SDS Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Ok, long story short - I'm getting all these calls from a variety of "internet affiliate programs" on my home phone regarding my "affiliate application". After a few angry hang-ups, I decided to try and find out how they got my name and number. The guy on the other end offers to send a screen capture of the online application they received. This online application contains: * My name * My street address, but with the wrong house number * My home phone * A text box for comments with semi-broken English. * A GoBills.net email address (the service we offered 10 years ago, but still have up) that uses an official like name. * Applicant used GoBills.net as the URL they want to display ads on * A SS# that is not mine under payment details. It is a SS# that was issued to someone born in Maryland in 1966. * An IP address that matches my ISP and general location. I'm trying to figure out the angle here. It is my domain, half of my real info, half not. Where are they going with this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GG Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Ok, long story short - I'm getting all these calls from a variety of "internet affiliate programs" on my home phone regarding my "affiliate application". After a few angry hang-ups, I decided to try and find out how they got my name and number. The guy on the other end offers to send a screen capture of the online application they received. This online application contains: * My name * My street address, but with the wrong house number * My home phone * A text box for comments with semi-broken English. * A GoBills.net email address (the service we offered 10 years ago, but still have up) that uses an official like name. * Applicant used GoBills.net as the URL they want to display ads on * A SS# that is not mine under payment details. It is a SS# that was issued to someone born in Maryland in 1966. * An IP address that matches my ISP and general location. I'm trying to figure out the angle here. It is my domain, half of my real info, half not. Where are they going with this? Sounds like they want a cruise on USSV Kittenpaw with Capt McGillicuddy (RIP) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 A pissed off former poster? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDS Posted April 10, 2012 Author Share Posted April 10, 2012 * A text box for comments with semi-broken English. We are professional affiliate.We have experience of advertisement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Hindsight Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 (edited) Thats strange SDS... And its not me I swear Seriously tho you might want to put a fraud alert or something like that up. Just to be safe Edited April 10, 2012 by Captain Hindsight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
\GoBillsInDallas/ Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 This is the modern-day version of the "junk mail/fake bill" scam. For example, yellow page publishers used to send authentic-looking invoices to businesses telling them their yellow page ad needed to be paid in order to be published in the new directory. In the modern-day world, this is how it works: Your site host (Pair Networks) sells lists of their subscribers to marketers. Shady third-world companies buy the lists from marketers. Companies also buy computer files of public records from companies who collect this data. Companies then use their computer programs to match up from different lists as much information as possible, to create a full profile of you. They then put together an "application" from this information, and then try to sell you on the idea of using your site for porn/gambling/pharmacy ads. They will call you for you to "consent" to your application. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Poojer Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Hey! I resent that!!! This is the modern-day version of the "junk mail/fake bill" scam. For example, yellow page publishers used to send authentic-looking invoices to businesses telling them their yellow page ad needed to be paid in order to be published in the new directory. In the modern-day world, this is how it works: Your site host (Pair Networks) sells lists of their subscribers to marketers. Shady third-world companies buy the lists from marketers. Companies also buy computer files of public records from companies who collect this data. Companies then use their computer programs to match up from different lists as much information as possible, to create a full profile of you. They then put together an "application" from this information, and then try to sell you on the idea of using your site for porn/gambling/pharmacy ads. They will call you for you to "consent" to your application. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDS Posted April 10, 2012 Author Share Posted April 10, 2012 This is the modern-day version of the "junk mail/fake bill" scam. For example, yellow page publishers used to send authentic-looking invoices to businesses telling them their yellow page ad needed to be paid in order to be published in the new directory. In the modern-day world, this is how it works: Your site host (Pair Networks) sells lists of their subscribers to marketers. Shady third-world companies buy the lists from marketers. Companies also buy computer files of public records from companies who collect this data. Companies then use their computer programs to match up from different lists as much information as possible, to create a full profile of you. They then put together an "application" from this information, and then try to sell you on the idea of using your site for porn/gambling/pharmacy ads. They will call you for you to "consent" to your application. Not a bad 1st stab. Here is where it makes sense and where it breaks down. I don't think, naively perhaps, Pair sells my data. They are a pretty good registrar and if they did I would get a stojan ton of spam at my special domain email address, which I don't. Now, up until a few moments ago my partial address (no house address) and a fake phone number were public. This is where the fake house address makes sense, but knowing my real home number doesn't. They also would have needed to take the time to spoof a realistic IP address for me. I have a common ISP, but not the most common. That would have been a helluva guess. They also would have needed to take the time to find out SS#'s that were assigned to MD people (of which I am not MD born). Whoever sent this app in didn't expect the affiliate company to call me and went to great lengths to try and trick them they were me. But for what? To create an affiliate account for a domain name they don't own? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDS Posted April 10, 2012 Author Share Posted April 10, 2012 Whoever sent this app in didn't expect the affiliate company to call me and went to great lengths to try and trick them they were me. But for what? To create an affiliate account for a domain name they don't own? Or they didn't go to great lengths and the address they used and the SS# they used belong to the person who sent in the applications. But, the broken English is still puzzling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
\GoBillsInDallas/ Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 I don't think, naively perhaps, Pair sells my data. http://www.pair.com/policies/privacy.html "We may also study this information to determine our customers needs and whether other services should be offered to you and other customers." Whoever sent this app in didn't expect the affiliate company to call me and went to great lengths to try and trick them they were me. All they need is 1/1000 success rate to make it profitable. They also would have needed to take the time to spoof a realistic IP address for me. It takes a computer 1/100 of a second to do this. They also would have needed to take the time to find out SS#'s that were assigned to MD people (of which I am not MD born). The first five digits of the SSN will tell you that. To create an affiliate account for a domain name they don't own? To be able to put porn/gambling/pharmacy ads on your site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 This is the modern-day version of the "junk mail/fake bill" scam. For example, yellow page publishers used to send authentic-looking invoices to businesses telling them their yellow page ad needed to be paid in order to be published in the new directory. A similar one is 3d party outfits that find out which companies are registered to do business in a given state and then send invoices disguised as coming from the state division of corporations for the annual report fee. The fine print says you are signing up for their 'service' to remind you to file your annual report. Gee, thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDS Posted April 10, 2012 Author Share Posted April 10, 2012 http://www.pair.com/policies/privacy.html "We may also study this information to determine our customers needs and whether other services should be offered to you and other customers." All they need is 1/1000 success rate to make it profitable. It takes a computer 1/100 of a second to do this. The first five digits of the SSN will tell you that. To be able to put porn/gambling/pharmacy ads on your site. Again, I have never received anything that could be associated with Pair and they don't have my real home phone number. So, this vector is highly unlikely. Knowing my specific ISP would take more than 1/100 sec. I know about the SS# digits. They still took time to do it or it is a real number. They can't just "put stuff on the site". There is no appropriate ad code there in order for them to do so. Remember this is someone looking to gain an account with someone who sells banner ads. Therefore, the ads need to be displayed and they are looking to get paid from those ads. However, they have no means of displaying those ads on my site (unless it is some sort of fancy XSS attack or a click-jack or something like that - which is what I'm trying to deduce.). Plus, the ads would be served by the company that called me, not the applicant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartshan-83 Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Remember this is someone looking to gain an account with someone who sells banner ads. Therefore, the ads need to be displayed and they are looking to get paid from those ads. However, they have no means of displaying those ads on my site (unless it is some sort of fancy XSS attack or a click-jack or something like that - which is what I'm trying to deduce.). Plus, the ads would be served by the company that called me, not the applicant. I'm not a computer guy and I therefore don't know the mechanics of internet affiliate marketing (I'm sure you are now very excited at the prospects of my input being useful ), so let me just start by eliminating a stupid assumption... I'm assuming that if this fake application had been summarily approved without you getting your "due diligence" phone calls, the affiliate company still would not have been able to post the advertisements onto your website without you doing anything? Meaning, you, SDS, still have the keys and power over any ads being displayed and this cannot be done unless you actually do it. Correct? If that's true, then the only other things I could think of are: -are you sure they actually used "gobills.net" as the website they wanted and not some similar clone like "g0bills.net" or something? -is it possible that these scammers use legitimate websites like yours to try to get their foot in the door with an affiliate company? Meaning, they hoped that the combination of a legit website and some legit-sounding corroborating information would be enough to get their application approved without a phone call? And then after they had a relationship with the affiliate marketer, they would be able to squeeze in future applications (used for whatever fraud they are into) more easily? That's all I got with my limited understanding of this stuff. Kind of a strange puzzle... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Ok, long story short - I'm getting all these calls from a variety of "internet affiliate programs" on my home phone regarding my "affiliate application". After a few angry hang-ups, I decided to try and find out how they got my name and number. The guy on the other end offers to send a screen capture of the online application they received. This online application contains: * My name * My street address, but with the wrong house number * My home phone * A text box for comments with semi-broken English. * A GoBills.net email address (the service we offered 10 years ago, but still have up) that uses an official like name. * Applicant used GoBills.net as the URL they want to display ads on * A SS# that is not mine under payment details. It is a SS# that was issued to someone born in Maryland in 1966. * An IP address that matches my ISP and general location. I'm trying to figure out the angle here. It is my domain, half of my real info, half not. Where are they going with this? Similar is happening to me; I received a bill for $100 in the mail yesterday for "tombradyisawhinylittlebitch.com," which I thought was odd since I never paid that much to begin with and wasn't up for renewal. After some digging, found out that they were charging me to list the domain on search sites, unsolicited. So it seems to be a common form of scam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ieatcrayonz Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 This whole thing smelled like the googlebot to me but I had him take a dump this morning and none of this was in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 (edited) Sounds like they want a cruise on USSV Kittenpaw with Capt McGillicuddy (RIP) Oh, oh, pick me, pick me. I have recent experience. Edited April 10, 2012 by Chef Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mead107 Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Did you call an talk to the police and see if they have any other reports? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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