SPAM sent though Skype. Spyware, malware or virus?

This message just popped in Skype chat window today:


[7:17:24 PM] Online Notice ® says: WINDOWS REQUIRES IMMEDIATE ATTENTION
=============================

ATTENTION ! Security Center has detected malware on your computer !

Affected Software:
Microsoft Windows Vista
Microsoft Windows XP
Microsoft Windows 2000
Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0
Microsoft Windows Win98
Microsoft Windows Server 2003

Impact of Vulnerability: Remote Code Execution / Virus Infection /Unexpected shutdowns

Recommendation: Users running vulnerable version should install a repair utility immediately

Your system IS affected, download the patch from the address below ! Failure to do so may result in severe computer malfunction.

http://www.registryscan.cc/?q=scan

Not surprisingly, the information rendered from whois database query makes it clearer that it’s not so legitimate site, just by looking at demographics and the registration date.

WHOIS information for: registryscan.cc:
[whois.enom.com]
=-=-=-=
Visit AboutUs.org for more information about registryscan.cc
AboutUs: registryscan.cc

Registration Service Provided By: Unpicked.com
Contact: support@unpicked.com
Visit: http://www.unpicked.com

Domain name: registryscan.cc

Registrant Contact:
Andrej Kazanski
Andrej Kazanski

Pod Nahorjem 150
Referral URL:www.unpicked.com
Prague, CZ 44300
CZ

Administrative Contact:
Andrej Kazanski
Andrej Kazanski (akazanski@europe.com)
+420.2495614
Fax: +420.2495614
Pod Nahorjem 150
Referral URL:www.unpicked.com
Prague, CZ 44300
CZ

Technical Contact:
Andrej Kazanski
Andrej Kazanski (akazanski@europe.com)
+420.2495614
Fax: +420.2495614
Pod Nahorjem 150
Referral URL:www.unpicked.com
Prague, CZ 44300
CZ

Status: Locked

Name Servers:
dns1.name-services.com
dns2.name-services.com
dns3.name-services.com
dns4.name-services.com
dns5.name-services.com

Creation date: 09 Sep 2008 10:39:09
Expiration date: 09 Sep 2009 10:39:09
=-=-=-=

What is it?
It appears to be another rouge program posing as security scanner. Scam!

Things you need to know before even considering 1and1 as your web hosting company

For some is probably old news that 1and1 hosting isn’t the best choice around for your business hosting and it might just be worth as a fart in a windstorm. I’ve heard some even say that 1and1 hosting sucks and not to use it for anything and so on.

I have been using 1and1 since around 2001 or so and I have a couple of hosting packages with the, one so-called 1&1 Professional Linux and 1&1 Business Package which I use for static sites hosting.

I have had may hiccups along the way and tolerated them somehow, but today's experience made me realize that I need to look for a new, reliable hosting company.

One of my sites’s been running very slow throughout the day and towards the end of the day I started to get network timeout messages and internal server error 500, etc. Eventually the site became totally inaccessible. No access via FTP either.

Now, even though the affected site isn’t mission critical yet, the fact that it was down for a few hours reflects negatively on the company, not to mention that it’s bad for search engine reputation.

Major problem with 1and1 technical support:

• When calling, especially after business hours, the chances are that you get transferred to their call center in India and these guys usually are not much help, except for documenting your case, opening a trouble ticket and escalating it at best
• Naturally, they’re never able to give you any ETAs for any problems
• Oftentimes the technical support staff you interact with doesn’t seem to have much of a tech background and who don’t know what they are talking about
• A couple of times I’ve been called names other than my own while communicating with tech support and just tonight I received an email follow-up to an issue that didn’t pertain to my account. That only tells me that tech support personnel somehow mixed up my account information with other customers. Scary. Eh?

Conclusion:
Web hosting packages offered by 1and1 are surely cheap, but the quality of their technical support continues to suffer despite all of the customer satisfaction surveys that they send around after closing every trouble ticket.

You get what you pay for.

Onforce discriminatory practices???

If you never heard about Onforce, they claim to be an online platform / marketplace that connects computer repair services and IT consulting professionals with the consumers needing those services. They work across the US and Canada.

Well, we decided to give it a shot and join just to explore the endless opportunities for business growth and just for networking possibilities. We signed up back in 2007.

A part of the provider account setup process is that you add your skills, verify any pertinent computer certifications and take their online tutorials about the service. In order to have your service profile activated you have to complete their platform 101 training and exam online. In essence, this platform 101 and 102 it’s just series of simple questions pertaining to their service features, rules, etc. Surprisingly they don’t even have their own credentialing system and use www.surveymonkey.com online survey service to collect and store this info. I found this very odd, especially that they call themselves a platform.

Long story short, I added all of my pertinent computer certifications (Microsoft, Comptia) to my service profile and to my astonishment I hit a roadblock when attempting to “pass” their 102 and 102 tests!?!

I followed their procedures to the T, took their online tests though survey monkey and after having waited a week I decided to follow up since there was NO signs of any confirmation of tests. I contacted them via email and they responded pretty promptly, but the robotic email just advised to go through online training and complete the platform 101 test AGAIN!
I emailed them back asking if they had any records of my test results, but I didn’t hear back at all. Oh well.

After a week, I took the bullet and decided to take the 101 test again and in order to get to it you have to go though the tutorial again. So I took another 30-45 min to do so. Then took the test and this time around I saved the survey monkey URL, which seems to be unique.

The very next day I followed up via email simply to ask if they received results of my test, but I didn’t get any replies this time. Go figure.

Perhaps what had happened to me is an isolated incident, but based on my experiences I will NOT recommend Onforce to any IT company or individual.

Coincidently, I stumbled upon Ripoff Report website on which there’s quite a few reports from various sources about Onforce being a rip-off, not treating its members fairly. Here’s just a few heading just to name a few:


• OnForce, Computer Repair, Jeffrey Leventhal, Ripoff Does Not Pay Contractor Taken For Large Amount Of Money New York New York Internet
• Rebuttal Onforce DO NOT USE ONFORCE EVER Lexington Massachusetts
• OnForce Blows No way can you make money with them ripoff New York New York
• OnForce ripoff Shady Unqualified Techs Internet

Take a look.



Update: 10/06/2008

Shortly after making this post (less than 24h) I had received a few apologetic follow-up emails from Onforce staff offering help with activation process. Not only they offered help with expediting activation of my profile but they have also acknowledged the failure of their training authentication system.

Frankly, I was surprised how seriously the issue was taken (at least how it was expressed in emails) and how many people were personally involved to eradicate the problem. That tells me that someone listens.

It didn’t take more than 12h and I received an email from Verification stating that my Onforce profile was active and available to buyers creating Work Orders. I just wish this was a bit easier :)

Let’s see what happens next.