Possible MSN scam
I've noticed a couple of the contacts on my MSN list have started displaying 'http://msncheck.41m.com - free way to check who blocked and deleted you on msn'. Naturally I went to this website to investigate and found that it promised the ability to check if anyone has blocked or deleted me, provided I gave my msn username and password.
Now there is no way I'm giving my username or password to anyone, let alone an unknown website. However, I was curious as to what would happen if I did. I tried the website with false information:
Note the 'your login info will be stored on our server for future use*'. This is the closest to any sort of privacy statement and/or website intent.
It then told me that it couldn't connect to my account (not surprisingly), and attempted to install a search bar. Ouch. All of this leads me to one conclusion: it's some sort of viral scam.
I may of course be wrong, but the way I see it working is this. You enter your details into the website which then stores them for future use*. Meanwhile, the website logs into your account and changes your name to contain a link back to the website (while putting adverts onto your computer with the search bar). Now all your friends will see the website's address and will probably also click on it. And so the website spreads.
Digging a bit further I find that the site has been registered to the following individual:
41M
41M - (sam@41m.com)
+1.-
Fax: -, +1.-
1212 AIM st
AIM, CA 0000000
US
Would you trust those details?
My own opinion is to avoid this website. At the end of the day, does it really matter if someone has blocked you? If they have then what are you going to do - tell them you know and force them to talk to you?
Whether the website does allow you to check for blocked/deleted friends I don't know, but I do know that once they have your password they have full access to your email and can probably extract other passwords and account details that might be stored there. This could potentially give them access to much more sensitive data. If you (or any of your friends) have entered details here then I would advise you change your password pronto.
* Future use being something bad
Suggested solutions
If you have already signed up for this service, and downloaded the 'search bar', then there are a couple of things you can do to clean your system out:
- Change your password and password hint immediately
- Run a Spyware/Trojan/Adware detection program:
- Run a virus scan
Comments (page 6 of 10)
Jun 16, 2006 9:58 am
dont give your password otherwise your account will be hack..... if anybody wana try then go ahed..
Jun 14, 2006 8:55 pm
It's amazing that people will still be dumb enough to give out their account details. You might as well just call the webmaster of the site up and give him your account details. Do you really think there isn't a massive database collecting all that information?
If you are one of those people that register your e-mail address on other sites such as PayPal or E-Bay all they dood has to do is request a lost password and, after he has logged into your hotmail account ( and changed your password to stop your access ) he will have full control of your other accounts.
Still cannot believe that people fall for these scams and enter their account details.....scary!
Jun 11, 2006 10:57 pm
I just noticed one of my friends had their name advertising this site, so I decided to check it out. Once I saw it asking for a password I was immediatly skeptical, but I decided to test it out (not with my main msn account of course).
I created a new msn account, added my main account, and then signed into my main account and deleted the new account after adding it. Then I entered my new msn account's address and password into that site (as I don't care if anything happens to the new account) and clicked the button .... a few seconds later I had been signed out, but then the site actually showed that my main account had deleted the new account, which surprised me because it worked O.o
Didn't get any spyware or anything either cause I'm not a fuckwit who uses internet explorer... but nevertheless, even though it does work, they store the details, so I would never use this with my main msn account.
May 31, 2006 10:08 pm
So is there any way to actually check if someone has blocked you, or if someone has an account on an email without having to send them the confirmation message?
May 30, 2006 8:15 pm
By the way, If someone with this "www.msncheck.net..." thing (assuming it's a virus) check his email/msn from my computer, can it get infected too? therefore someone might get my passwords?
May 27, 2006 1:00 am
I have a couple contacts in this situation, I told them to run an antivirus check and change their passwords ASAP, but they don't believe me because the message "check out http://www.msncheck.net..." appears instead of their nicks only when they're offline and seems to be on a randomly basis. They also claim that they've never visited this site...Should I believe them? I mean, Is it really possible that someone else might have suscribe them without having a valid password?
May 26, 2006 8:59 am
Hello, im back again. Everyone listen up. I have seen lots of sites what do this, i even recieved emails about sites that conduct tests like Tickle.com and have asked me to give them my password and email address.... please dont give anyone your password or email address period!. How can anyone know that your information is held safely in the right hands, if we don't know then dont give it out.
Just becuse a website says "we are not a phishing site" doesnt mean they mean it. Please.. everyone, don't give out your information. Allot of this is to steal any identifiable information about you. Next thing you will know that your bank account will be empty, recieving bills you dont know about and basicly it will turn your life upside down.
Be safe people and never, ever give out your information to ANYONE.
Gary Wallace
May 20, 2006 4:51 pm
hi all, not coming back here again to check thread. about that checkmsn.net site.
i tested it and found that it doesnt work, i made a test account and blocked it, nothing came up.. concluding hole site, great scam, i should of came up with that
the part of chaging the msn nick name, ingenious.
well, i guess its a long night reading my log to see for viruses
May 15, 2006 8:23 am
i have some more information on this.
my friend got caught (i called him names) and said the site does give an actual list of names who deleted you.
however, this is rather easy to check, read this (quoted from the site (new url msncheck.net)):
A list of e-mail addresses of all the contacts that have deleted you but are still on your list will appear once the scan is complete.
now,
msn has a buddy list, ofc, who is on your list,
msn actually also gives you a list of persons who have you on their list (go to options -> privacy, you will see a button there that shows this list)
now, just catch everybody who's on your buddy list, but not on the second list, there u go!
using a windows server, this is a specifically easy test, as both ASP and PHP can communicate with msn's DLL's
thank you,
Jeff
Apr 26, 2006 11:26 am
Thanks for the information. I was a bit worried about giving away my details and now you hav confirmed my suspicsions. Thank you
Leave a comment