Email about possible virus problem with MR

[Kacey]

I recieved the following email at the address that I used when I registered on MT:

[email protected]
show details
12:55 pm (34 minutes ago) If you participate in on-line forums such as martialtalk.com and e-budo.com, the security of your computer and personal data may have been seriously
compromised.
Like most of these types of forums, they use cookies to track your movement and record you Internet Protocol (IP) Address to identify your computer.
This information gets recorded in thier data base along with your user name. So they know who you are, where you are and where you go on the internet.
They will run scripts that can gather other personal information off of your computer. If you use things like Quicken and Microsoft Money, they know what bank you use, what credit cards you use and other vital personal data.
This information then can be sold to marketing companies and spammers and can also be used for identity theft.
This is also now a popular way to spread viruses. If you use the Private Message feature to read notes from someone, you may very well find that your computer has unwanted and perhaps even harmful programming installed.
If you are concerned about the integrity of your personal information and the security of your computer, you should stay away from these types of forums.

Does anyone know anything about this? Is this a spammer, or a real problem?

 

[bydand]

I would say spammer. Just checked my e-mail and nothing and I have had a couple of PM's the last couple of days, as well as my regular surfing around the forum.

 

[Kacey]

I'm not so much worried about MT (sorry 'bout the typo, Bob!) as I am about where this person got my email address, which is not in my visible profile - to track it down through the website would be several steps most spammers wouldn't take, so I'm kind of wondering about how this person got my address and why this email was sent to me... and also if anyone else got it.

As it happens, I have more than one computer, and I don't usually use the desktop for web surfing... because it's the one with protected data on it; the laptop, being as it goes to grad school with me, has little on it in the way of protected data, and it's newer and faster, so it's the one I usually surf on.

 

[Eternal White Belt]

I got it too (twice today), but didn't open it because I didn't recognize the sender's name. Reported it as spam and went about my business. There is a similar question about this on e-budo. Someone's obviously gotten (bought) a list of addresses and is using it for their own nefarious purpose. What that purpose could be is anyone's guess at this point.

 

[terryl965]

They just want you to respond so they can retrieve your info., Bob and MT are a secure site.

 

[MA-Caver]

I got it too (twice today), but didn't open it because I didn't recognize the sender's name. Reported it as spam and went about my business. There is a similar question about this on e-budo. Someone's obviously gotten (bought) a list of addresses and is using it for their own nefarious purpose. What that purpose could be is anyone's guess at this point.

I haven't gotten any e-mail like this but like Eternal I don't open/touch anything if I don't immediately recognize it. It has to have person's name and something that I WILL recognize and acknowledge in the subject heading. I gotten an e-mail from someone I never met but it requested politely to read it as it concerned my "other-favorite-activity".
I make a habit of just straight blacklisting and deleting anything I don't know. If you want to e-mail me then better PM me first to let me know what's coming and what name to expect it under.

 

[Kacey]

Thanks, all - that's about what I thought, but this is the first one I've gotten that's been so clearly aimed at my 'net usage. Ordinarily I also won't open email from people I don't know; the header caught my attention. Since I use gmail, and nothing downloads unless I tell it to, I'm usually pretty safe, as long as I stay away from attachments. There weren't any on this one, and no request for a reply, which also seemed kind of unusual, compared to the spam I usually get that gmail shunts straight into the spam folder.

 

[Don Roley]

I'm not so much worried about MT (sorry 'bout the typo, Bob!) as I am about where this person got my email address, which is not in my visible profile - to track it down through the website would be several steps most spammers wouldn't take, so I'm kind of wondering about how this person got my address and why this email was sent to me... and also if anyone else got it.

From the sound of the last line of the e-mail, I think that maybe this guy has an agenda against here and e-budo. Possibly he or his group got exposed on these boards and he is trying to get people to avoid them so they will whither and fade away. A guy like that might go to more trouble than the typical spammer. Especially since you are a moderator.

 

[Cryozombie]

Bob and MT are a secure site.

I always thought of Bob as a person, not a site, and well, maybe he's a TOUCH insecure at times. But who amongst us isnt?

 

[MA-Caver]

I always thought of Bob as a person, not a site,

Have you ever SEEN Bob's picture?? .... oh he's a SIGHT alright! :lol:

 

[Bob Hubbard]

I'll be posting shortly a reply to this, individuals "concerns".

Simply put folks, MT and it's siblings are secure sites, and much of what was written in the FUD email is bogus.

 

[Don Roley]

They are talking about this over at e-budo as well.

http://www.e-budo.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35853

The incident seems to be tied in with someone with videos on-line. Maybe someone can explain it to me.

 

[MSTCNC]

Don,

It looks like the second link posted (about the videos) was an oops... as stated by the Joe Yang...

Both of the "correct" links that were posted lead to a UK website for a Martial Arts School... Steve Crowther Kensei Kai...

Never heard of him... I wonder if he's been Bullshido'd... I'll have to look...

Anyways... looks like someones Cheerios got pee'd in... and now someone is looking for payback... pathetic as it is...

I hope this helps clarify it...

Your Brother in the arts,

Andrew

 

[Don Roley]

Both of the "correct" links that were posted lead to a UK website for a Martial Arts School... Steve Crowther Kensei Kai...

Ah, and considering the e-mail address this was sent from, I think we have a prime suspect.

We had to have had a laugh at something he did with a sword.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

The interesting part is, this 'person' claiming all sort of unethical behaviors on our part, and for him to have obtained any information from us would require illegal activities on his part. Says a lot right there IMO.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

More interesting:

[email protected]
SMTP error from remote mail server after RCPT TO:<[email protected]>:
host smtp.wanadoo.fr [193.252.22.81]: 552 <[email protected]>:
Recipient address rejected: 5.2.2 Over quota

Looks like he's gotten some replies from people to his misinformation.