Beware the "Joe Job" - HTML Forums

Jason · 02-09-2003, 10:24 PM

Over the past few months, several template sites have been attacked by a tactic known as the "Joe Job". A Joe Job can have several meanings, and dates back to before the PC. Recently though, it has come to mean "sending false spam messages". This could be using someone else's personal email address as the reply-to address to send large volumes of spam from. This is done so that bounces and complaints would be sent back to the victim's address. However, this post serves to inform you about a different type of Joe Job. This is the type where the entire message is falesly advertising a site or service with the intent that it will generate complaints against the sites advertised.

Several months ago, the first template site attacks occured against templatestyles.com (which has since had to change domain names).

Here is an example of the message that was sent during their attack:

"I have visited your site and I think that design looks not good now.

Here we are - www.templatestyles.com . Check it out! We have hired 2
new designers
from Indonesia. They rocks!

Swap your current design on ours."

Soon after this attack, liquid2d, another template site, was gone after much in the same way. Here is an example on one of their Joe Job emails:

"Do not show ugly website to people! Make cool website. Let it start here - www.liquid2d.com .

Website templates are here for your website. Use most advanced design concept from the best designers.

Become the best amoung other websites. Use the best designers in the world."

Liquid2d has replied to this attack with the following statement:

http://liquid2d.com/spam.htm

This group has now moved onto another site, designgalaxy.net. Within the designgalaxy.net Joe Jobs, a mention to our own BoxedArt.com is made, as seen below:

"I have recently founded your website. Design is bad.
We are promoting new great resource of website templates
www.designgalaxy.net .

Use my templates to build good website.

We also have microsoft fonts collection and gettyimages images collection in templates.

We created the largest source of diverse professional graphic material. From logos to website templates, find all you need to fully satisfy yourself or your clients. Please see our membership choices, which will bring you
much more for your money.

<<<<< www.designgalaxy.net >>>>>
Your last stop design resource

Now we cooperate with such great people as:
www.webdesignhelper.co.uk
www.flamingtext.com
www.boxedart.com
Thank you all!"

In case there was any question, we are not involved in this spam, and cannot control or stop it in any way (we are receiving the spam directly ourselves and would like it to stop as much as anyone). Thanks all.

Paul · 02-09-2003, 11:22 PM

I heard of these and they are becoming a huge problem, I wonder if it's another template site sending this that wants to get rid of it's competition.
Paul

entimp · 02-11-2003, 11:38 PM

They should get some grammar lessons in I reckon before they go any further...

scoutt · 02-12-2003, 05:25 PM

I was recieving those too jason on my site. pissed me off saying the design didn't look good. it was like after 3 weeks it finally stopped or my filter stopped them.

leoo24 · 02-15-2003, 11:15 AM

talking about using some1 else's personal email, i've got umpteen addies, and last week i got an email in my hotmail from my yahoo addie advertising some site!! i'm damned sure i didnt send it to myself!! lol
how do people send emails bearing other poeples email addies??

Paul · 02-15-2003, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by entimp
They should get some grammar lessons in I reckon before they go any further...

My guess is they talk like that on purpose, it makes the company advertised look a lot worse.
Paul

giz · 02-16-2003, 03:38 PM

Probably coming from somewhere in Asia I expect.

>> how do people send emails bearing other peoples email addies?? <<

Simple. You can put absolutely anything you like in the From: box in a SMTP/POP3 email client.

There are some times where there are valid reasons for doing this. I use an email program on another machine that accesses a different ISP, and has a From address programmed in to it that is different to the real address that the message actually comes from. This means that when people reply to any message sent from there, the reply actually goes back to my normal email account, rather than to that machine which is used only infrequently.

MikeXP · 06-21-2003, 11:21 PM

Yes I recived some of this SPAM too luckily I have MS Office Pro Beta 2003 with this version it kicks out spam in outlook

outlook · 08-22-2005, 03:57 AM

I appreciate the value in having a discussion on the aspects and suggest look at this dbx reader and outlook express help. And say what do you think about it....

Horus_Kol · 08-22-2005, 04:19 AM

Sorry, but for dredging up a 2 year old topic with a blatantly off-topic spam will get you catapulted... goodbye

ladybug1970 · 02-23-2008, 04:37 PM

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______________________________________...
Dear Friend,

I love to spam you with all manner of pyramid schemes so that I can get banned from the forums.

Pegasus · 02-23-2008, 05:30 PM

The topic is 2 years old. The post is spam. On a good day, what you proposed is called a "pyramid scheme" and is illegal is quite a few countries.