Domain Registry of Canada - SCAM Rant · Wednesday April 4, 2007 by colin newell
I look after about one dozen websites for a variety of wonderful clients.
Almost all of them have received paper-mail from the scam artists at the Domain Registry of Canada.
Yes. It is a scam.
“People who prey on the uncertainty of others make me sick. This is the reason direct mail and email marketing efforts are dying in vein. It is because of places like the Domain Registry of Canada scam.”
“The Domain Registry Of Canada scam get their filthy paws on people who register a .CA web domain. The Domain Registry Of Canada scam then sends direct mail pieces warning you that you must “protect your domain” and other jargon that insinuates the Domain Registry Of Canada scam is an official or safe place (it is – but so is every other one). It’s done to lure you and the Domain Registry of Canada site and materials even look like a Government affiliated agency.”
link
Other online and paper-mail scams include the likes of the International Internet Directory from Zurich, Switzerland (or some other Central European hell-hole…) including 1000$ invoices for inclusion in this fake directory.
Like telephone solicitation, this is right down there with the bottom feeders. So. Beware the Domain Registry of Canada
Did some more research on the DRC scammers – It seems they have been fined 40,000 dollars for their antics – and with their latest set of antics, it appears they may be in breach of this original court order!
Details here
Hey. Sometimes the good guys do prevail.
Comment [3]
Welcome aboard... papers please! · Wednesday April 4, 2007 by colin newell
Random security checks of B.C. Ferries passengers and vehicles are a possibility as the corporation continues to beef up security measures, says Ferry CEO David Hahn.
Random security checks
On a public highway system?
Performed by staff from the B.C. Ferries, a private partnership?
In the meantime, B.C. Ferries has already embarked on a program of enhancing security at terminals.
“We’ve installed cameras. We’ve put on more locks. We’ve got a stronger and more enforced employee identification program. We’ve got new uniforms for our employees so they stand out. We’re going to do a lot more around general security measures.”
New uniforms huh? My my, I am feeling so much more safe now.
Fact is, I never felt in danger on any B.C. Ferry.
The only fear I have is the headlong rush towards Orwellian attacks on our civil liberties we seem to be making.
Now that is the real terrorism.
I can tell you my response when asked at a B.C. Ferry terminal… to look in the trunk of my car:
“No search warrant? Then up yours!”
Randomly picking out cars for inspection is like buying a lottery ticket once a week hoping the windfall will sustain you throughout your life.
It’s bad enough that I pay for the privilege of actually getting a space on the Ferry to Vancouver (the fee based reservation system) – but to hear that I may be subject to random search:
That is complete and utter bullshit (not to mention a charter rights violation.)
Anyway – for those who love giving up their civil liberties, all I can say is…
Papers please! Papers!
The wonderful world of online... · Thursday March 22, 2007 by colin newell
Is there anyone out there that buys their beans exclusively online? I am curious.
Photo-left – There is no such company as funkie-coffee. I whipped this up with Photoshop
And I am not looking for names of online vendors – just information on consumer practices.
I hit someones nerve a couple of days ago when I did some research on people who spam or seed guestbooks and forums, promoting one online vendor or another…
What I found surprised and amused me.
Now I know some of you think I get a little obsessed by spammers and forum taggers (and I do…) but you have to remember: Time taken to clean defacements off this forum take time away from me responding to e-mail and writing articles. It is that simple.
Anyhow – what I did find was (after search Google with a couple of keywords based on the spam I was encountering) was that there were over 3000 websites marked with this perculiar spam — promoting one particular online coffee vendor.
In addition, the english or writing style of all the form entries was the same – the writer was obviously not from North America, English was not their first language AND they learned how to write English from a textbook over 75 years old!
Examples: Vendor-X is a fantastic coffee with magical smooth taste. You don’t need sugar or milk to enjoy it. And it is really madly popular now
Vendor-X is for special occasions too. When I make it my family has festive mood. Have you tried it? And I never use milk. ——- has too pure taste to be spoiled by milk or sugar. My husband likes to add it, me – never. I think that “elite” coffee doesn’t need it.
Vendor-X went down a bomb at the party we had last week. I can’t forget this godlike taste.
Vendor-X, zested with a peculiar bouquet, is really can be compared with nectar
I vote for Vendor-X. So rich taste… Amazing. I agree that Starbucks is bitter and it is the grave disadvantage. Vendor-X is smooth. You feel only taste of coffee.
Magical smooth taste? godlike taste? So rich taste?
Peculiar bouquet? Madly popular!
Other references go on to tell how Vendor-X coffee calms stirred nerves… or is a wild and healthful drink.
This is ad copy right out of the 40’s!
When I approached the vendor about this, I was threatened with legal action — so I removed the references to the company. Fair enough. For all I know, the spammer is working for a competing company to discredit this company. For all I know, their coffee is truely wonderful, a godlike drink, that calms flustered coffee nerves.
I do not know. What do you think?
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Conscience in a cup - the coffee trade · Thursday March 15, 2007 by colin newell
One of the things I brought up on my CBC interview recently was just how volatile the coffee trade is. I am going to try and spend more time on this issue as it is a message that is not getting out enough.
Fact: Coffee changes hands 100-125 times on its journey from the farmers field to the cup –
That is an indicator of how many middle-men there are – this number is shrinking thanks, in part, to
internet auctions.
Now take all the coffee that is grown annually —
and multiply that quantity by ten and that is
the volume that trades on the commodity indexes
in New York and London. This is a totally staggering reality that impacts on the farmers and their families.
Back to the trade indexes for a moment: The coffee prices rise and fall faster than a theme-park roller-coaster.
And with these wild fluctuations, comes hardship for the
12 million farmers and families that rely on the meager
income that the coffee produces.
Is there hope? Yes: fair-trade, internet auctions, the cafe-culture phenomenon in the West that is paying more attention to the ethical issues and so on.
How can the average consumer help? Look at the label.
Is your coffee fairly traded? Is your coffee organic? Is your coffee labelled and branded by a gigantic trans-national like Folgers, Nescafe and the like. Read your label carefully.
Yes, you might be able to buy your 2-pound bins of ground Folgers at the Wal-Mart for $9 – but ask yourself this:
Who is really paying the ultimate price in human suffering when we screw farmers and their families out of a decent living?
Think about your coffee and how you can make a difference.
