Comments on: Sneaky E-mail Fraud Attempt

By: rey hernandez

rey hernandez — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I am trying to respond to the urgent notice sent by earthlink. What info do you need to verify and what is the fastest way to cotact you.

rey

By: Alan Levine

Alan Levine — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I do not need any info. Please read carefully what I wrote- the message I got was a fraudulent attempt by someone out of earthlink to steal personal information.

Deal with Earthlink support at http://support.earthlink.net/

By: Paul An derson

Paul An derson — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I have been unable to access http://WWW.start.earthlink.net/track?billing.asp

There is apparently some question about billing my account. I suspect that it has to do with a new source for my payment. I am now using the following card no. for payment of my earthlink.net connection:

M/C XXXXXXXXXXXX, exp XX/XX

Thank you,

Paul Aderson

[blog editor note- Paul A actually posted his credit card number in this post, now replaced by xxxxxx! I am incredulous!!! Please, please, Paul, get a book quickly on internet personal safety!!!]

By: Paul An derson

Paul An derson — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Please reread my previous comment, as it explains my situation.

Paul Anderson

By: Alan Levine

Alan Levine — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Are you smoking crack? I do not work for Earthlink! How clear can I be about that!!!! I shared an experience I had with an attempt to defaud my Earthlink account by an email forged to look like it came from Eartthlink. DO NOT CLICK THAT LIINK! CONTACT EARTHLINK SUPPORT:

http://support.earthlink.net/

And for ***** sake do not post your credit card number on my blog!! I will attempt to delete your comment but I am so not liable if your card number is spread scross the net.

By: gaterwink

gaterwink — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

My friend just fell for this earthlink account verification hoax. Apparently it’s been around since last summer (or maybe even earlier). Why in the world would Earthlink allow an email like this to get to the recipient? Would it be illegal for them to intercept the email and notify the recipient that it had been intercepted?? It certainly wouldn’t be hard for them to detect it. If someone were posing as my ISP in order to fraudulently get my personal info, I would be delighted to know that they intervened.

By: john

john — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I have been getting similar emails re Earthlink ever few weeks since October 2003 & have gone way up the ladder to voice my concerns. They speak a good game but are obviously unable or unwilling to stop this. I have received 2 Earthlink fake emails in the last week. Time to move to another ISP?

By: Alan Levine

Alan Levine — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Gaterwink asked “hy in the world would Earthlink allow an email like this to get to the recipient? Would it be illegal for them to intercept the email and notify the recipient that it had been intercepted?? It certainly wouldn’t be hard for them to detect it.”

I’m not sure what you expect Earthlink to do- this e-mail do not originate from their network or their servers. E-mail is sent by a system of “gateways” that agree to pass on messges until it reaches the recipient. It would be an impossible task to analzye each piece of mail, and I really do not someone reading my mail.

I would turn this around and say it is upon, you, me, and evveryone else to better educated and knowlegable about this things and not depend on a “big brother” to do that work for us.

John asks if it is time to switch ISPs– and I would say non of them are immune to these things, but if you can deal with the hassle of changing your established identity, go ahead.

Again, it is a technically infeasible task to expect 100% protection from this- unless uour new ISP’s network consists of tin cans connected with strings.