02 April, 2009

Yet Another Internet Scam

Check out this cool email I got today:

Do you wholesale? I sent you an email a few weeks ago about selling your spices through our network of stores. They'd be a great fit.

We work with buyers from thousands of grocers, specialty food stores, large chains, mail-order catalog companies and Internet shopping sites. We need a larger variety of spices can choose from, hence my email to you.

If you're interested in selling your spices to more stores visit us at http://www.wiserep.com/sellers.php We guarantee sales.

Sincerely,
David Thibos
Director of Merchandising
WiseRep.com
Seems kind of suspicious to me. After all, I don't sell anthing here - the only mention I've made of spices have been in recipes and reviews.

I decided to find out a little more about WiseRep.com. A quick Google search yields a bunch of hits, but nearly all of them fall into one of these categories:
  • Bloggers with items to sell - mostly arts and crafts, but some other items too - who have been contacted by WiseRep with the same kind of email that I got, asking if WiseRep is legit. Funny how the emails are all exactly the same - the only parts that differ are the the words describing a product.
  • Press releases announcing that WiseRep has "joined forces with [insert major retailer name here]." That's a pretty clever way of spinning the news that you've signed up for an affiliate program. Your bullshit detectors should ring loudly and clearly at press releases like that - Target, Macy's, Walmart, and other big retailers are household names. Why haven't you ever heard of WiseRep before that suspicious email slipped past your spam filter?
  • Blog comments enthusiastically reporting how great WiseRep's services have been and how much sales have grown since Anonymous has signed up with WiseRep. A large number of these comments quote the exact same press release and are so similar that they are obviously copypasta posted by WiseRep shills.
Now, let's take a look at the WHOIS information for WiseRep.com:

Registrant:
Domains by Proxy, Inc.

DomainsByProxy.com
15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
United States

Registered through: GoDaddy.com, Inc. (http://www.godaddy.com)
Domain Name: WISEREP.COM
Created on: 17-Oct-06
Expires on: 17-Oct-09
Last Updated on: 06-Mar-09

Administrative Contact:
Private, Registration WISEREP.COM@domainsbyproxy.com
Domains by Proxy, Inc.
DomainsByProxy.com
15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
United States
(480) 624-2599 Fax -- (480) 624-2598

Technical Contact:
Private, Registration WISEREP.COM@domainsbyproxy.com
Domains by Proxy, Inc.
DomainsByProxy.com
15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
United States
(480) 624-2599 Fax -- (480) 624-2598

Domain servers in listed order:
AUTH03.NS.HOSTING.COM
AUTH04.NS.HOSTING.COM
So, the people behind WiseRep.com are hiding their identities behind a proxy registration service. Seems to me that a legitimate business wouldn't have any reason to scurry under a rock.

Buyer beware.




3 comments:

Ali Jordan-Brown said...

Your link was on the 3rd page of the Google search on wiserepmail.com, but I feel it is the best listing I read, and I really appreciate it. I think it's safe to say I will not take the chance, having been conned by RoniDeutch.com and StoresOnline.com. I am so tired of the evil that pervades the internet. Who will protect us but other people like us who care.

Anonymous said...

I found your review sugggesting caution (re:WiseRep.com) through Google Search after also receiving a sales pitch which raised my suspicions. Thank you for plainly showing the course of action a wise person would take. I too am weary of needing to always be suspicious.

Anonymous said...

Looks like Wiserep is going by a new name- or their sales pitch is the same: intostores.com