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How a Russian Syndicate Scammed Us for $25K

empireflippers.com

31–40 of 71 posts

Re: How a Russian Syndicate Scammed Us for $25K

#31

Ok so wait, in response to getting scammed you hacked into this guys accounts to gather information? And then admit to it publicly ? And then dox the guy? Unprofessional doesn't even begin...

Yeah, I'm not entirely sure the ends justify the means here.

Considering it's international in nature, did they have any other option or recourse?

Re: How a Russian Syndicate Scammed Us for $25K

#32

"We could submit a DMCA takedown request via GoDaddy and Media Temple. Starting with a broad request to see if that works, and then lay out the details if we get any pushback from the companies." Awesome. More DMCA abuse. And this is why we need penalties against bad actors who knowingly file fraudulent takedown requests. Does empireflippers know they are also the bad guys in this story?

Is it?

I'm sure the transfer deal when you buy the site will include an IP provision, whereby, if you reverse the charge, or don't pay in some way, you don't own the copyright to the site and its contents. That sounds like a valid case of a DMCA complaint being made.

I remember the story of a client who got an agency to do a load of branding work. Said he didn't like it, and would be going elsewhere, having only paid the deposit - that's fine, it's part of the terms and conditions ... however, said client then went and used that exact branding.

Last I heard, a DMCA claim took the website down and he came crawling back to pay the balance at he had a regional advertising campaign about to go live.

Re: How a Russian Syndicate Scammed Us for $25K

#35

Ok so wait, in response to getting scammed you hacked into this guys accounts to gather information? And then admit to it publicly ? And then dox the guy? Unprofessional doesn't even begin...

Exactly this. I reply here because it applies to most of the other replies so far. Breaking the law is not justified even if you »only« affect someone who also broke the law and affected you with that. In the real world as on the internet. Period. Sometimes the world is unfair, suck it up, but don't become criminal yourself.

Re: How a Russian Syndicate Scammed Us for $25K

#36

"We could submit a DMCA takedown request via GoDaddy and Media Temple. Starting with a broad request to see if that works, and then lay out the details if we get any pushback from the companies." Awesome. More DMCA abuse. And this is why we need penalties against bad actors who knowingly file fraudulent takedown requests. Does empireflippers know they are also the bad guys in this story?

I really don't find anything they did to be morally reprehensible. They didn't use a DMCA, but even if they did this isn't some idealist fantasy world. Not to mention that there's a legitimate use to DMCA. I'd consider it too.

If you're talking about the fact that they logged in to the scammers accounts, I'm not going to fault them for that. I'd do it too if I had the chance. I'm not going to sit by and let that happen to me. There's no legal recourse that can help you, the laws and enforcement agencies are too far behind. Hell, in the US we have people that don't use email dictating laws on internet regulations.

Re: How a Russian Syndicate Scammed Us for $25K

#37

Ok so wait, in response to getting scammed you hacked into this guys accounts to gather information? And then admit to it publicly ? And then dox the guy? Unprofessional doesn't even begin...

I don't see any admission or indication of "hacking". Unprofessional? - if "professional" means keeping quiet, reporting it authorities (who don't care and can't do anything about it) and riding quietly into the sunset call me unprofessional any day.

Please take this in the spirit it is intended:

I would never under any circumstances ever share personal information with a company that behaved as you have documented.

You believe this guy has scammed you so you went through his personal artifacts and shared communications to get vigilante justice. Fair enough as a person I dont blame you and find it funny, as a business you just cannot be trusted with personal information.

In the grand scheme of things, all you really illustrated is that for 25K empireflippers is willing to 'hack' someone who as you say yourself hasnt been established guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, but who you have 'good enough' info on.

'Professional' means operating by a business driven code of behavior. You let this issue become 'Personal', and as such took steps to get 'revenge'. You literally committed crimes during the course of getting revenge, and you 'transparently' confessed to these crimes in writing on a public forum that is tied to your 'professional' endeavor. You should have consulted a lawyer both before you took these steps, and before you confessed to taking this steps.

Re: How a Russian Syndicate Scammed Us for $25K

#38

Ok so wait, in response to getting scammed you hacked into this guys accounts to gather information? And then admit to it publicly ? And then dox the guy? Unprofessional doesn't even begin...

>>> in response to getting scammed you hacked into this guys accounts to gather information? Not really hacking when they gave you the passwords already. That's like me accusing you of breaking into my house after I gave you a key to the lock. >>>> And then admit to it publicly? I agree this probably isn't the best thing, but considering the targets are in eastern Europe, and they are criminals, I doubt they're going…

>> Not really hacking when they gave you the passwords already. That's like me accusing you of breaking into my house after I gave you a key to the lock.

If you lend me keys to your house for a specific purpose, am I also legally entitled to rifle through your drawers until I've found your car keys and then have a drive around in that? They used the word "password hacking" in the email, and using a password somebody has stupidly shared with you for a specific purpose to also access their email accounts and eBay, Namecheap is undisputably hacking of the illegal variety, even if the targets in this instance are particularly obnoxious criminals themselves as well as incredibly slack when it comes to security.

I can understand why someone might feel entitled to abuse the password they'd been given in order to see whether it helps them to recover their property, but to then boast about the felony they've committed on a corporate blog?

Re: How a Russian Syndicate Scammed Us for $25K

#39
post #34

>Nate ended up buying both sites for only $5,000—amazing value, considering they were fraudulently purchased from us for nearly $23K! Really, is that how you decide that something is an amazing value?

No. Amazing value because those sites combined were earning close to $1,200 per month in profit. $5K for that is an absolute steal, so Nate was just happy he got an amazing deal. (And didn't know the sites were stolen)
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