UPDATED 11:39 A.M. EDT (MARCH 21, U.S.A.) RealScam.com reports that the DDoS attack is continuing, but that measures have been taken to restore accessibility. The site is back online. Here, below, our earlier story . . .
RealScam.com, a site that concerns itself with international mass-marketing fraud, is experiencing a DDoS attack, a source told the PP Blog this afternoon.
"We're seeing what we can do about it," the source said.
On the plus side, the source noted, the DDoS attack suggests RealScam is meeting its mission of informing the public about scams.
Precisely why RealScam.com has been targeted is unclear. At least one purported member of Profitable Sunrise — writing on another site on Saturday — said he wished the hacker's group "Anonymous" was paying attention to negative coverage of Profitable Sunrise on the web. The poster did not reference RealScam.com in his apparent call for a DDoS attack. Instead, he referenced another site carrying negative news about Profitable Sunrise.
The attack against RealScam.com also occurs against the backdrop of remarks in Washington today by Michael J. Bresnick, executive director of President Obama's Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. In an address to the Exchequer Club of Washington, D.C., Bresnick referenced mass-marketing fraud.
Both Profitable Sunrise and Banners Broker — like many purported "opportunites" before them — have relied on banks and payment processors to keep cash flowing to the schemes. Bresnick did not mention either company in his remarks.
Despite the absurd payout advertised by Profitable Sunrise (and claims that Banners Broker doubles money), some Profitable Sunrise members have complained on forums about credit unions in North Carolina and Alberta that have raised serious questions about Profitable Sunrise, a "program" that advertised a "Long Haul" plan purported to pay 2.7 percent interest a day.
The SEC later said that Zeek scammed hundreds of thousands of people by duping participants into believing that the "program's" payout of about 1.5 percent a day came from legitimate means.
Thank you my friend. As annoying as this attack may be we take it as a complement, someone out there is willing to pay money to keep us from telling the truth about them. We will be back and more dedicated than ever, much as Patrick was when the same thing happened to him.
Hang in there, Glim. RealScam is doing a lot of good.
admin: Precisely why RealScam.com has been targeted is unclear. At least one purported member of Profitable Sunrise — writing on another site on Saturday — said he wished the hacker's group "Anonymous" was paying attention to negative coverage of Profitable Sunrise on the web. The poster did not reference RealScam.com in his apparent call for a DDoS attack. Instead, he referenced another site carrying negative news about Profitable Sunrise.
LOL. Anonymous isn't stupid. They would certainly go after these scams first.
A good ol' DDOS attack at Real Scam is one of the clearest signs ever that the right toes are being trodden on and that the forum is hurting the fraudsters. It's a bloody nuisance, but, as Glim Dropper says – it has tob e taken as a complement.
Sounds like music to more ears than just mine. No payment processors to process black money will be a death knell to a very large number of online frauds.
So that's why I haven't been able to reach it in some time. Thank you for the update, Patrick. This kind of reaction suggests to me that Realscam's activities are causing noticeable financial harm to the organized criminal groups that run such investment frauds.
Amazing how free speech only applies to them, and those who agree with them. But not to those of us who disagree with them.
If there is anything I can do to help realscam admin in any way then please contact me.
DDoS attacks can result in criminal prosecution. If this is from an individual residing in the US it's a major dumb move considering that these scams are already on US law enforcement/regulatory radar. In other words, attacking some random site might never rise to criminal prosecution (the feds got bigger fish to fry) but they are already frying the fraudsters.
Another way to 'play dirty' if you expect continued attacks over time is to move RealScam over to Amazon hosting. Let's just say it's much easier to refer for criminal prosecution an attack against your web property on Amazon hosting than on .
Ooops – gone again. Someone has gotten someone really really mad.
How true!! Looks like some of the rats are coming out of the wood pile and exposing themselves. Arrogance and stupidity seem to make them want to deny the facts presented by RS, PP, and other antiscam sites. RS will be back just as PPBlog came back, we are causing some problems for these people.
I would like to thank everyone for their concern, the attack isn't over but we've taken steps to deal with it better. One very nice thing about the antiscam community writ large is that there's a very large talent pool and many kind and generous people. Jason (Poyol) stepped up for us in a very significant way and has made a world of difference. I'm honored to say that he's joined the site's full time staff.
I'm personally of the opinion that someone is unhappy about all the (very deserved) attention being paid to Profitable Sunrise on Real Scam.
I'd also note that performing a DDOS operation on a site will get you arrested and convicted, as Bruce Raisley found out when he kept attacking the website RickRoss.com (not the rapper, the cultbuster). Raisley's appeal was denied, and I believe he's currently a guest of the US feds.
So, if you're doing it, I'd suggest not doing it.
Getting a page not found error at this moment.
Let's hope RealScam is just down for simple maintenance, Surfer.
Just reading Thompson blog entry.
Especially, "we knew it and we said nothing".