Spyware Warrior

watcherduck · Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 6:42 pm Post subject: FanBox

A friend received an email from a friend of hers containing a multiple-choice question. As soon as she clicked on the answer, she was re-directed to FanBox.com, where she is instantly a member. She is unable to undo her membership, and has written to the admin asking to be removed, but has received no answer.

I see from spamhuntress blog, that since it is a virtual desktop site, they have access to your email address book and lots of other potentially ruinous information.

Does anyone know anything about this site? FanBox.com

Does anyone know how to get removed from automatic membership?

Does anybody know how to defend against this type of operation, other than the obvious, "Click on Nothing that you aren't 100% sure of"?

MysteryFCM · Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 7:09 pm Post subject:

fanbox.com is a new scammy venture by sms.ac;

http://mysteryfcm.co.uk/?mode=News&date=22-07-2005

Getting removed from their database is going to be extremely difficult, if not impossible.

Without seeing the e-mail, the obvious response to avoiding it, other than "don't click the link", is to use plain text e-mail instead of HTML as these type of scammy e-mails are typically sent in HTML (this won't stop you clicking the link, but will allow you to analyse and subsequently determine where the link will take you).

Additionally, if in doubt, always research links in e-mails on Google or some such, prior to clicking them.
_________________
Regards

Steven Burn
I.T. Mate / hpHosts
it-mate.co.uk / hosts-file.net

watcherduck · Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 7:20 pm Post subject:

Maybe some of host-file authors could include it, so the re-direct can't take place.

MysteryFCM · Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 7:39 pm Post subject:

I can't speak for any of the other providers, though I am sure they'll also include it, but it is scheduled to be included in the next release of hpHosts Smile

http://hosts-file.net/?s=fanbox.com&sDM=1#matches
_________________
Regards

Steven Burn
I.T. Mate / hpHosts
it-mate.co.uk / hosts-file.net

watcherduck · Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 8:05 pm Post subject:

Thanks. I subscribe to a hosts file I got from another site, but I will take a look at this one. I like what works. I urge my friends to subscribe to a hosts file, but I think most of them think it takes too much time to unzip and click on the .bat.

Until they sit at a forum for three days trying to fix a busted computer.