Yet Another Attack, Plus More On The Bogus Hoodia Spammers.

Yet Another Attack, Plus More On The Bogus Hoodia Spammers.

The carpcstore forum is once again under attack, as is Spamhaus.org.

Spammers who are happy to perform DDOS attacks have always struck me as whiny little brats. They didn't get what they want, so they just wander around kicking over everyone else's sandcastles, etc. It's ridiculous.

The stupidest part about these morons is that they think it will shut us up. Or that we'll stop reporting or monitoring them. They could not be more wrong. Not only does this make sure that we don't stop researching and reporting every last one of them, it practically ensures that we'll do so with even more diligence, since it's fairly clear that we're having the desired effect of killing their ability to profit. Law enforcement will also monitor these attacks very closely, since they are a criminal act. With each attack they decide to launch, the evidence mounts and it becomes easier and easier to tell who is behind them, where they are located, etc.

One of these days, someone like me, or one of my colleagues, or possibly some third party none of us are even aware of will eventually become fed up enough about these stupid, childish attacks that they will actually spill farrrr more information on blogs like this one than they ever thought we knew. You can ask mcproxy about that. He knows the depth of research several people have done on his identity, his background, etc. I and others like me have compiled a lo-o-o-ot of background information on many others like him. The mere threat of exposition caused mcproxy to get out of the spamming business entirely. (That wasn't me, btw.) If you're a spammer and you're behind this attack? Or assisted in it? Or donated money towards it? You should really think about that. You should also seriously consider whether you want to be on the receiving end of one of the multiple lawsuits and arrests which have taken place this year alone. There are only going to be more of them, and exposing yourself so publicly with something as ridiculous as a DDOS attack is only going to make that happen much sooner. You obviously failed to glean this from the previous three years' worth of arrests of other botnet operators.

Also: there are a lot of us. Shutting down one piddly form won't silence us. Shutting down my single blog won't shut down the hundreds or thousands of others out there which are all poised to duplicate the exact same data. One way or another: we will continue to thrive.

We, the recipients of your crap emails for fake drugs and "herbal remedies", are sick of you ignoring our pleas to stop spamming us. If you don't like us researching you, maybe you should find a different line of work.

This attack gives me more time to dig even deeper into some research I hadn't had time to pursue anyway. It's also not stopping any of that forum's members to continue to communicate with each other regarding our ongoing investigations.

I just thought that several of you would probably want to keep all of this in mind.

Also as a followup to my previous posting on bogus Hoodia / Anatrim / whatever the hell they're calling this bullshit product this week: Many of you may be aware that the US's Federal Trade Commission has ordered one Brian McDade and his company Neutraceuticals LLC to stop sending Hoodia spam in the hopes of promoting exactly these provably bogus products. The original complaint makes for some pretty good reading.

COUNT I
False Claims for the Hoodia Products

Through the means described in Paragraphs 18-23 above, Defendants have represented, expressly or by implication, that:
a. the Hoodia Products cause rapid and substantial weight loss, including as much as forty pounds in a month;
b. the Hoodia Products cause users to lose safely three or more pounds per week for multiple weeks;
c. the Hoodia Products cause permanent weight loss; and/or
d. scientific research establishes that the Hoodia Products cause substantial weight loss.

In truth and in fact:
a. the Hoodia Products do not cause rapid and substantial weight loss, including as much as forty pounds in a month;
b. the Hoodia Products do not cause users to lose safely three or more pounds per week for multiple weeks;
c. the Hoodia Products do not cause permanent weight loss; and/or
d. scientific research does not establish that the Hoodia Products cause substantial weight loss.

36. Therefore, Defendants' representations as set forth in Paragraph 34 above are false or misleading and constitute a deceptive practice, and the making of false advertisements, in or affecting commerce...

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Hope the rest of you are also having a splendid day.

SiL / IKS / concerned citizen