Hi all

[hunt4scammers]

Just wanted to say hello to everyone.

I hope to contribute my fair share in exposing scammers online. I used to run the exposedscammers blog @ wordpress.com, but I got booted there for the weirdest reason. Apparently, the word scammer/scam is a legalized word and couldn't be used -> suspended my account . Must be an American thing....

Hope I last longer here

[scammerslammer]

@hunt4scammers. Welcome to 419legal. As long as you obey the rules and are not here to spam you are welcome.

Can you send me a link to the other site so I can check it out? thanks.

I have just had a look and it says that it was suspended for a breach of its TOS =Terms of service. you may like to contact your host and fight it? You could ask them for a reason why.

Some hosts can be a little trigger happy others are more sensible. They are usually the ones who will continue to grow while the others who chop too quickly rapidly get a bad name and wonder why they are not getting new accounts.

[hunt4scammers]

It was 'hosted' on the free wordpress platform @ wordpress. I tried to reason with them. Even offered to replace the scam words, but they didn't even bother to reply. All I got was a reply that they disabled the blog because of "Legalized meaning of the word Scammer'.
I think that someone powerful enough made them pull the plug n the blog. I do have several backups of the blog. I could reinstate it on another platform, but I can't be bothered into maintaining that myself.

On that blog I was pretty harsh against Google Ads and Go Daddy (el-cheapo SSL certificates), since those two companies offered services which the scammers used into tricking people. Contacted both organizations, but none of them replied (apart from the auto-responder).

I did have some success in cooperating with the UK Metro Police. They used information of the victims to build (successful) cases against several of the criminals (which were nothing more than money-mules).

Some chances in my personal life made me slow down a bit....

[scammerslammer]

On that blog I was pretty harsh against Google Ads and Go Daddy

I think you have found the answer. The free sites make their money from advertisements so they would be sensitive about being seen as going along with you.

Go daddy? Well nuff said.


When you feel like doing things again, please contact me and I may be able to assist you.

[hunt4scammers]

Hi, thanks for the welcome. I'll check the forum out, and if I run into another online retail scammer I'll report it here.
To be sure I don't violate any rules in my enthusiasm, I'll PM you (or whatever feature is available) with the details.

Do you have the possibility of hosting screenshots etc.? Or experience with a good free online alternative?

Thanks.

[scammerslammer]

Do you have the possibility of hosting
screenshots etc.? Or experience with a good free online alternative?

You can use "Phtobucket" or " imageshack" Both should work ok.

[hunt4scammers]

Hi Slammer,

I have the following story to share, but there's a challenge in regards to posting links in the body. Anything that can be done, or should I just remove the links to the pages?

My first 'investigative' result on this forum.

There are lots of scammers working through Google Ads the last couple of years. Most of the ones I run into are photography related. Each and everyone of those website will lure you with ultra-cheap prices on cameras and lenses.

This is the story of firstcamerashop.com and myfirstcamerashop.com

I found these through Google Ads on a photography forum. The title had unrealistic prices for new digital camera's (example: [_URL="http :// www . firstcameras .net/product_info.php?cPath=1_7&products_id=148488"]Nikon D3 FX Body w/Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S + 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S NIKKOR for only €5,289.95[/_URL] .... YEAH RIGHT).

They are operational since February 11th 2011 (see whois):
Domain Name.......... firstcamerashop.com
Creation Date........ 2011-02-11
Registration Date.... 2011-02-11
Expiry Date.......... 2012-02-11

(To see the personal details -> check your average whois database)

The [_URL="http :// www . firstcameras. net/contact_us.php"]Contact details[/_URL] provide an adress in Norfolk, United Kingdom:
First Cameras
Customer Service Department
13 Frensham Road
Norwich, NR3 2BT
United Kingdom

Checking this through Google Maps, it turn out that the address is used by warehouseexpress (a LEGIT STORE!!!!). But this firm has nothing to do with the Firstcamerashop scam. Just another way to provide some sort of credibility to their 'story'.

The [_URL="http ://www . firstcameras . net/about_us.php"]About us[/_URL] page has a nice story to tell. Which is bogus, since they're online since February 2011.

The company began in 2003, when local businessman George Hatfield opened a chain of 14 high-street shops selling digital cameras in and around Norwich. In 2008, he set up firstcameras.net as the online arm of the digital cameras retail industry and such was its success that company sold the shops in 2010 to concentrate his business solely online.

As a company with under 80 members of staff, we are small enough to give our customers a personal level of service. But with a sales turnover of more than £90m per annum, we are large enough to feature some of the most compelling offers on the web.

When you're ready to order and/or pay, you need to register. Choosing the International Money Transfer ends nowhere. No details about the transfer itself. My guess is that they stopped using Western Union money transfers all together (something the 'older' scams of this kind did).
I was reluctant to try the CC version of the payment for obvious reasons. My guess;
the money ends up somewhere in the eastern part of Europe through a money-mule.

They do use SSL in protecting your data, but the SSL certificates is issued by Starfield, and the Organisation isn't verified. In other words, the SSL certificate was issued to someone who has access to the postmaster/webmaster mailbox of the domain. No verification of the actual company. Something that an actual legit company would never do.

To finalize: Too many red flags on this one.

[scammerslammer]

Hi. You will be able to post links after you have more posts. meanwhile you can for example alter the @ to AT and I will redo the links for you.Thanks.