Contest Scamers

Discussion in 'Legal Issues' started by ebittner, Nov 14, 2006.

  1. #1
    Hello,
    I was wondering if there is anything that you can do to a person or a site that runs a contest and then when it is over they dont like how things went so they close the site down.
    I am not sure if there is much you can do but I just wanted to check becasue something like this happened very recently.
    The site opened, ran a contest and then extended it and then when it was over the owner said he would have winners in a few days and then a week later he said in a few more days and then he just never posted for a few weeks so activity died out and the site now just says "Closed due to lack of interest.".

    I have tried contacting the owner of the site several times in several different forms with no success. I know he is getting my messages he is just not replying.

    I would like to hear what you think about this.
    Thanks,
    Evan
     
    ebittner, Nov 14, 2006 IP
  2. smallbuzz

    smallbuzz Peon

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    #2
    try to find his address with whois.com and then pay him a visit with a baseball bat?
     
    smallbuzz, Nov 14, 2006 IP
  3. clancey

    clancey Peon

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    #3
    It is obvious that you cannot trust anyone and anything on the net these days. Running a bogus contest with a good prize would be an excellent way to collect email addresses and other information for use by phishing gangs and other groups. There would never be any intent to award a prize. The intent is only to collect information.

    Another variation would be a site crammed with PPC ads, which uses the bogus contest with great prizes to attract traffic in hopes they will click out through the PPC ad links.

    I would further suspect the whois name and mailing address will be fake. The domain could have been registered with a stolen credit card and identity.

    This makes it clear it is very dangerous to provide any kind of personal data to a website which you do not trust.

    Never forget, if something looks too good to be true . . . it probably is.
     
    clancey, Nov 14, 2006 IP
  4. MattKNC

    MattKNC Peon

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    #4
    Personally, I wouldn't participate in any online contest unless the site was:

    1. Established for a long time and with a good reputation.

    2. The site contained a Privacy or Disclosure Policy stating clearly that no email addresses will be collected and resold, I.P. recorded, etc.

    Unless you lost $$$, I would simply move on and chalk it all up to experience.
     
    MattKNC, Nov 16, 2006 IP
  5. ebittner

    ebittner Banned

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    #5
    Well the thing is the guy who did it is an active member of this forum and most all of the webmaster forums.
    It was a forum contest that he was running for a new site of his.
     
    ebittner, Nov 16, 2006 IP
  6. MattKNC

    MattKNC Peon

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    #6
    Unfortunately, DP has its share of shady members. I think it is repulsive for anyone to start something only to pull out later without explanation.
     
    MattKNC, Nov 28, 2006 IP