There's a Hacker on Woodcraft

[magpens]

I got an email, allegedly from Woodcraft, titled "Forgot Something?" I opened the email.

It's a common type which you sometimes get reminding you that you have left your shopping cart without completing a purchase.

The email shows pics of three items "in my cart" : a scroll saw, a lathe stand, and some Photo Vcarve Software.

This email gives a "Return to Cart" link which makes you think you are going to your shopping cart.

I did not click because I was wary. But the items shown are nothing I would want because I already have or have no use for.

The email source is woodcraft "at" reply "dot" bronto "dot" com
and that looks unfamiliar and suspicious.

So I went to a new browser window and went to woodcraft.com and logged to my account. The shopping cart is empty. I logged out and closed the browser window.

Just wondering if anybody else has received similar ? Does woodcraft use a server by the name of bronto ?

Could be just "one of those things" that happens nowadays.

I have not made any online purchase from Woodcraft for years.

 

[turncrazy43]

Mal, I have not seen such a thing but I don't shop on line with Woodcraft. Good info to be alert for and thank you for bringing that to our attention. These hackers will try to screw you up every day.
Turncrazy43

 

[leehljp]

I get these on occasion and they look real. The first thing I do with these real looking ads is to go to the "From" in my email app. Of course it says From . . . Woodcraft, or other well known retail account. My email app has a little ˅ (down) arrow on the end of the "From" name. Clicking on this reveals who it is really from.

On fake ones, the "From" is spoofed.

There are other ways to check and see "full" headers, which usually reveal that it is fake.

 

[Dalecamino]

Good information Mal & Hank! Thanks

 

[duncsuss]

It's unlikely that there's a hacker on Woodcraft -- just somebody they probably never heard of pretending to be them.

When I get this type of phishing email, I try to forward it to the entity being impersonated -- often they have an email address dedicated to reports of scamming. American Express, for example, has one "spoof@americanexpress.com", others include "spoof@paypal.com" and "stopIT@mastercard.com".

If stores aren't told they are being used as the front for scams, they won't know that their customers will be getting nervous about using their online storefronts -- something they ought to be concerned about.

 

[g8trbone]

Bronto is a mass mail type of service (like MailChimp or any of the other email list managers).


Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app

 

[magpens]

Bronto is a mass mail type of service (like MailChimp or any of the other email list managers).

Thanks, but sorry I am not familiar with the implications of what you stated.
Does that mean those services are possible (likely?) hosts of hoaxes such as I think I experienced ?

 

[chartle]

I get these on occasion and they look real. The first thing I do with these real looking ads is to go to the "From" in my email app. Of course it says From . . . Woodcraft, or other well known retail account. My email app has a little ˅ (down) arrow on the end of the "From" name. Clicking on this reveals who it is really from.

On fake ones, the "From" is spoofed.

There are other ways to check and see "full" headers, which usually reveal that it is fake.

Yea faking a return email address is as easy as putting a different return address on a letter and mailing it.

 

[magpens]

I get these on occasion and they look real. The first thing I do with these real looking ads is to go to the "From" in my email app. Of course it says From . . . Woodcraft, or other well known retail account. My email app has a little ˅ (down) arrow on the end of the "From" name. Clicking on this reveals who it is really from.

On fake ones, the "From" is spoofed.

There are other ways to check and see "full" headers, which usually reveal that it is fake.

Yea faking a return email address is as easy as putting a different return address on a letter and mailing it.

That could be, but I wouldn't know how. . Are return addresses not checked by servers for authenticity ?

 

[stuckinohio]

Thank you for the info. Good post!

 

[chartle]

I get these on occasion and they look real. The first thing I do with these real looking ads is to go to the "From" in my email app. Of course it says From . . . Woodcraft, or other well known retail account. My email app has a little ˅ (down) arrow on the end of the "From" name. Clicking on this reveals who it is really from.

On fake ones, the "From" is spoofed.

There are other ways to check and see "full" headers, which usually reveal that it is fake.

Yea faking a return email address is as easy as putting a different return address on a letter and mailing it.

That could be, but I wouldn't know how. . Are return addresses not checked by servers for authenticity ?

At least in the old Outlook Express or really any POP3/SMTP setup you entered in the return address. Now you did have to use your username and password to sometimes login to your outgoing server but thats not whats on the email.

Also when I used to go to peoples houses and clear off all the Spyware they downloaded people would say they were hacked because their friends were getting spammed by them. They didn't get hacked someone they both knew got hacked and randomly used their email address to send the spam.

 

[magpens]

Yeah ? .. OK .. if you say so ... I dunno ... I just make pens !!!

And I do need to use the internet ... not that I want to ... but I need to.

 

[Loucurr]

When you receive emails like this you should always go directly to the website like you did and verify your account information. Never click on the links in the spoofing emails. If you were to have clicked on the link it would have taken you to their fake site and when you log into your account they capture your username and passwords.

 

[magpens]

Another Fake Reminder From Woodcraft Today

There it is again, came in just 5 mins ago, this time with title :

"Need help completing your purchase?"

Same pictures, alleged to be items in my shopping cart (which is actually empty), none of which I have ever even viewed on their website.

I haven't ordered online from Woodcraft since Aug 2011 ... just checked my personal records in my filing cabinet.

Something is going on and I want to make Woodcraft aware of this.

Does anyone know if Woodcraft has a "Spoof" input channel ? I will phone them on Monday and find out.

 

[sbwertz]

Just go to their website and click on "contact us" and tell them what is happening.

 

[magpens]

Thanks, Sharon,

Yeah, I did that just after my last post . . I'll phone them on Monday also.

 

[g8trbone]

Bronto is a mass mail type of service (like MailChimp or any of the other email list managers).

Thanks, but sorry I am not familiar with the implications of what you stated.
Does that mean those services are possible (likely?) hosts of hoaxes such as I think I experienced ?

Bronto is a service companies use to send mass emails. We use it in our company for emails to our customers. A lot of service providers have limits on how many emails can be sent from a single email address. If too many emails are sent from one individual email address that domain (i.e. woodcraft.com) gets flagged as a spam domain. They would then be automatically sent to any spam folder. They also get blacklisted by ISPs and it is a PITA to get removed.


Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app

 

[magpens]

Thank you for this additional info. You see, I am not very much inclined towards information technology or internet technology

This additional info from you helps.

I take it that Bronto is more or less an inert intermediary and could be used by any large volume emailer.

So the fact that my fake emails appear to come through Bronto is not, of itself, an indication of phoniness. However, I am convinced the emails are indeed phoney. I got another today, as you may have read in the thread I started.

I have not placed an online order with Woodcraft for well over 5 years.

Thanks again.

Bronto is a mass mail type of service (like MailChimp or any of the other email list managers).

Thanks, but sorry I am not familiar with the implications of what you stated.
Does that mean those services are possible (likely?) hosts of hoaxes such as I think I experienced ?

Bronto is a service companies use to send mass emails. We use it in our company for emails to our customers. A lot of service providers have limits on how many emails can be sent from a single email address. If too many emails are sent from one individual email address that domain (i.e. woodcraft.com) gets flagged as a spam domain. They would then be automatically sent to any spam folder. They also get blacklisted by ISPs and it is a PITA to get removed.


Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app

 

[magpens]

FREE SHIPPING when you checkout now!

That is the latest subject line from the would be hacker.

" FREE SHIPPING when you checkout now!"

Just today, about 10:00 am Apr 04

That makes the third email, each with a different subject line.

I have contacted Woodcraft and they have referred my emails to their website security division.