Hoax or not?

Mocking Burd

Guys, this is probably the wrong place to post this but I need a quick reply and don't have time to check for similar. Basically a friend of mine received the following email today :-

---

Subject: You use illegal File Sharing ...
Date: 19 January 2004 10:47

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Downloading of Movies, MP3s and Software is illegal and punishable by law.

We hereby inform you that your computer was scanned under the IP 195.##.###.## . The
contents of your computer were confiscated as an evidence, and you will be indicated.
In the next days you will receive the charge in writing.
In the Reference code: #7415, are all files, that we found on your computer.

The sender address of this mail was masked, to protect us against mail bombs.


- You get more detailed information by the Federal Bureau of Investigation -FBI-
- Department for "Illegal Internet Downloads", Room 7350
- 935 Pennsylvania Avenue
- Washington, DC 20535, USA
- (202) 324-3000


She is in a bit of a panic about this as she has unlicensed s/w (Norton AV & Word) on her pc (and she's also just had a baby so is overreacting a bit).

What do you think - is it a hoax? Anyone seen anything similar?
Thanks MB.

UnrealQueen

My friend was telling me about this girl in the states using Kazaa. I never knew this but the Admins of Kazaa can see all the IPs that download from the site. Anyway, obviously they get millions of them so they decided to make an example of someone, so they made one out of some poor 12 yr old in the States. They got a couple of thousand off her parents. I don't understand why they would be suing when they provide the site though.

passive

going on the grammar and idiocy i'd have to say hoax

unless the FBI are idiots with bad grammar? but i have no reason to assume that and it looks pretty fake/stupid.

The contents of your computer were confiscated as an evidence

if thats actually true then yes, theres probably some basis for this

ixoy

Complete scam - as evidenced here,here, and here.

There's a ton of reasons why it's a load of crap:
* The IP address is wrong
* The grammar is atrocious - "you will be indicated"? LOL. Indicted I think! Ladies and Gentlemen? What is this - the circus?! That alone is convincing
* The FBI department quoted doesn't exist
* It's not illegal to download mp3s - only ones that would breach copyright rules. And why don't they point out the appropiate piece of legislature that you've breached?

However, it IS malicious. There are probably attachments/links with it that should not be opened.

Really if you're going to do a hoax mail, try and make a better one folks :rolleyes:

Capt'n Midnight

The sender address of this mail was masked, to protect us against mail bombs

Folks this is the FBI , I reckon they could probably protect themselves from a mail bomb.

Also if the contents on your computer were confiscated - how come they are still there ??

And unlike the CIA the FBI only operates inside the US etc.

Exit

Would they actually send an e-mail?

kmart6

It's a hoax dont worry

Winters

Following reasons why it is fake that you should know from TV and Movies.. FBI are not an international organisation. They only have duristriction [Sp?] within the US not outside it.

We all know americans are well, silly so you can excise the grammer so. Also, if you were to get something like this you would have to get it in actual writing and not by email. Also, you can deny anything sighting that due to dial up your IP is constantly changing and so it could be someone else...... and lets not forget that silly made up deptartment name AND they cannot confiscate all your files.... would be like downloading the internet.

StephenInsane

Dude, The FBI don't give you written notice about their activites so you can delete/burn all evidence.

They karate kick down your door and bust into your house in their dozens while you're in the shower.

You should know that.

kmart6

Originally posted by StephenInsane
Dude, The FBI don't give you written notice about their activites so you can delete/burn all evidence.

They karate kick down your door and bust into your house in their dozens while you're in the shower.

You should know that.

Exactly

Do it Ninja style:ninja: :ninja: :ninja:


:ninja:

Ste-

Originally posted by StephenInsane
Dude, The FBI don't give you written notice about their activites so you can delete/burn all evidence.

They karate kick down your door and bust into your house in their dozens while you're in the shower.

You should know that.

Ohhh did you see hackers too ?

"Hack the planet, they're thrashing our rights"

Mocking Burd

Lads, personally I would have binned it without a second thought - but as I mentioned, I was checking it out on behalf of a friend who was in a major panic. If I hadn't been up to me proverbials at work I would have had a chance to look into it myself and wouldn't have bothered posting here
(btw I masked out the IP address in case it was genuinely her's).

Thanks for all your replies anyway - at least she'll sleep better tonight (in between the three hourly feeds that is!).


quote:

Do it Ninja style :ninja: :ninja: :ninja:


Class....

Makaveli

Originally posted by Mocking Burd
- Department for "Illegal Internet Downloads", Room 7350

What an ingenius name.

Victor

Originally posted by Mocking Burd
She is in a bit of a panic about this as she has unlicensed s/w (Norton AV & Word) on her pc (and she's also just had a baby so is overreacting a bit)

Well she knows what to do then - use a work copy to have a legit home copy. You are usually allowed a single home / laptop copy (on top of the work copy) with most commercial software - read the not so small print.

seamus

Originally posted by UnrealQueen
My friend was telling me about this girl in the states using Kazaa. I never knew this but the Admins of Kazaa can see all the IPs that download from the site. Anyway, obviously they get millions of them so they decided to make an example of someone, so they made one out of some poor 12 yr old in the States. They got a couple of thousand off her parents. I don't understand why they would be suing when they provide the site though.

Kazaa didn't sue her, the RIAA did.

RIAA claim to be able to monitor all illegal downloads, which is, uh...crap. Afaik, the only way the could possibly catch anybody downloading would be to run Kazaa on one of their own machines, with a shedload of songs on it for people to download, and then log the IP of every incoming connection. Then they'd have to get the ISP to tell them who had that IP at that time, and arrange to have their machine seized and searched.

Sounds like a very hasslesome process, so I may be wrong. I'd be of the opinion though that RIAA are only pushing through a few cases in the hope that it may deter others from filesharing.

vibe666

Originally posted by Mocking Burd
- Department for "Illegal Internet Downloads", Room 7350

I think I've heard of them. aren't they in the offices next to the ministry of funny walks?

fjon

Well she knows what to do then - use a work copy to have a legit home copy. You are usually allowed a single home / laptop copy (on top of the work copy) with most commercial software - read the not so small print.

Not sure about Word, but unfortunately that ain't true for NAV

Ivan

Originally posted by seamus

RIAA claim to be able to monitor all illegal downloads, which is, uh...crap. Afaik, the only way the could possibly catch anybody downloading would be to run Kazaa on one of their own machines, with a shedload of songs on it for people to download, and then log the IP of every incoming connection. Then they'd have to get the ISP to tell them who had that IP at that time, and arrange to have their machine seized and searched.

In any case, that would be entrapment, they wouldnt be able to prosecute.

I wasnt aware that the RIAA was a policing force anyway?

seamus

Originally posted by Ivan
In any case, that would be entrapment, they wouldnt be able to prosecute.

I'm not sure, that's what I would have thought, but it's exactly the same as cops working undercover as drug dealers or prostitutes and then arresting the person as soon as they make a cash deal.

Kiith

i thought it was illegal to access the files on someones computer, without their permission. even for big companies.

seamus

Originally posted by Kiith
i thought it was illegal to access the files on someones computer, without their permission. even for big companies.

It is. But the cops could probably secure a search warrant. The RIAA is one of those corporate American institutions that doesn't need to go the route of Joe Soap to get what they want from the legal system.

Johnny Versace

Definitily a hoax. 100%.

IgnatiusJRiley

It's probably someone she know's taking the p***

Johnny Versace

Originally posted by IgnatiusJRiley
It's probably someone she know's taking the p***

No, it's a spam e-mail doing the rounds...

whosurpaddy

read this on a newsletter i get:

This Scam is Also a Virus

Several readers have written about an e-mail that's going around, with the following subject line: "You use illegal file sharing." The body of the mail goes on to say that your computer has been scanned and its contents confiscated as evidence, and that you will be charged in writing "in the next days." There is an attached file that purports to contain the illegal files found on your computer.

To scare you just a little more, at the bottom of the message is a notice that you can get more information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Department for "Illegal Internet Downloads" and goes on to list the real address and phone number of the FBI headquarters in Washington D.C.

If you got this message, the good news is that the FBI isn't after you and you're not in legal trouble. The bad news is that your computer might infected - this is one of several messages used by the sober.c worm. You can read about it (including removal instructions) at:

symantecs website

Johnny Versace

Originally posted by whosurpaddy

If you got this message, the good news is that the FBI isn't after you and you're not in legal trouble. The bad news is that your computer might infected - this is one of several messages used by the sober.c worm. You can read about it (including removal instructions) at:

symantecs website

I don't think that's totally the case... It just means they got an e-mail sent to them from an infected PC...

whosurpaddy

as i said i posted what i read in a newletter, also it says u may be infected

Verdammt

Originally posted by vibe666
I think I've heard of them. aren't they in the offices next to the ministry of funny walks?

I think they have offices here, in the Dail , right next door to the brown paper bag recycling plant .

Johnny Versace

Originally posted by whosurpaddy
as i said i posted what i read in a newletter, also it says u may be infected

Ahhh but just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you!!

Oh, and fried rice just old boiled rice...

Stark

You usually don't even have to read the text when it's a "hoax or not?" question, the answer is invariably "Yes"

Syth

In any case, that would be entrapment, they wouldnt be able to prosecute.

I'm not sure, that's what I would have thought, but it's exactly the same as cops working undercover as drug dealers or prostitutes and then arresting the person as soon as they make a cash deal.

In America they can't use entrapment, but in britain (and I assume here) they can.

Well she knows what to do then - use a work copy to have a legit home copy. You are usually allowed a single home / laptop copy (on top of the work copy) with most commercial software - read the not so small print.

I thought that once you own a copy of a programme, you can make as many copies as you want, you just can't sell/give the copys to anyone else. You are allowed to make back-ups, and it'd be stupid if you could only make one back-up.

sceptre

Originally posted by Ivan
In any case, that would be entrapment, they wouldnt be able to prosecute.

Entrapment is when a law enforcement officer explicitly encourages you to commit a crime. Wouldn't apply in the case outlined.

In any case, jurisdiction (or lack of) would kick in.

Originally posted by Syth
I thought that once you own a copy of a programme, you can make as many copies as you want, you just can't sell/give the copys to anyone else. You are allowed to make back-ups, and it'd be stupid if you could only make one back-up.

Depends on the licence that comes with the software. Most licences do give the user the right to make a single backup.

As for the original poster - hoax as confirmed. "Department of Illegal Internet Downloads", heh.

Mocking Burd

As for the original poster - hoax as confirmed. "Department of Illegal Internet Downloads", heh. [/B][/QUOTE]


It's a good one alright - and would you believe I never even copped it when I posted it. Trés embarrassing....

Cabaal

hehe, this is funny ****
especially funny if the user is located anywhere outside of the US
oh the laughing....my sides.,...