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Anti-Piracy Scam Emails Target BitTorrent Users

torrentfreak.com — A new trend is surfacing, as spammers have sent out millions of emails targeting BitTorrent users. The emails that claim to come from MediaDefender, warn the receiver that he or she has been logged using BitTorrent and points them to an attachment supposedly containing evidence, but which is in fact infected with a virus.

Who dugg this? Made popular Sep 8, 2008

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102 Comments

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  • 10goto10, on 09/07/2008, -1/+137Spam or legit MediaDefender mail, they both end up in trash.
  • dawnsindrum, on 09/07/2008, -4/+55bittorrent use is so ubique (much like that word - Ubiquitous), that spammers/wormers are simply doing what they've always done - social engineering based on common fears (penis size, breast size, your computer may be in hazard, etc)
  • ileftfark, on 09/08/2008, -0/+44As much as I'd like to believe BT users are smarter than the average user, you still get these comments (even on private trackers) where people can't understand why they can't execute an .iso file, and comment that it must be malware or a corrupt file. Darwinism + social engineering sadly works on the majority of people.
  • ileftfark, on 09/08/2008, -0/+35I know, right? I get all my media and software from ***** aliens from the future who beam it to me from their ***** spaceships. What the ***** are you getting at?

    If you implicated that service that shall not be named, it's been around since the advent of the Internet, thus making your comment an annoying non sequitur. Otherwise, you're just stupid.
  • say592, on 09/07/2008, -0/+34Even if it was MediaDefender, I would still reply with a simple "Suck it".
  • inactive, on 09/08/2008, -2/+26Dugg for the thumbnail.
  • fidoda, on 09/07/2008, -1/+24Also we offer viagr@ if you pay now.

    Hahaha.
  • palehorse864, on 09/08/2008, -1/+18It's a perfectly cromulent word.
  • mllawso, on 09/08/2008, -0/+16I'm more of a "Go ***** yourself" kind of guy.
  • Rotzooi, on 09/08/2008, -1/+16No such thing as a legit Mediadefender mail.
  • MacSuxWindozSux, on 09/08/2008, -0/+15And your email address goes onto the "Active List".
  • Mawds, on 09/08/2008, -0/+12movie.avi
    Dumbass says "What's the password?"
    Jeeeeeez
  • Roryking, on 09/08/2008, -1/+11Only talentless hacks worry about "OH NOES INTERNET STEALING MY MUSIC!!1" Piracy =/= theft.
  • stevehanler, on 09/08/2008, -1/+10I wouldn't be surprised if this was legit MediaDefender mail.
  • hexydes, on 09/08/2008, -2/+11Because it is a lot harder to successfully get BitTorrent working, compared to a standard P2P application like...oh hell, what are the kids using nowadays...Limewire? Anyway, you have to set up the client, associate it with torrent files, understand you have to load a torrent file into the application, the client loads, choose where to download it, etc. Yes, it is easy if you understand what is happening, or if someone sets it up to automatically start downloading into a download folder for you, but if you don't know what you're doing, it's a lot less approachable than a regular P2P client.

    Hence why they are assumed to be smarter...I guess.
  • palehorse864, on 09/08/2008, -0/+9'bittorrent use is so ubique'

    u..biq..ue wait, what does that mean?

    It means I'm pretentious.
  • greenkoi, on 09/08/2008, -1/+9Aliens.

    That's my choice of file transfer.

    Just ask Comcast, what their users, now capped to 250GB / month used to reach that limit. Aliens ! I'm of it.

  • solidus636, on 09/08/2008, -1/+9Replying to spam isn't smart..but hell, I'd do that too.
  • soupeh, on 09/08/2008, -0/+7Shouldn't that be: *here* and everywhere?
  • enantiodromia, on 09/08/2008, -0/+7well if you know about peer guardian, and i know about peer guardian, i am pretty sure THEY know about peer guardian.
  • xavier2010, on 09/08/2008, -3/+10This is why I run linux. Though I am not 100% out of the woods from stuff like this, even still, it's better than running windows.
    ***edit*** oh wait.. this is ONE of the MANY reasons I run linux :D
  • rossiohead, on 09/08/2008, -0/+6By pirates?
  • inactive, on 09/08/2008, -2/+8You understand that these mails do not come from Media Defender right?
    You know those emails from your bank? Guess what.....
  • JordanM85, on 09/08/2008, -1/+7If you fall for it, you deserve it. System restore, lesson learned.
  • Matri, on 09/08/2008, -0/+6What the ***** does THAT have to do with anything?
  • kaph, on 09/08/2008, -0/+6Awesome, your band has a dental plan?
    Also we have to be able to know who you are and what you sound like. Why don't you distribute an EP over the internet and make it distributable via a torrent... oh wait.........
  • Locke23, on 09/08/2008, -0/+6Really dude? Really...?
  • inactive, on 09/08/2008, -1/+7Why would you assume Torrent users are smarter than average?

  • inactive, on 09/08/2008, -0/+6Can you read? These emails PRETEND to be from Media Defender, fool.
  • GoKings, on 09/08/2008, -1/+6This is actually pretty good for BitTorrent Users... Not sure how well it would hold up in court, but you could claim that because of the e-mails with viruses going out, that you chose not to read the e-mail, and thought it possibly contained a virus.
  • enantiodromia, on 09/08/2008, -0/+5i am pretty sure a lot of people commenting here didn't actually RTFA.
  • icebrk, on 09/08/2008, -0/+5@ breadfred : I never heard of you either, you obviously don't exist. I hate it when figments of my imagination get fresh with me.

    A small correction on my previous post, it's obviously "here and everywhere" I blame this mistake on my good friend J.Walker.
  • stuffradio, on 09/08/2008, -0/+4It's serious business.
  • Hangly, on 09/08/2008, -1/+5Kind of immature for people working in a major industry, isn't it?
  • thebigbluecan, on 09/08/2008, -2/+6I only Torrent with encrypted peers, and run Linux, So no viruses...... Smart people encrypt their Torrent activities, and it adds a little bit more privacy security...
  • aywwts4, on 09/08/2008, -1/+5Now imagine combining this spoof with some fake legalese, details of an official looking settlement website hosted at say... MEDIADEFENDERSETTLEMENTS.COM (Available) Accepting all forms of payment and settling the matter out of court for a few hundred dollars.

    Its up to the scam artists to determine whether they just roll in the fake settlement dough from scared guilt stricken torrenters, or make fraudulent charges with their credit card info, or both.

    I havent used the gnutella clients like limewire in a ages, but do they still have "usernames"? If so, send out personal emails to every single username @ every single freemail provider .com include the details of offending metalica album you were downloading and enjoy.
  • SillyDigger, on 09/08/2008, -2/+6If they think Peer Guardian offers any protection they're not smart.
  • palehorse864, on 09/08/2008, -0/+4Epicus deficio!
  • winmywii, on 09/08/2008, -0/+4You guys never gave me the answer
  • Fhwqhgads, on 09/08/2008, -1/+5I don't normally feed trolls but here's a handy guide:

    Theft removes the original. Piracy makes a copy.
  • AzureRise, on 09/08/2008, -0/+4Obvious troll is obvious.
  • enantiodromia, on 09/08/2008, -0/+4one day you will get to sing your hit song "Paper or plastic" 50 times a day at the local Whole Foods, wondering where it all went wrong

    plastic, btw. i like to be part of the problem.
  • whatsthatsmell, on 09/08/2008, -1/+5There's always somebody that has to take everything so seriously. who would actually reply to spam?
  • nafnosseb, on 09/08/2008, -0/+3Claim to come from mediadefender? Those guys have 0 respect for legitimate legal process. It probably is them.
  • bdigital24, on 09/08/2008, -0/+3Not to mention the correct port mapping, and what to actually do with the files once you've downloaded them... (ISO, .001, .002 RAR files, etc)
  • BR5490U812, on 09/08/2008, -0/+3you know that's how tesla claimed he got his information and he is the father of modern tech. you guys should hook me up with ET so i can get some of that.
  • diggenerate, on 09/08/2008, -1/+4Please, every smart Bit Torrent user knows that you should Peer Guardian to protect yourself.
  • twiztidsinz, on 09/08/2008, -2/+5http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ubique
  • ScrewedThePooch, on 09/08/2008, -0/+3No way MediaDefender would send this ***** to your e-mail address.

    1. how could they get your e-mail from an IP and a torrent?
    2. how do they know it is even an active e-mail?
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