Word Of Mouth Scam
Summary:Email claims that someone is filing anonymous reports about you (
Full commentary below).
Status:False
Example:(Submitted via email, 2003)
Subject: SOMEONE JUST PERFORMED A SEARCH FOR REPORTS ABOUT
[your email address] AT WORD-OF-MOUTH.ORG
Word-of-Mouth.Org Search Awareness System
TO ADD THIS EMAIL ADDRESS TO OUR DO NOT EMAIL LIST CLICK HERE -
Word-of-Mouth.Org is obligated to inform you via email (if possible) that
someone has just performed a search for "Word-of-Mouth Reports" about you
(your email address) at our website. *Please see link below to view search
results. The Word-of-Mouth.Org website will continue to inform you when
searches are performed in reference to this email address unless you add
this email address to our Do Not Email List.
*Do not reply to this email; it has been automatically generated.
*Important! - "Word-of-Mouth Reports" are only for the purpose of
identifying the report subject. They do not contain information
additional to that which is viewable at no charge by any and all users.
"Word-of-Mouth Reports" do not contain fields into which report authors can
possibly enter any information aside from that which is for the purpose of
identification. "Word-of-Mouth Reports" do not contain and cannot possibly
contain any potentially defamatory information and "Word-of-Mouth Reports"
are not to be construed as positive or negative.
You may view the search results for this email address by using the
following link -
[LINK REMOVED]
For additonal information regarding how our site works please our FAQ at -
[LINK REMOVED]
If you have any questions or comments please email us at -
[LINK REMOVED]
Commentary:
Basically, this scam email is just a hook to entice people to sign up for the company's dubious "service".
The email warns recipients that people are filing anonymous reports about
them. Since the author of the alleged report is anonymous,
anybody
could have filed it, including (and most likely) the owners of the website.
To find out what the anonymous contributor has actually said you need to
sign up and pay a fee. People who have been gullible enough to actually do
this have reported that they ultimately find out nothing at all.
This is just another grubby little scam, and these emails should go
directly to the bin where they belong.
Write-up by Brett M. Christensen
