Dec 13 2006

Trouble in River City: Iowa Casinos, Scammers and Smokers

Category: Health, Scams — Tim @ 4:35 am

We’ve got trouble my friends right here in River City. Trouble with a capital T that rhymes with C that stands for Casinos. According to the Iowa Gaming Association, there are 14 new casinos being built or completed during 2005-2006. Those casinos will add to what is already there:

Iowa has a total of 19 casinos and pari-mutuel facilities available. The city of Council Bluffs has more casinos than any other casino city in Iowa with a total of 3 casinos.

That’s a lot of casinos when you consider the entire state population could fit easily inside the city of Houston.

With all of the new casinos, trouble is brewing. The first concern is scam artists taking advantage of newly or lightly-trainined casino staff:

Joe Diaz, an assistant director of Division of Criminal Investigation who oversees gaming enforcement, says that many of the new casinos “don’t have their act together” early on and can be the target of scams.
[...]
In June, three men who hit casinos in Dubuque and Worth County were caught at Diamond Jo Worth casino in Northwood. About two-thousand-500-dollars was retrieved from the men.

The second issue is a popular one all over the country, smoking bans. Can you really ban smoking from a casino? Smoking and betting go together like drinking and betting or betting and loosing. It would appear that Iowa is throwing caution to the wind, along with smokers, and joining the non-smoking band-wagon:

Representative Pam Jochum of Dubuque has co-sponsored two bills. One would ban smoking in all public places statewide, and another would leave it to local governments to decide. She says the health implications of smoking demand action.

Some casinos have taken to alternative methods hoping to stop legislation and keep the non-smokers happy:

Some casinos, including Dubuque’s Greyhound Park & Casino, have installed air ventilators to appease the anti-smoking advocates. Using a patented process, the “air displacement” system is designed to push bad air out and recirculate good air.

I’m not exactly sure how these “air displacement systems” are supposed to make casino environments better for non-smokers. Last July, I visited the Dubuque Greyhound Park & Casino and I can tell you, the money they spent on the “air displacement system” was not worth it.

Air displacement system, talk about your casino scams!

More misunderestimation

Aug 29 2006

AOL Labeled ‘Badware’

Category: Scams, Sci/Tech — Tim @ 7:06 am

At one time, the letters AOL were synonymous with the Internet, “I don’t use the Internet, I go on AOL.” So pervasive was their market-share that the grammatically challenged “You’ve got mail” was even made into the title of a movie.

AOL has been in a lot of trouble lately. In June, Vinny Ferrarri recorded his attempt to unsubscribe from AOL and the audio showed a nasty side of AOL, earlier this month, AOL released private search information from over 650,000 of their subscribers, and over the past year, AOL subscribers have dropped by 3.1 million.

Now, it a software watchdog group has labeled AOL software as ‘badware’:

StopBadware.org, the group spearheaded by Harvard Law School and Oxford University to warn consumers about software it deems harmful or deceptive, Monday issued a notice flagging AOL’s client software used in the AOL online service as “badware.”

AOL 9.0 has been added to the “Badware Watch List,” a kind of software hall of shame, because the AOL software compels the installation of additional and unnecessary software without informing the user, according to StopBadware.org. AOL 9.0 also forces users to take actions they can’t avoid, while also installing “potential adware components” in a manner viewed as badware behavior.

How does AOL reply?

“No company has done more to fight malware than AOL,” company spokesman Andrew Weinstein said. “We’re reviewing the suggestions made in the report, and we are taking steps to address them, as they mostly involve minor UI issues. “

Prior to this latest problem, AOL was working on trust:

Since the search disclosure, AOL has taken steps to restore consumer trust, said Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jon Miller in a recent e-mail to employees. “There is a tremendous responsibility that goes along with our mission of serving consumers online,” he wrote. “We have to earn their trust each and every day and with each and every action we take.”

I’m not sure how hiding spyware in your installer software that cannot be removed equals trust; I guess I’m just not seeing things properly. After all, I don’t think of AOL as the Internet.

Other’s blogging:

More misunderestimation

Aug 23 2006

Cybersquatters Beware, Microsoft Is Coming

Category: Scams, Sci/Tech — Tim @ 12:39 pm

I’m sure we’ve all experienced this one. You are trying to get to your favorite web site and, thanks to the slip of a finger, you find yourself somewhere else entirely. Often, the site you are seeing has nothing on it but advertising and your little finger slip may have resulted in a pay-day for some opportunist. Welcome to the world of the Cybersquatter.

Cybersquatters are the type of creatures that hang-out in damp dark places that never see the light. They while-away the hours searching for available domain names that are just slightly off from major web sites (www.yotube.com, www.googl.com, www.mcrosoft.com). Once they identify their pray, they set-up their revenue nets to snare their victims while swapping stories with Spammers about how cleaver they are.

Well, Microsoft has said, enough is enough:

Microsoft Corp. said on Tuesday it has filed two lawsuits against so-called “cybersquatters” or “typosquatters” who use the company’s product names to profit illegally from online advertising.

How wide will Microsoft spread their net?

The software giant says the parties violated the 1999 Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act, which imposes a fine of $100,000 on a person or entity who purposefully registers domain names that are the same or very similar to established sites or that are clearly meant to profit from their likeness to other sites, Reuters reports.

Microsoft filed legal action against the specific people who registered or tried to register the suspect names, but it is not currently going after the ad services that allow such parties to post their ads, according to Reuters. Yahoo, Google and Microsoft all offer online advertising services in which they act as middlemen for sites seeking to place their ads on other popular websites, Reuters reports.

Granted cybersquatters are simply modern-day carpetbaggers and rank somewhere down with other wiggly creatures, but why would a company with more money than most countries be worried about the little cybersquatter? Is there something more to the story?

Microsoft said it is still unclear who is responsible for policing intellectual property on the Web and it wants information from advertising service providers about the profits these domain registers are making.

‘We’re not 100 percent certain which ad services these pages are using. That’s one of the things we intend to learn through our litigation,’ Microsoft’s Kornblum said.

This reminds me of the standard Microsoft business plan: Attack, discover what opportunities exist, and destroy the competition. By going after the cybersquatters, perhaps Microsoft is really going after Internet marketing. They may be trying to corner the ad space market by destroying the competition. We’ve see it before.

Worse yet, what if Microsoft wants to be the ones who “polices intellectual property” on the Internet. Are we scared yet?

More misunderestimation

Aug 14 2006

George Lucas Squeezing More Star Wars Juice

Category: Scams, Video — Tim @ 7:13 am

The Star Wars franchise is nearly as expansive as the universe itself. Since 1977, the world has been inundated with a franchise that continues to set new box office and revenue records. But now, George Lucas has sunk to a new low. This was found on the franchise’s web site:

In response to overwhelming demand, Lucasfilm Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will release attractively priced individual two-disc releases of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Each release includes the 2004 digitally remastered version of the movie and, as bonus material, the theatrical edition of the film. That means you’ll be able to enjoy Star Wars as it first appeared in 1977, Empire in 1980, and Jedi in 1983.

Overwhelming demand…from the marketing department! Basically, Lucas is re-releasing the re-release of the re-release. To make matters more offensive, in 2004 when Lucas released the “definitive” DVD box-set, he edited the movies and actually replaced actors. Can you imagine telling your grand kids how you were in Star Wars and then find out that good old George has decided to replace you? “Sorry, your character was played by another actor in later versions of the movie and we cut you for the purity of the story.”

So, we take the original movies, re-edit/special edition them twice, release the “definitive” collection, then release the “unedited” version restoring the works to their original state. I can’t wait for the spin on this one. (Use your deep voice) “As with any great work of art, these movies have been altered over time. Now, you have the unique opportunity to view these masterpieces as they were intended to be, restored to their original greatness!” Nice.

For those who still can’t get enough, those devout would-be Jedi who want more from The Creator, your wish has been granted:

Hasbro, maker of Star Wars toys, is paying plastic tribute to Lucas, interpreting him as a limited-edition action figure in Storm Trooper attire.

The head of the toy maker’s Star Wars division called Lucas “the greatest character in the universe.”

I wonder why a toy company would consider Lucas the greatest; could it be the billions of dollars they earned via his creation? By the way, the 500th Star Wars Action Figure has been released.

Keep squeezing George.

More misunderestimation

Aug 09 2006

AOL Security ‘Screw-Up’: Search Data Released

Category: Scams, Sci/Tech — Tim @ 9:13 am

AOL has made a mistake, they have released 3 months of search information:

AOL, the fourth Internet search giant after Google, Yahoo and MSN, has publicly admitted the embarrassment of releasing private information about 658,000 of its customers, compromising their privacy.

The data is about the searches made by 658,000 AOL members between March and May 2006. Apparently, without authorization, a staff member from AOL posted on the Internet millions of search words used during the three month period, but with a positive purpose. He tried to offer to the research community the possibility to create a better tool for search engines, by studying the patterns present in the data offered about AOL clients.

Remember, whatever you enter in search engines, the pages you browse on the Internet, and the communications you send are all stored somewhere for some period of time. The Houston Chronicle has a good example:

For example, many users type their names to find out whether sites have dirt on them and then separately search for online mentions of their phone, credit card or Social Security numbers. A few days later, they may search for pizzerias in their neighborhoods, revealing their locations, or for prescription drug prices, revealing their medical conditions. All those separate searches would be linked to the same numeric ID.

“Search query data can contain the sum total of our work, interests, associations, desires, dreams, fantasies and even darkest fears,” said Lauren Weinstein, a privacy advocate.

Yikes. Many AOL users should be afraid, very afraid. The The New York Times says:

But the unintended consequences of all that data being compiled, stored and cross-linked are what Marc Rotenberg, the executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, a privacy-rights group in Washington, called “a ticking privacy time bomb.”

The shock wave from this is going to be felt far and wide. The blog world is all-over this issue. After-all, AOL does not have the best name in the business lately. Remember the video from the guy who tried to unsubscribe to AOL?

Also blogging:

More misunderestimation

Jul 27 2006

MySpace a Target for Cyber Crime

Category: Kids & Technology, Parenting, Scams, Sci/Tech — Tim @ 1:30 pm

MySpace has come under a lot of fire lately for concerns over user’s security and then power outages this past weekend, now it appears to be the target of cyber criminals as well.

From Silicon.com:

Social networking portal MySpace is becoming a major target for cyber criminals, with credit card fraud, phishing attacks and spyware all growing concerns for users of the site.

One reason for the problems arising is the overwhelming popularity of the site which has created an ecosystem ripe for the picking by criminals, according to one security expert.

Phishing, as the name implies, is when someone “baits” you to come to their web site and fill out a form with your personal information. These messages look legitimate, but are really scams designed to gather your personal information. With the explosion of “social network” sites, the phishing nets are getting bigger. Vnunet.com has this to add:

“With a global increase in the uptake of social networking portals such as MySpace we are seeing the bad guys increasingly target these sites,” said MessageLabs chief technology officer Mark Sunner.

“This clearly demonstrates the constant level of innovation by cyber-criminals to leverage new modes of internet level communication and capture a victim’s personal identity.”

IT Week is even more direct:

“We’re now in the midst of a new level of convergence triggered by the necessity [to make money] from targeted attacks,” Sunner explained. “In 12 months we’ll pinpoint this time as the moment spam and viruses converged with spyware.”

Great. So, how do we fight phishing? Panda Software has some advice:

The most basic security measure to bear in mind is simply to ignore email messages, etc. that, under whatever pretext, ask you to go to a web page and enter your login details.

Another practical piece of advice to avoid phishing attacks is not to click on links in order to access Internet services such as online banking, etc.

I guess the best advice is to remember what your mother told you; never accept candy from strangers.

Other’s Blogging/Resources:

More misunderestimation

Jul 19 2006

MySpace Ad Causing Problems

Category: Kids & Technology, Scams, Sci/Tech — Tim @ 2:54 pm

Apparently, a banner add has been causing grief on mySpace. Check out the story from Brian Krebs from the Washington Post:

An online banner advertisement that ran on MySpace.com and other sites over the past week used a Windows security flaw to infect more than a million users with spyware when people merely browsed the sites with unpatched versions of Windows, according to data collected by iDefense, a Verisign company.

Be sure to read the rest of the article for help removing the spyware.

7/20 Update:

The Houston Chronicle’s TechBlog has more on the problems with MySpace and advocates turning on those automatic Microsoft updates to fight these issues:

Nothing Microsoft’s buggy code is going to do to your machine would be worse than having your passwords or your identity stolen.

It’s not surprising that MySpace would be a target for malware; considering the size and nature of the audience, more is on the way.

More misunderestimation

Jun 28 2006

Chamillionaire, Chris Brown, & Ciara Concert Scam

Category: Scams — Tim @ 12:40 pm

Dubuque, Iowa was getting ready for Friday’s “Summer Jam 2K6″, a concert this featuring Chamillionaire, Chris Brown, and Ciara (C-Era) when, according to the Des Monies Register, they received a most disturbing phone call:

T. Gray, a representative for Chamillionaire, said the artist is scheduled to shoot a video in Los Angeles on Friday, and “I guarantee Iowa was not on the schedule for late June.”

It seems the entire concert was nothing but an elaborate scam (Des Monies Register):

About 1,000 of the $25 tickets had been sold.

“They were real tickets to a fake show, which you don’t see too often,” Dubuque County Sheriff Kenneth Runde said.

There were radio commercials to promote the event, and someone had even reserved the stage at the Dubuque County Fairgrounds.

Apparently, the scam worked on everyone; even the police who had agreed to provide security for the event. According the article, very little of the money has been recovered. I suspect the scammers and money are long-gone.

Story Update: 6/29

According to KCRG TV, two men have been arrested in conjunction with this scam.

Authorities say Jeffrey Adam Revis, 20, of Wesley Chapel, Florida, and Charles L. Warthan, 30, of Chattanooga, Tenn., sold tickets for “Summer Jam 2006″ at the Dubuque County Fairgrounds. But artists listed on the tickets they were never booked to play at the concert.

This scam really permeated the community.

The Dubuquque County Fairgrounds

Chamillionaire fans:

I’m going to see Chamillionaire, Chris Brown and Ciara on June 30th in Dubuque, Iowa. Pretty much going just to see Chamillionaire, but I won’t mind checking out Ciara. I think this concert will move up to my new #1.

Even VH1 had it listed.

This scam had a lot of people duped.

More misunderestimation