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Unsolicited software sales offers


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I've recently been receiving a large number of competent and professional looking email circulars offering downloads of big brand software at very low prices. Unlike most junk mail, these are written in good English, spelt properly, and are not sent by someone with an obviously made-up "English-ish" name.

I've been treating them as I do most junk mail, as malicious attempts to infect my computer, permanently deleting them immediately on receipt.

However, we recently got a new computer because my wife blew hers up with a massive static discharge through the mouse or keyboard, after spending an hour or so hoovering. As the machine was on its last legs and had been expensively repaired a couple of times before, we replaced it.

I had been thinking of putting a low price office suite on it, instead of Microsoft Office, when up pops another email offering Microsoft Office Professional at $69,99. This email is bristling with links but, being a wary old codger I am very reluctant to click on any of them.

Has anyone bought software from one of these cheap download sources? Was it the genuine article? Or am I right to delete these mails as soon as I see them?

Oh! I think I may have just answered my own question! I hovered over one of the links and found it goes to "vitriolware.com"

Doesn't sound very benevolent, does it?

Patrick
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Patrick, I agree with Boghound's suggestion of firstly trying Ebay. But you may be interested in this American company which is very efficient, has very great prices and will deliver Internationally. As an example, I purchased Microsoft Works Suite for $49.99 plus p&p (€41) it was an "original equipment manufacturer." but the version is mainly only available to system builders, such as Compaq and Dell and that results  in much lower prices. 

I hope you may find the site of use, I received my order within 10 days and all details of tracking your purchase are available on their site.

http://www.softwareoutlet.com/

Baz

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Boggy's dead right on this one - they want your bank details, not a few dollars for some iffy pirated software. I had one today from Nigeria - a sort of combined phishing and 419 scam in one. Apparently the Mugus have been doing efficiency training...
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[quote]Boggy's dead right on this one - they want your bank details, not a few dollars for some iffy pirated software. I had one today from Nigeria - a sort of combined phishing and 419 scam in one. Apparent...[/quote]

You'll notice a big improvement with the content from Nigeria from now on Dick..... Because of the "hand-outs" from the G8, HRH Blair/Geldof and all....They will be able to have lessons on how to improve the standard of scams....and more then likely...other African countries will soon "catch-on".
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[quote]Patrick, I agree with Boghound's suggestion of firstly trying Ebay. But you may be interested in this American company which is very efficient, has very great prices and will deliver Internationally. ...[/quote]

Really odd Baz, as the E mail I got offering cheap software had a very similar name to a user on E bay that I bought cheap software from

I found it odd that these E mails escaped the norton spam filters and were specifically addresssed, I just wonder with E Bay or other such organisations that one uses if people are not selling your E mail address, just look at the amount of hoax Ebay and Paypal messages that turn up on an almost daily basis asking for bank details to be "resubmitted".  My advice is, if you are not sure about ANY message, particularly with attachments, delete it and delete it again from your waste basket.

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[quote]Really odd Baz, as the E mail I got offering cheap software had a very similar name to a user on E bay that I bought cheap software from I found it odd that these E mails escaped the norton spam fil...[/quote]

With the revenue Ebay gathers per day....I don't really think that they would be bothered with the "revenue" earned from selling email address's....it's very easy to "drawl" for free, email address's from Ebay.

If you send me £50 GBP I will forward you the details.

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[quote]With the revenue Ebay gathers per day....I don't really think that they would be bothered with the "revenue" earned from selling email address's....it's very easy to "drawl" for free, email address's ...[/quote]

I wasn't suggesting E bay were doing it, but exactly as you describe, people with access to E bay and other groups like Yahoo collecting vaild addressses and passes them on.
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If you use Wanadoo.fr then they may be the reason. I have a Wanadoo e-mail account but never give the e-mail address to anybody (no personal pages, etc.) – rather I direct e-mail through my own domain (sending and receiving so nothing from [email protected] either). However, I regularly get e-mails offering cheap software sent to my wanadoo e-mail address. Other than these I actually receive virtually no SPAM/etc. e-mails (I’m careful who I give any e-mail addresses to).

I don’t know if wanadoo UK do the same.

Ian

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[quote]If you use Wanadoo.fr then they may be the reason. I have a Wanadoo e-mail account but never give the e-mail address to anybody (no personal pages, etc.) – rather I direct e-mail through my own domai...[/quote]

The reason has nothing to do with Wanadoo....It's more then likely someone has your address in their address book/computer and has a virus etc and is just "piggybacking" wanadoo.fr.

I get around 60/70 + spam a day and just use "Inboxer" to sort through the wheat from the chaff.....Unfortunately it's just one of societies everyday "hiccups" when online in this day and age. 

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[quote]The reason has nothing to do with Wanadoo....It's more then likely someone has your address in their address book/computer and has a virus etc and is just "piggybacking" wanadoo.fr. I get around 60/7...[/quote]

Nobody has my wanadoo.fr address in their inbox as I have never told anybody it exists and never send from it - wanadoo and me are the only people who know it.

Ian
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[quote]It still has nothing directly to do with Wanadoo....Spammers use a "catch-all" name before the domain address i.e. [email protected] , [email protected] and so on.[/quote]

They would have to be on a real flyer to guess my prefix to @wanadoo.fr. Even if I spell it out to people a couple of times they generally cannot get it right. I'm afraid I'm not yet convinced about the random "catch-all".

I was surprised as I don't actually get SPAM on the @wanadoo.fr address, only these cheap software offers one every couple of weeks from real companies.

Ian
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