Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Turnitin Bot Not Behaving

Turnitinbot is still not behaving. We have blocked it with our robots.txt file and it is still bombing our sites - using bandwidth and resources unneccessarily.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Hackers trying different user agents to bypass bot filters perhaps?

This is pretty clearly hacker traffic as the same IP is basically trying out different user agents one after another...the same thing is coming in from different networks:

1 74.86.171.82 5/2/2008 11:54:44 AM Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 5.0; Windows 98)
2 74.86.171.82 5/2/2008 11:54:44 AM Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1; InfoPath.1)
1 74.86.171.82 5/2/2008 11:54:43 AM Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1; MyIE2; MRA 4.4 (build 01348))
2 74.86.171.82 5/2/2008 11:54:43 AM Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1)
2 74.86.171.82 5/2/2008 11:54:43 AM Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; U) Opera 7.54 [ru]
3 74.86.171.82 5/2/2008 11:54:43 AM Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; Googlebot/2.1;+http://www.google.com/bot.html)
4 74.86.171.82 5/2/2008 11:54:43 AM Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 5.01; Windows NT 5.0)
2 74.86.171.82 5/2/2008 11:54:42 AM Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1; http://www.tropicdesigns.net)
1 74.86.171.82 5/2/2008 11:54:42 AM Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 5.0; Windows 98; DigExt; MRA 4.0 (build 00768))
3 74.86.171.82 5/2/2008 11:54:42 AM Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 5.0; Windows 98; DigExt)
1 74.86.171.82 5/2/2008 11:54:42 AM Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; MRA 4.1 (build 00975))
4 74.86.171.82 5/2/2008 11:54:42 AM Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1)
2 74.86.171.82 5/2/2008 11:54:42 AM Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; .NET CLR 2.0.50727)

6 77.188.143.240 3/21/2008 12:02:48 AM Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; .NET CLR 2.0.50727)
5 77.188.143.240 3/21/2008 12:02:47 AM Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1)
6 77.188.143.240 3/21/2008 12:02:47 AM Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1; .NET CLR 1.1.4322)
6 77.188.143.240 3/21/2008 12:02:45 AM Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1; .NET)
12 77.188.143.240 3/21/2008 12:02:45 AM Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; InfoPath.1)
8 77.188.143.240 3/21/2008 12:02:44 AM Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.0.7) Gecko/20060909 Firefox/1.5.0.7
3 68.178.99.210 3/20/2008 5:46:16 PM Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1)
1 84.121.217.19 3/20/2008 3:13:25 PM Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1; .NET)
2 84.121.217.19 3/20/2008 3:13:24 PM Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; InfoPath.1)
2 84.121.217.19 3/20/2008 3:13:23 PM Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; .NET CLR 2.0.50727)
2 84.121.217.19 3/20/2008 3:13:23 PM Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1; .NET CLR 1.1.4322)
1 84.121.217.19 3/20/2008 3:13:22 PM Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1)
1 84.121.217.19 3/20/2008 3:13:21 PM Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.0.7) Gecko/20060909 Firefox/1.5.0.7

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Fraudulent Google Ad Clicks

I submitted probably hundreds of clicks in the past couple of months from networks owned by or run by the same company that were clicking on our Google ads apparently. When I tallied up the number of clicks based on analytics from our logs and compared it to the clicks in Google - I can see that a number of clicks from these networks were included in the clicks we were charged for by Google. We have very detailed logging in two forms in a way I can easily query a database to get a very accurate count.

I contacted the network from whence the nasty clicks were coming and they claimed they were not doing it. They claimed they never hit our sites. The clicks stopped as soon as I contacted them and they blocked out traffic from their networks at the firewall level, so clearly those clicks were the result of some kind of hack or maliciousness because they wouldn't block it out if it was valid.

Google responded by telling me not to worry - that they never charge for fraudulent clicks. I hope they mean that they are going to review my traffic and clicks and give me a credit...

Google Adwords Click Bots

After reviewing all the clicks on our ads last month and finding some clearly malware generated clicks on our site, I reported it to Google and waiting to hear back. The offending network has blocked out any traffic to our web sites from their network via their firewall. I suggested they turn on valid as well as invalid hits on their firewall to see where this traffic is coming from because we were getting bombed (and paying for) a huge amount of clicks from their network.

After digging deeper into network traffic I am seeing some things that I feel like Google should easily be able to block out as invalid clicks and not charge us for them. For instace I've found the following user agents in the mix:

internal zero-knowledge agent from 71.117.15.41 multiple times on 5/31/2008
VB Project from 66.233.201.171 on 6/1/2008
No user agent from 66.228.208.166 on 6/5/2008
libcurl agent from 69.41.14.151 on 5/28/2008
VB Project from 24.113.5.42 on 5/26/2008
No user agent from 75.146.62.233 on 5/26/2008
No user agent from 75.146.62.233 on 5/22/2008
No user agent from 75.146.62.233 on 5/16/2008

Additionally starting on 4/9/2008 we started to get a number of invalid requests which indicate they come from Google and I am very skeptical that these particualr requests are legitimate based on the analytics. I asked Google to stop sending us these types of referrals and it seems like we didn't get any today - I hope that they are gone for good because I am not sure the following clicks came from actual potential customers -- of note this particular IP: 206.169.110.66 also hit our site numerous times with something called "page_prefetcher".

6/9/2008 17:54 67.183.35.29
6/9/2008 14:26 96.239.200.74
6/9/2008 13:38 12.228.1.96
6/8/2008 20:53 67.228.207.202
6/7/2008 16:22 24.18.87.97
6/7/2008 12:58 67.225.66.92
6/6/2008 14:43 150.70.84.27
6/6/2008 14:07 67.135.34.242
6/6/2008 0:21 24.18.139.13
6/5/2008 17:35 4.179.53.243
6/5/2008 17:35 4.179.53.243
6/5/2008 1:15 66.228.208.166
6/3/2008 21:05 70.58.64.231
6/3/2008 19:31 76.28.185.32
6/3/2008 17:26 167.88.201.100
6/3/2008 10:59 66.235.13.106
6/3/2008 8:13 24.19.32.200
6/3/2008 1:20 75.146.62.233
6/2/2008 20:10 76.28.185.32
6/2/2008 20:02 76.28.185.32
6/2/2008 20:01 76.28.185.32
6/2/2008 17:46 216.128.111.206
6/2/2008 17:45 216.128.111.206
6/2/2008 17:43 216.128.111.206
6/2/2008 17:41 216.128.111.206
6/2/2008 17:40 216.128.111.206
6/2/2008 14:11 24.18.211.183
6/2/2008 10:02 66.224.213.198
6/1/2008 20:38 97.113.16.141
6/1/2008 17:37 66.233.201.171
6/1/2008 16:22 75.146.62.233
6/1/2008 4:54 75.146.62.233
5/31/2008 23:53 75.146.62.233
5/31/2008 20:27 67.182.151.157
5/31/2008 19:32 76.121.171.169
5/31/2008 17:05 71.117.15.41
5/31/2008 17:05 71.117.15.41
5/31/2008 17:05 71.117.15.41
5/31/2008 16:36 71.121.204.110
5/31/2008 15:12 66.147.230.40
5/31/2008 14:56 24.113.130.126
5/31/2008 13:19 71.231.107.142
5/30/2008 19:33 66.228.208.165
5/30/2008 19:33 66.228.208.165
5/30/2008 17:21 63.225.178.179
5/30/2008 15:37 216.128.111.204
5/30/2008 15:25 216.127.48.246
5/30/2008 13:47 216.254.12.195
5/30/2008 8:53 207.66.220.2
5/30/2008 7:45 150.70.84.27
5/30/2008 7:33 150.70.84.27
5/29/2008 20:54 24.16.195.38
5/29/2008 20:43 24.16.195.38
5/29/2008 19:16 66.228.208.165
5/29/2008 19:07 71.231.183.118
5/29/2008 16:12 76.22.29.101
5/29/2008 14:34 69.56.81.124
5/29/2008 12:35 69.56.81.146
5/29/2008 10:44 76.28.187.65
5/29/2008 9:05 216.127.38.230
5/29/2008 7:41 66.243.225.80
5/29/2008 6:47 66.228.208.167
5/29/2008 2:31 207.246.157.67
5/28/2008 18:25 69.41.14.151
5/28/2008 18:25 69.41.14.151
5/28/2008 13:37 66.228.208.166
5/28/2008 10:24 207.178.0.196
5/28/2008 10:18 75.172.16.64
5/28/2008 8:23 207.178.1.65
5/28/2008 8:17 70.193.81.125
5/27/2008 21:07 71.112.253.195
5/27/2008 17:14 38.100.225.210
5/27/2008 14:19 24.19.50.253
5/27/2008 13:25 66.165.27.95
5/27/2008 10:34 207.178.0.196
5/27/2008 10:15 207.178.14.6
5/26/2008 18:49 75.100.185.182
5/26/2008 17:26 71.120.229.172
5/26/2008 17:25 71.212.8.188
5/26/2008 16:58 150.70.84.48
5/26/2008 16:04 207.66.160.1
5/26/2008 16:04 76.121.42.138
5/26/2008 13:57 76.121.230.246
5/26/2008 12:34 69.29.203.249
5/26/2008 12:25 67.40.195.145
5/26/2008 12:25 67.40.195.145
5/26/2008 10:20 24.113.5.42
5/26/2008 10:12 207.178.0.196
5/26/2008 9:14 24.17.71.223
5/26/2008 8:53 24.17.71.223
5/26/2008 7:34 24.17.71.223
5/26/2008 3:47 75.146.62.233
5/25/2008 23:15 67.171.46.218
5/25/2008 20:13 150.70.84.48
5/25/2008 16:11 208.51.49.107
5/24/2008 20:51 24.113.18.222
5/24/2008 20:47 216.127.38.230
5/24/2008 20:46 24.113.18.222
5/24/2008 19:49 216.127.52.10
5/24/2008 19:48 24.113.130.126
5/24/2008 19:09 207.246.140.49
5/24/2008 15:31 207.66.160.61
5/24/2008 14:14 207.178.1.68
5/24/2008 13:22 24.21.113.66
5/24/2008 12:25 150.70.84.27
5/24/2008 12:15 216.127.48.244
5/24/2008 7:30 150.70.84.27
5/24/2008 7:29 207.66.220.2
5/23/2008 16:24 71.35.106.207
5/23/2008 15:26 98.203.214.173
5/23/2008 8:04 207.207.79.115
5/22/2008 14:30 67.168.130.61
5/22/2008 14:14 75.146.62.233
5/22/2008 12:23 24.17.217.160
5/22/2008 12:23 24.17.217.160
5/22/2008 10:08 207.178.14.1
5/21/2008 20:23 24.22.230.114
5/21/2008 15:03 71.164.20.21
5/21/2008 7:56 24.26.58.81
5/20/2008 19:20 65.101.143.10
5/20/2008 16:53 24.19.154.34
5/20/2008 14:29 65.113.243.198
5/20/2008 13:13 65.113.243.198
5/20/2008 11:29 207.66.220.2
5/20/2008 9:22 207.246.152.67
5/20/2008 8:00 207.246.152.70
5/20/2008 5:38 207.246.157.68
5/20/2008 5:23 76.28.190.90
5/20/2008 5:21 207.246.154.133
5/20/2008 3:01 207.178.0.196
5/20/2008 2:07 207.66.220.2
5/20/2008 2:03 216.240.139.9
5/20/2008 0:26 207.178.0.196
5/19/2008 17:06 70.192.106.3
5/19/2008 15:11 98.203.214.173
5/19/2008 15:09 98.203.214.173
5/19/2008 12:53 130.76.32.23
5/19/2008 12:30 71.39.132.114
5/19/2008 11:14 207.178.1.67
5/18/2008 20:24 207.246.157.65
5/18/2008 20:12 207.178.0.196
5/18/2008 19:22 68.178.78.154
5/18/2008 16:24 75.92.161.253
5/18/2008 14:34 216.127.52.12
5/18/2008 12:41 71.35.145.22
5/18/2008 11:45 207.66.220.2
5/18/2008 8:01 71.113.40.8
5/18/2008 7:46 207.178.0.196
5/17/2008 22:13 207.66.220.2
5/17/2008 16:26 207.246.154.132
5/17/2008 7:51 24.16.194.235
5/17/2008 5:51 75.146.62.233
5/16/2008 20:03 75.146.62.233
5/16/2008 15:42 155.70.23.45
5/16/2008 12:12 72.11.71.226
5/16/2008 11:07 207.246.157.69
5/16/2008 10:59 207.246.157.69
5/16/2008 5:56 207.246.140.49
5/15/2008 18:47 207.66.220.2
5/15/2008 12:34 207.178.0.196
5/15/2008 12:08 207.246.152.69
5/15/2008 12:06 207.246.152.69
5/15/2008 11:57 68.165.228.136
5/15/2008 8:08 216.127.43.132
5/15/2008 7:12 207.246.157.68
5/15/2008 7:01 216.127.48.242
5/15/2008 6:57 207.178.1.70
5/15/2008 6:50 67.160.45.57
5/15/2008 5:09 207.178.0.196
5/15/2008 5:03 207.178.57.67
5/14/2008 21:11 24.21.122.134
5/14/2008 10:21 207.178.1.67
5/14/2008 10:17 207.178.1.70
5/14/2008 10:17 207.178.1.67
5/14/2008 10:16 207.178.1.67
5/14/2008 10:15 207.178.1.67
5/14/2008 10:12 207.178.57.69
5/14/2008 6:26 207.66.220.2
5/14/2008 5:07 207.178.0.196
5/14/2008 5:04 216.127.44.11
5/14/2008 4:58 207.246.152.68
5/14/2008 4:47 207.246.157.68
5/14/2008 4:40 207.246.140.50
5/14/2008 1:05 216.127.43.134
5/14/2008 0:55 207.246.157.67
5/13/2008 23:04 216.127.48.241
5/13/2008 22:58 207.178.48.67
5/13/2008 22:55 207.178.1.68
5/13/2008 21:04 207.178.0.196
5/13/2008 20:09 207.246.157.67
5/13/2008 19:56 66.180.82.88
5/13/2008 18:43 216.127.38.228
5/13/2008 17:24 71.121.146.152
5/13/2008 15:31 207.178.0.196
5/13/2008 15:29 216.127.52.10
5/13/2008 15:25 216.127.48.244
5/13/2008 15:23 216.127.48.244
5/13/2008 13:39 207.178.1.68
5/13/2008 13:38 207.178.1.66
5/13/2008 13:36 207.178.26.2
5/13/2008 13:33 216.127.44.12
5/13/2008 13:29 216.127.44.12
5/13/2008 13:25 207.246.157.68
5/13/2008 13:22 207.246.157.68
5/13/2008 12:17 207.178.1.66
5/13/2008 9:52 216.127.52.9
5/13/2008 8:19 207.178.0.196
5/13/2008 8:03 207.178.0.196
5/13/2008 6:06 207.66.160.3
5/13/2008 4:32 216.127.48.242
5/13/2008 3:21 216.127.44.14
5/13/2008 3:20 216.127.44.14
5/13/2008 3:13 207.246.157.65
5/13/2008 3:13 207.246.157.65
5/13/2008 0:29 216.127.44.9
5/13/2008 0:14 216.127.44.14
5/12/2008 18:27 207.246.155.196
5/12/2008 18:27 207.246.155.196
5/12/2008 18:24 207.246.155.196
5/12/2008 18:12 207.178.0.196
5/12/2008 18:09 207.178.0.196
5/12/2008 18:07 207.178.0.196
5/12/2008 17:52 63.226.202.112
5/12/2008 17:40 71.231.209.183
5/12/2008 15:40 32.155.26.91
5/12/2008 13:07 207.178.1.69
5/12/2008 13:03 207.178.1.69
5/12/2008 12:47 216.127.38.228
5/12/2008 12:12 207.246.140.52
5/12/2008 12:06 207.246.140.52
5/12/2008 11:57 216.127.44.13
5/12/2008 10:45 216.127.44.11
5/12/2008 9:55 98.203.133.46
5/12/2008 9:55 98.203.133.46
5/12/2008 9:55 98.203.133.46
5/12/2008 9:55 98.203.133.46
5/12/2008 9:47 98.203.133.46
5/12/2008 9:42 207.178.1.68
5/12/2008 1:18 207.178.0.196
5/12/2008 1:06 207.246.152.66
5/11/2008 21:41 71.231.72.47
5/11/2008 18:35 76.28.152.19
5/11/2008 17:55 67.183.123.209
5/11/2008 17:38 207.246.140.51
5/11/2008 14:57 66.180.82.88
5/11/2008 11:58 66.180.82.88
5/11/2008 9:39 207.178.0.196
5/11/2008 9:00 207.178.0.196
5/11/2008 8:54 216.127.48.241
5/11/2008 8:03 207.178.57.69
5/11/2008 6:37 98.203.133.46
5/11/2008 6:28 98.203.133.46
5/11/2008 6:15 207.178.1.69
5/11/2008 3:05 71.231.133.31
5/11/2008 2:25 207.178.1.67
5/11/2008 2:18 207.246.152.70
5/11/2008 2:10 207.246.140.50
5/11/2008 0:29 71.113.51.111
5/11/2008 0:22 207.178.0.196
5/10/2008 19:45 76.28.190.90
5/10/2008 18:35 207.246.157.69
5/10/2008 18:05 207.246.157.68
5/10/2008 17:56 216.127.48.241
5/10/2008 17:52 216.127.48.241
5/10/2008 16:25 66.180.82.88
5/10/2008 14:26 67.168.174.55
5/10/2008 13:39 216.127.38.230
5/10/2008 13:37 207.246.157.65
5/10/2008 13:37 216.127.38.230
5/10/2008 13:36 216.127.38.230
5/10/2008 12:24 207.178.0.196
5/10/2008 11:08 207.246.157.68
5/10/2008 10:58 207.178.1.69
5/10/2008 10:26 207.178.57.69
5/10/2008 10:13 216.127.52.9
5/10/2008 9:47 207.178.0.196
5/10/2008 9:36 216.127.38.230
5/10/2008 9:28 207.178.14.4
5/10/2008 9:26 207.178.14.4
5/10/2008 8:45 207.66.160.3
5/10/2008 8:42 207.66.160.3
5/10/2008 4:02 216.127.44.14
5/9/2008 20:15 67.160.58.222
5/9/2008 9:13 24.22.210.15
5/9/2008 9:13 24.22.210.15
5/8/2008 21:26 75.146.62.233
5/8/2008 17:15 206.191.173.159
5/8/2008 15:27 75.121.224.62
5/8/2008 11:14 207.178.0.196
5/8/2008 11:14 207.178.0.196
5/8/2008 11:14 207.178.0.196
5/7/2008 19:20 69.10.212.5
5/7/2008 16:48 66.180.82.88
5/7/2008 12:16 66.165.5.154
5/7/2008 11:59 24.18.210.251
5/6/2008 21:30 71.121.134.24
5/6/2008 12:47 207.178.0.196
5/6/2008 11:44 75.216.224.213
5/6/2008 9:30 150.70.84.154
5/6/2008 8:56 66.180.82.88
5/5/2008 15:11 216.240.139.9
5/5/2008 9:07 66.180.82.88
5/5/2008 6:06 24.18.187.97
5/4/2008 12:59 24.19.46.195
5/3/2008 19:13 152.117.241.94
5/3/2008 16:20 71.112.8.239
5/2/2008 14:40 67.170.104.206
5/2/2008 14:21 76.115.181.71
5/2/2008 12:14 66.213.206.2
5/1/2008 13:12 66.150.9.2
5/1/2008 13:11 65.102.63.59
4/30/2008 20:49 207.108.209.249
4/30/2008 19:21 207.200.116.71
4/30/2008 19:21 207.200.116.71
4/30/2008 16:27 208.70.118.237
4/30/2008 12:24 71.188.250.70
4/29/2008 12:55 4.242.9.82
4/29/2008 12:55 4.242.9.82
4/29/2008 11:55 67.170.95.168
4/29/2008 10:06 71.112.244.57
4/29/2008 10:04 71.112.244.57
4/27/2008 10:22 98.225.29.252
4/27/2008 7:31 24.18.228.135
4/26/2008 19:23 71.212.2.103
4/26/2008 19:01 70.125.156.68
4/26/2008 12:03 76.121.14.238
4/25/2008 14:24 146.129.247.2
4/25/2008 10:19 75.165.14.201
4/25/2008 2:55 199.117.2.58
4/24/2008 20:19 207.200.116.6
4/24/2008 20:19 207.200.116.6
4/24/2008 20:15 207.200.116.134
4/24/2008 20:15 207.200.116.134
4/24/2008 20:10 75.121.224.31
4/24/2008 16:07 65.160.238.180
4/24/2008 14:56 67.183.126.104
4/24/2008 14:24 67.183.126.104
4/22/2008 14:13 207.225.242.1
4/22/2008 10:01 64.122.250.13
4/21/2008 17:16 4.242.60.232
4/21/2008 16:50 4.242.60.232
4/21/2008 9:01 76.84.97.87
4/20/2008 19:49 24.18.132.106
4/20/2008 16:31 216.240.139.9
4/20/2008 9:00 24.113.218.28
4/20/2008 8:24 70.109.87.156
4/19/2008 9:29 67.101.1.198
4/19/2008 9:05 66.67.167.138
4/18/2008 12:16 68.55.80.153
4/18/2008 11:02 74.61.14.69
4/18/2008 8:36 216.220.163.131
4/17/2008 14:52 204.11.206.66
4/17/2008 10:54 72.160.81.9
4/17/2008 9:41 67.171.38.15
4/17/2008 7:54 70.145.72.210
4/16/2008 8:35 130.76.32.145
4/16/2008 1:08 76.22.98.254
4/15/2008 20:36 38.103.128.245
4/15/2008 11:33 63.229.10.210
4/15/2008 11:04 64.221.112.226
4/15/2008 8:11 150.70.84.27
4/14/2008 13:31 208.64.242.83
4/14/2008 10:52 38.103.128.245
4/14/2008 8:55 204.246.129.196
4/14/2008 8:17 38.103.128.245
4/14/2008 8:15 38.103.128.245
4/14/2008 8:15 38.103.128.245
4/14/2008 7:03 150.70.84.154
4/13/2008 15:04 4.242.60.93
4/13/2008 15:00 4.242.60.93
4/13/2008 14:35 4.242.60.93
4/13/2008 14:08 71.231.10.128
4/13/2008 14:08 71.231.10.128
4/13/2008 14:08 71.231.10.128
4/12/2008 16:25 75.172.87.114
4/12/2008 15:59 24.145.231.173
4/12/2008 15:26 71.249.87.226
4/12/2008 14:27 69.214.22.116
4/12/2008 12:33 207.43.224.70
4/12/2008 12:33 207.43.224.80
4/12/2008 9:57 150.70.84.27
4/12/2008 9:46 70.145.21.26
4/12/2008 9:28 74.242.96.197
4/12/2008 1:54 216.240.139.9
4/11/2008 23:57 65.101.141.82
4/11/2008 21:31 4.243.49.100
4/11/2008 8:30 67.170.85.124
4/10/2008 14:11 150.70.84.154
4/9/2008 20:26 71.127.254.195
4/9/2008 17:22 198.238.208.2
4/9/2008 15:51 199.233.178.253
4/9/2008 14:54 208.65.83.39
4/9/2008 13:44 67.183.164.154
4/9/2008 12:00 199.147.202.24
4/9/2008 11:49 199.147.202.24
4/9/2008 10:00 150.70.84.27
4/9/2008 8:41 216.20.149.124

Thursday, June 05, 2008

Email account hacked - Service Provider Corporation

My webmail company (finally someone did it) put a bar in my webmail that shows the last time someone logged in and from what IP address. I don't understand why ALL email companies do not do this. Bravo.

Anyway, that's when I found out that someone at this IP address had logged into my email account, and wasn't me:

166.129.232.106

OrgName: Service Provider Corporation
OrgID: SPC-10
Address: 442 Route 202-206 North
Address: # 485
City: Bedminster
StateProv: NJ
PostalCode: 07921-0523
Country: US

NetRange: 166.128.0.0 - 166.255.255.255

Identity Theft Prosecuted at Less than 1%

Watching Dateline show on identity theft, they report that only 1% of identity thefts are actually prosecuted. The problem, as suggested many times in this blog, these identity thefts are residing in other countries and local law enforcement has their hands tied in doing anything about it. This is an international crime and political issue, exacerbated further now that the identity theft rings have been reportedly moving into Iran where they believe they cannot be touched by the U.S. government. This is part of the money that is pouring out of the United States and into the bank accounts of thefts, criminals and possibly, foreign governments that may not have good intentions for the United States.

Recently, I met with an investor to catch up and ponder investment and business ideas, but after first hearing that my ideas were a conspiracy theory, even though many legitimate magazines, newspapers, television shows and a contact at the FBI have backed up my factual reports, I decided I was a bit too forward thinking and probably should go it alone for now (and he probably won't have invested anyway because I did not really go into detail about my plans and maybe he wouldn't have gotten it or maybe I am just clueless and my ideas will not amount to any money).

Just like the first spam filters were hated by people because maybe one or two good emails got caught, people don't get blocking out bad Internet traffic to save their businesses and prevent crime, hackers, spoofing, scraping and malware on their computers.

As far as stopping the crime altogether a wall only goes so far. Basically the world needs some big changes to catch and stop these crime rings, that perhaps are working hand in hand with drug lords and terrorists - since it has been reported that Internet crime is now more profitable than drugs. Laws need to change, and the International community, venture capitalists, and even the average user or at least the average business web site owner needs to catch up with reality and what needs to be done about these problems.