The Adventures of Accordion Guy in the 21st Century

I’ve just received not one, but three emails with the subject line “Security measures” from the address “service@paypal.com” asking me to verify my personal information. Something seemed wrong; it’s not like PayPal to send the same message three times and they tend to have good copy editors who wouldn’t let bad grammar like this slip by:

Your As part of our continuing commitment to protect your account and to reduce the instance of fraud on our website, we are undertaking a period review of our member accounts. You are requested to visit our site by following the link given below:

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=verification

Clicking on the link took me to a PayPal welcome page, but the URL that appeared in the address bar was:

http://www.paypal.com@207.44.196.35/~redbarpr/cgi-bin/webscr%3fcmd=verification/

Note the boldfaced part: it’s not the secure site https://www,paypal.com (the “s” in “https” means “secure”) but some other site that has the phrase “www.paypal.com” at the start. The server is actually 207.44.196.35, which is some other machine.

Maybe it’s my recent (and not-so-recent) experience with grifters, but something seemed wrong. I decided to click on the link, expecting to see a Viagra ad. Instead, I got a page that looked like the PayPal login, except with a title in mangled English: Identify Your Verification. On a lark, I logged in by typing in random junk into the “login ID” and “password” fields and got taken to a page that looks just like a PayPal personal profile page, complete with spaces to fill out your name, address and credit card number. It was some kind of fake PayPal site built in the hopes of harvesting unwary users’ personal information and credit card numbers.

It turns out that the server on which these bogus PayPal pages were hosted does not belong to the scammers. Rather, it was broken into and used as a launching point for the scam. The site’s owners have taken down the pages and posted an explanation.

BoingBoing points to more information at Kung Fu Grippe about this scam.

“Joey,” said Tabitha the Cute Hot Dog Stand Girl, “you’re a slut.”

“‘Slut’ is such an ugly word. I prefer the term female enthusiast.”

Recommended Reading

Here’s a National Post article about Accordion City’s 24-hour hot dog stands.

Although I came up with that line independently, it seems that I’ve been beaten to the punch. Dang.

The Voodoo Magick Box

A friend of mine told me about his experiences with the Voodoo Magick Box this weekend. Apparently, it’s some kind of device that provides a “high” electronically. You spread some contact paste on your earlobes, then place the machine’s clips on them, turn the machine on and enjoy the buzz.

According to the web site, the Voodoo Magick Box can:

• Be a non-addictive narcotic substitute
• Provide relaxation and relief from stress
• Relieve depression and anxiety
• Improve memory and concentration
• Enhance sexual performance
• Fight insomnia

That last one is interesting, as it sounds like something straight out of William Gibson’s Fragments of a Hologram Rose. In that short story, a character named Parker can’t sleep without the aid of an “inducer”.

Here’s the site’s description of the “high” provided by the Voodoo Magick Box:

Almost immediately you will experience a strong feeling of inebriation, as if you had just slammed back a few martinis. The feelings of intoxication will be coupled with a sense of pleasant relaxation. During use some people will notice a subjective change in their body weight. You might feel heavier at first and then lighter, or you may simply feel lighter initially. You will also begin to notice psychedelic flashes of light in your peripheral vision. A relaxed state remains and a profound sense of alertness is achieved.

It sounds intriguing, but think about it for a moment: you’re running current through your head. Naturally, the FAQ insists that it’s safe.

Of course, the site implies that all the hot chicks are doing it, and hot chick trumps brain damage any day!

Savant for a day

The New York Times has an article covering a machine with a similar theme. Apparently, a device called a “transcranial magnetic stimulator” — yet another box with wires running to your head — can cause people to “suddenly exhibit savant intelligence — those isolated pockets of geniuslike mental ability that most often appear in autistic people”.

Okay, as a way of atoning for linking to a bad bum pic in the last posting, I present to you Ms. Avril Lavigne at the MuchMusic Video Awards. Slightly edited.

The original photo, for your own Photshopping pleasure, is here.

Mondo thanks to Craig Calef for the pointer to the original photo!

This came to me from one Timothy Dewey Dewey. It is republished here with his permission:

Dear King of Kings,

I have weild the evil synth axe of the Roland ax-1 and sold myself to the demons of hades (kinda like how Arthas sold he’s people out when he took the blade of frostmourne out even though he didn’t really need it.). My skin has grown a greyish color due to the evil powers of the axe! (or from the fact I live in my mother’s basement). I knew I had power within my hands but then I realized something, I have no idea how to play a keyboard or a Midi-controller for that matter. Ive been to your site for ages and ages (which is about 10 mins or so, I really dont remember because my mother was yelling at me to dust the cat and milk the pigs) and discovered that even though you are now a follower of the light, you once followed the wicked ways of the keytar. Clearly after reading one paragraph of your site, I am ready to call you my sensi and wish if you could offer me guidance of playing a keytar with links of how to play one and advice from your own experience, or if you cant offer me any of those, just send me a link to the goatse instead. I’m sorry but I have to log off now because my computer (which is made of wood and uses the Jeff-k version 40 system) is about to go offline due to the chickens that power it by running are dead.

Ta Ta.

Thanks, Timothy, and get well soon!

Absolutely not-recommended-at-all reading

What is the “goatse” that he refers to near the end of the email? It’s the infamous goatse.cx site, home of a picture that first became famous through Slashdot.

You really don’t want to see it.

But your curiosity is now piqued.

It is not safe for work. In fact, it’s not safe for anything, really. You life will be no poorer for your not having seen it.

The subject matter of the photo is vile. The human anus was never meant for such things.

Please note that you have been warned.

Here it is.

Aren’t you sorry you clicked that link?

Hence the mad flurry of postings. Enjoy!