Ex member is leaching email addresses for spam. Be aware! (1 Viewer)

[MaxY]

This morning I got an e-mail sales pitch which refered to me by the name I use on this board and it is the only place I use this exact name.
just wondered if HTF is condoning this or not or if this is to help out with the new server. Mostly just wondering what it all means. I figured if you did not know then you should. Below is a copy of the E-mail I got.
Copy of E-mail
__________________________________________________ __
Dear MaxY,
Introducing the ultimate Home Theater accessory!
A professionally produced customized introduction DVD. Complete with
your name on the theater, visually stunning 3D graphics, entertaining
trivia and a dazzling Dolby 5.1 soundtrack. Here's what you get:
- Your Name on the Theater Sign
- 16 x 9 Wide-screen Format
- Dolby 5.1 channel sound track
- Over 10 minutes of all digital graphics and sound
- Count-down to Feature Presentation "The show starts in ten
minutes..."
- Mind Boggling Movie Trivia
For more information or to order yours at this special introductory
price go to http://www.CustomHT.com
Browse My Collection of DVDs at DVD profiler
Equipment Lists for My HTs
Petition To Bring Motel Hell To DVD Check In Here
Time to resume Buying Warner Product!!
[Edited last by MaxY on September 04, 2001 at 08:14 AM]

 

[Bill Slack]

I'd bet they're harvesting them off the web-site itself. How sleazy.

 

[Bjorn Olav Nyberg]

I have a hard time believing the HTF would willingly do such a thing. I did not get such a mail though, which probably supports Bill's theory.
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"You're 10 seconds away from the most embarrassing moment of your life!"
Click here to admit you want to see Ford Fairlane on DVD!
DVD List Link Removed

 

[Rob Gillespie]

The member account for 'Don Holland' is suspended (with a grand total of 1 post to his name).

 

[Kevin P]

The member account for 'Don Holland' is suspended (with a grand total of 1 post to his name).

Wow, I wish I could see what he posted! Or maybe not.
Another email address to add to anti-spam block lists, I suppose...
KJP

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

I got this too. If the guy were advertising here it would be one thing. This is just SPAM.
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Link Removed | Burt Lancaster is Link Removed | dOc

 

[Chris Maynard]

I got it too!
I hate spam!

 

[Craig S]

I just went and checked out this guy's site (call me morbidly curious). There's a QuickTime clip of the intro he'll customize for you. As it pans, you see the side of the marquee which says "Bargin Matinees".

Looks like some guy who got a new iMac (the clip is hosted on an iMovie site). He's charging $89 for this "custom DVD" and he can't even take the trouble to spell-check his product! Somehow I'm not surprised he's a spammer.
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Too many DVDs, too little time...
AFI 100 Challenge - 36 to go!

 

[Ron Eastman]

Wow, I wish I could see what he posted! Or maybe not.

His 1 post was in the Coupons and Bargains section this morning. The post contained the exact same text that Max posted.
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"The last thing I want to remembered as is an annoying blabbermouth." - Del Griffith
Link Removed
my DVD collection

 

[Parker Clack]

I can guarantee you that in no way do we allow the names and email addresses go out to anyone else let lone sell them to anyone. Max you of all people should know better than that.
This guy has trolled the board and harvested member names and emails from the site. He had to have done them one at a time as this script does not list your email when you pass over the email icon. This takes you to another page that has you click on a link to insert your email address.
I am glad to see Rob has taken out his membership.
Parker

 

[Kevin P]

Another guy who blatantly ignored the rules when he signed up, no doubt. I'm glad this place makes efforts to stop spamming (I think spamming rates only slightly higher than telemarketing on the food chain, and there isn't much lower down than that!). I especially like the fact that the script doesn't embed addresses in the HTML. Now if the rest of the Internet could be as well run as this place, I wouldn't have the lettering wear off my "delete" key!
KJP
P.S. Chris, you got it? Obviously this guy wasn't thinking. Spamming an admin is like selling drugs to a cop.
[Edited last by Kevin P on September 04, 2001 at 11:58 AM]

 

[brentl]

Although I didn't notice my name on the top I wondered where it came from.
If I get additional Emails from this troll I will try to find out his ISP, and inform them of the story.
Brent L

 

[MaxY]

I really did not think you had sold your mailing list and really only posted to make you & Ron aware of this guy.
Max
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Browse My Collection of DVDs at DVD profiler
Equipment Lists for My HTs
Petition To Bring Motel Hell To DVD Check In Here
Time to resume Buying Warner Product!!

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I am THE guy -- and THE ONLY guy who has
access to the Mailing List.
Not even Parker has the list that I have.
I can assure all of you that the privacy
of this list has never been breached.
The list will NEVER be sold to anyone.
I suspect that this jerk used other means to
obtain all your email addresses, whether it
be with software that goes in and finds the
addresses in the MAIL fields of this software,
or, by selectively looking up the addresses of
members who post their email address.
I ADVISE ALL OF YOU NOT TO SOLICITE THIS
COMPANY AND SEND THEM AN EMAIL DECLARING YOU
DO NOT APPRECIATE THIS TYPE OF SPAM
We deeply apologize that someone has used our
forum for their own advertising purposes.
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Ronald Epstein (pronounced like the English "Ronald Epstein")
Circa 2000
Home Theater Forum Administrator
All forum questions & to get on our private forum mailing list (new members)... Email: [email protected]
Problems with the webpage or site? Contact WEBMASTER
Email Packy [email protected]

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

Well, while I don't appreciate being spammed, if HTF were to benefit from sending out emails from advertisers, that would be one thing, but harvesting addresses from someone else's forum for your own personal gain is highly frowned upon.
I thought spam was illegal?
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Link Removed | Burt Lancaster is Link Removed | dOc

 

[Steve Owen]

His message absolutely qualifies as an unsolicited commercial email (or spam), and most ISPs will suspend accounts of spammers. That he tried to target his audience makes him only slightly less evil than spammers that send out spam to millions at a time. I have no tolerance for spam and I actually have quite a fun time busting them and getting their accounts deleted.
Anyway, if you're interested in busting spammers, http://spamcop.net/
-Steve (recepient of over 6500 unsolicted commercial emails since '96)
[Edited last by Steve Owen on September 04, 2001 at 09:41 PM]

 

[CRyan]

I wonder if Total Movie is doing something similar. Many forum members seem to be getting their email as well.
I have never had anything to do with them and only list my personal email address with a few places.
C. Ryan
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http://www.elitestoragedesigns.com/RyanOAR.bmp

 

[Trevor Schell]

Add me to the list.
However I receive about 4 to 5 spam E-mails per day, so not really sure what is going on.
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Trevor..

Link Removed Sonically Enhanced
*Outdated new pictures
due to recent upgrades!
**Equipment list current

 

[brentl]

I would think that he looked aaat the top posters list and went from there.
Brent L

 

[MaxY]

I would like to clear something up.
I never meant to suggest that HTF was selling or Renting their Mailing list
I did think that this might have been an HTF backed effort to raise some money for their server.
I have known for quite a long time that Ron keeps the E-mail list of all you people under lock and key. I did want to check and make sure this was not HTF backed. I pretty much suspected it was not.
Now suspecting it was not HTF backed I figured that this would be a good area to let Ron & Packy know what was going on and get some response from others to confirm that this was where they got the info from.
If anyone is concerned that Ron or Packy is selling your e-mails, do not be. When I posted this Thread and chose the topic I kind of figured everyone here knew that there was no Way in HELL that their mailing list was being sold.
Note To Mods
Would one of you please change the the topic to...
Someone leeching E-mails from Forum or something more fitting?
Max
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Browse My Collection of DVDs at DVD profiler
Equipment Lists for My HTs
Petition To Bring Motel Hell To DVD Check In Here
Time to resume Buying Warner Product!!