CastleCops® - 'Do Not E-Mail' Site a Scam, U.S. Officials Say

'Do Not E-Mail' Site a Scam, U.S. Officials Say
Fri February 13, 2004 04:57 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Consumers should not submit their e-mail addresses to a Web site that promises to reduce unwanted spam because it is fraudulent, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission said on Thursday.

Though the Web site found at (http://www.unsub.us) promises to reduce unsolicited commercial e-mail, those who sign up could end up receiving more spam than ever or even fall victim to identity theft, the FTC said.

The Web site uses the same color scheme and design elements as one maintained by the FTC to sign up consumers for the national do not call registry, which reduces unwanted telemarketing calls.

The FTC has been ordered by Congress to examine whether a similar do not spam list would be feasible, but the agency hasn't yet reached a conclusion and does not operate a do not spam Web site.

The unsub.us Web site is not affiliated with the government and consumers should not submit their e-mail addresses to the site, the FTC said in a news release.

The best way to avoid scams like this one is to keep your personal information to yourself -- including your e-mail address -- unless you know who you're dealing with, the FTC said.

No contact information was listed on the Web site, and registration information pointed to Network Solutions Inc., a domain-name seller. A Network Solutions official said the Web site owner could not be contacted directly.

FTC officials in the past have warned not to sign up for other do not spam sites as they could be a way for spammers to collect more e-mail addresses.
Source: Reuters


	2002-2008 © Computer Cops LLC dba CastleCops®. All rights reserved. Acceptable Use Policy. Use signifies your agreement. 133ppm 0.108s (0.006s) Making cybercriminals unhappy since 2002*