Ok, this will not be one of my regular computer help blog. This involves being on top of things, doing your homework and watching out for the bad guys. Spammers/scammers are all over the internet, right? Craigslists is no exception. Crigslists regularly posts these warnings: .
** CRAIGSLIST ADVISORY --- AVOID SCAMS BY DEALING LOCALLY
** Avoid: wiring money, cross-border deals, work-at-home
** Beware: cashier checks, money orders, escrow, shipping
** More Info: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams.html
Yesterday, while answering my emails I received an inquiry into a computer I am selling. I listed this computer on Craigslists/Panama amoung other places.The header of the email had this information;
terry sidney <tsidney777@gmail.com>
tosale-bkztv-1701544811@craigslist.org
dateTue, May 4, 2010 at 9:49 AM
subjectDELL Desktop 4 Sale - $650 (Chiriqui)
mailed-bycraigslist.org
Ok, this guy wanted to know if my computer was still for sale and if I would accept PayPal as payment. Also he would pay me another $50 to ship the computer to him. I don't know this guy, ok but this is common I don't know everybody in Chiriqui. I mentioned I would only accept cash since I perfer not to use my PayPal account for such matters. Then tsidney777 replies if I would take a check. To which I said "no", sorry again too risky. Then I start listening to my gut.
Being a tech savy "ole' computer geek", with 20 years of computers/high tech forensics, it would be trivial for me to track where this email came from. Using a free service I trace the IP address to someplace in the middle of the ocean beteen Africa and South America. Ok, my hairs on my neck start rising. His IP address was 10.xxx.xxx.xxx ( I will cover up his real IP address for consieration) and at the bottom of the email it said "this message was remailed to you via: sale-bkztv-1701544811@craigslist.org". This tells me three important details,1) That tsidney777 is using the IP address of the 10.x.x x domain(hard to track), known as the common spammer's domain, 2) this domain is usually used by VPN's, again used as an attempt to hide a location, 3) this tsidney777 used Craigslists to "bounce" his email;"this message was remailed to you via: sale-bkztv-1701544811@craigslist.org"
First attempting to truely hide an IP address is hard to do and suspicious behavior in itself. Savy people can "spoof" or fake an IP address, again in attempts to hide location, spammers do this all the time. Using a VPN is not suspicious in nature, actually a lot of people use a well known VPN to get Hulu.com in Panama. Ah, but the bounce, the bounce! But my gut tells me that the combination of all the above shows deceit. I trust my gut, and very few people. And now the fun begins.
go to http://compprosvc.ning.com/ for the rest of the story
Replies
I sent myself an email from one Gmail account to another and here is part of the header. Not too much mystery here.
boqueteguide@gmail.com
Received: by 10.100.43.16 with SMTP id q16cs279894anq; Thu, 6 May 2010 18:35:15 -0700 (PDT)
Received: by 10.150.1.20 with SMTP id 20mr2627993yba.247.1273196114699; Thu, 06 May 2010 18:35:14 -0700 (PDT)
Craigs list also creates an email address for each item posted, to hide a personal email address, event-xxxxxxxx@craigslist.org is one I just had for a test post.
With your 20 years if experience you know very little indeed. It is ok to to be ignorant, we all are in many areas but stop trying to sell yourself as an expert when you are ignorant.
The fact that you don't seem to understand that your generated router IP address of 10.xxx.xxx.xxx is considered "router side" or a class "A" subnetwork number. Your ISP in Panama did not or will not give you an IP address of 10.xxx etc. No company in Panama works with these domains.( I know because I run the Dude from time to time to determine what IP address I need to work with for my marketing job.) Not knowing that the internet works with "packets" which includes headers from your ISP given IP address astounds me.When an email is sent ,especially from Gmail, the email header include your IP address from your ISP given address(bundled with subnet) which tells Gmail where to return the request. Your subnet address is in a layer 6 packet, enveloped in the ISP aka router IP address. Here is a graduate of University of Arizona and holding positions of the following:
* CEO at CDM Networks Inc
* CEO at Innovative System Design
* CEO at Human Resource Interface
And you did not know this, really who is the ignorant one now, old dog?
Just as a primer for those reading this comment. Oh yeah for you too Lee since you seemed to have forgotten Internet 101. An IP (Internet Protocol) Address is a 32-bit number broken up into "quads" of 1 byte each, separated by dots. 1 byte is 8 bits which in decimal is a number in the range 0 to 255. For example, 10.234.56.71 is an IP Address. In simpler terms it is like a mailbox address for your home.
I still have to wonder why you were so secretive in trying to contact me about buying my computer? Why did you use another email address when yours is well published. Why try to proxy your email server to Craiglist? I did notice you did not deny bouncing your email from Craigslists or by using another name in your emails to me. Ever heard of the phone?
I have to believe you "test" your fellow members often in this copious manner. However I am sure many of the members of your ning group may not be as savy as I am. This is why I explain Windows, Office and the internet in my ning group;Windows power users group, with tips and pictures. Perhaps since you are "an old dog" you may learn a few things from a geek, and read some of my posts. You really should get "game" if you are going to play in 2010.
Since you are the moderator of this group, will my reply be posted and for how long?
Second the Internet Protocol Stack looks like this:
Application LAyer ( HTTP, SMTP, FTP etc)
Transport Layer ( TCP, UDP etc)
Internet Layer ( IP)
Link Layer (Ethernet etc)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPv4
Four layers not six as stated by the expert above.
IP address in IP4 which is what most people are using is 32 bits broken into 4 octets of 8 bits. The reason you do not see this in your normal web browsing is because the IP address is translated into a more memorable domain name by Domain Name Servers, DNS.
It is all alphabet soup and not relevant to using the internet but can and here is being used to make you believe something normal is abnormal.
I do not know who this guy is, I suspect his first name is Fredrick. He wants you to trust him with your computer security but will not even provide his name and uses an address in Nicaragua.
Four layers
I also want to be clear I NEVER contacted him to purchase his computer.
New day, new post.
Gotta tell you Lee, if you want to get into a pissing contest with me about computers, the Internet and my chosen industry of 20 years, get a six pack of beer and reload your ammo. I also taught computers for several years in many countries.I was also in the mid-nineties a visiting scholar for your Alma mater,University of Arizona. I represented Medtronics and Intel while working and living in Tempe,AZ. I graduated from ASU, BS degree in Computer Information Systems,my third. I do not need to explain my credentials but for your edification and for the readers of this long drawn out thread,I do now.
As to your reply, again I stress your ignorance is appalling. Really Lee, you defer to the Internet Protocol Stack, when the OSI model is the reference. Internet Protocol Stack is an issue with, again Lee, "router side" protocol assignment. Since the aforementioned websites on the internet Google, Gmail and Craigslists used SSL, and encryption the layer six is in use(DATA layer). All three of these websites on a permanent frequency use encryption in the headers and was not configured as an open relay.I know this because the original emails sent to me were not tagged;"Unknown user" or "protected email". I ran a trace on the headers to generalize a location. Layer six.Lee. Really get current,"old dog". I am sure you know of the OSI model,being a Senior Consultant at Innovative System Design. Do you remember that email you answered from Rod Dorman,on Nov 23, 2004, at 9:48 AM. Nothing come to mind?
I will footnote what layers are for those that require more information, see last the paragraph.
You state my account of this alert was "nonsense", the originals are here for you to read and validate. I will forward the original emails if you so request. I challenge you to show that these email from this scammer are fake, you can't Lee. As you posted your suspicions, I suspect you as the sender.BTW, having all the information on your site and you still misspell his name, come on Lee!
As to your attack on my posting and our company,CPS or as you put it,"I just do not want people who are not knowledgeable to buy into your FUD, Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt." First, I posted this scammers' weak attempt to defraud me as alert to use Craigslist in Panama wisely.I identified him as a fraud within a few minutes and posted on your site for those as you say, "who are not knowledgeable". Notice, I posted to your site and you responded with fodder about your NAT dribble.
The reason I created my ning site,Windows power users group,http://compprosvc.ning.com/ was to provide computer/MS Office/the Internet advice for free. Since there are many of the older generation who did not grow up with computers or received proper training, this is a place for those who have questions. You have not discovered my ning group, Lee for whatever reason perhaps you should do so now.
Secondly, let me speak for CPS, since I am the CTO, chief technical officer. Our company, based in Boquete, has used existing technology to successfully recover stolen computers. We are an new service that offers answers to Boquete newest crime wave. Let me document what others have said about the crime in Boquete, and even yourself Lee. However I use current data not the outdated, useless stats you referenced.Your exact quote;"Many of these numbers are several years old and I cannot find newer information that could be correlated." Really,Lee. Have you heard of Google?If you are going to post facts, why would you not use current data?Let me find for your readers newer information, with the link to the original story.Good journalism,read that again Lee.
"Panama remains relatively safe when compared to other Central American countries; however
recent criminal statistics show an increase in crime from last year in all categories except
simple assaults and rapes.link;https://www.osac.gov/Reports/report.cfm?contentID=103196
Crime in Panama City is increasing and the Department of State recently increased its
evaluation to “High” for purposes of providing increased resources to protect Embassy
employees housed in Panama City.link;
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_994.html#crime
"U.S. authorities are concerned about the authoritarian direction of the ruler of neighboring country to the south and the way they are destroying the capacity of judicial institutions to combat organized crime, said various Panamanian and U.S. sources."link;http://www.panama-guide.com/
And as promised your little jewel,Lee
"People come to paradise and forget that crime is everyplace including here. If you live in
Boquete look at the local people and their homes, dogs and bars on windows are the norm not
the exception."http://www.boqueteguide.com/?p=3701
You promote the same "FUD" in your posts. Admitting what the rest of the world already knows, that crime is increasing in Boquete.People are leaving, property values are dropping and Boquete as you know it has changed and may never be the "paradise" as the hype types.
At least, CPS provides at a cost to us, a website, a free newsletter, crime map and facts to consider in today's world. The criminals are more violent, need I comment on this more with local examples? And the level of scams,ID theft and data mining are rising due to the abundance of information on the Internet. Go to youTube and do a search for ID Theft, say what you will but the criminals are learning from these videos. Hell, I can "google" houses in Boquete and get floorplans, tell me why? Most internet cafes I know in Boquete have keylogger software installed, password stealing keyloggers.
Each day, anti-virus companies find 10,000 new password stealing attack site on the net, go to http://site-scanner.com/News/kasl.php
Inline with those thoughts, what do the people of Boquete know about ID Theft? More detailed facts,Lee, read and understand this is today's news.do you offer a solution,no you filter the news.
In the USA
* There were 10 million victims of identity theft in 2008 in the United States (Javelin
Strategy and Research, 2009).
* 1 in every 10 U.S. consumers has already been victimized by identity theft (Javelin
Strategy and Research, 2009).
* 1.6 million households experienced fraud not related to credit cards (i.e. their bank
accounts or debit cards were compromised) (U.S. Department of Justice, 2005).
* Those households with incomes higher than $70,000 were twice as likely to experience
identity theft than those with salaries under $50,000 (U.S. DOJ, 2005).
* 7% of identity theft victims had their information stolen to commit medical identity theft.
Recovery
* It can take up to 5,840 hours (the equivalent of working a full-time job for two
years) to correct the damage from ID theft, depending on the severity of the case (ITRC
Aftermath Study, 2004).
* The average victim spends 330 hours repairing the damage (ITRC Aftermath Study, 2004).
Deny these facts,Lee!
CPS is not profiting from "fear" or "FUD" we are security conscious.Today's solution,2010 for you.
The CPS website is a one-stop local resource to learn about the crime of identity theft. It provides detailed information to help you deter, detect, and defend against identity theft. http://compprosvc.com/ . We provide seminars to the public to bring awareness. FUD, come on Lee you can do better than that.
One more dig,Lee. Funny how a guy with Miami, FL. and Tucson,AZ. addresses and more, seems interested in an address listed in Nicaragua. Really, Lee do I need to ask you about who you really are? In print you admit not knowing much about me, or CPS and being a lawyer fail to understand the slander/libel laws of Panama.Do you really think your ning disclaimer will hold up in this corrupt system of law?
Endpoint, there are many who have watch you grow,over the years,as blogger on mediocre travel sites into the moderator on this "better alternative " to Boquete.org.
footnote;A layer is a collection of conceptually similar functions that provide services to the layer above it and receives service from the layer below it. On each layer an instance provides services to the instances at the layer above and requests service from the layer below. For example, a layer that provides error-free communications across a network provides the path needed by applications above it, while it calls the next lower layer to send and receive packets that make up the contents of the path. Conceptually two instances at one layer are connected by a horizontal protocol connection on that layer.Encryption is typically done at layer six, although it can be done on the Application, Session, Transport, or Network Layers;
I just want to add some information.
1. The working code in Panama, in the article 17, says that the rate of foreigners to Panamanians working on a company must be 15% or less. I'm assuming that you don't have 7 Panamanians working in the company with you, or maybe are you here with a tourist Visa? Maybe you're working illegally here?
2. You're company have the links with the internet providers here? They are going to let you check their databases to see who was connected with the IP you have registered as one that is attached to one computer under your service? My computer's IP under Cableonda is registered as located in Pueblo Nuevo, David, but I'm in Alto Boquete. That is what you have access to without accessing the Cableonda Database. With the database, you will know my name and location. But that depends in what Cableonda is able to give you
3. Let say that you have that info, how are you going to be able to recover the laptop? By asking the police? We all know that the police here have the best intentions, but don't have the resources, or authorization, or the ability to go and recover the laptop. And what happens if the computer is sold in Costa Rica? Are you going to work with the Interpol?
4. To be able to do almost any kind of business here, you need to present your cedula or passport, or a copy of those documents, In the US you only need the name and social security number, and you could do the transactions over the phone. We all know that in Panama to do almost anything and everything need to go to a government office. That is the reason we don’t have almost any case of identity thief here. Maybe if the laptop’s thief could try to sell the information to a third party that could do that, but is really unlikely, and if the thief have a ounce of common sense, he is not going to connect the laptop to the Internet, then you are not going to be able to delete the data in the laptop.
I could go on and on with more of questions about the recovery and data deletion services, because we all know that Panama is not the same as the US, and a good idea that could work there is not going to work here. Then, making some statement with not a lot of information to back it up, and using some mumbo jumbo words that only we geeks can understand, makes me think that you are fishing in a “rio revuelto”
I’m sorry if I wrote something in the wrong way, but if I were able to write in Spanish to explain me better, this post will take like 2 more pages.
People can reach their own conclusions based upon all that is here including your lack of identity. Perhaps if you identified yourself 99% of the doubt would disappear?
I have no vested interest in you or CPS, just in making people think. Remember THINK.
The IANA reserves certain blocks of addresses for private networks.
IANA-reserved private IPv4 network ranges
Start End No. of addresses
24-bit Block (/8 prefix, 1 x A) 10.0.0.0 10.255.255.255 16,777,216
20-bit Block (/12 prefix, 16 x B) 172.16.0.0 172.31.255.255 1,048,576
16-bit Block (/16 prefix, 256 x C) 192.168.0.0 192.168.255.255 65,536
The 10.xx.xx.xx block is NOT a public class A but reserved for private use, NAT (Network Address Translation) use. It is no surprise Google uses a private Class A for internal use. I and most people who buy home routers use a provate class C, 192.168.X.X. For a fast read on IP check http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_address
Believe me the fact that I have Google Email and opened a Craig's List account, does not mean I contacted you to buy your computer. I did not and would not buy anything from you. Your mystery buyer was not in Panama but in some mysterious part of the ocean where IP assignments are not very common.
Just because I took the time to prove your post was nonesense does not mean I am testing you. I just do not want people who are not knowledgeable to buy into your FUD, Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt.
Your profile says you are in located in Nicaragua, not very honest. I think who ever you are you are not very knowledgeable and certainly have a free floating imagination.
You don't need some "especial ip address finder" to know if someone tries to con you, just some kind of common sense. if someone tries to buy your computer and he is on Argentina, is pretty obviously that he is not going to pay you in cash!!! (if the story is true, i can't find the craiglist post).
Again, one cup of common sense is better that 10 gallons of unreasonable fear.