EveryCall.US has a list of the most-reported telemarketing calls on their website. Since I had some free time, I decided to do a bit of checking on the list to see who the companies are that these numbers belong.
Here we go:
800-684-8429 In Use since 1995 for a customer of Verizon 800-483-3722
800-669-0102 In Use since 2010 for a customer of AT&T
877-819-6042 In Use since 2005 for a customer of Sprint 800-795-1004
800-395-2274 In Use since 1997 for a customer of Verizon 800-483-3722
800-555-0433 In Use since 2003 for a customer of AT&T
800-733-1116 In Use since 2005 for a customer of Verizon 800-483-3722
800-959-1373 In Use since 1998 for a customer of Verizon 800-483-3722
800-900-1372 In Use since 2010 for a customer of TransNational (TNCI) 800-800-8400
800-848-9380 In Use since 1997 for a customer of Verizon 800-483-3722
800-395-2274 In Use since 1997 for a customer of Verizon 800-483-3722
800-331-0500 In Use since 2003 for a customer of ATT
800-754-0961 In Use since 2002 for a customer of AT&T
800-947-5096 In Use since 2002 for a customer of AT&T
877-874-5811 In Use since 2010 for a customer of Phone People aka Onebox 858-569-4444
877-825-3242 In Use since 2009 for a customer of Mpower Communications 702-310-7994
877-838-4347 In Use since 2001 for a customer of Verizon 800-483-3722
Duane Browning
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Unwelcome Phone Calls from 888-729-1134?
Browsing through the various websites dedicated to fighting unwelcome telemarketing calls, I found complaints regarding the number 888-729-1134. The complaints seem to be about unauthorized charges on credit cards, which is pretty serious.
The number of reports on this number on 800notes, everycall, CallerFinder, PhoneOwner, and PostCallNotes got me curious about who these people are. So, I did a search at TollFreeNumbers to see what I could find out about these people and this is what I found:
For the sake of full disclosure, I do feel obligated to point-out that OneBox has been accused of corporate misbehavior itself and you can find links to articles discussing those accusations here. I cannot personally vouch for the accuracy of the accusations, but I felt it necessary to provide a link to them.
Duane Browning
The number of reports on this number on 800notes, everycall, CallerFinder, PhoneOwner, and PostCallNotes got me curious about who these people are. So, I did a search at TollFreeNumbers to see what I could find out about these people and this is what I found:
888-729-1134 In Use since 2010 with TimeShift (aka Onebox) 323-817-3220The phone number 323-817-3220 is the customer service number for OneBox, which is a company that describes itself thusly:
Onebox is owned and operated by j2 Global Communications (NASDAQ: JCOM), the makers of eFax®. Onebox provides a comprehensive suite of outsourced virtual phone, fax and email services for small businesses and individuals around the world. With nearly 60 stae-of-the-art features to choose from, Onebox is designed to make peoples' lives easier.
The Onebox virtual PBX phone system enables small businesses to sound like a Fortune 500 company - without the dramatic associated expense. Onebox is your own virtual office assistant that puts you in control of all of your communication needs. It answers your calls with a professional greeting and forwards them to you wherever you are. Onebox also offers the finest in online fax services, voicemail to email, as well as audio/web conferencing.
We pride ourselves on offering five-star customer service and dedicated to our goal of saving your business time and money. Contact one of our representatives today to see what Onebox can do for you.So, it seems that the people calling from 888-729-1134 recently bought their number from OneBox. Like any company, OneBox should have a customer service department and finding their contact information was easy on their website and this makes it convenient for people to contact them with any complaints they might have about a phone number registered through their company.
Corporate Headquarters
j2 Global Communications
6922 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90028
323-860-9200
Sales:
Call 888-OK-ONEBOX (888-656-6326)
Email: sales@onebox.com
Customer Service:
In U.S., Call 866-761-8108
Outside of U.S., Call 323-817-3203
Email: support@onebox.com
For the sake of full disclosure, I do feel obligated to point-out that OneBox has been accused of corporate misbehavior itself and you can find links to articles discussing those accusations here. I cannot personally vouch for the accuracy of the accusations, but I felt it necessary to provide a link to them.
Duane Browning
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Justin Art Gallery Job Offer
I found this job posting on Backpage Honolulu:
We are looking for individuals (Male/Female) Start Making $1,300 Weekday P/T
posted: November 11, 2010, 10:06 AM
This "offer" looked too good to be true and I figured that it was a likely a scam. So, I logged-into one of my extra email accounts and sent a message asking about applying for the job. I had nothing to lose by sending a message, after all. If it turned-out to be real, I could get myself a top-paying job and if it was fake, I could always blog about it.
Notice how this art gallery is located in the Philippines and not in the United States? Right away, this should make people wonder. As far as I know, when works of art are shipped overseas, they are usually handled by professional shipping companies, such as the US Postal Service, United Parcel Service, FedEx, DHL Express, etc. By itself, UPS has branches in most countries around the world and could easily ship and deliver paintings without the gallery having to hire its own people and supply them with vehicles. Furthermore, why have the delivery driver responsible for collecting payments?
Since this gallery is supposed to be in the Philippines, I assumed that the email would have come from there, but I was wrong. Running an IP trace, I discovered that the email had been sent from Nigeria.
I was already convinced that this post is a scam, but I decided to search for a "Justin Art Gallery" in the Philippines, with the intention of reporting to them that their company was being used as a front for a scam. I found nothing that matches, aside from other people posting about this job offer. There are a lot of people named "Mario Lucas" to be found on the Internet, but none in the Philippines.
The "EDSA Avenue" mentioned is a real place, however. The full name of the street is "Epifanio de los Santos Avenue" (often simply shortened to EDSA) and is the main road in Metro Manila. Google Maps couldn't locate the specific address, but it's reasonable to assume that the address is nonexistent. Formerly known as Highway 54, the avenue was renamed in honor of Epifanio de los Santos, a very famous Filipino writer, in whose honor schools, a printing press, a college and a hospital were also named.
The phone number really is a phone number in the Philippines. However, a search for the number shows that it is a mobile phone, which is not surprising since a mobile phone is easier to run a scam with and gives less information to law enforcement to use for tracking down the scammers. So, both the phone number (63-915-927-5768) and the email address this message was sent from (mariolucas24@yahoo.com) are easily disposed-of and replaced.
So, this job posting is yet another scam posted on Backpage. I really wish that Backpage had some way to report this sort of thing to administrators. If they did, we might not have to worry about this sort of thing.
Duane Browning
We are looking for individuals (Male/Female) Start Making $1,300 Weekday P/T
posted: November 11, 2010, 10:06 AM
Hello,
We are looking for individuals (Male/Female)that have the passion for Delivery to help add to a Delivery team that is second to none.Make an extra income while we reach for the demands of our numerous customers.
The pay $1,300 Weekly.
Work duration:Weekdays
Days Off: Saturdays/Sundays
Must be friendly and good with people.
Get back to me for more information if you are interested.....
Thanks and have a lovely weekend...
Best Regards,
Mario Lucas
Salary/Wage: $1,300 Weekly
Education: ANY
Status: Part-time
Shift: Days
• Location: USA
This "offer" looked too good to be true and I figured that it was a likely a scam. So, I logged-into one of my extra email accounts and sent a message asking about applying for the job. I had nothing to lose by sending a message, after all. If it turned-out to be real, I could get myself a top-paying job and if it was fake, I could always blog about it.
From: "Mario Lucas"
Hello,
Thanks for your response to my ad on www.backpage.com regarding the Delivery Position and sorry for the late reply.However, I am Mario Lucas a Branch Manager of Justin Art Gallery and I have been given the task of setting up Justin Art Gallery in the United States to further expand and also meet the high demands of our numerous customers in the United States.More so, I will be arriving on the 26th of November 2010 and you can have the Delivery Application below filled out and sent to me so we can have it added to the company's data base.More so, the start of date as a Delivery Personnel will be on the 30th of November 2010 and you are to work from Mondays through Fridays while you take the weekend off.Your weekly pay will be $1,300.You can also call me on my cell phone +639159275768 ...dial as typed
Introduction to Justin Art Gallery.
Justin Art Gallery aims to provide an innovative forum for contemporary art, presenting work by largely unseen young artists or by international artists whose work has been rarely or never exhibited in the Philippines.
When Justin Art Gallery first opened over Ten years ago it was only those who had a dedicated interest in contemporary art who sought out the gallery to see work by new artists. The audience, however, built steadily over the years and by the time the gallery left its second home at County Hall, visitor numbers reached 300,000 per annum, with over 700 schools organizing student visits.
Justin Art Gallery has worked with media sponsors on a number of shows including The Observer, The Sunday Times, Evening Standard, The Independent on Sunday and Time Out.
Many artists showing at Justin Art Gallery are unknown when first exhibited, not only to the general public but also to the commercial art world. Many of these artists are subsequently offered shows by galleries and museums internationally. In this effect, the gallery also operates as a springboard for young artists to launch their careers.
Challenges we face
The audience for exhibitions of contemporary art has increased widely during the last ten years as general awareness and interest in contemporary art has developed both in the Philippines and abroad, thus making us one of the world's Interactive Art Gallery and now we are face with a challenge of keeping up with our numerous clients in the United States as they sometimes prefer making payments by cashier's check or money order, that's why we are in search of Representatives in the United States that will act as an aid between us and our numerous customers in the United States.We would be happy to receive your resume if you are interested in working for Justin Art Gallery as one of our Representative in the United States.More so, Vacancy for the position of a Driver/Delivery Personnel is now available for an Immediate Appointment with a weekly pay of $1,300.00
Nevertheless, the Van will be will be provided by the Gallery before your 1st Assignment.More so, you are also to act as Justin Art Gallery Payment Representative by receiving payment from our customers in the United States in Cashier's Check ,money order or bank draft.
JOB DESCRIPTION:
You will be making deliveries of our Art Collections bought by our customers to different locations with a Van that will be provided to you.More so, you are to receive the payment for each art works purchased as our Delivery/Payment Representative and have it sent to our Accounts Officer and I hope you can handle this....
BENEFIT IS AS FOLLOWS:
* The averagely income is about $40,300 Monthly depending on your Efficiency.
* No form of investments from you....
* This job takes only 3-5 hours per day....
* You do not pay any form of taxes as it will be paid by the Gallery.
* Weekends will be your days off
Kindly Have the Delivery Application filled out and sent back to me if you are interested in working for Justin Art Gallery as our Delivery and Payment Representative so we can have it added to the company's date base.
Nevertheless, our website is being updated for a better relationship with our customers and friends. However, you can scroll down for a tour of some of our finest collection.
Best Regards,
Mario Lucas.
Branch Manager
Justin Art Gallery
24 EDSA AVENUE MAKATI
PHILIPPINES 4114
Delivery Application:
Contact Details:
First Name: ________________________________
Last Name: _________________________________
License Class: _____________________________
Address Line:_______________________________
City: ______________________________________
State: _____________________________________
Zip code: __________________________________
Telephone: _________________________________
Mobile: ____________________________________
Email: _____________________________________
2 Years Employment History (Most recent first)
Employer's name and any further details that may aid your application
Employer’s Full Name (1):________________________________
Start Date (1): _________________________________________
End Date (1): ___________________________________________
Start Date (2):__________________________________________
End Date (2):____________________________________________
Employer’s Full Name (2): _______________________________
Start Date (1): _________________________________________
End Date (1): ___________________________________________
Notice how this art gallery is located in the Philippines and not in the United States? Right away, this should make people wonder. As far as I know, when works of art are shipped overseas, they are usually handled by professional shipping companies, such as the US Postal Service, United Parcel Service, FedEx, DHL Express, etc. By itself, UPS has branches in most countries around the world and could easily ship and deliver paintings without the gallery having to hire its own people and supply them with vehicles. Furthermore, why have the delivery driver responsible for collecting payments?
Since this gallery is supposed to be in the Philippines, I assumed that the email would have come from there, but I was wrong. Running an IP trace, I discovered that the email had been sent from Nigeria.
I was already convinced that this post is a scam, but I decided to search for a "Justin Art Gallery" in the Philippines, with the intention of reporting to them that their company was being used as a front for a scam. I found nothing that matches, aside from other people posting about this job offer. There are a lot of people named "Mario Lucas" to be found on the Internet, but none in the Philippines.
The "EDSA Avenue" mentioned is a real place, however. The full name of the street is "Epifanio de los Santos Avenue" (often simply shortened to EDSA) and is the main road in Metro Manila. Google Maps couldn't locate the specific address, but it's reasonable to assume that the address is nonexistent. Formerly known as Highway 54, the avenue was renamed in honor of Epifanio de los Santos, a very famous Filipino writer, in whose honor schools, a printing press, a college and a hospital were also named.
The phone number really is a phone number in the Philippines. However, a search for the number shows that it is a mobile phone, which is not surprising since a mobile phone is easier to run a scam with and gives less information to law enforcement to use for tracking down the scammers. So, both the phone number (63-915-927-5768) and the email address this message was sent from (mariolucas24@yahoo.com) are easily disposed-of and replaced.
So, this job posting is yet another scam posted on Backpage. I really wish that Backpage had some way to report this sort of thing to administrators. If they did, we might not have to worry about this sort of thing.
Duane Browning
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Text Spam Made Its Debut on My Cellphone (Part 3)
I probably should have done this shortly after I received the text spam I blogged about before. But, I sent a test message to the email address given in the spam text, optout4@yahoo.com, to see what kind of response I would get.
I didn't use my regular email address. Instead, I used a throwaway account that I keep expressly for that kind of thing. I simply posed a question, asking how they got my unlisted number.
This is the response I received:
I didn't use my regular email address. Instead, I used a throwaway account that I keep expressly for that kind of thing. I simply posed a question, asking how they got my unlisted number.
This is the response I received:
Sorry, we were unable to deliver your message to the following address.
<optout4@yahoo.com>: Remote host said: 554 delivery error: dd This user doesn't have a yahoo.com account (optout4@yahoo.com) [-5] - mta1276.mail.ac4.yahoo.comEssentially, this means one of several things:
- the email account was shutdown due to reports to Yahoo! that the account was being used for spam;
- the email account had been active, but was shutdown by the owner for reasons unknowable to me at this time;
- the email account was hacked by persons unknown to me and they deleted the account;
- the account was never active in the first place and the email address was a ruse. The reply via text would have been the only way the spammer could have any contact from their intended victims;
The last option makes little sense, since using the cellphone/telephone text replies as their only means of receiving opt-in or opt-out messages would have left the spammers with an unreliable means of communication. Complaints from individuals against the phone companies would have repeatedly resulted in those accounts getting closed and the spammer having to establish new communication lines with a new number. Spamming is all about acquiring information and/or money. If your operation constantly has to move from one account to another on a regular basis, the cost versus benefit doesn't add-up in their favor.
The first two options seem to be the most likely to be correct, though I will not discount the third choice out-of-hand. Given that a simple Internet search reveals that the email address is strongly associated with a wave of text spam would have given weight to any complaints sent to Yahoo!.
So, Round One goes to the General Public, for now.
If you live in the United States, you may file a complaint against the sender of this text spam by going to this webpage
https://esupport.fcc.gov/ccmsforms/form1088.action
Duane Browning
So, Round One goes to the General Public, for now.
If you live in the United States, you may file a complaint against the sender of this text spam by going to this webpage
https://esupport.fcc.gov/ccmsforms/form1088.action
Duane Browning
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Text Spam Made Its Debut on My Cellphone (Part 2)
I've decided to add a blogpost with a collection of all the available information I have about the recent text-spammer who contacted me.
Typical Message: "Eliminate up to 90 percent of your debt today - Really! Text Yes if you would like to know more. TXT No to opt out or Email your # to optout4@yahoo.com
-Survey"
Email address: optout4@yahoo.com (account not active)
Website: cuturdebt.com (now closed)
If you want to send them a message, you can use a spare email account you might have and send it directly to their cellphone by sending it to (phonenumber)@tmomail.net. Using the email address, the above list of numbers would have the corresponding email addresses listed here:
Duane Browning
Typical Message: "Eliminate up to 90 percent of your debt today - Really! Text Yes if you would like to know more. TXT No to opt out or Email your # to optout4@yahoo.com
-Survey"
Email address: optout4@yahoo.com (account not active)
Website: cuturdebt.com (now closed)
Phone numbers
(According to a very helpful operator and a search using Intellius, all of the numbers listed below are T-Mobile cellular phone numbers. While the lines may belong to Verizon or Paetec, they are rented from them by T-Mobile)
310-622-2077
310-622-2637
310-866-0239
310-866-1846
310-866-1856
310-866-2043
310-866-2097
310-866-2368
714-331-1692
714-331-6925
714-399-6873
714-833-3386
949-276-1968
949-310-0727
949-310-8551
949-335-2291
949-335-2496
949-335-2706
949-502-1083
949-502-2108
949-573-6338
949-973-1645
949-973-1648
949-973-1651
949-973-1654
949-973-1656
949-973-1658
949-973-1661
949-973-1664
949-973-1665
949-973-1667
949-973-1668
If you want to send them a message, you can use a spare email account you might have and send it directly to their cellphone by sending it to (phonenumber)@tmomail.net. Using the email address, the above list of numbers would have the corresponding email addresses listed here:
3106222077@tmomail.net
3106222637@tmomail.net
3108660239@tmomail.net
3108661846@tmomail.net
3108661856@tmomail.net
3108662043@tmomail.net
3108662097@tmomail.net
3108662368@tmomail.net
7143311692@tmomail.net
7143316925@tmomail.net
7143996873@tmomail.net
7148333386@tmomail.net
9492761968@tmomail.net
9493100727@tmomail.net
9493108551@tmomail.net
9493352291@tmomail.net
9493352496@tmomail.net
9493352706@tmomail.net
9495021083@tmomail.net
9495022108@tmomail.net
9495736338@tmomail.net
9499731645@tmomail.net
9499731648@tmomail.net
9499731651@tmomail.net
9499731654@tmomail.net
9499731656@tmomail.net
9499731658@tmomail.net
9499731661@tmomail.net
9499731664@tmomail.net
9499731665@tmomail.net
9499731667@tmomail.net
9499731668@tmomail.net
If you live in the United States, you may file a complaint against the sender of this text spam by going to this webpage
https://esupport.fcc.gov/ccmsforms/form1088.action
https://esupport.fcc.gov/ccmsforms/form1088.action
Duane Browning
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Text Spam Made Its Debut on My Cellphone
On 26 October 2010, at 4:44pm, I received a text that appeared to come from 949-573-6338 that said:
"Eliminate up to 90 percent of your debt today - Really! Text Yes if you would like to know more. TXT No to opt out or Email your # to optout4@yahoo.com
-Survey"
My cellphone number is on the National Do Not Call List, which I believe also covers text messaging. So, these people violated that by sending me this unsolicited text.
There are many different ways they could have gotten my number. It could have simply been randomly-generated; they could have gotten it from a poor security set-up on my Facebook page; they could have illegally acquired it from stolen records from a financial institution I have dealt with in the past, etc.
Since I was out of the house when I got the text, I couldn't do an Internet search to find out who owns the number, but it was one of my Top Priorities when I got home.
As I discovered when I fired-up the old laptop, I wasn't the first recipient of this spam text. I found online posts about this on 800notes, Whocallsme, MrNumber, PhoneNoInfo and Callwiki.
Using the search engine at FreePhoneTracer, I discovered that this phone is registered as a landline through T-Mobile in Orange County, specifically San Juan Capistrano, CA.
According to T-Mobile Customer Service, this phone is registered to a business called "24 Hour Messenger Service". However, as the number does not show-up with the registrants' name and address in any Internet search I did, this seems to be a dead end, as messenger companies that actually want business would not have unlisted numbers. It could be that the phone does belong to this company and the phone is used by a courier while they are out on their rounds. Since there are a number of courier companies in that area offering 24 hour courier service, actually finding the responsible party would be time-consuming and cost me a bit of money in long distance charges.
There are also the possibilities that the number has been spoofed, so it isn't really coming from this number or the phone may have been stolen and is being used by spammers.
The email address given optout4@yahoo.com has been linked to other text spammers in the past. I found that the same email address has been used in text spam sent from 949-973-1664, 949-973-1668, 949-310-0727, 310-866-2097, 310-866-1846, and others. I also discovered that the website URL cuturdebt.com (now closed) has been referenced in past text messages associated with this email address.
Judging from these past examples, the spammers are physically located - or wish to appear to be physically located - in Southern California.
This list is by no means complete. I found more numbers registered through other companies, but I didn't want to write an encyclopedia today.
There are two possibilities I can think of:
If you are on the National Do No Call List, you can file a complaint here.
You can file complaints to the Federal Communication Commission here.
If you live in the United States, you may file a complaint against the sender of this text spam by going to this webpage
https://esupport.fcc.gov/ccmsforms/form1088.action
Duane Browning
"Eliminate up to 90 percent of your debt today - Really! Text Yes if you would like to know more. TXT No to opt out or Email your # to optout4@yahoo.com
-Survey"
My cellphone number is on the National Do Not Call List, which I believe also covers text messaging. So, these people violated that by sending me this unsolicited text.
There are many different ways they could have gotten my number. It could have simply been randomly-generated; they could have gotten it from a poor security set-up on my Facebook page; they could have illegally acquired it from stolen records from a financial institution I have dealt with in the past, etc.
Since I was out of the house when I got the text, I couldn't do an Internet search to find out who owns the number, but it was one of my Top Priorities when I got home.
As I discovered when I fired-up the old laptop, I wasn't the first recipient of this spam text. I found online posts about this on 800notes, Whocallsme, MrNumber, PhoneNoInfo and Callwiki.
Using the search engine at FreePhoneTracer, I discovered that this phone is registered as a landline through T-Mobile in Orange County, specifically San Juan Capistrano, CA.
According to T-Mobile Customer Service, this phone is registered to a business called "24 Hour Messenger Service". However, as the number does not show-up with the registrants' name and address in any Internet search I did, this seems to be a dead end, as messenger companies that actually want business would not have unlisted numbers. It could be that the phone does belong to this company and the phone is used by a courier while they are out on their rounds. Since there are a number of courier companies in that area offering 24 hour courier service, actually finding the responsible party would be time-consuming and cost me a bit of money in long distance charges.
There are also the possibilities that the number has been spoofed, so it isn't really coming from this number or the phone may have been stolen and is being used by spammers.
The email address given optout4@yahoo.com has been linked to other text spammers in the past. I found that the same email address has been used in text spam sent from 949-973-1664, 949-973-1668, 949-310-0727, 310-866-2097, 310-866-1846, and others. I also discovered that the website URL cuturdebt.com (now closed) has been referenced in past text messages associated with this email address.
Judging from these past examples, the spammers are physically located - or wish to appear to be physically located - in Southern California.
- 310 is the area code for Malibu, Torrance, Beverley Hills, Santa Monica, Catalina and Western Los Angeles suburbs, California
- 949 is the area code for Laguna Niguel, Irvine, El Toro, Newport Beach, Corona Del Mar and Southern Orange County, California
- Registered through Paetec Communications, Inc. - Ca were 949-973-1664, 949-973-1655, 949-973-1659, 949-973-1668 and many others;
- Registered through T-Mobile were 949-573-6338 and 949-310-0727;
- Registered through Verizon were 310-866-2097 and 310-866-1846;
This list is by no means complete. I found more numbers registered through other companies, but I didn't want to write an encyclopedia today.
There are two possibilities I can think of:
- the individuals who are doing this are spoofing different phone numbers. Using one for awhile and then switching to another. However, it doesn't explain why the phone numbers all come from California. One would think that a spoofer would switch the area codes to appear to come from different states as they switched.
- these are real cellphones being used (likely registered to different people) that have been stolen and resold to the spammers to use. Either that or they registered to real people to use for the scam and switching to new ones when the old ones get their accounts pulled. Like the first example, this doesn't seem to make sense either, since it provides a name and address for law enforcement to track or for people to file complaints against.
So, there are problems with either of those choices and there could be a third possibility that didn't occur to me.
I wish I had more information, but I'm hopeful that this blog posting will find its way into the search engines, so people who receive these text messages will understand what is happening.
I tried to call the number (I blocked my number using *67, so he wouldn't know what number was calling him) and tried to speak to somebody to see if this was an innocent person whose phone number was being spoofed. I got their voice-mail, but their in-box was full and could not accept new messages. This may be the result of too many people trying to call the number to complain about being textspammed. By itself, that doesn't mean that the account-holder is innocent or guilty. However, if they were innocent, it would make sense for them to call T-Mobile and have their number changed, rather than draw the wrath of pissed-off spam victims. If they are guilty, they might be thinking that if they let the voice-mail fill-up and ignore the complaints, they can get away with it as long as they wish. But, that will only work unless some one decides to send a text to that number.
I tried to call the number (I blocked my number using *67, so he wouldn't know what number was calling him) and tried to speak to somebody to see if this was an innocent person whose phone number was being spoofed. I got their voice-mail, but their in-box was full and could not accept new messages. This may be the result of too many people trying to call the number to complain about being textspammed. By itself, that doesn't mean that the account-holder is innocent or guilty. However, if they were innocent, it would make sense for them to call T-Mobile and have their number changed, rather than draw the wrath of pissed-off spam victims. If they are guilty, they might be thinking that if they let the voice-mail fill-up and ignore the complaints, they can get away with it as long as they wish. But, that will only work unless some one decides to send a text to that number.
If you are on the National Do No Call List, you can file a complaint here.
You can file complaints to the Federal Communication Commission here.
If you live in the United States, you may file a complaint against the sender of this text spam by going to this webpage
https://esupport.fcc.gov/ccmsforms/form1088.action
Duane Browning
Monday, October 18, 2010
Preventing Bike Theft
I cannot remember how many times I've heard about a friend's or coworker's bicycle being stolen or something (wheels, saddle, etc) getting stolen from their bike. Either way, it sucks.
The sad fact is that it, most likely, could have been prevented. There are a number of ways that a bike can get stolen:
Okay, if some asshole broke into your house and stole your bike - and you didn't lock your bike because it was inside your home - you can't really take any blame for this.
But, a lot of bike theft victims bought a cheap piece of shit lock, like an ordinary chain with an ordinary padlock or a cable lock. These are the kinds of people who seem to think that any lock will deter most thieves and these people are wrong. While even a cheap lock will deter the casual bike thief, the guys that steal a bike on impulse, the professional or semi-professional thief often carries a pair of bolt cutters with them to quickly help themselves to your bike. So, a good U-lock from either Kryptonite or OnGuard will keep most thieves at-bay.
If you have a bike with quick releases on the wheels or bike seat, you will want to seriously consider getting a set of Pinhead Locking Skewers. I recommend Pinhead over Delta Hublox, since Pinhead skewers unlock with a special key, while Dublox uses an ordinary hexwrench. While Dublox may deter somebody without tools, it won't stop a professional.
What these do is replace the skewer of your quick release with one that you can only tighten or loosen with a special key provided with the set. If you, or some one else, wants to remove the wheel or seat from the bike, you can't do it without the key. So, even if the bike gets stolen, they cannot take any of the secured components off and the very first time that a tire goes flat, the entire bike becomes useless to them. So, even though you don't have the bike anymore, they can't ride it or even remove parts from it.
While no system is perfect and somebody will eventually find a way around any locking device, it's always best to make the thieves work that much harder if they want to take your bike or bike parts from you.
If you have a bike that uses ordinary nuts and bolts to secure the wheels, my best advice is to use a good quality U-lock or switch-out the wheels with ones that use quick releases and buy the locking skewers.
If your seatpost cannot accommodate a locking skewer, here's how you can secure your seat to the frame using an old bicycle chain:
First, you're going to need
This will probably look like crap, but a bike chain isn't easy to cut, since it takes a lot of stress as you pedal your bike. So, the chain will give some protection from a thief who will come and just casually unscrew the quick releases that most people have on their seat posts. I suggest getting an old mountain bike chain, since they are the toughest chains out there. If you don't have an extra chain or old tube, ask a bike shop if they have some old ones laying-around that they can let you have. Something like this would need bolt cutters or a chain tool to take off and it would take a bit of time and frustration on the part of most thieves and will give your seat a better chance of still being there when you return than if you had nothing. Most of the time, simply securing your seat with an ordinary bolt is enough, as thieves prefer the ones with quick releases, since they can be switched from one bike to another with little effort.
Okay, here's a question a lot of people ask:
Once the bike gets stolen, there are a number of things that can happen to it. The whole bike may be kept by the thief to ride on and they'll usually ride it for awhile and then sell it to somebody, either for cash or drugs. However, there are some thieves that steal bikes specifically to sell them to some one and may wait awhile after they steal it before they list it on Craigslist or eBay. They figure that after a few weeks, the original owner will have given-up and bought a new bike. I don't know if buyers from eBay or Craigslist ever ask for the registration slip in order to properly transfer ownership, but I've never seen anything that requires paperwork be filled-out prior to selling a bike across state lines. Plus, if you didn't report the bike to HPD as stolen, it simply makes it easier for the thief to resell it. I assume that most people who buy a bike on Craigslist won't check to see if the bike is registered. As long as it has a registration sticker on it, I think most people don't give it a second thought, especially if the buyer doesn't have a lot of money to begin with and is just glad to get an inexpensive bicycle. It really doesn't help that bicycles only have to be registered once when they are first purchased and never again afterwards, since a stolen bike can be ridden for years without being noticed and checked by a police officer. If the sticker is damaged and needs to be replaced, then the rider has to go re-register it. If the bike hadn't been reported as stolen and the DMV doesn't do a background check, the new owner can probably get away with registering your bike and becoming the legal owner.
Fixed gear bikes are seldom stolen for the thief to ride, since they're so much harder to ride than a regular bike and thieves are typically lazy fuckers. Those usually get stolen for the thief to sell to somebody and they know that some people out there are so desperate to look cool riding a fixie that they won't ask too many questions when somebody sells them one at a really cheap price. Fixies call sell for good money on eBay and thieves know it. I bought my first one for about $100 and I've often wondered if it had originally been stolen from somebody. But, the parts it came with were shit and I ended-up replacing the seat, wheels and handlebars anyway, so I think my fears were groundless to begin with. I think it was just an old bike somebody converted to fixed.
The really fucked-up thing about it is that no law enforcement agency that I am aware of keeps track of stolen bicycles and there is no nationwide database of bicycle VINs for law enforcement in other states to check to see if a bike was reported stolen somewhere in the USA. So, once your bike crosses state lines, it's gone forever.
The preferred bike for thieves to steal and keep are usually road bikes with the wide knobby tires and big seats. BMXs, road bikes, mountain bikes, beach cruisers and even children's bikes fall into this category. So, these are the bikes that you really want to make sure are locked-up securely. I've seen a few of the street people riding racing bikes, even ones with the toeclips or triathlon parts on them, but that's kind of rare since they aren't as comfortable to ride.
Street thieves will ride the bike for awhile and they sell it for drugs or money, as I said, or they will trade it "bike for bike" - more exactly, "stolen bike for stolen bike" - to some one else. Your stolen bike can trade hands with as many as a dozen people in a few months.
Even the best bike will need new parts and stolen bikes are no different. This is why seats and wheels get stolen, to replace parts from stolen bikes that are unusable. The worn-out parts are simply discarded in the trash. The amount of care given to the bike by its owner-at-the-time varies. Some get dirty and rusty after getting thrown-around, others get wiped-down and given a surprising amount of care. If you actually get your bike back, its condition really would depend on how many different people have had it since it got stolen.
Most bike thieves don't have a lot of talent for fixing bikes, even those that have tools. So, when brake cables wear out, dérailleurs go bad, nuts and bolts get rusted-out, thieves will start looking for a new bike to steal and your old bike will get stripped for parts and then abandoned. Even something as mundane as a flat tire can make an entire bike unridable for a thief, since they either don't have the tools, a spare tube or even the knowledge of how to change a flat. I've seen street people riding bikes with flat tires for blocks, looking for a friend to help them change it out. I saw a guy once riding a bike with no tires on his bike, just riding on the bare rims. I'm not making this up. Some will simply abandon a bike with a flat tire and steal another bike. They actually think that they really aren't really stealing it, since they left you another bike in-trade. Of course, they don't give a shit if they left you a bike that you couldn't keep or wouldn't want in the first place.
This fact is another reason why securing your wheels to the frame with locking skewers is a good idea. Most of the time, your stolen bike will simply be abandoned if the thief can't change the tire and they can't change the tire if they can't get the wheels off. Simple, really.
Keep in mind that there are actual bike chop shops out there where stolen bikes are brought to be traded for drugs or cash. These things can be established with little space, like in an apartment or studio and the only sign that one is in operation is usually a pile of old bike parts outside or on the lanai and people coming and going at all hours. The bikes are stripped for parts and then resold. Sometimes, they even get painted.
Some years ago, I heard about this guy whose bike got stolen. He wrote it off and got a new one, though he did report it to the police. It found its way into the hands of some one who fixed it up and repainted it. It was actually in better shape than when it had gotten stolen. The thief had sanded-off the rust and license tag, repainted it and added some really cool shit. One day, for some reason, HPD stopped him and ran the VIN on the bike frame. Of course, they learned that the bike was stolen and returned it to the owner who was not only glad to get the bike back, but his bike was better than brand new with really cool accessories and a spiffy paintjob!
Again, and I cannot say this enough: When your bike gets stolen, call the police!!!
If you buy a bike from somebody who posted an ad on Craigslist or whatever, ask them for the registration slip, if they have it. If they don't have it, they could have lost it (it happens) or the bike could be stolen. It's one or the other. If they don't have it, tell them you want a written receipt for the purchase. if they object to this, you may be buying a stolen bike. If the bike has a registration sticker on it, it's registered to some one else, not you. So, if it gets stolen and found by HPD, it will be returned to the owner, not you. If they can't find the owner, it will be impounded and you will lose the bike and the money you spent on it with no recourse. So, let the seller know that you want a written receipt, so you can re-register the bike in your name. If he has a problem with that, buy another bike, because that one is most likely stolen. If you get a receipt, go to the satellite City Hall and register the bike in your name. Show the the receipt of sale and it should be no problem if the seller is legit.
If it turnsout the bike was stolen, fill-out a police report and give the police all the information you have about the person you bought it from. Don't be a nice guy and try to protect him, since you're the one in possession of stolen property and may be facing charges yourself. Then, contact the seller to tell them what happened. Tell them you want your money back. If they refuse, tell them you're going to file charges of fraud against them unless you get your money back. That and a visit from HPD should get you back your cash. If all else fails, file a small claims lawsuit.
If you've already made the buy but didn't get a receipt and want to register it, just show them printouts of whatever email correspondence you had with the seller. It may be a good idea to show them a printout of the ad that you answered, assuming it wasn't deleted.
Remember, if a cop sees you riding a bike with no tag or a mutilated tag, he will ask for the bike registration. If you can't produce it and the VIN shows the bike belongs to some one else, the bike will be impounded. I've ridden a bike with a mutilated tag for months until I finally got stopped by the police for riding on the sidewalk. Fortunately, I had registered the bike and I had my ID on me, so all I had to do was go get another tag for the bike. If I had not registered it, the cop could have impounded the bike and I would have had to prove that I had legally purchased the bike, pay the impound charges as well as the cost of registration. It just takes getting pulled-over one time to find-out if the bike you bought from an ad is stolen or not and you don't want to be in that position.
I can just hear it now, "But, if I lock my bike with the shitty lock in a public place, a thief won't steal it in front of all these witnesses. Right?". Wrong. Seriously wrong.
Bikes that have gotten stolen in the daytime are usually stolen with lots of people walking-around. Most people are too timid to say or do anything and don't want to get involved, especially for something as trivial (to them) as a bike getting stolen and they don't want to take the chance that they could be wrong or might get beaten-up by the thief.
Yeah, your bike could get stolen in front of a lot of eye witnesses who won't say or do a thing to stop it and they won't talk to the cops either. You're on your own.
I hope this article has been helpful.
Duane Browning
The sad fact is that it, most likely, could have been prevented. There are a number of ways that a bike can get stolen:
- you didn't lock it. If this is the case, then you fucking deserved to get your bike stolen;
- locked it, but lock was cut.
Okay, if some asshole broke into your house and stole your bike - and you didn't lock your bike because it was inside your home - you can't really take any blame for this.
But, a lot of bike theft victims bought a cheap piece of shit lock, like an ordinary chain with an ordinary padlock or a cable lock. These are the kinds of people who seem to think that any lock will deter most thieves and these people are wrong. While even a cheap lock will deter the casual bike thief, the guys that steal a bike on impulse, the professional or semi-professional thief often carries a pair of bolt cutters with them to quickly help themselves to your bike. So, a good U-lock from either Kryptonite or OnGuard will keep most thieves at-bay.
If you have a bike with quick releases on the wheels or bike seat, you will want to seriously consider getting a set of Pinhead Locking Skewers. I recommend Pinhead over Delta Hublox, since Pinhead skewers unlock with a special key, while Dublox uses an ordinary hexwrench. While Dublox may deter somebody without tools, it won't stop a professional.
What these do is replace the skewer of your quick release with one that you can only tighten or loosen with a special key provided with the set. If you, or some one else, wants to remove the wheel or seat from the bike, you can't do it without the key. So, even if the bike gets stolen, they cannot take any of the secured components off and the very first time that a tire goes flat, the entire bike becomes useless to them. So, even though you don't have the bike anymore, they can't ride it or even remove parts from it.
While no system is perfect and somebody will eventually find a way around any locking device, it's always best to make the thieves work that much harder if they want to take your bike or bike parts from you.
If you have a bike that uses ordinary nuts and bolts to secure the wheels, my best advice is to use a good quality U-lock or switch-out the wheels with ones that use quick releases and buy the locking skewers.
If your seatpost cannot accommodate a locking skewer, here's how you can secure your seat to the frame using an old bicycle chain:
First, you're going to need
- an old bike chain,
- an old bike tube,
- a chain tool,
- a couple of zip-ties and
- some electrical tape.
- measure-out how high you want your seat to be elevated and secure it in-place;
- Open a link in the chain with the bike tool;
- Thread the chain through the underside of the seat where there should be some metal bars that provide the shape of your seat;
- Loop the chain through your bike frame in the upside down V between your seatpost stay and the rear part of the frame directly above the rear wheel;
- Hold the loose end together with a portion of your chain that gives as little slack as possible. This should form a complete loop;
- Remove the extra portion of the chain that you won't be using by using the bike tool, making sure to have the ends matching so that you can resecure the chain into a loop;
- Now, take the chain and put a bit of oil on it to give it some protection from rust;
- Cut-off a portion of the bike tube to completely cover the chain with a bit of extra tube to cover the ends;
- Put the chain into the tube and loop it through the seat frame and bike frame;
- Using your bike tool, rejoin the two ends of the chain;
- Cover the chain with the bike tube and tape it closed with electrical tape.
- to keep this assembly from flapping-around, wrap the zip-ties around the chain holding your seat to the frame. You could use the electrical tape for this, but zip-ties are better.
Alternatively, you could simply use a cable lock for this sort of thing. But, my guess is that a bike chain would be harder to cut with bolt cutters.
This will probably look like crap, but a bike chain isn't easy to cut, since it takes a lot of stress as you pedal your bike. So, the chain will give some protection from a thief who will come and just casually unscrew the quick releases that most people have on their seat posts. I suggest getting an old mountain bike chain, since they are the toughest chains out there. If you don't have an extra chain or old tube, ask a bike shop if they have some old ones laying-around that they can let you have. Something like this would need bolt cutters or a chain tool to take off and it would take a bit of time and frustration on the part of most thieves and will give your seat a better chance of still being there when you return than if you had nothing. Most of the time, simply securing your seat with an ordinary bolt is enough, as thieves prefer the ones with quick releases, since they can be switched from one bike to another with little effort.
Okay, here's a question a lot of people ask:
Where Do Stolen Bikes Go?
Once the bike gets stolen, there are a number of things that can happen to it. The whole bike may be kept by the thief to ride on and they'll usually ride it for awhile and then sell it to somebody, either for cash or drugs. However, there are some thieves that steal bikes specifically to sell them to some one and may wait awhile after they steal it before they list it on Craigslist or eBay. They figure that after a few weeks, the original owner will have given-up and bought a new bike. I don't know if buyers from eBay or Craigslist ever ask for the registration slip in order to properly transfer ownership, but I've never seen anything that requires paperwork be filled-out prior to selling a bike across state lines. Plus, if you didn't report the bike to HPD as stolen, it simply makes it easier for the thief to resell it. I assume that most people who buy a bike on Craigslist won't check to see if the bike is registered. As long as it has a registration sticker on it, I think most people don't give it a second thought, especially if the buyer doesn't have a lot of money to begin with and is just glad to get an inexpensive bicycle. It really doesn't help that bicycles only have to be registered once when they are first purchased and never again afterwards, since a stolen bike can be ridden for years without being noticed and checked by a police officer. If the sticker is damaged and needs to be replaced, then the rider has to go re-register it. If the bike hadn't been reported as stolen and the DMV doesn't do a background check, the new owner can probably get away with registering your bike and becoming the legal owner.
Fixed gear bikes are seldom stolen for the thief to ride, since they're so much harder to ride than a regular bike and thieves are typically lazy fuckers. Those usually get stolen for the thief to sell to somebody and they know that some people out there are so desperate to look cool riding a fixie that they won't ask too many questions when somebody sells them one at a really cheap price. Fixies call sell for good money on eBay and thieves know it. I bought my first one for about $100 and I've often wondered if it had originally been stolen from somebody. But, the parts it came with were shit and I ended-up replacing the seat, wheels and handlebars anyway, so I think my fears were groundless to begin with. I think it was just an old bike somebody converted to fixed.
The really fucked-up thing about it is that no law enforcement agency that I am aware of keeps track of stolen bicycles and there is no nationwide database of bicycle VINs for law enforcement in other states to check to see if a bike was reported stolen somewhere in the USA. So, once your bike crosses state lines, it's gone forever.
The preferred bike for thieves to steal and keep are usually road bikes with the wide knobby tires and big seats. BMXs, road bikes, mountain bikes, beach cruisers and even children's bikes fall into this category. So, these are the bikes that you really want to make sure are locked-up securely. I've seen a few of the street people riding racing bikes, even ones with the toeclips or triathlon parts on them, but that's kind of rare since they aren't as comfortable to ride.
Street thieves will ride the bike for awhile and they sell it for drugs or money, as I said, or they will trade it "bike for bike" - more exactly, "stolen bike for stolen bike" - to some one else. Your stolen bike can trade hands with as many as a dozen people in a few months.
Even the best bike will need new parts and stolen bikes are no different. This is why seats and wheels get stolen, to replace parts from stolen bikes that are unusable. The worn-out parts are simply discarded in the trash. The amount of care given to the bike by its owner-at-the-time varies. Some get dirty and rusty after getting thrown-around, others get wiped-down and given a surprising amount of care. If you actually get your bike back, its condition really would depend on how many different people have had it since it got stolen.
Most bike thieves don't have a lot of talent for fixing bikes, even those that have tools. So, when brake cables wear out, dérailleurs go bad, nuts and bolts get rusted-out, thieves will start looking for a new bike to steal and your old bike will get stripped for parts and then abandoned. Even something as mundane as a flat tire can make an entire bike unridable for a thief, since they either don't have the tools, a spare tube or even the knowledge of how to change a flat. I've seen street people riding bikes with flat tires for blocks, looking for a friend to help them change it out. I saw a guy once riding a bike with no tires on his bike, just riding on the bare rims. I'm not making this up. Some will simply abandon a bike with a flat tire and steal another bike. They actually think that they really aren't really stealing it, since they left you another bike in-trade. Of course, they don't give a shit if they left you a bike that you couldn't keep or wouldn't want in the first place.
This fact is another reason why securing your wheels to the frame with locking skewers is a good idea. Most of the time, your stolen bike will simply be abandoned if the thief can't change the tire and they can't change the tire if they can't get the wheels off. Simple, really.
Keep in mind that there are actual bike chop shops out there where stolen bikes are brought to be traded for drugs or cash. These things can be established with little space, like in an apartment or studio and the only sign that one is in operation is usually a pile of old bike parts outside or on the lanai and people coming and going at all hours. The bikes are stripped for parts and then resold. Sometimes, they even get painted.
Some years ago, I heard about this guy whose bike got stolen. He wrote it off and got a new one, though he did report it to the police. It found its way into the hands of some one who fixed it up and repainted it. It was actually in better shape than when it had gotten stolen. The thief had sanded-off the rust and license tag, repainted it and added some really cool shit. One day, for some reason, HPD stopped him and ran the VIN on the bike frame. Of course, they learned that the bike was stolen and returned it to the owner who was not only glad to get the bike back, but his bike was better than brand new with really cool accessories and a spiffy paintjob!
Again, and I cannot say this enough: When your bike gets stolen, call the police!!!
If you buy a bike from somebody who posted an ad on Craigslist or whatever, ask them for the registration slip, if they have it. If they don't have it, they could have lost it (it happens) or the bike could be stolen. It's one or the other. If they don't have it, tell them you want a written receipt for the purchase. if they object to this, you may be buying a stolen bike. If the bike has a registration sticker on it, it's registered to some one else, not you. So, if it gets stolen and found by HPD, it will be returned to the owner, not you. If they can't find the owner, it will be impounded and you will lose the bike and the money you spent on it with no recourse. So, let the seller know that you want a written receipt, so you can re-register the bike in your name. If he has a problem with that, buy another bike, because that one is most likely stolen. If you get a receipt, go to the satellite City Hall and register the bike in your name. Show the the receipt of sale and it should be no problem if the seller is legit.
If it turnsout the bike was stolen, fill-out a police report and give the police all the information you have about the person you bought it from. Don't be a nice guy and try to protect him, since you're the one in possession of stolen property and may be facing charges yourself. Then, contact the seller to tell them what happened. Tell them you want your money back. If they refuse, tell them you're going to file charges of fraud against them unless you get your money back. That and a visit from HPD should get you back your cash. If all else fails, file a small claims lawsuit.
If you've already made the buy but didn't get a receipt and want to register it, just show them printouts of whatever email correspondence you had with the seller. It may be a good idea to show them a printout of the ad that you answered, assuming it wasn't deleted.
Remember, if a cop sees you riding a bike with no tag or a mutilated tag, he will ask for the bike registration. If you can't produce it and the VIN shows the bike belongs to some one else, the bike will be impounded. I've ridden a bike with a mutilated tag for months until I finally got stopped by the police for riding on the sidewalk. Fortunately, I had registered the bike and I had my ID on me, so all I had to do was go get another tag for the bike. If I had not registered it, the cop could have impounded the bike and I would have had to prove that I had legally purchased the bike, pay the impound charges as well as the cost of registration. It just takes getting pulled-over one time to find-out if the bike you bought from an ad is stolen or not and you don't want to be in that position.
Don't Trust Passersby
I can just hear it now, "But, if I lock my bike with the shitty lock in a public place, a thief won't steal it in front of all these witnesses. Right?". Wrong. Seriously wrong.
Bikes that have gotten stolen in the daytime are usually stolen with lots of people walking-around. Most people are too timid to say or do anything and don't want to get involved, especially for something as trivial (to them) as a bike getting stolen and they don't want to take the chance that they could be wrong or might get beaten-up by the thief.
Yeah, your bike could get stolen in front of a lot of eye witnesses who won't say or do a thing to stop it and they won't talk to the cops either. You're on your own.
I hope this article has been helpful.
Duane Browning
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