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Author Topic: Scammers are a *very* tenacious lot  (Read 2399 times)

Offline tacit

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Scammers are a *very* tenacious lot
« on: June 29, 2014, 08:54:21 PM »
I just finished writing a book, called More Than Two, with one of my partners. It's at the printers now and will be out September 2. That hasn't stopped scammers from offering a "free" download of the eBook version on a pirate Web site for bootleg eBooks.

The eBook does exist, but it has only been released to folks who backed the crowdfunding campaign to make the book happen, so naturally my first thought was one of our backers must have leaked it somehow.

Turns out it's a bit more nefarious than that. The scammers are claiming to offer a free download of the ebook, and the Web site makes you fill out a "survey for a free offer" to get it (naturally, they make money every time someone completes one of these "surveys")...but when you do that, the file that downloads to your computer isn't our book. It's a Windows executable disguised as an eBook.

So basically the scammers are making money, and spreading malware, off of our name and book. Which is really annoying.

I wrote a detailed analysis of the scam on my blog. To say that I'm annoyed is a grand understatement.
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Offline krissel

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Scammers are a *very* tenacious lot
« Reply #1 on: June 29, 2014, 11:30:29 PM »
That stinks!  But at least for now your ebook has not been compromised. whew.gif
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Offline Xairbusdriver

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Scammers are a *very* tenacious lot
« Reply #2 on: June 30, 2014, 09:26:40 AM »
First, congratulations on your new book, tacit!

QUOTE
at least for now your ebook has not been compromised [emphasis added]
Of course, not! That would be illegal as well as deceitful and less than human! rolleyes.gif Never ceases to amaze me at how much mental effort some people will expend to deceive and defraud. Think of all the advances we might have by now if that effort had been put into solving problems.

The Internet is both a blessing and a curse, just depends on what is done with it.
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Offline tacit

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Scammers are a *very* tenacious lot
« Reply #3 on: June 30, 2014, 05:22:15 PM »
QUOTE(Xairbusdriver @ Jun 30 2014, 02:26 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Never ceases to amaze me at how much mental effort some people will expend to deceive and defraud. Think of all the advances we might have by now if that effort had been put into solving problems.


Amen to that.

I give a great deal of my writing away for free. Most of the stuff on my many Web sites is available under a Creative Commons-like license; people are free to reproduce it as long as they give credit and a return link. Yet every six months or so I have to file a whole bunch of copyright complaints against Web sites that take the stuff I write and fail to credit it (or, worse, claim it was written by someone else). I don't understand what motivates people to steal things that are available for free.

The book represents a years' worth of work and a big financial investment; we actually started a publishing company to publish it (and we have three more books lined up for the next year). We've gone deep into debt to finance starting this publishing company, so the fact that people would be willing to steal our work is very disheartening.
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Offline sandbox

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Scammers are a *very* tenacious lot
« Reply #4 on: July 21, 2014, 02:59:19 AM »
I've received the email-links and pre-releases, never suspecting they were from anyone but you.

If you don't mind I'll pass along your detailed experience to others that may find it useful.
http://tacit.livejournal.com/592207.html
« Last Edit: July 21, 2014, 03:13:04 AM by sandbox »
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Offline tacit

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Scammers are a *very* tenacious lot
« Reply #5 on: July 21, 2014, 05:50:32 PM »
QUOTE(sandbox @ Jul 21 2014, 07:59 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I've received the email-links and pre-releases, never suspecting they were from anyone but you.

If you don't mind I'll pass along your detailed experience to others that may find it useful.
http://tacit.livejournal.com/592207.html


If you got the prerelease information from Mailchimp or Indiegogo, that was us. The offer of a "free" eBook to non-backers is fake.
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Offline jcarter

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Scammers are a *very* tenacious lot
« Reply #6 on: July 23, 2014, 11:57:15 AM »
Thats really scary, what they wont think of next!
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Offline Xairbusdriver

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Scammers are a *very* tenacious lot
« Reply #7 on: July 23, 2014, 01:37:42 PM »
QUOTE
Thats really scary, what they wont think of next!
Thievery? Nothing new about that! laugh.gif Been around even before the interweb! WOW.gif
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Offline jcarter

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Scammers are a *very* tenacious lot
« Reply #8 on: July 23, 2014, 01:41:17 PM »
Oh, it sure has, but this way of doing it, sure is scary.
On a different note, high heat and humidity, and here are our dogs after a swim, tired for sure.
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Offline krissel

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Scammers are a *very* tenacious lot
« Reply #9 on: July 24, 2014, 12:50:01 AM »
QUOTE(jcarter @ Jul 23 2014, 02:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
... here are our dogs after a swim, tired for sure.



Too cute. smile.gif

They look like they're doing the sidestroke or dreaming that they are.  
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Offline jchuzi

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Scammers are a *very* tenacious lot
« Reply #10 on: July 24, 2014, 06:07:36 AM »
Sidestroke? Never! They only know how to do the dog paddle.  dry.gif
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Offline jcarter

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Scammers are a *very* tenacious lot
« Reply #11 on: July 24, 2014, 09:45:36 AM »
They really do the sidestroke, when they are dreaming, all 4 paws move, and they make a silly yip yip sound.
Ive got some funny videos of them dreaming.
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