My So Called Life preorders... kiddie porn? (1 Viewer)

[JasonRosenfeld]

I am suggesting it was sniffed at the time it was sent from AU. I don't think it was via a secure form.

 

[JoeDeM]

I am suggesting it was sniffed at the time it was sent from AU. I don't think it was via a secure form.

Again, I agree with Jason, the unsecured email may have been sniffed. I doubt they can crack an SSL connection on the fly, and just so they can send you spam.

 

[David Lambert]

...and just so they can send you spam

That thought actually puts my mind a bit at ease.

Logically, if they had the credit card #'s, they wouldn't "advertise" the fact by spamming you, too.

Of course, criminals have done stupider things...

 

[JasonRosenfeld]

What it ultimately comes down to is this: for about a year now, I've stopped assuming my emails were not read. I also have 1024 bit encryption with PGP for important emails.

At my last job, I refused to email server passwords to a colleague. He ended up writing to my boss saying I was insanely paranoid, and that I was insisting on using "military grade" encryption. What a bozo. I still never sent the stuff, I wrote it down and gave it to him.

I run a postnuke (pgp)-based site for fun. With thousands of people working on the postnuke project we still continue to find vulnerabilities.

A company might be doing things right, and then Microsoft ends up issuing a security patch on the OS level. Pretty much, as with burglary, if people want to get at data, they can probably get it.

Or sadly, an executive named Tony, might have used the password "Tony" rendering all security meaningless. I read somewhere that the most common password is "password."

Jason

 

[Paul D Young]

P.S. All content submitted on a Lolitas and Boys (11-17 y.o.) site is a work of art. There is no age limit for work of art.

When I read this at the end of these lowlifes' email I figured they would probably just burn in hell. I didn't look at the site but I'm sure it was totally legit art! After all, aren't these the places that everyone goes to look at art?

 

[David Lambert]

Did anyone else (hopefully everyone else?) get an e-mail today from Another Universe? Signed by Jason Rosenfeld, and starting like this:

(Total reading time is about 2 minutes)
Hey Everyone.
This email begins with an update on production of the boxed
set, gives the scheduled release date (mark your calendars!)
and requires that you click on one or two options. If your
email client cannot handle HTML email, you may have to cut
and paste a link. As always, email me with any problems.

I find it passing strange that this note showed up, telling us that we have to now either pay for our order in advance or else just cancel the order, without addressing the kiddie porn spam issue either directly in the note or by at least mentioning something in a separate e-mail to anyone who complained about getting the spam.
Thoughts? Hopefully Jason (or Justin) will pop in here overnight and mention something about the legitamacy of this. It probably is legit, but I'm elevated to the level of paranoia right about now.
If I don't see anything by morning, I'll send an e-mail along these lines to the address Jason left for us before. My wife still wants this item, but it would be nice to have assurances that this matter is being resolved and that their site's security is a paramount issue...especially since this e-mail requires us to click on one link to say we're still committed to buying (enough to pay all costs up front) or click on the other link in order to cancel the whole deal.
Opinions?

 

[Markus Lidstrom]

What was the domain of the email adress used? (@shaw.ca for example)

 

[David Lambert]

The new e-mail y'mean?
It came from "[email protected]". But as we all know, such things can be faked, and upon responding the hackers can sniff the information they might want.
For instance, if the original secure form WAS hacked and they have our e-mail addresses and credit card #'s, then this could be a way of verifying card-to-address identity, in order to take the next step in identity theft.
Yeppers, I'm being paranoid. But just because I am, it doesn't mean their not out to get me!

 

[BrianB]

just to be clear - the reply-to address on that new email is: [email protected]

 

[David Lambert]

Actually, no it wasn't...and that's part of my problem with it!
Look again at what I posted. One of the n's is missing...the first "n" in "universe", making it "uiverse".
It came from [email protected]
I copied-and-pasted directly from the header!!!
Which is, again, why I'm acting so paranoid.

 

[BrianB]

But the /reply-to/ address is correct. That's where the replies would be addressed to. It doesn't exactly fill me with faith when the postmaster can't correctly write out his/her own email address though, I have to say.

 

[Justin Lane]

Guys,

I was just looking through my deleted e-mail, and noticed I got the same e-mail for kiddie porn...thing is, I never placed an oreder from another universe nor am on their mailing list.

The e-mail the message was sent to, is not my usual e-mail either, but it was an e-mail I posted here on the HTF when I was selling some stuff. Could these porn sites be filtering this board for e-mail addresses or IP addresses? The Home Theater Forum is beginning to look like a common link.

J

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

David, I got the same email that you did with the "pay now or cancel" message, and no mention of the porn spam - and I STILL don't have confirmation of the order after two phone calls and being told I'd get one, even though they have charged my card!

I still don't know what the final cost will be since they haven't said what shipping outside the US is, and the guy at AU I spoke to not 2 days ago said they had no idea what was going on with this at that time, so how do they have it all worked out now?

As for HTF being a hub for this, the email they used to spam me was specific to that order, so they couldn't leach it from HTF.

It is too bad, because this series has some great moments, and done properly would be a joy to own. However, the experience thus far seems like they can't manage much in the way of customer service, and there are serious security issues at the store. Considering the fishiness of what has transpired, I can't say I'm too confidant that we aren't getting scammed to start with, or that the final product will live up to expectations, if it even comes out.

I have no beef with the company, but there is an extreme lack of professionalism in how this is all being handled, which doesn't give me much faith.

 

[David Lambert]

Okay, Gord of TVShowsOnDVD has been in touch with these guys about the kiddie porn spam thing, which they are investigating still. He talked to Jason personally about it, and at the time Jason mentioned being concerned about the credit card authorization 30-day limit, and said he was planning to send out a note along this line. So Gord assumes this note is legit, since it's exactly what Jason described was going to happen.

As with Jeff Ulmer, there's no way anyone could have leached the e-mail address I used from HTF, and HTF has good security in place for protection of e-mail addresses anyway, so I'm sure we're not the target. In fact, Gord informs me this morning that when Jason spoke to him, the fact was that the investigation was hampered because "he's only received a few messages from members of HTF about it so it's becomming very hard to track down the cause/source of it". But I'm sure that the only reason HTFers are complaining is because of our "community" ability to figure out that we're all involved from this one common source!

After work tonight I'll probably officially respond to Jason's e-mail, despite my paranoia and fishiness. I'll have to talk it over with the missus to decide what that response will be, but I know she still wants the set!

 

[JulianK]

Count me as another person who has ordered the My So-Called Life set, and received the porn email.
I briefly considered cancelling my order over this breach of security, but I really don't want to pass on the chance to get this terrific series on disc.

 

[Cynthia]

I haven't received that "pay now or cancel" email, yet. Has everyone received it? I wouldn't want to miss out on getting the set.

 

[Derek Miner]

I just checked over at the "My So-Called Life" order page at Another Universe, and there haven't been any notices of changes to the production or payments. I didn't find any news at http://www.mscl.com/dvd.php either.
I pre-ordered the set and have neither received the "kiddie porn" spam (unless it automatically went in my trash via filters) or an email from Another Universe to "pay or cancel".

 

[Mike_G]

bear in mind, if i know someone's IP, with the right software, I can essential sniff every email they send.

No you can't. You can't sniff packets if you're not on the subnet. I'd bet money that if I sent email from my computer to my friend you wouldn't be able to read it. You don't have access to the subnet so I'd like to know how you expect to gain access to it.

Mike

 

[Lance Nichols]

Huh, I preordered, and have not gotten any "Pay now or else" type messages. Last I checked, the pre-order campaign had 2500 orders placed. Sounds like a goodly number, IMHO. I know it's not the millions Shrek, or good god American Pie, sold, but it s respectable number for a short lived TV series.

Now, I would be quite reluctant to pay for a DVD set that not shipped, yet alone has not been mastered yet. IF they can set a firm date on the release, then I would consider putting more down as a down payment.

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

I don't want to sound alarm bells yet, but I would suggest you keep an eye on your credit cards. I called mine today to discover that two authorisations of an equal amount from a company I do not recognise have been applied to my card today. This doesn't look good.
I also asked about this preorder situation and was told that if this set was paid for and was never delivered there is a good chance the money would be gone, especially with two month's lead time.
I have yet to hear from AU at all on this matter: no order confirmation email, no return call regarding the porn spam. Jason has emailed, by AFAIK he is not a representative of the company, yet his signature is on the last payment email.