Monday, March 4, 2013

"I believe you're the owner of..." spam

I recently received the following email (with domain names changed to protect the innocent), which is notable due to the absence of the usual grammar mistakes that give away most scams. The most obvious giveaway is that the site owner already owns both domains - including the one that Faheem is so generously offering to sell them.

I am curious to see whether "Faheem" is able to upload an HTML file as he claims, which would indicate that the site has been compromised.

Hello,

I believe you're the owner of [adomain.org]. I've got a proposition concerning your website. Would you be interested in acquiring [adomain.com]?

I can upload an HTML file temporarily to verify ownership of the domain, in case you're concerned. Let me know what you think to discuss further.

PS: I'm only emailing you because I believe you can benefit from this. I do not intend to email you again unless you respond to this inquiry.

Regards,
Faheem.