies data controller?

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Sorry, but I'm not able to answer those questions. I've told you as much as I know (as I understood it).

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Do any of the other admins/mods know? Is there anyway you could pass on the question to Frank or do i need to email him directly?

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

I'm sure Frank will see this when he next logs in.

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Great!

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Just found this thread, I got the email too, and haven't been registered on here that long (about 4 weeks). I did click the link at first, but got suspicious when the site was on an IP address rather than a normal url, so closed the window.

I've just been to my Paypal account and deleted my financial details. I've only ever used it twice anyway. :)

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

It cant be the old forum at NTHell then can it?

Given that there is more than 1 person who registered only recently and still got the mail.

I say that because their details wouldnt be in that old forum would they?

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

I think what Paul is saying is that there was an old (vulnerable) copy of the VB software on the nthellworld.co.uk domain (which still exists, but only as an entrypoint to cableforum), and this still had access to the CURRENT MySQL database.

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Yes, it used the same DB but old (and vulnerable) software.
Google have cleaned up their index now so not much is still there, but you could still browse to www.nthellworld.co.uk/forum/ until a few days ago.

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

:Yikes:

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Sorry for the delay in replying. I had just typed out a long reply to your question and then Java decided to crash Firefox dammit! :disturbd::disturbd:

Anyway, I will try and type out a similar response later tonight, but this is the quick version for now. Yeah, I live in Canada now, and yes the domain name is registered to me. Nobody really "owns" the website itself, I guess it kinda belongs to the community, in particular those that put a lot of work into the site. I don't consider that I "own" it as such, just because the rest of the team have put so much work into it. The stuff about the IC has been there in the Privacy policy from the day the site was launched. No we aren't registered with the IC, but as I'm a reasonably law-abiding citizen I am quite happy to direct people to the IC if they think we are abusing their data. :shrug: The stuff about the IC was put their voluntarily by me as a service to people.

There are hundreds, if not thousands, or websites in the UK that are not registered and that collect personal data - every single UK forum for that matter. It's arguable whether we should be registered or not, but like I said, I don't plan on screwing with anyone's personal information so was happy to have such a privacy policy.

As Paul said earlier, NTHW Ltd was set up to take care of ad revenues and so that members could see the financial status of the site, but I never really pushed this as I ended up moving. We didn't make any money as you know, and the site now runs on the generosity of the admin team and the members that donate. I'm currently in the process of dissolving the company as I'm still listed as a director and it's just not needed.

You are right in that it does seem like a bit of a loophole, but I'm not sure where we stand in relation to this loophole. I guess you could say that technically I was the data controller of the database, but I'm not sure where we stand technically now as I have moved to Canada and the database resides in New York. Regardless of where I or the site live, I'm still happy to voluntarily abide by any UK (or Canadian for that matter) data protection laws.

I hope this helps with your questions. If you have any more, then please post them back here and I will try and answer over the weekend.

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

I too received the said email on the email address I use for this site.

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Actually I think I was registered on the old forum too, just never posted. I only found this forum when I went to the old ntlhellworld.co.uk address, and read the article that the original owner had sold out to ntl, and some of the regulars had set up a new forum, seperate from ntl, that's how I found this new forum.

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

I used to get that, reinstalling Jave after removing all VMs should fix it. HTH :)

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

:erm:

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Think the reference should have been to nthellworld.COM, not .CO.UK

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

OK I have had something so similar to the Paypal only it supposedly comes from ebay.


What do you think?

Incog. :rolleyes:

Yep it's spam.My spam software took it with out thought and put it in the spam folder.

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

:notopic: I think that you have a nice avatar :D

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Bin it Incog, it's just another scam.

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Done! However I'm wondering if anyone else from CF has been getting this email?and for the same reasons?

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

I have received various ebay scam e-mails, to multiple addresses, in the last three days, none of them connected to CF in any way.

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

i used to get them on the address that was registerd here but that was my ntlworld addy and was reigsterd with a load of other places including ebay at once time...

ive had the paypal spoof and ebay spoofs on multiple accounts and ive not used those for cable forum...

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Yep, sorry I meant the .com address. The .co.uk one points here, that's the address I put in when I found this place. :)

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

I know that.........I just think that 'sold out' is fighting talk.......but thats been done to death :dozey:

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Dear Friends

I am new to this forum, but could not resist to highlight on this topic.

Yep i also had one of those today, i have been ebay & paypal member for last 4 years, and i get these 'spoof' emails at least once a week.


You can easily find out the link, where it is destined for, simply point mouse cursor on the link and you should see a disguised forwarding link.

The one i had today was forwarding to a website in uk, i have sent it to paypal but no response yet.


My recommendation is never click on the link, some of these sites have dangerous scripts which can get into your pc's.


Thanks

Ash

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Good Advice and Welcome :D

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Ditto, I've just given him a greenie mainly cos he's new :)

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

I also got this email and just trashed it straight off!

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Just to add I got this mail too. Dated 02/01/2005 but received 07/02/2005.

It's been sitting in my inbox for ages as I just read the heading about a policy change and assumed it would only contain information to read and I'd read it later. On reading just now I got to the part about having 120 days otherwise the account would be terminated and then twigged. PayPal state they would never send emails like this. Of course the links are fake too.

Then it comes to tracing it. Simple, the email address is one specifically for this forum only and never has been used elsewhere. Well, it was actually created for the old nthellworld.co.uk forum which obviously got migrated across.

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Update: I received today a reply from seeitout.com:

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Dear Friends



It's Ash here..



I have found something which may educate newbie and veteran internet users, how to spot fraud email, admin edit (Russ) - link removed - please check with the Forum Team before posting a download link

I hope i am not violating forum rules by posting a link here.


Regards


Ash

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Now I'm confused......wtf was that about? :confused:

Re: ***Caution***: Paypal Users
 

Clicking on the link started a download. I removed it as there is no indication as to what it was.