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October 29, 2010

My spam folder today was inundated by lots of messages hawking an electronic cigarette (Wikipedia article on the controversial subject). My concern isn't necessarily about the product, but rather about the spamvertiser for this campaign.

The links I've seen are to domains registered yesterday (literally) through a Chinese registrar, and none of the domain names refer to the brand name being promoted: E-Lux. That's the company name, we're supposed to believe. We're also supposed to believe — according to the raft of icons and badges at the bottom of their web site pages — that E-Lux is all square with the Better Business Bureau, and the site is all VeriSign Secured and McAfee Secure.

I call BullShit.

The BBB has no listing for any company with or near that name.

This spam flood is coming from the same guys who peddle other medz and lure folks to malware distribution sites (or attach malware). Aside from whatever medical risks one would take from these products (on the bold assumption that you'd even see anything make it through U.S. Customs), divulging your credit card info to these guys could set you on a path to credit card and identity theft.

That's not going to help you stop smoking.