tracing email

[reet]

I need serious help. seems someone has gotten my credit card number to access some porno sites. They submitted an email address when they signed up. Is there somewhere that I can find out who the email address belongs to, if it is valid that is.

[Statica]

Reet:
Its highly unlikely that they would use a proper email address unless the sites would send our confirmation emails at that addy.
This a rough analysis:
(a) Consider that the perpetrator has used a private ISP based email address, its very easy to trace it out, have your CC company contact the ISP
(b) Consider that the perpetrator has used a webbased email address, the job is VERY difficult; unless the site has some email from the person, in which case the headers should be able to point out the IP used [exception to the rule are Netscape webmail and such inadequate ill-planned sites]
(c) Consider that it is from a public email and no email was sent on record by the perpetrator, it is possible that the webmail provider might have accessing IPs, or accessing proxies .. but the job of tracking down is VERY difficult! First the webmail provider has to look at the IP logs for that address then the ISP that was used has to be willing to pull out access logs on their proxy server [if they will allow].

To put it in perspective, I'd urge you to first do a dispute with your CC company and dispute charges, and tell them to file an investigation of such fraud. [PS: Fly-by-night sites like these themselves do a lot of such things too, and blame it on someone else using your cc#]. CHANGE YOUR ACCNT# ON THE CC; cancel your card, report it as stolen. The fact is that if someone has stolen it, they will indubitably either try to use it on other sites or post it up so that others can use it. So act fast
and good luck

Addendum: If the site that accepted the CC #; were blameless they would provide your CC company with the IP address that was used to enter the information!

[This message has been edited by Ex-Static-Cling (edited 08-04-2000).]

[Statica]

Also I thot I'd add, do not pursue any investigation by yourself, the CC issuer should be able to help you with this!
Mostly becos, most firms will have privacy policies that will prevent them from giving info to you, and you will hit walls much faster than they will!

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I hope the people who did it get nailed .. I know this is wishful thinking; but they deserve it, not just for using the digital media for fraud [which irks me] but the ends to which they used it is another of my points of contention & disappointment with the net today!

[vitalstatistix]

Its a menace .. and un-fortunately 4 them law is in your favour .. though . i m no expert in law and legal matters
a) dispute the charge with ur CC comapny as incorrect
b) on your dispute they will reverse the charge to the porn-site.
c) shud they be able to prove that the card was charged by you or ur nominee in that case you will have to pay the ammount + costs involved etc.

So as long as u r sure of (c) you shudnt be worrying.

gtfx

PS: make sure u cancel ur credit card (get a diff number)

[This message has been edited by vitalstatistix (edited 08-04-2000).]

[StuartW]

I think it is worth reminding everyone that you do not need to have lost,or had stolen your credit card for it to be used for fraud. A criminal only needs the number of the card.For example if you go to a restaurant and pay by credit card, and the waiter vanishes for 5 minutes, he may be making a copy of the number and expiry date, or even making a clone.
Here in the last few weeks, we have had reports of hackers breaking into so called secure internet shopping sites, and copying the credit card details. It is then very easy to use those numbers to order goods and services over the internet.
One suggestion is to obtain a credit card with a very low limit for internet shopping.

[andrew4444]

I"ve been there done that mate, I also had my number used on a pornsite without my consent.

I got all my money back - 6 months of withdrawel - but you gotta fight and not backdown!

1st thing notify your bank and get a statement of this notification - like record who you speak to date ect. - Do this transaction over the phone as all calls to banks are normally logged - and setup a trace on that transaction.

2nd Get onto the PI uniform and do your own investigating - get onto the phone to the company that withdrew from your card and be very persistant. If you're lucky the website doesn't run their own card services and it'll be a company that's trying to win a reputation for safety on the net as myne was - and I got paid back.

3 despite doing your own harassing get the bank for your credit card to do work - and get all the money back, they will cancel the card if it is being used illegaly or fraudulently


GOOD LUCK MATE

Andrew

[SARGE]

Geez, and the feds can track down an email virus perpetrator in a day.

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"Don't be so open-minded that your brains fall out"