The Down Range Forum

Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: Pathfinder on February 07, 2010, 08:37:26 PM

Title: Important message from the forum administration!
Post by: Pathfinder on February 07, 2010, 08:37:26 PM
Anyone else get this stupid PM? It is a spammer on the site, and if a bunch of us got it, then it might mean the site was hacked.

Here's the text of the PM message I got with the url in the message scrambled. Note the use of my onscreen personna as a lead in:

Dear, Pathfinder!

A virus alert was noticed on your computer.
We highly recommend you to check your computer and perform online virus check at our site immediately: http://security-txxx.xxx/Pathfinder
----------------------------------------------------
Forum Administration www.downrange.tv.

Title: Re: Important message from the forum administration!
Post by: Majer on February 07, 2010, 08:41:28 PM
Path, I got it as well, Deleted it as spam
Title: Re: Important message from the forum administration!
Post by: texcaliber on February 07, 2010, 09:31:00 PM
Negative Path, no such PM for me.

tex
Title: Re: Important message from the forum administration!
Post by: Jackel on February 07, 2010, 09:41:40 PM
must be an inside job   

(http://www.westendbreaks.co.uk/images/upload/mystery.jpg)
Title: Re: Important message from the forum administration!
Post by: texcaliber on February 07, 2010, 09:48:04 PM
Quote from: Jackel link=topic=11164.msg146275#msg146275 da1265600500
must be an inside job   

(http://www.westendbreaks.co.uk/images/upload/mystery.jpg)


This reminds me of my youth:

"He whom hath smelled it, hath dealt IT." or something to that affect.

tex
Title: Re: Important message from the forum administration!
Post by: Walter45Auto on February 07, 2010, 11:21:53 PM
yeah I got that message too. From some loser who has nothing better to do, I guess.
Title: Re: Important message from the forum administration!
Post by: tombogan03884 on February 07, 2010, 11:32:01 PM
I didn't get it either.
Title: Re: Important message from the forum administration!
Post by: fightingquaker13 on February 08, 2010, 01:12:45 AM
I didn't get it either.
Me neither.
Should we feel insulted, or did they just read our credit reports? ;D ;D ;D
FQ13
Title: Re: Important message from the forum administration!
Post by: scottr on February 08, 2010, 03:19:38 AM
It is better than just a PM, as I received an email at the account I registered with, which was set to 'Hidden'. So the entire subscriber database is likely hacked, jacked and harvested.
Title: Re: Important message from the forum administration!
Post by: philw on February 08, 2010, 04:07:38 AM
no virus's  here

I am on a Mac :)



hehe :P
Title: Re: Important message from the forum administration!
Post by: Rastus on February 08, 2010, 06:12:03 AM
Nothing here.
Title: Re: Important message from the forum administration!
Post by: ellis4538 on February 08, 2010, 06:40:55 AM
I would PM Marshal and let him know.  I didn't get it.

Richard
Title: Re: Important message from the forum administration!
Post by: crusader rabbit on February 08, 2010, 07:43:38 AM
Nothing untoward in my in-box.  feeling left out... :'(
Title: Re: Important message from the forum administration!
Post by: Bic on February 08, 2010, 07:52:21 AM
Negativo on the pee emmo   :)
Title: Re: Important message from the forum administration!
Post by: shooter32 on February 08, 2010, 09:19:25 AM
Nothing.
Title: Re: Important message from the forum administration!
Post by: 1911 Junkie on February 08, 2010, 09:42:54 AM
I'm not even worth spamming.  :(
Title: Re: Important message from the forum administration!
Post by: 2HOW on February 08, 2010, 09:49:22 AM
nope
Title: Re: Important message from the forum administration!
Post by: Marshal Halloway on February 08, 2010, 11:27:22 AM
Hi ...

The last few days, we have experienced an increase in spam and especially through PMs. Thanks to all who have reported this.

If you receive PMs from new members (click on the member link to check when they registered) with links to websites, report them and then delete.

Last one this morning was called "Important message from the forum administration!"

We are working on "nuking'em" .

MH

Title: Re: Important message from the forum administration!
Post by: Marshal Halloway on February 08, 2010, 12:26:15 PM

Hi folks!

It is not a virus and it is not a hack. They registered as members and started sending PMs. We have limited the number of PMs you can send at once, so some members receive them, some don't. We are working on it.

As of now, we have temporarily changed the settings and all new members have to be approved manually until we are able to find the source and block them.
Title: Re: Important message from the forum administration!
Post by: Teresa Heilevang on February 08, 2010, 01:03:12 PM
Ok~~~ I'm stepping in here and give my 'less than (http://www.rightnation.us/forums/style_emoticons/default/twocents.gif)".. ;D

I received  a pm stating that maybe since this is happening.. and the slime ball spammer/hackers have squeezed under a crack .. that our site is somehow not being tended to in the most secure manner and possibly our giveaways in Down Range are not run properly either..
Well....................................*taking a deep breath* I don't know whether its the massive headache I have today..or that I just knee jerked and took this too personal and wrong. ( I'm willing to admit it could be both.. so if I over react to this.. I apologize)

Down Range is still an extremely secure site.  As most of you Down Range 'lifers' know there was a time awhile back that we were hit hard..( Site was blitzed for a short bit even)  Marshal had to pull out all the guru power to nuke that.. but he did!
Now .. the slime suckers have hit again.. but not near as hard as that other time. This is actually minor..Irritating and Inconvenient for us.. but sill minor..  And this isn't exactly hacker stuff.. This is spammers..
Spammers are little 'hacker wannabes'..who delight in being able to string their trash through everyone yard..hoping that somewhere along the time you are picking up their trash..you will see a piece of it that you will find interesting..
Spammers work sometimes in groups..
Hackers generally work as loners.. That is how they get their jollies.. They are constantly hammering code software into sites trying to get in... in any manner. .. and most are so intelligent that they have automated bots running nonstop doing the figures in the background constantly sniffing and searching for a way in. These guys are far from stupid.. But that is all they do every single day. Its bragging rights within the other geek hackers.

Both are manure ordinated in my books..

 Marshal works on  this site constantly.. as most of you know..  But as with anything that is cyber and internet based.. these things happen to every site that is out there...
What irritates me is when people start insinuating that our giveaways on Down Range are not secure..Nothing could be further from the truth.. To me that is personal..Maybe I shouldn't take it like that ..but I do. Down Range might be powered by the Outdoor Channel now.. but Marshal..all by himself... built this wonderful site from the ground up .. piece by piece. letter by letter... So in our eyes..we still own it and treat it like we own it..  
The contest and giveaway software is extremely reliable and secure.. and what some have forgotten or maybe don't realize is that ..Down Range has 2 humans working  on everything that runs through this site. Nothing is automated and left  without being powered and run and monitored by humans.. ( Marshal and I)  So the give-aways are secure. and we will do and continue to do everything humanly possible to insure that Down Range is run and operated in the highest and secure way we know how..

((Now ..next thing I have to do is try to deal with this headache..))
 
(http://images.clipartof.com/thumbnails/45644.jpg)
Title: Re: Important message from the forum administration!
Post by: ellis4538 on February 08, 2010, 02:32:23 PM
Marshal'ette...Excedrin Migrane works for me!  Please don't let them get to you.  Those of us who have been here thru fat and skinny know better and you don't need to explain to us (we ain't goin' anywhere) and you certainly don't need to explain to them.

Richard   
Title: Re: Important message from the forum administration!
Post by: jaybet on February 08, 2010, 04:22:06 PM
You have to expect people trying to disrupt things. They might even be some anti's just found a way to cause a little trouble. Most of us don't care about these things and thank you all for all the hard work.
Title: Re: Important message from the forum administration!
Post by: Johnny Bravo on February 08, 2010, 04:33:59 PM
You have to expect people trying to disrupt things. They might even be some anti's just found a way to cause a little trouble. Most of us don't care about these things and thank you all for all the hard work.

+1     Tell'em to hang it in their ASS !!
Title: Re: Important message from the forum administration!
Post by: Teresa Heilevang on February 09, 2010, 01:41:41 PM
Excedrin Migraine DID work ..and you are right... Sometimes I worry too much..
Thanks..
Title: Re: Important message from the forum administration!
Post by: JSC3ATLCSO on February 09, 2010, 04:47:19 PM
Yes.  Thank-You all for the hard work you guys do to keep the rest of us entertained.  Hopefully we give you guys a smile once in a while back. 

Jason
Title: Re: Important message from the forum administration!
Post by: Fatman on February 09, 2010, 05:29:39 PM
I think a give away is the best medicine for a headache. Like, um... the Ruger 556, or a Sig 516, or another Browning, or...(your wish here).

Seriously, spam is, well, maybe the least offensive part of the information 'abuse' age. Annoying, but manageable.