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General Category => Ask the Experts => Topic started by: girly on July 28, 2008, 09:30:18 AM

Title: So much for privacy
Post by: girly on July 28, 2008, 09:30:18 AM
Did ya\'ll know there is a whole website page devoted to revealing people\'s names pass codes and passwords to log on to Thorograph without bothering to get your own ID? It\'s basically identity theft. I checked out the names listed, and they are not on the members list, so maybe it\'s just trying to phish for people to provide info on their site. This company bug me not provides ways to log into many sites anonymously-or rather falsly. Which is stupid when you think about it, because every time you press send, your computer address is listed. I don\'t know how well it works, but it\'s interesting! Hackers, jeez!

http://www.bugmenot.com/view/thorograph.com
Title: Re: So much for privacy
Post by: TGJB on July 28, 2008, 01:02:59 PM
Just got back, don\'t know what the hell that is, I\'ll have Paul look at it. Nice meeting you at the Spa.
Title: Re: So much for privacy
Post by: HP on July 28, 2008, 01:34:54 PM
I looked at it.  I\'ll tell you what, if your forum ID/password is the same as your account ID/password that could be trouble, because if you use some horse-based/slang password or some other easy to figure password they might be able to order sheets on your credit card too.  

I have had some experience recently with these kinds of ecommerce ripoffs and it\'s absolutely amazing what goes on.  Some service offering \"checking account protection\" managed to rip off my mother for a few hundred bucks.  The banks are totally in cahoots with these \"electronic processing\" companies (Wachovia Bank recently had to pay a big fine on this) and the whole thing makes me sick.  I tracked down the telephone number of the place that ripped off my mom and I knew it was a phishing scam when the guy answered the phone \"hello\" instead of saying the name of any business.  I asked for a refund and the guy jerked me around for awhile and I read back his address (which I had also tracked down...to Tampa) and I said \"is this where you are?\"  When he said yes I told him to send back the money and when he kept jerking me I told him I was going to fly down to Tampa AND BURN HIS HOUSE DOWN.  I then called the Tampa police and the Better Business Bureau, and after a month (and numerous exchanges) I got the money back.  I would still like to fly down there and burn that guy\'s house down.    

You need to find out who is doing that via IP address tracking or something and let them and the authorities know you are aware of it right away.  Better safe than sorry.  If they are in Tampa Jerry I will fly down with you and maybe we can do a two-for-one thing.  

HP
Title: Re: So much for privacy
Post by: HP on July 28, 2008, 01:44:15 PM
The other part of this that is so outrageous is that, ostensibly, the site is designed to give you access to READ things that you want to read without registering.  Well...on this site...you can READ everything for free WITHOUT REGISTERING, you only have to register to POST COMMENTS.  And why have they singled out Thoro-Graph and only a few other sites?  

HP
Title: Re: So much for privacy
Post by: girly on July 28, 2008, 01:48:46 PM
I think you have to log in to get the race of the week. Oh, this is nothing compared to the information some companies gain access to about all Americans. But that is for another forum-
Title: Re: So much for privacy
Post by: girly on July 28, 2008, 01:50:32 PM
Nice to meet you to TGJB! It was a very pleasant day, and I left before the late afternoon deluge when I saw it coming on the wind.
Title: Re: So much for privacy
Post by: nicely nicely on July 28, 2008, 03:13:22 PM
Sites like the one mentioned in this thread get their information three ways. In no way, are they capable of stealing private information from our servers.

1) A user posts his login information
2) A company posts the information as a come-on
3) It\'s randomly generated by the site itself

The vast majority of passwords are for porno sites or pirated software sites. Usually, the user/pass combo gives you limited access to movies, pictures, or software. Once on the site, they throw the \'pay X-per-month for full access\' ads at you.

Then there are user/pass combos for non-paying sites that require some kind of registration...like nytimes.com.

And, as mentioned, there is a \"paper trail\" every time someone accesses any page on our site. If one account is accessed from a computer in Kentucky then five minutes later in Dubai, we\'ll know about it.