Re: Re: Enough is Enough - Taking the fight back to the Internet scammers

[tachyon]

With IPs and datestamps, it would probably be pretty easy to separate the list into "probably real" and "probably not real" piles.

Besides the bugs in the code this could be harder than expected. You would need certain elements in the raw data file as well as the 4 significant data fields you might presume the script is writing. A parallel log analysis might show you when you were being bombed and from where but you need to accurately correllate that with the data. A low order continuous DOS would make this problematic anyway as all data would become suspect. The general idea of adding a haystack to hide the needles seems like not a bad approach.

Of course there are plenty of fixes for it but it does require that those fixes get implemented. Given that it appears that this site is a clone of a scam on the National bank it is possible that while the perps are creative they are at a script kiddy level. The form they present looks nowhere near as high quality as some I have seen which are a perfect match for the target site.

As you don't need the return data you would really want to spoof the sending IP address. Better simulated names (ie taken from a real name list) and Secret words taken from say the Unix dictionary would also add more realism.

Education is a nice thought but if you take virus spread as an example some people are difficult to educate.

[sauoq]

A parallel log analysis might show you when you were being bombed and from where but you need to accurately correllate that with the data.

The assumption being that they don't log both together... and maybe they don't. I would, though, if I were pulling a scam like this. (And, if they aren't this time, they probably will next time.)

As you don't need the return data you would really want to spoof the sending IP address.

That would certainly help.

Education is a nice thought but if you take virus spread as an example some people are difficult to educate.

I agree entirely. Of course, losing one's savings might be a lesson that's hard to forget. Regardless of whether or not education is an effective solution, it is the only real one. Like I said though, I'm not opposed to vigilantism in a case like this; I'm just trying to make a realistic assessment of how effective it would be in the long run. My conclusion remains: "not very."