WARNING! You will NEVER get a call from MoneySavingExpert! BEWARE SCAMSTERS!

Suej

My son had a call from someone today, who said he was from Martin Lewis, and he wanted to send out a pack so we could reclaim bank charges. He had ALL my son's bank card details - read them out to him- and his address etc. The minute I heard that, I was suspicious (thanks to the email from you last night!) and we called the bank and cancelled his card. Thanks Martin![/quote]

He didn't get any details cos he was really busy at work, but thought it was legitimate because he's heard me talking about bank charges and your site quite a lot. They called on his mobile, but the number was withheld.

T_Horton

MSE_Martin wrote: »

Do you still have a copy of the email? I would like to see it and see if we can take legal action (though i suspect its off shore and untraceable, others i've seen have been)

Martin

Hi Martin

I have been developing a website which may be of use for you RE: the above quote, and for your website visitors in general.

Basically, it is an email tracker. The user copies the email header (easily found in computer programmes like Outlook Express and Thunderbird etc. on to the website, and the website will then tell the user who has sent them the email, the country (anywhere in the world) where the email has originated, and the Internet Service Provider etc. you need to complain to.

Still in it's early stages, but I think the site will be really useful, especially if people get spoof emails from banks. I aim to create a reporting facility too (to send direct to banks etc.) once the intitial system is in place.

Not really finance, but I think it will really help you with tracking down who is sending out these silly emails!

I will keep you (and everyone on here) informed if you are interested.

Best Regards




Tom

Pete_Biggs

Don't nearly all spam/phishing/dodgy emails have spoofed headers, which would render this useless?

T_Horton wrote: »

Hi Martin

I have been developing a website which may be of use for you RE: the above quote, and for your website visitors in general.

Basically, it is an email tracker. The user copies the email header (easily found in computer programmes like Outlook Express and Thunderbird etc. on to the website, and the website will then tell the user who has sent them the email, the country (anywhere in the world) where the email has originated, and the Internet Service Provider etc. you need to complain to.

Still in it's early stages, but I think the site will be really useful, especially if people get spoof emails from banks. I aim to create a reporting facility too (to send direct to banks etc.) once the intitial system is in place.

Not really finance, but I think it will really help you with tracking down who is sending out these silly emails!

I will keep you (and everyone on here) informed if you are interested.

Best Regards




Tom

T_Horton

Well, I have been testing it myself so far and have found that it seemed to have worked OK (will be worth getting some beta testers in for this as well).

Just to explain as an example, I received some spam from "Taiwan" supposedly, but after closer inspection by my system, it shows the email has originated from Brazil, and shows the apparent email domain service it was sent from. It also tells you if the email address is valid or not, and also the details of the ISP the details belong to.

Does this make a bit more sense?

Would appreciate any comments on this.

MothballsWallet

MSE_Martin wrote: »

Do you still have a copy of the email? I would like to see it and see if we can take legal action (though i suspect its off shore and untraceable, others i've seen have been)

Martin

Nothing's untraceable, you know, not if you talk to the right people like, say, Scotland Yard.

Actually, anyone ever tried doing a trace route (tracert) followed by appropriate whois searches on a sender's address in one of these emails? That would be interesting, and give you more domains to contact, most likely of ISPs.

T_Horton

The software I have developed uses all of those techniques mentioned by MothBallsWallet. Still developing it at the moment though. I might put a link on here to the test pages soon, only if anyone is interested?

MothballsWallet

T_Horton wrote: »

The software I have developed uses all of those techniques mentioned by MothBallsWallet. Still developing it at the moment though. I might put a link on here to the test pages soon, only if anyone is interested?

Doesn't Sam Spade use some of the same tricks for tracking down and reporting spam?

I'd be interested in taking a look at it when you're ready.