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Russian MP3 download sites ... not so cheap after all?

side-line.com — Popular European music magazine, Side Line reports on wide spread credit card fraud with the victims being users of popular Russian MP3 download sites.

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  • punchingjudy, on 10/12/2007, -15/+47Golly! Didn't see this one coming!
    • Jerkbot, on 10/12/2007, -17/+14yeah, that sure is a shocker
    • pcgeek101, on 10/12/2007, -12/+9There's a saying I go by which has saved my butt many times: "It's too good to be true"
    • DCUK, on 10/12/2007, -9/+52RIAA LIES AGAIN.
    • Mesach, on 10/12/2007, -9/+15Notice no mention of allofmp3.com though.
    • Reality3k, on 10/12/2007, -4/+6These sites, mostly based in Russia, are acting online as being from the UK, USA, Germany etc under over 40 domainnames (including the popular MP3sugar, Audio Store, Allmp3)
      This site fudged enough facts, that I wouldn't be willing to assume that wasn't a typo.
    • Mesach, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5I stand corrected, it was hard to read that large block of text, so i did skim it.
    • vampares, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9allofmp3.com uses xrost.com to transfer moneys. xrost accepts paypal for "100% protection against unauthorized payments sent from your account."

      Russian sites aren't known for using cc payments for whatever reason. Regardless federal law limits customer liablity for fraudulant charges to $25 including debit card that use visa or mastercard system. Your credit card company can not hold you accountable for any charges you have not authorized. In the event of $1000 fraud charge, the card company will ask the charger for reasons why the charge was made and since there is no reason will perform a bill back or lose $1000 (well $975). There is a time limit in which you must report the fraud however. A blacklist may exist of merchants whom the credit card companys will deny, if possible, or investigate.
    • pwinn, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2reality3k, it apparently *was* a typo, because it's now been "fixed" to say "allofmp3"
    • brainache, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Seeing as you pay for allofmp3 via Paypal, how can they steal your credit card information?? Inaccurate.
  • Mittop, on 10/12/2007, -3/+30This just demonstrates another valid reason for using those nice "gift certificate credit cards" for your online purchases. You pay cash for the card, in small amounts, and you can't really get robbed for much.
    • HungryMedia, on 10/12/2007, -6/+5... that's one way to look at it. But if a company is going to rip you off, why would you want to support them at all? If Walmart starting selling albums for 99c, but then decided to keep $5 on top of that ... would people stand for it?
    • rudolphdude, on 10/12/2007, -34/+39Please don't use Wal Mart as an example of a company that is "right". I would rather get raped by a russian fraudster than get hosed by my own "countrymen" at Wal *****.
    • jofer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10Actually some credit card companies offer a service that creates a temporary credit card number for online transactions. I know I can with my credit card, anyway... It's a good idea even on well known sites, imo.

      edit: Just noticed someone else mentioned this further down, my apologies...
    • TheTankengine, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6@ Hungrymedia:
      How can Walmart sell an album for $.99 and keep $5 from that sale?
      That is the most retarded analogy I have ever heard.
    • koshak, on 10/12/2007, -23/+3ruldolph...that is just plain stupid. Walmart does nothing wrong at all. You just don't like them becuase they are more successful than you. Do yoiu not realize how stiupid you sound by saying you would rather be outright defrauded tan to save money at a discount store.

      Oh yeah...the little gusy go out of business. Boo hoo. IF they can't offer the product cheap enough, then they need to move on. Period. Tell me there it is a crime to be a big company in this country.
    • TKDWILSON, on 10/12/2007, -1/+20"""" Tell me there it is a crime to be a big company in this country.""""

      No but I have a problem with them

      1. Hiring illegals.
      2. Lowering their prices and taking a Loss to run others out of business. (monopoly laws here.)
      3. After running other jobs out of a city, not providing health care to their workers.
      4. Buying from sweatshops.
      5. PLUS tons of other underhanded things they do.

      Eric Wilson
    • tylerl, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Citibank (and other vendors, I hear) offer one-use credit card numbers. Good for a single transaction, then declined ever after. Good for dealing with parties you don't completely trust.
    • slainte1971, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3koshak, you're an idiot
  • HungryMedia, on 10/12/2007, -10/+5Indeed ... not exactly a surprise, but encouraging that it's making news. Hopefully people will pay attention.
  • SlappyMc, on 10/12/2007, -5/+13dwight was wrong.
    • MrC539, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Not sure many people caught that one.
    • Zipp425, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2That was one of the best episodes ever.
    • johnx10, on 10/12/2007, -7/+3Oh the only thing is, all the songs are in Russian!
    • rhino_rampant, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Glad to know that my mind wasn't the only one that straight to his quote... :)
    • johnx10, on 10/12/2007, -20/+4After you download your songs from this Russian website may I suggest a totaly great MP3 player? How about a Prism DuroSport 6000? They're better than an Ipod because they're chunkier and more solid!

      http://www.prismdurosport.com/
    • sneakerelph, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2yeah, that was a good one. i hope they build this into some episodes in the next season. that would be pretty funny.
  • twitchr, on 10/12/2007, -6/+74sounds like MPAA propaganda to me...
    nobody i know has ever been ripped off from using a russian download site.
    scare tactics?
    • Quarks, on 10/12/2007, -1/+56Just what I was thinking, more RIAA (the MPAA has nothing to do with it, we're talking music here) propaganda for the masses against us 'downloading terrorists'.

      Those sites make use of a hole in Russian copyright laws, so it's perfectly legal there.
    • harshbarj, on 10/12/2007, -2/+48I've used them for years and know of many who do and have never had problems. Just scare tactics by the RIAA.
    • drumt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+16I've been using allofmp3.com for about two months...no prob.
    • Seumas, on 10/12/2007, -0/+17Yeah, this sounds like ***** to me. I have used mp3search.ru and musicmp3.ru and allofmp3.com to the tune of about $600 and I have never encountered any problems whatsoever.
    • dognose, on 10/12/2007, -0/+16I signed up w/ allofmp3.com about a year ago.. nothing wrong w/ my cc since.
    • dkordik, on 10/12/2007, -0/+18I can't speak for the others, but as far as AllOfMP3 is concerned, anyone who has ever used it knows their payment method wouldn't allow for this. You pay through a third party called Xrost by buying fixed amounts and adding them to your account.
    • rjcarr, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4Just to play devil's advocate, I've been a fraud victim twice, both for less than $100 each, and it came not too long after using a russian pay service. I can't say it is connected, but seems likely.
    • Scik, on 10/12/2007, -4/+8I have been a member of Allofmp3.com since the beginning of the year. No problems on this card. I have bought music and even e-mailed their support when I screwed it up and they fixed it for me and everything was dandy. They were extremely fast too. Less than 5 mins to respond to a support e-mail.

      RIAA is trying to scare us out of using a legal loophole. Just like the US Government thinks they can scare us into allowing a war for oil... Its all these high and mighty people in power think they can control us. Let's try thinking for ourselves for a change!
    • BlitzPig_Sal, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5I'm sure there are Russian sites out there that will make fraudulent use of your CC, but the bigger sites, AllofMP3.com and others seem to be on theup-and-up. This article is just trying to spread FUD by insinuating that purchasing from any Russian site is dangerous.
    • BaldMonkey, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Nobody I know have ever been mugged in a dark alley, guess thats not going on either.
  • billmania, on 10/12/2007, -4/+69allofmp3.com is not mentioned in the article.
    I've bought tons of music from them and had no problems.
    • zakharm, on 10/12/2007, -1/+14same here, no problems. i use paypal for all my transactions with them.
    • loker269, on 10/12/2007, -0/+32I use a "fake" credit card number for my online purchases (basically the bank will issue me a temporary credit card number that will work for one purchase and withdawals from my card) they are supposed to call if anyone tries to bill again on that card to let me know it was blocked but to be careful making transactions with them in the future.....no such call from the bank and its been months since I used allofmp3 so I am confident they are legitimate...
    • brucebeh, on 10/12/2007, -1/+25also a good point.. allofmp3.com wasn't mentioned.. however, the screenshot they took was from allofmp3.......
    • alexguyCA, on 10/12/2007, -1/+20I'd like to chime in and say, no problem with allofmp3.com either. Also, I don't think I am doing anything illegal. It looks like a legitimate online store to me!
    • treymdnc, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11Cool thing about allofmp3.com... even though the paypal option is not active, if youcontact the site's owner via email, he'll give you his paypal address and let you add money to your acct. that way.
    • Jugalator, on 10/12/2007, -0/+13Yeah, allofmp3 looks trustworthy and has been in the business for a long time without a single scandal like this unveiled. There's been nothing strange going on here either. However, I do use a "temporary credit card number" that my bank freely offers via a software tool. :) I can generate however many I want, set the limit, and the expiry date within 5 minutes. And then get a valid credit card number instantly.
    • joeyjojo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11"It looks like a legitimate online store to me!"

      Well, that's exactly how scams work...they 'look' legitimate.

      That said, I've uses allofmp3.com as well and found it just fine...no fraud.

      It's international legality is somewhat murky, and depends a bit on who you ask, of course.
    • michaelbenson, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I've been using www.allofmp3.com for a long while now, and have experienced nothing of the sort reported within this article. Like has already been mentioned this is probably another onslaught of propaganda from large media conglomerates trying to once again dominate all aspects of their promotion cycles (in-store and on-line). Thankfully though, the internet provides a much wider more global choice which these American companies need to accept and adapt accordingly.
    • marcuso, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9Likewise, I've been using allofmp3.com for ages now - loads of transactions and no problems at all.

      PS - Having cheap music *does* make me buy a lot more of it (I'm no longer afraid to experiment)
    • Bluezdood, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Same here, use Xrost gift card for allofmp3 purchases and you can still pay through PayPal. Never had a problem, and never will unless PayPal gets hacked, then everyone is screwed anyway. Allofmp3 still gets my business.
    • bede, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I've also used allofmp3 for quite a while with no problems. If you think about it, why would they try to defraud their users? It seems to me they probably make a good amount of cash just doing what they do. If they got popular because of all the personal recommendations, then why would they risk their reputation?

    • drumt, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Looks allofmp3.com is something we all agree on...Gotta go buy a lottery ticket!
    • JOS_, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I've been using allofmp3.com for almost a full year. Absolutely no problems here.
    • flarfu, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2i've been using allofmp3.com, also. i haven't had any problems. you have to have a starting balance of $10 but that's lasted me for sooo long.
    • darkmane, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Please re-read the article:
      These sites, mostly based in Russia, are acting online as being from the UK, USA, Germany etc under over 40 domainnames (including the popular MP3sugar, Audio Store, Allmp3, ...).

      This is likely RIAA propaganda but that does not preclude it being true.
    • oddball, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1Yeah, they are legitimate cause they don't sell your credit card number while selling you music illegally.
    • triton, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I've also dealt with them for over a year and I think they're great.

      Paypal, that I can remember has never worked for as long I've dealt with them. I know on allofmp3.com's website it says its just temporary but paypal broke contact with them because of their questionable dealings.
    • TKDWILSON, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4""""Yeah, they are legitimate cause they don't sell your credit card number while selling you music illegally."""""

      Yeah, it is not illegal. Import laws and Russian law makes it legal. It is a loophole but it is legal. Maybe you should check your facts.

      Eric Wilson
    • clickwir, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Yes it was mentioned.
  • HungryMedia, on 10/12/2007, -4/+4rudolphdude: I'm certainly not using Walmart as an example of "right", just as something accepted by mainstream America. :)
  • Digital.Totem, on 10/12/2007, -31/+3HA pwnt
  • Wamzlee, on 10/12/2007, -1/+16So far so good with allofmp3 for me. I have been using it for a year, and still on the same $15 i put in.
    • ElectroOverlord, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Same here....Works smooth...has for years now.
  • truspector, on 10/12/2007, -8/+3one word.....paypal
    • da5id, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Pay attention! -- they do not take PayPal. But they are still legit, as the numrerous "no problem posts" here attest to. And if you still don't want to give them your CC, many posts here have work-arounds. I've been using them for years -- I've had way more problems with Amazon's marketplce vendors.
    • MondoMan, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1allofmp3.com has not had PayPal as an option for awhile now. Luckily I still have some credit on the site, but when it runs out I guess I will have to go back to iTunes.
    • omenmedia, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3allofmp3.com does not have paypal directly as such anymore, but you can still pay using "e-card" services like xrost, which is done via paypal.
  • munboy, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9Most of them, I know Allofmp3 does, accept PayPal. You would be stupid to give some russian site your raw credit card #.
    • Lewisham, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Sadly, it used to, but now AllOfMP3 no longer accepts PayPal.
    • Jugalator, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"raw credit card #"

      Yeah, I don't use the card # tied to a big account, but one with like $15 that's all there is on it, generated via local software provided by my bank, unlimited transactions on it, custom limit and expiry. Get the advantages of avoiding Paycrap and still feeling safe.
    • zeth, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1My bank has a service called E-card, where one can generate Visa cards, with a short expiry date, and a maximum limit. This is perfect for using on the Internet, as your real credit card number is never used.
  • dmorin74, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5allofmp3.com rules. no problem here either!
    • dennbruce, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5I also use Citibank's virtual card numbers, and have another credit card that offers a similar service. This enables me to not only create a limited use CC#, but also allows me to set a limit. It's not just Russian websites but the pricerightphoto's of the US you have to be careful of too.
  • pluto124, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I use a Citibank credit card and generate virtual account numbers each time I fund my allofmp3 account. The virtual account number is good for 1 transaction only.
  • Nomad_digg, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5This seems article seems like propaganda. It's very badly written. I don't use any of the sites myself, but I'm sure the RIAA would love to scare users into staying away.
    • TheTankengine, on 10/12/2007, -5/+0Your comment is also very poorly written, I might add.
  • donte, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8Been using them for about 2 years. No issues. Allofmp3 and mp3search both have been awesome and completely legit with CC usage. And if you're paranoid about it... just like truspector and munboy mentioned... paypal. Do not be deterred in the quest to stick it to the RIAA.
    • cleverboy, on 10/12/2007, -3/+11If you want to "stick it" to the RIAA, don't download their music *at all*. Whether on Limewire, Kazaa, AllMymp3 or iTunes or wherever. If you're purchasing the music, you're not "sticking" it to anyone. You're just making it clear to them how valuable their "property" is, and giving them more figures to calculate loss from illegal activity, as opposed to "our products suck and we should come up with better prices and no DRM". Send the right message. Don't keep sending the"wrong" one, and thinking you're making any difference other than getting yourself music to listen to. It makes no sense.
    • NickyBatts, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Agreed. I feel like these "various illegal MP3 download sites" are probably losing customers to the bigger sites and have now resorted to ripping off customers in an attempt to continue making money.

      That being said, I used my CC # with mp3search and have had no problems thus far, however, I do check my statements religiously for anything out of whack.
    • geekee, on 10/12/2007, -8/+3"Do not be deterred in the quest to stick it to the RIAA."

      Nice how you rationalize stealing by turning your victim into an evil entity that deserves what they get.
    • Jugalator, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5"If you're purchasing the music, you're not "sticking" it to anyone."

      I'm pretty sure RIAA don't really get many dimes from the music from allofmp3.com ;-) It is however a way to avoid any sort of p2p spies, and I haven't heard of any ISP or RIAA actions taken due to them.
    • MadEnvoy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4http://www.boycott-riaa.com/links/

      http://www.riaa.com/gp/database/default.asp
    • eclectro, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1I agree that demand should not be created by buying RIAA music off the shelf.

      The best way to buy music is buying it used, the RIAA doesn't see a dime of that transaction, and keeps the idea of "owning" your copy alive.

      RIAA will never release their crap on mp3 format just on principle and because they want to prove their overlord point.

      Dealing with russian music stores is dumb, and that goes for allofmp3 too. Because the RIAA is most likely hiring criminals to hack Allofmp3's computers so they _can_ steal credit card data in order to give them a black eye too.

    • donte, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Due to the amorphous area of how international copyrights apply to the Internet, my use of these sites isn't "necessarily" illegal, so don't be so quick to call me a crook.

      As for my "sticking it" comment, if the RIAA got a hefty chunk of my $0.10 a song, they wouldn't be trying to have Allofmp3 shut down. This lets me get music in a semi-legal way without having to feel like I'm putting money in RIAA coffers.

      And no... I'm not going to stop getting new music altogether. If I did, me and the 200 other people doing the same will not make a big enough ripple in the situation to change a damn thing. Now you're denying yourself a lot of new music for no real purpose. Because even if you don't agree with the RIAA tactics, there are still a number of good "signed" bands even if for every good signed band, there's 50 crappy, overpriced ones. Thankfully Russia lets me get these at a reasonable price.
    • cleverboy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@juggulator: "I'm pretty sure RIAA don't really get many dimes from the music from allofmp3.com ;-) It is however a way to avoid any sort of p2p spies, and I haven't heard of any ISP or RIAA actions taken due to them."

      You have an interesting point of view. On principle, I don't pay money for illegal music downloads, warez CDs, bootlegged movies, or fake OEM products. Suggestion: Instead, put your money in bands and music companies that actually support distribution you like. Your dollar is a vote for moving things in the right direction. If you "buy" illegal music, you're just flushing your money (and your vote) down the toilet for immediate gratification from someone whom you do not agree with. Again, you're not "sticking" it to anyone, especially if you agree that you wouldn't have bought from RIAA anyway...

      Kudos/digg for the person posting the "boycott" links. Personally, I don't have a problem with DRM, but for those that do, you have to look at solving the problem, not skirting it.

      @donte: "Due to the amorphous area of how international copyrights apply to the Internet, my use of these sites isn't "necessarily" illegal, so don't be so quick to call me a crook."

      Sorry, man... its on the front of the website. Don't rationalize. The only thing that makes them "legal" is the notion that they take no responsibility for YOUR actions. If purchased and used entirely in Russia, they've no issues. This is the only "amorphous" aspect to what they're doing. The "real" aspect is that they know where their customers are coming from (if no other reason that CC details), and they still sell to them. It's not rocket science.
    • Jugalator, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"On principle, I don't pay money for illegal music downloads, warez CDs, bootlegged movies, or fake OEM products."

      But do you visit ad supported sites linking to such free content, like Pirate Bay? Or use a P2P client whose home page is ad supported, or maybe the client itself? I think many don't care about sponsoring piracy directly (which one do in these cases), really. Piracy is a profitable business, otherwise you wouldn't see all those sites with HUGE traffic and bandwidth costs going for them. You don't necessarily need to pay money; that's just one of the ways of doing it.

      Is it really that big of a difference if you pay these guys some amount of money, or if they get some amount of money from their sponsors being happy for your site visits? Your opinion can easily be applied to many piracy sites in general, that don't "cost" anything.
  • Zonkzor, on 10/12/2007, -13/+4I was about to buy an album from Allofmp3 for a couple bucks once untill I got to the checkout and it said I had to deposit $15 first. Lamezor.
  • aurrea, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8I've been using allofmp3 for almost 2 years and never had a prob. I pay through paypal though.
  • wildjohn999, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4here's a tip: use paypal.
  • rizzo011, on 10/12/2007, -3/+17RIAA FUD. Callin ***** on this one.
  • brucebeh, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6yeah, i've also been using allofmp3 for 2 years now...

    paid through paypal, never had a single problem.

    the free $1 credit was cool too for them moving servers :)
  • Lewisham, on 10/12/2007, -1/+30This is complete FUD!

    1. AllOfMP3 have been nothing but great to pretty much everyone, but they used what appears to be an AllOfMP3 screenshot for their pretty picture.
    2. The article calls the MP3s "illegal". This is just not true. The MP3s are legal in Russia, and you are allowed to buy them. The "importation" (ie. the movement of the "product" from Russia to wherever you live) of them into countries is a grey area (at least for the US), which is yet to be tested in court by the RIAA. I do not know of any attempt by them to bring a case against someone for using external MP3 download sites either.
    3. Following from point 2...
    "Side-Line contacted several credit card companies on the issue but none were willing to comment officially on this case. One contactperson added off the record that they were "currently looking into it but that customers should not expect to see a refund as stealing is never refunded"."
    This can be nothing but completely fictional. If we assume these sites aren't illegal, credit card companies will refund stolen money.

    The RIAA wrote this.
    • geekee, on 10/12/2007, -30/+3If you use allofmp3 you might as well be using a p2p service. Either way you're a thief. It's just a little more convenient to spend the dime sometimes, but don't pretend what you're doing isn't criminal.
    • Lewisham, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3My mistake: the screenshot is from MP3sugar, who appear to have taken a lot of leaves out of AllOfMP3's design book :)
    • Lewisham, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3@geekee

      A thief in what way? Please tell me the legal reasoning you have for buying and then importing legal produce constituting theft?
    • blugu64, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3@geeke

      it *isn't* criminal, if anything it'd be a civil matter.
    • TellarHK, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2And no, you're not a thief for using allofmp3.com, you're just exploiting your rights as a free-market consumer. The RIAA and its international arms want to make this illegal, but until there's been a final decision internationally about this legality, which you really don't want, it's not illegal, just underhanded.

      The Russians could shut this place down if they wanted to and had legal basis for it. They haven't.
    • buck09, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11As far as I know, what allofmp3 does in Russia is completely legal, albeit through a loophole in their current copyright law. Before I signed up (with gift card visa) I did a lot of digging to find out if the site was legal or not.

      Here's a summary: http://www.museekster.com/allofmp3faq.htm

      The Russian equivalent of the attorney general has stated that they don't believe the law is being broken either. Importing MP3 files (or vodka, jellybeans or laptops) purchased in a foreign country is completely legal. You are abiding by the laws at the place of purchase (Russia) and are not violating any US import laws.

      There was a time when transmitting crypto over 56 bits was illegal under import export laws, so there is a precedent for this in American law as well, dealing with digital transmissions over the internet.

      That's not to say the RIAA doesn't like it, but they aren't the ones who ultimately get to say what's legal and what's not. (If they had their way, 12 year olds would go to jail for taping songs off the radio...)

      I think you're crying sour grapes because either 1. You spent way too much money on lesser quality files at iTunes or 2. You actually believe everything the RIAA tells you.
    • Lewisham, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4@buck09
      Indeed, the import/export for digital transmissions are defined, but was only applied to a distinct case. The RIAAs problem is that you've bought a legal MP3 in it's country of purchase. MP3s are also legal in the United States, and there is no embargo on their importation. The RIAA are trying to find a way of saying the MP3 by its virtue of coming into the country, becomes illegal because it's method of sale is illegal in the US.

      IANAL, so I don't know the ins and outs of it all. I don't think it's ever really come up before, I can't think of a product that you can buy that is legal to buy in the country of purchase, legal to own in the USA but is then illegal because of its means of creation. Cue 800 replies with something glaringly obvious that fits this bill :)

      What I am sure of is that if there was such a law, the RIAA would have thrown the book at someone with it by now.
    • Tweekster, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1geekee:

      well according to the law it is legal.
      no matter how much certain people wish it werent. That is the great thing about different countries, they get to decide what is legal and just how far IP rights go.

    • geekee, on 10/12/2007, -5/+1allofmp3 violates copyright laws for most coutries since they sell music without the consent of the copyright holders, and do not compensate the copyright holders. So buying a song from allofmp3.com is no better than downloading it from a p2p network, from an ethical standpoint. You are participating in devaluing the worth of music, and are therefore a thief by using allofmp3.com. Hitting the thumbs down button isn't going to change that either.
  • misterpurple, on 10/12/2007, -0/+15I agree: FUD. No sources a cited, no quotes. Just rhetoric.
  • n00854180t, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9AllOfMp3 haven't done this. Sounds like ***** to me. No digg.
  • jsewell, on 10/12/2007, -13/+4I can confirm this.I told my brother-in-law about allofmp3.com a few weeks ago. He used it to download a couple of tracks and last week received a call from Bank of America telling him that there had been attempts at fraudulent activity on his account and that they had canceled his card and would send him a new one.

    This sucks.
    • NickyBatts, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5So what?

      Can you confirm it came from allofmp3.com?

      Are we supposed to believe the story now because a digg user says "it happened to my little brother"?
    • PokySharpy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Correlation is not causation. Maybe your brother also went to a few stores, restaurants, or other online sites and used his bank card. Any one of those could be the root of his fraudulent activity as well. Don't be so quick to blame allofmp3 because it's "that Russian site."
    • TellarHK, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Unfortunately, that doesn't establish a clear link between allofmp3.com and the fraudulent activity. If this is true, I'd like to see evidence of it more than just "my brother in law..." stories. I've used allofmp3.com a number of times and never had any problems. But I definitely agree with others here when I say it's a good idea to use a limited CC# or Paypal when the option is available. The only problem is that you might not get the same level of fraud protection most bank-issued credits cards offer. The article saying you "don't get refunds for stealing" is *****. If someone steals your credit card info and uses it fraudulently, they're going to cover you to some extent. (Some cards have a 'deductible' before they start to give credit)
    • jsewell, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2nickybatts,

      Make of it what you will. My brother-in-law signed up at allofmp3.com, loaded ten bucks on his account, and within a few days, there was fraudulent activity on the card. Could it have been something else? Sure. But it certainly looks like allofmp3.com (or more likely their credit card processors) were involved somehow.

      Also, the way I understand it, check cards are covered by the same fraud protection as credit cards. You're not liable for fraud.
    • PokySharpy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Different banks have different rules regarding reimbursing fraudulent debit card charges. Credit card companies have industry-wide and in most cases state-/nationwide policies and laws regarding fraud protection. You always have more rights and protection when using a credit card over a debit card.
    • jsewell, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0My guess is that the fraud is occurring with new users, not established users. Remember when you first signed up for allofmp3.com? When you entered your credit card number, it took you to a third-party-site for verification? I suspect the theft of the number is occurring at that site. My bet is that all of us who have been using allofmp3.com for years won't see this problem.
  • betasp, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2I think is you give your CC to a Russian site, you are crazy. I have no problem using an intermediary like paypal where at least I know the number is protected.
    • buck09, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Allofmp3 does not process the credit card transactions. They use a reputable and well known (well, if you pay for p0rn that is...) bank in the Netherlands to process the credit card transaction. No Ruskies get to see your credit card with them. That's why I highly doubt the "brother-in-law" story (not that it took place, but that it was related to allofmp3).

      Using banks in Europe has become a standard practice for quasi-legal transactions such as online gaming and ordering prescription drugs.
  • SweetsGreen, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9"your credit card company will most probably NOT cover the costs after fraud as the news about the abuse is spreading quickly"

    Thats *****!!!!
    You are not liable for fradulent charges...it does not matter if you were buying mp3's or a hooker.

    I'm digging so people see what BS this is.
    • NickyBatts, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Unless it was a debit card.... then your screwed.
    • buck09, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1That varies from state to state. Some states you're completely screwed if someone gets your debit card info. Other states (generally the blue ones) actually have decent consumer protection laws.
    • Tweekster, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Regardless, you use a debit card on the internet, you are an idiot....


      They offer no protection and you are an idiot to be use it ANYWHERE...

      a credit card you will not be held liable for charges, unless you manage to miss the bills for 90days (aka 3!!! billing cycles)

      if you lost your card, the most you are liable for is $50.

      The blacklist is also *****. It doesnt matter if you are suspicious that your card will probably get stolen from a site, you are STILL not liable. ever
    • karmajunkie, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1actually, even using a debit card today you're still covered. Visa and MC both guarantee online safety of their logo debit cards, even though they're not legally obliged to do so.
  • Pignanelli, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0Paypal has had their own scamming issues of late.. or am I the first to hear this?? Do a search: PayPal problems fraud horror-stories or the like. Please correct me if I'm wrong - but I know longer trust PayPal!
    • throwaway18, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Where have you been for the last five years? Paypal has had scamming issues since it started both with scammers and paypal themselves.
    • clickwir, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1You can do the same thing with anything. Search for "bigfoot horror story" or "bicycle horror story". Of course you are going to get results. Now how true they are is another matter.
    • Pignanelli, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Yes, how true, and how pervasive. I suppose time will tell...
  • threepio, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3That sound you're hearing? That's the ***** detector. This is FUD pure and simple. You may have heard from someone who heard from the guy that this happened to, but hey, I heard Ferris was looking pretty ill at the 31 flavours last night too.
    • GrinningFool, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1side-line is owned by hungry-media. Hungry Media seems to be owned by Hungry Lucy, a music label. From all indications I could find, the Hungry Lucy label is NOT associated with RIAA.
    • HungryMedia, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1side-line.com is NOT owned by Hungry Media ... it's hosted by Hungry Media (a tiny one person hosting company). Side Line is a hosting customer of mine. Hungry Lucy is my band which consists of two people. We are an independent band and have no ties whatsoever to the RIAA or any major labels. Hungry Lucy is a music label in as much as we release our own CDs.

      I posted this story as I found it interested. Whether it is true or not, I have no idea ... but clearly it's getting folks excited! :o
    • GrinningFool, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I stand corrected.
  • SupaDawg, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I've never had a problem with allofmp3. THen again i use "xrost" gift cards for purchases at aom.

    That, and i have a credit card with a $600 limit that i keep maxxed out... Not gonna be able to do much with a credit card that's at it's limit.
    • spxiii, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Note: Smart for security, bad for credit score. :(
  • squenix1221, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I paid with my paypal credit/debit card- the card is linked to the money in my paypal acct....I wanted to pay with paypal but it wasnt available when I purchased...I'll keep close tabs on my paypal, even if it might not be true.
    • Tweekster, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0NEVER use a debit card for purchases EVER.
      It gets stolen, you are screwed.

      Always use a REAL credit card where you can dispute charges and will not be held liable for fraud.
  • mhite, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I agree. Total amateur f.u.d.
  • exorcyze, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Yeah, I'm not sure what people are thinking if you're just giving out your credit card info. I've been using allofmp3 and mp3search.ru for quite some time with no problems, but I always used established 3rd party services like PayPal to pay. Anything else is simply online suicide.
    • Jugalator, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"Anything else is simply online suicide."

      No, there are plenty of virtual card services for setting minimal limits and letting it have no connections to the actual card # whatsoever to them; but only to your own bank. And even if you'd lose some miniscule amount like 10 bucks, you'd still not even be liable for fraud if it was a credit card at least...
  • Zonkzor, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Who cares if someone steals your credit card? You're not liable for the charges and it's really easy to get them taken off.
  • RBasil, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I've been using www.allofmp3.com for over 2 years with the same credit card with ZERO problems. The screenshot showing an allofmp3 page is nothing more than RIAA propaganda. No digg.
  • nickurfe, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I agree with Lewisham.

    1) the importation is a grey area. Current copyright law says that importation of copyrighted material purchased in a foreign country is legal for personal use. This has just never been tested for the internet.
    2) Allofmp3.com has already won one court battle against their legitimacy in Russia that I know of so technically I am purchasing music from a legitimate business.

    I personally use a credit card with a low limit for allofmp3.com. I have had no problems. This will be interesting to watch.
  • chrisrosa, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Exactly why I use PayPal.
  • zerokool04, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1allofmp3.com does accept PayPal if you use a xrost pre paid card, you pay xrost through paypal, get a gift card, type the number in to allofmp3 and thats it Done.
  • joeyjojo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Oh, and always, in any thread like this, if you hate PAYING for DRMed music, but find russian sites a bit 'iffy' go to http://www.emusic.com
    • NickyBatts, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1ha! Emusic is blocked by my proxy at work but I can get to allofmp3.com and mp3search.ru no problem...

      Now who's the shady site huh?
    • munboy, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2eMusic only has a bunch of crappy indie music. Yes, there is a lot of good indie music, and I bet some good stuff on eMusic, but to get to it you have to wad through the *****. And if I remember, you still have to pay something for it. No DRM, though.
    • ZenTaff, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"eMusic only has a bunch of crappy indie music. Yes, there is a lot of good indie music, and I bet some good stuff on eMusic, but to get to it you have to wad through the *****. And if I remember, you still have to pay something for it. No DRM, though."

      eMusic don't just have "crappy indie music". They have all kinds of stuff - rock/pop, alternative, jazz, hip-hop, country, electronica, comedy, classical, etc. All of it comes from independent record labels, so admittedly you won't find Britney or Mariah if that's what you're after. Yeah, it may take some work to find stuff you like, but heaven forbid people should actually have to put in a little bit of effort to search through the huge number of albums they have available and read about bands they may not have heard of before. Personally, I've found some great stuff by bands I'd barely heard of, as well as picking up stuff from the back catalogues of more mainstream bands.

      And yes, they do charge a subscription, but if you're not prepared to pay when the labels involved have the foresight to trust their customers with unencumbered mp3 downloads rather than resorting to using DRM then you really are a parasite who wants something for nothing.
  • cleverboy, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1Doing business with an entity in a foreign country that doesn't have a better business bureau or any real leverage of consumer responsibility is like playing... well, Russian Roulette. Good luck folks. Those that are trying to defend allmymp3 or whoever should stop while they're ahead.

    Unfortunately, the more you defend them, the more people think the "concept" of some "Russian-based" music download website is "ok". All you need is a handful of Russian hackers to reveal how poor an assumption this is. I know a lot of people heard the character "Dwight" from "The Office" mention some "Russian mp3 music site" that he got songs from really cheap. It's much better not to encourage consumers to do dangerous things, even if there's a "possibility" of "upside" for them. That's how most scams work.
    • spxiii, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3So far I've been scammed for almost 3 years, spending hundreds of dollars and receiving thousands of songs in return, including many free songs, account credits, and bonuses. I should have learned from the Cold War and realized that we can never trust those crazy commies!

      Considering the political motivations of companies in the U.S., I'm not terribly afraid of doing business with a company in another country. Although I must admit I was pissed when they raised prices from $0.05 per song to about $0.10 per song!
  • Geniustwin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2As with everyone else here, I use allofmp3.com and have for years with no problems.

    Also, they don't accept paypal, but Xrost does, and allofmp3 accepts xrost. It's a prepaid pin number that you pay for with paypal.
    Works like a charm.
  • antoniojvr, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Most credit card companies will give you a different credit card number for online purchases. I got mine with a 30$ one-time limit. If someone steals it, big whoop. Long live cheap music!
  • ajb2015, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2not a problem with allofmp3.com
  • Keith0256, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Scare tactics. Gee I wonder if they have a motive.

    This is not totally true, I have used a Russian site without problems. www.allofmp3.com

    And gee there are bad website in America, they don't mention them do they? Why? They just want to scare people away from ALL Russian sites.

    You are smarter then this aren't you. Read all the comments here are other places about allofmp3.com and make up your own mind.
  • zemote, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Paypal Via XROST works fine for me :) RIAA propaganda, no digg from me.
  • dep01, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I give my good props to allofmp3.com also. Great site and no problems to speak of here.
  • PokySharpy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4For at least 2 layers of protection that I trust...

    credit card -> PayPal -> XROST gift card code -> allofmp3.com

    And I believe you automatically get a 10% bonus credit when you use an XROST code on allofmp3, so your $20 becomes $22. Over the holidays, allofmp3 were also giving out something like 10-15% bonus to EVERYONE. $20 turned into $25 for free.

    I love that site. And I love the import laws that allow it to be legal for now.
  • Jammerdelray, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I've used allpfmp3.com no problems at all.
  • jsewell, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0Here is another instance of an allofmp3.com user reporting that his bank warned him of fraudelent activity:

    http://www.delldjsite.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-1911.html

    Do a find for "fraud".

    • everywhereasign, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1There is no way of knowing if these stories of fraud are directly linked to these music sites but, due to their nature, some jump to that assumption. Simply due to the law of large numbers if we ask a large enough group, people *will* have similar experiences even if they are rare.

      If we started a thread “Amazon Marketplace – CC FRAUD!” we would have lots of people posting stories saying that they too were victims. This doesn't mean we should never shop at Amazon. Credit Card fraud is really really common. If it *can* be linked to a certain company *we* do not work nearly as fast as the credit card companies. If people using their Visa's at .ru music sites have this problem, Visa will see a fraud trend and *they* will report on it long before a UK music mag. It's their money they stand to lose.
  • aplardi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I know this isnt true. But then again I payed for an X-Rost or w/e its called card with paypal and used that to pay.. so even if it did, there wouldnt be any funds.
  • signal15, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0This article sounds kind of sensationalist to me. It tries to incriminate all russian sites, when this is clearly not the case that all of them are doing this. Additionally, credit card companies have no legal right in the US to deny reimbursement for fraudulent transactions, there is actually a federal law requiring them to reimburse you everything (minus $50). It's just the same as if I walked into a store selling drug paraphanealia, which is illegal in some states, and my card number was used for fraudulent transactions. They can't punish the owner of the card for the dishonesty of the merchant.
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