Classmates.com to Blogger to Porn… True Story
Let me tell you how my last 5 minutes unraveled
Gmail shows I have an email from Classmates.com.
I thought, “This might be legit because back in 1996 I halfway filled out a profile before realizing I wasn’t going to pay a fee per month just to look up old classmates of mine.”
Alas, I didn’t have a Gmail account then. In fact, no one did. Gmail wasn’t around until 2004.
No alarms.
In this email was a link to Blogger website. “Umm,” I wondered, “that is a mystery because how could somebody spam their blog to people who have merely halfway registered with Classmates.”
Now all the geeks reading this have the spam/phish alarms going off in their heads. I swear I have those same alarms. I hope I do after being a professional geek for 15 years
Alas, just wonderment.
No alarms.
Clicked on link. End result: porn.
In the past, I would have been furious at several things. One, naturally being my own stupidity. Two, at Gmail for their recently weakened spam filters.
But in one split nanosecond, I ceased to become angry because I quickly realized one thing:
I couldn’t see past the top 25 pixels on the site.
From just the top of the website, I knew it was porn. Without having to look at the rest of the website page, I calmly click the Close Tab x in Firefox.
Then I shared with my boss and co-workers. Apparently, I am going to Geek Jail for being so lame.
5 Comments, Comment or Ping
Rick
I haven’t seen a Classmates ad since I left Yahoo way back when. That said, I did get a request to view a private Blogger blog in my GMail inbox this morning. I was rushing out the door, so I didn’t do anything with it. I didn’t think about it again until I saw your post at lunch time. I didn’t realize GMail was having a tough time with spam lately. I don’t remember even once seeing spam in my inbox that made it past the filters, so this may be a first. I’ll proceed cautiously when I get home.
May 7th, 2008
Joe Louthan
I am just getting spam/phish stuff all of sudden.
Gmail spam filters will catch up. They will continue to learn.
May 7th, 2008
tam
AHHH!! I know you weren’t angry. But I am.
It is so evil. It is so ugly. it breaks my heart that we have to be on guard like this. It’s just sad.
May 7th, 2008
Jessie Louthan
Dood, is gmail on the way downzors? Say it ain’t so…the proverbial 800 lb gorilla is swaying a bit in its walk.
Anyways, pretty clever spamming technique…how much you wanna bet that that sponsor has already pulled his account? Spamming in porn is a big no-no.
May 8th, 2008
Pete Wilson
Good for you. I’m so glad you didn’t fall for it. This is an addiction I have had to walk so many friends through. It’s a tough one and these kind of techniques don’t make it any easier.
May 12th, 2008
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