James Wiseman

I saw this homepage recently, where the website ownser offers anyone else with the name “Ashley Hurst” an email address @JamesWiseman.com and it occurred to me that it might be nice to offer an equivalent service here on JamesWiseman.com.

So, if your name is James Wiseman, and you are looking for an email address @JamesWiseman.com then drop me a line.

I currently have dibs on the following:

• mail
• james
• adsense
• webmaster

But you are welcome to anything else (within reason – nothing sweary or offensive)

I’m not planning to charge anything, but if it becaomes hassle to administer, then I may ask for a small one-off fee, or something.

We can work the details out

What better use of blog that to promote your own family and friends?

Well, following the triumphant debut of my brother Richard in the inaugural Wiseman goes wild! Episode 1 : Jerk Chicken, I thought I’d plug the second in the epic “Wiseman goes wild” series Wiseman goes wild. Episode 1.1. Wiseman ‘does’ ikea!

Produced by Dan Marowak it features tips and hints for foraging when you find yourself in you local Swedish furniture store. This epic video is a must see. Or something.

Anyhow, that’s my job done. And to think, this once used to be about programming!

Last year I outed ChemistDirect.co.uk as having given my email address to spammers in my article ChemistDirect.co.uk Exposed Me to Spam Email. Now, over a year later, I can out them once again.

After receiving the original email I decided to set them another trap, signing up with a number of different email addresses over a period of time, each with a date indicator in the email I supplied.

The format was as follows:

chemistdirect141592[yyymmdd] "at" jameswiseman.com

You can read more on my spam trap technique in this article

So, I few days ago I received an email addressed to ‘chemistdirect14159220101008′ ‘at’ jameswiseman.com. This meant that the email address I had given out on the 8th October 2010 (as indicated by the ’20101008′ part had been compromised)

The message was as follows:

I'm waiting for you,

Katelynn [web address]

Hayden

Like previously, this redirected to a pharmaceutical website offering Viagra.

So, despite a comment purporting to be from their IT Department telling me that ‘We take user data security very seriously as our business depends on this’  it seems that ChemistDirect are still up to their old tricks.

And, if the email addresses are compromised, how safe are the credit card details that you are submitting?

Just a thought.

DO NOT REPLY EITHER WAY – THIS IS A SCAM

Just received this message

Do you have a trapped or frozen pension? Achieve 7% growth and release 25% cash now! Text pension for a free review to release cash

Received from:

• +447895123861 / 07895123861

This is one of many messages that are circulating as originally highlighted in my article Debt Settlement Order Spam Text Message. If you ever receive anything that remotely fits this template then delete it.

This is another example of an anonymous company, spamming the text mailboxes of thousands in order to exploit some of the must vulnerable. For someone in serious debt, the opportunity to ‘unlock’ a pension whilst achieving 25% growth might seem favourable.

However, it is impossible to unlock your pension before the age of 55. The 25% mentioned in the text message refers to the 25% tax-free cash, that you can opt to take anyway. This is an option presented to you by your pension provider when you cash in, or ‘vest’ your pension anyway.

The companies that offer this service will be intent on taking a sizeable percentage of any ‘unlocked’ money, potentially condemning  the victims to hardship in their retirement years.  This article at MoneyExtra.com carries more information on the pitfalls of pension unlocking and some possible alternatives.

Reporting

You may be report these messages to your provider. The following links may help:

Vodafone – How do I report spam text messages? Forward the spam message to VSPAM (87726).

Orange – Stop spam text messages. If you are on Orange and get spam messages, please forward them to 7726 free from your Orange phone. By doing this you are helping Orange to collate information to help reduce spam messages being sent to you and others.

02 also allow you to report on 7726. See: SPAM and unwanted subscription texts

I would also try forwarding the message onto 7726 if you are with T-Mobile or Three.

You can also try NumberCop and DoNotCall.gov

Back in May 2009, the Guardian newspaper wrote an article Spam to go – the new mobile menace. It recommends a number of organisations you can contact.

To complain about an inappropriate text, call the Advertising Standards Authority 020 7492 2222 or go to www.asa.org.uk/asa/contact/

To resolve continual mobile spam despite texting “stop”, contact the ICO on 01625 54 57 45 or go to www.ico.gov.uk/complaints.aspx

For help with premium rate text spam, call PhonepayPlus on 0800 500 212 or log on to www.phonepayplus.org.uk/output/Make-a-complaint.aspxDue to a new legislation, those struggling with debt can now apply to have it written off. For more information text the word ‘INFO’ or to opt-out text stop.