Tonight someone was trying 4 different credit cards on my merchant account. Different names, different numbers, although single IP (vietnamese), same e-mail address and same amount – $150. Interesting, now I know what carders think is a safe amount to check the card with.
Don’t you just love people who are about to social engineer you having no skills and being very stupid? I mean – everyone can fall for a lier if he’s good at it, but some morons lack brains and talent, yet they try to persuade you they’re legit.
Here’s this guy how have been on and off sending me “hello” and “hi” and “can I ask you a question” over and over. Didn’t seem like he needed an answer, so I didn’t mind. I get that a lot.
So yesterday at night he finally managed to talk to me. He asks if he can get a free hosting account. I suggest that he sends the letter through the web form so we can review it. So he does, but it’s not a paid account and it’s 3:12am on a clock, so I decide to look at his letter next day (i.e. today).
Which I certainly did, paid or not, he’s a potential client, so I must pay him due respect unless proven that he’s a fraud. So I went to all his web sites that he sited in his e-mail. First one was empty folder (not even index.html) on something like 1234.net.ru This triggered the alarm, since as far as I know .ru zone belongs to Russia and people there prefer to use free hosting resources of their own country (it has to do with providers paying for traffic from abroad – long story). Then there was a passage that I simply loved. The large red siren blared over my head “Social engineering shmuck is on the way!”. It was so hilarious, I can’ thelp but cite it all here – for all the people who read this. This is dumb!
“And my current website is http://*****.info
I will upload great templates and images to the good hosting and I wish you could wise enough to reply me.”
I went to this site, that had some unspeakable bunch of letters .info. Given that you can get a .info domain for free these days, it didn’t really raised the caution, but added to the suspicion. There was an empty forum about some music, with approximately ten posts total. I thought – yeah, I can set up something like this in 10 minutes. And since it’s already set up – why would you need another hosting? But nevertheless, I kept looking.
At this time the guy went on IM again and accused me of lying on my web site. He said he went to other resource that lists free hostings and there is no feedback about us. My response was that a) we just started offering free hosting less then a month ago and b) he didn’t try us to say we’re lying. I also added that most of people who contacted us wanted to host for free because they were planning to set up illegal download sites. “I would never do that“- he said. Riiight. “If you were a good hoster,YOu may replyed my 2 letters and told me my application was denited,But you never did” – he said. Ah, here comes the mask of “almost angry customer”. At this point I was almost sure that he’s a fraud, given that his info from the e-mail listed “Address: BEijing Normal University,ZHuhai Campus,Uk“… Not sure about Zhuhai, but I doubt the Beijing is in UK… Then there was one last check. I went to whois info to see who owns the .info domain the guy wanted to use. Surprise!
Domain ID:D7724977-LRMS
Domain Name:******.INFO
Created On:12-Oct-2004 02:59:11 UTC
Last Updated On:15-Oct-2004 03:14:10 UTC
Expiration Date:12-Oct-2005 02:59:11 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar:R183-LRMS
Status:ACTIVE
Status:OK
Registrant ID:C6823054-LRMS
Registrant Name:dsfs
Registrant Organization:fs adfsa
Registrant Street1:d fsa
Registrant City:fsd
Registrant State/Province:sdf sd
Registrant Postal Code:24234
Registrant Country:VC
Registrant Phone:+1.24234
Registrant FAX:+1.23424
Registrant Email: hotadv@yahoo.com.cn
Given that the TLD .cn belongs to China, I know no respectable asian person would agree to name dsfs. I suggested that the person should look elsewhere, which he did, eventually, making it look like he was dissatisfied. Ofcourse he was, since his lies got exposed.
Having thought it all through, I think the subject of online credit card fraud deserves the specially written article. But before jumping the water, I think it would be worth to at least try to gather as much information as possible. So I set up a small survey, which I ask anyone who reads this blog to participate in. There are only 12 questions and it doesn’t take more then 5 minutes to fill out.
Please, do not fill it more then once.
Thank you.