Today the most disturbing problem: MSOL can’t actually close accounts!

Let’s take a best case scenario: we have reported a domain to MSOL, and they have confirmed it has been investigated and action has been taken. Indeed, the website is down and gives visitors an error; in some cases, it won’t even resolve.

Here’s an example: skyinternationalcourier.com. Go ahead and try to visit their website; it doesn’t work. MSOL closed it weeks ago. The typical conclusion is that the whole account no longer functions. However, email can still be sent to and received from that domain name.

X-Originating-IP: [65.54.246.237]
Authentication-Results: mta247.mail.re2.yahoo.com from=skyinternationalcourier.com; domainkeys=neutral (no sig)
Return-Path:
X-Originating-IP: [217.21.64.226]
From: “SKY INTERNATIONAL COURIER SERVICE” []
Subject: COURIER DELIVERY COST FOR [XXXXXX XXXXXX]
Date: Mon, 4 Feb 2008 16:53:04 +0000

SKY INTERNATIONAL COURIER LTD
2ND Drakes Yard, 291 Kilburn High Road, NW6 7JR,London.

DATE:2/2/2008

NOTICE OF DELIVERY CHARGES TO TRACKING NUMBER: EEO311005723UK

DEAR [Xxxxxx Xxxxxx],
The courier can only effect your winning parcels which was brought by the gulf oil and gas companies to you when you meet the delivery service payment requirement. simply select one option from the four option provided below and pay its charges to the courier account office before your winning can leave the courier office in London to your address provided. Note that the option you are paying for serves as the cost of delivery service which is being render.

DELIVERY OPTIONS
Option 1: DH delivery (2working days)
Mailing Fee £300.00
Insurance Fee £250.00
Vat Fee £090.95
TOTAL FEES £640.95= 52,932.71 INRI

Option2: FedEx(3working days]
Mailing Fee £200.00
Insurance Fee £250.00
Vat Fee £090.95
TOTAL FEES £540.95= 45,503.95 INR

Option3:Post Office delivery(5working days)
Mailing Fee £100.00
Insurance Fee £250.00
Vat Fee £090.95
TOTAL FEES £440.95= 36,415.23 INR

Option4:BANK TRANSFAR[48HRS REFLECTION THROUGH ELECTRONIC WIRING]
For winning prize to be transfer to your account in your resident country, you will be required to register with the bank [Generations Trust Bank] in charge of transferring your lottery prize which is also called an online account. The cost of open an online account with the GT Bank cost 400pounds which is equivalent to 32,195.64 INR. Once you make the payment, you will be sent your customer id and password which you will use to log into your online account and complete your transfer personally without any interference….

Note: Header and body have been redacted for readability.

That’s conclusive proof that scammers continue to access and use their email functions long after their account is “closed”. This is not a hypothetical example, nor is it isolated!* Shutting down the website for most of these scams is a useless gesture; we conservatively estimate that at least 75% of the scammers on MSOL use only the email functions of their service anyway. Terminating the MX records (which allow mail service) should be an integral part of closing an account! There is no reason to believe that any of the “dead” MSOL domains are inoperable.

Microsoft is only paying lip service to its assurances that accounts which violate their terms of service will be terminated. I doubt that they intended to have this loophole, but the idea that their system is incapable of closing an email account is almost as ridiculous. It goes beyond “bug” and becomes “serious flaw”. They really have no clue what’s happening on their own servers or how to administer them — they can’t even close accounts.

* Additional examples are included below. Header and body have been redacted for readability. We stopped after three, because frankly writing to scammers can get rather boring. If you have other dead-but-not-really domains, feel free to post evidence in the comments.

X-Originating-IP: [65.55.175.162]
Return-Path:
X-Originating-IP: [195.166.237.254]
From: “Post Bank Internet Service” []
Subject: Offshore Account Opening Advise
Date: Sat, 2 Feb 2008 09:36:51 +0000

Attention: [XXXXXX XXXXXX],

With regards to your email message/enquiry, please be hereby informed that opening an off/shore account here requires three easy steps. Firstly, you need to submit a copy of your most recent Identification for your personal account. The most preferable ID is either a copy of your international passport, a driver’s license or any other Government identification. A copy should be sent to this office via email attachment or to our general fax line +31 84 719 84 06.

Secondly, you are to send to us your personal information in this format as follows:

1. Your Full Names:
2. Your Home Address:
3. Your Phone Number:
4. Your Fax Number:
5. Your Age:
6. Your Occupation:
7. Your Next Of Kin:

Thirdly, there is a new policy that all new accounts must be activated by paying an initial deposit/ opening balance. The lowest interest bearing account is a personal bronze current account. You have to pay (?1450 One Thousand Four Hundred and Fifty Euros) to activate it. This account activation deposit can be sent to us through one of our contractual money transfer agents confirmable within 24hrs. Upon the receipt of the above mentioned, a copy Our web link will be supplied to you along with your account number and pin number to enable you operate your account worldwide online without delay.

With kind regards,
Postbank N.V.

Mr. Niek Jorden
Manager E-commerce and E-mail

X-Originating-IP: [65.54.246.240]
Return-Path:
X-Originating-IP: [217.20.240.19]
From: “CITI ONLINE BANK PLC.” [info @citionlinetransfer.org]
To:
Subject: EMAIL FROM CITI ONLINE BANK (ACCOUNTS & THEIR INITIAL DEPOSIT)þþþ
Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2008 15:34:30 +0000

Registered Office
12-14 Kennedy Ave. London EC2V 7NG
(24 hour ATM)
Telephone: +44 704 574 2175
EMAIL:
1-02-2008

Payment Code: {C0/CA/TRX:22984548}

Attn: [XXXXXX XXXXXX],

We are in receipt of your mail and want to make you understand that Citi Bank Plc does not need your information for anything but for effective,safe and secure service The Chevron-Texaco Lottery has only issued a NOMINAL ACCOUNT CHEQUE in your name and you are the only one who as access to claims on the issued cheque. Your Winning particulars for payment has been received by the Bank. This means that you have been officially cleared for payment by the Verification Department at the headquarters of the Chevron-Texaco Lottery commission .Your Pay Order, Original Copy of your Winning Certificate and Payment Approval Letter has been received by the Bank. To begin the Final step of the claims process, which is the Payment of your prize, with regards to this here are details.

ACCOUNT OPENING:
As regards to actions of your winnings,You are to open and account with our bank into which your NOMINAL ACCOUNT CHEQUE will be paid into.And then any other action will now commerce. No fee can be deducted from your AWARD winnings because your prize is insured under a Hard Cover Policy following the National Gambling Act of 1996 amended in 1999. In reference to this Act as stated above does not allow deductions from lottery winings.This is to protect winners from Misplacement of Funds.

Below is our types of account and opening range:

With this you are advised to set up a temporary bank account with our bank so that the funds can be deposited into your new account in your favour before transfer can be made to your designated bank account.

NOTE:The account opening fee is going to be in your account and will be added to your winning funds which will round it up.Do get back to us on your choice ASAP.

We have different accounts and this has different initial deposit which is refundable depending on which of the account you will like to activate with us.
and you have to pay for the initial deposit before we can set-up a secure online account.

ACCOUNTS & THEIR INITIAL DEPOSIT:

(1) REGULAR ACCOUNT: This has an initial deposit of 450 Great British Pounds Sterlings and the maximum transfer possible within a month is 1.5 millions Great British Pounds Sterlings .

(2) DAILY ACCOUNT: This has an initial deposit of 1,026 Great British Pounds Sterlings and the maximum transfer possible within a month is 5 million Great British Pounds Sterlings .

(3) PREMIUM ACCOUNT: This has an initial deposit of 1,526 Great British Pounds Sterlings and the maximum transfer possible within a month is 8 millions Great British Pounds Sterlings .

(4) PLATINUM ACCOUNT: This has an initial deposit of 2,026 Great British Pounds Sterlings and the maximum transfer possible within a month is 10 million Great British Pounds Sterlings .

The Platinum Account has a full option banking amenities which involves having a Master Card, credit/debit balance print out and over draft.

NOTE: The initial deposit belongs to you and will be added to your transfer payment before transfer can be made and also, you will be required to pay for the initial deposit depending on the type of account you choose from the options above.

After account activation you will be given your account co-ordinates for online transfer to your designated bank account within 48 hours….

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 12th, 2008 at 12:03 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.