This scammer claims he wants to place advertising on my site. The PAKBB website claims they are a French company. Mr Dumont’s email was sent from the Ukraine. pakbb.com was created on 17th July 2011. A quick search on Google shows me the content was copied from another website.
I have an online email address that I use for scammers, so I replied from there. I was told to visit a given web address and download a .zip file – which Mr Dumont tells me is a plug-in for my WordPress site. I dread to imagine what would happen to my computer and/or my site if I unzip and install the plug-in, but I have no intention of finding out! Neither should you. I’m fairly certain the zip file will infect your computer and/or your site with less than desirable spyware and adware.
This scam is mutating. The scammer is inventing different agency names. Always the same cloned website and always on newly registered domains and always the same initial contact email. Some latest agency and contact details being used are:
Oscar Meunier.
site: www. kervelagency .com
e-mail: omeunier@kervelagency .com
phone: + (0)9 78 62 98 00
Noa Morin.
site: Kara Agency
e-mail: nmorin (at) karaagency .com
phone: + (0)9 78 62 31 00
Hi!
Sorry I write you via comments. But I could not find contact e-mail or feedback form on your site.
My name is Martin Dumont and I represent PAKBB Agency. We are making an advertising campaign for Lacoste Company (it is a French company producing clothes, footwear, perfumery etc.) and we would like to place their banner at your site how2-make-money-online.info. We are interested in banners of the following sizes: 160×600, 240×400, 300×250, 336×280, 468×60, 728×90. What can be your price for one banner (banner should appear at ALL pages of your site) of abovementioned sizes (please specify the place for the banner – top, bottom, left, right)? Please mention a normal link for banner, without javascript code and set prices in US dollars per month.
P.S. Please, delete this comment.
the world is so mess up, its a lucky thing i come here first, else i would be scam.
Glad I found this, looks like hes up to his old tricks with a different name and agency:
Hello,
Thanks for reply to our proposal!
I represent Kara Agency. At the moment we are preparing an advertising campaign for Lacoste Company (it is a French company producing clothes, footwear, perfumery etc.) We already have designed banners for the campaign, they are the following sizes: 160×600, 240×400, 300×250, 336×280, 468×60, 728×90.
What can be your price for one banner (banner should appear at ALL pages of your site) of abovementioned sizes (please specify the place for the banner – top, bottom, left, right)? Please mention a normal link for banner, without javascript code and set prices in US dollars per month.
Best regards,
Noa Morin.
site: http://www.karaagency.com
e-mail: nmorin@karaagency.com
phone: + (0)9 78 62 31 00
Hi!
Thanks for reply to our proposal!
We like your price.We would like to place 728*90 banner.
To pass to the banner control system follow the link http://webmaster.karaagency.com
To enter use the following data:
login:
password:
You should install and activate the plugin in order to display advertisement. Before making payment, advertiser must approve location of the banner. The banner will be shown on your site when you add special code to your web- address (for example: http://.com/?adv_test=1). It means, that visitors will see the banner only if it is approved and payment made.
To get installation instruction for your site type pass to: http://docs.karaagency.com/wp_install
To activate your site you have to enter the code:
What way of payment is suitable for you?
I had the same scam targeted on me too. Here’s my account on it (http://www.atpeaz.com/index.php/2011/wordpress-blogs-targeted-scam-beware-of-the-adv-zip-plugin/). All too familiar except for the agency’s name!
It’s now Bevesto Agency and the email is from a Rayan Meyer instead now. WordPress community be warned!
I received an offer as well and it went as follows. I have no idea what to charge so I googled it and found out it is a scam.
I represent Kervel Agency. At the moment we are preparing an advertising campaign for Lacoste Company (it is a French company producing clothes, footwear, perfumery etc.) We already have designed banners for the campaign, they are the following sizes: 160×600, 240×400, 300×250, 336×280, 468×60, 728×90.
What can be your price for one banner (banner should appear at ALL pages of your site) of abovementioned sizes (please specify the place for the banner â?? top, bottom, left, right)? Please mention a normal link for banner, without javascript code and set prices in US dollars per month.
Best regards,
Oscar Meunier.
site: http://www.kervelagency.com
e-mail: omeunier@kervelagency.com
That message seems familiar. I’m sure I’ve seen the same one on more than one occasion. Thanks for the warning.
Darren
I received the exact same email offer and acceptance. I am glad I found this site. Thanks to all for taking the time to warn others like me. Now I want to help, too, thus this email.
Kurt Gross
http://grossinternational.com
My blog was also targeted by these scammers. This banner ad scam is tricky because it seems legit at first. Needing to install a plugin immediately raises red flags, though. Has anyone found any indication as to what these scammers are after?
I received in the morning exactly the same proposal from Nicolas Gauthier, “Paris agency”. They are using the following domain: burgoni.com, created TODAY 04/09/12.
First I was happily surprised because the site they ask to advertise almost have no visitors. I answered their first mail with rates and the real suspicious thing was that the response cames almost instantly. And the text is exactly this:
Hello,
Thanks for reply to our proposal!
I represent Burgoni Agency. At the moment we are preparing an advertising campaign for Lacoste Company (it is a French company producing clothes, footwear, perfumery etc.) We already have designed banners for the campaign, they are the following sizes: 160×600, 240×400, 300×250, 336×280, 468×60, 728×90.
What can be your price for one banner (banner should appear at ALL pages of your site) of abovementioned sizes (please specify the place for the banner – top, bottom, left, right)? Please mention a normal link for banner, without javascript code and set prices in US dollars per month.
Best regards,
Nicolas Gauthier.
site: www(dot)burgoni.com
e-mail: ngauthier(at)burgoni.com
phone: + (0)9 78 62 74 41
It is clear for me that the key is this “normal link for banner”, Isn’t?
I received this request, and the email was:
Hi,
We are looking for new advertisement platforms and we are interested in our site. Is it possible to place banner on your site on a fee basis?
best regards,
Nicolas Gauthier
I am glad I didn’t bite:)
As webmaster/publisher of a blog, I was suspicious to receive an email at 2:03AM and my curiosity caused me to search for the senders name and email address (ngauthier@burgoni.com) and lead me here. What has me stumped is we have a private registration of our URL, so I’m confused how this scammer found my email address:
Hi,
I am sorry I have to write you to e-mail from whois information of the domain. But I could not find contact e-mail or feedback form on your site.
We are looking for new advertisement platforms and we are interested in your site ___________.com.
Is it possible to place banner on your site on a fee basis?
Best regards,
Nicolas Gauthier
Hi Everyone,
I also received this email from Nicolas Gauthier and I did load the software onto my desktop and unzipped the file. Has this installed any viruses or spyware on my computer?
Thanks