Hi, just got a weird pm

It was about a poetry contest, i went to the link, my McAfee said it was a bad website, I'm not too sure of it, please let me know if anyone else has gotten a message like this. from a JennovaHoward, i think the name was.

-Elizabeth. H-

Yeah I got it too, um, just ignore it. Or you can enter the contest, but pretty sure it's a scam.

`tia

I got it too and was suspicious the first moment I read it. Went to her profile and saw it was suspended and my hunch was right. never went to the site because I know it probably contained a virus or it was a scam.

I believe it's called phishing
Definitions of phishing on the Web:

# In a computing context, Phishing is an impersonation of a corporation or other trusted institution. The goal of the impersonation is to extract passwords or other sensitive information from the victim. It is a form of criminal activity that utilizes social engineering techniques. ...
www.f-secure.com/security_center/malware_code_glossary.html

# is the term for an ever-growing e-mail fraud threat.
www.microsoft.com/technet/community/columns/secmvp/sv0306.mspx

I received another one from a diff person and this ones account was not suspended. It said the same thing has the first one.

I think the hacker came back again....I recieved a pm from here...Today!! I filed a complaint, but other than that, she came back.

http://www.poems-and-quotes.com/author.html?id=344921

^^ yeah, thats the member who i got a message from saying "Thanks for being a member of our community, enter this contest to win $100,000 dollars." and then it gave me a link... but im too smart to fall for stuff like that! OH, and i know its the same member cuz the member ID was the same.

Yeah I got it too but the account was already suspended and I complained just incase anyway.

Stupid people. Seriously. Who doesn't have that much of a life that would do that?

It seems like this person has been recreating accounts. Is there an IP ban on their address?

Yes, there is an IP ban. They are not creating new accounts anymore, they just sent out a lot of those PM's and, unlike forum posts and comments, Private messages don't disappear when a member is suspended.

Just report the PM if you get one, just so we can make sure it's not a new account. (Or if you want to save us a step, click on the user name and if it goes to a suspended account, just delete the comment)

There is/was a new account sending out the same message (or similar) The account has been suspended and an IP Ban already placed.

If you get one of these messages, please do what I suggested above and click on the sender's name and see if the account is already suspended and if so, just delete the message.

Thanks,
Ann Marie

It sucks cuz it took over myspace, now its in the coolest simple site around. i mean get a life.

I just got another one ... third time.

I've gotten about 5 of those, all from different people

Yea the link goes to poetry.com - if you google it , you'll find out it's just a poetry contest scam that takes your money. I actually entered the contest and they told me i was a semi-finalist and they asked for a bunch of money to publish my poem. I knew something wasn't right so I never sent them any money and good thing i didnt...

if you enter any contests online, make sure it's not a scam. There's a lot of them out there and you can google 'poetry scams' to find out how to point them out.

=)

Yeah ive had that happen before

and also had some PMs about "contests"

but I know better

hopefully hehe
xx