1 December 2004
avoid saprizo.com
It's strange searching Google and finding no results at all for something. Moreover it is strange to 'whois' a domain and find that it is available, despite the fact that it resolves to an existing address. I'm getting ahead of myself, though.
Today I found an interesting message in my inbox, with the unassuming subject line "You've won a Microsoft X-Box, (This is not spam)." I was immediately suspicious (but also curious, since it had made it through my filters) so I opened it cautiously. The sender was unfamiliar, and I doubted that I could win a contest I never entered. Click below to see the text of the email and the rest of what I found.
Return-path: <administrator@saprizo.com>
Envelope-to: --me--Delivery-date: Tue, 30 Nov 2004 23:53:09 -0800
To: --me--From: "Saprizo" <administrator@saprizo.com>
Message-ID: <2004-lzckqqge.lzckqqge-lzckqqge.ilwsvlpz.mail@saprizo.com>
Date: Wed, 1 Dec 2004 07:52:50 +0000 (GMT)
X-SA-Exim-Connect-IP: 129.105.16.56
X-SA-Exim-Mail-From: administrator@saprizo.com
Subject: You've won a Microsoft X-Box, (This is not spam).
Content-Type: text/html
X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.0 (2004-09-13)rawhide.frogspace.net
X-Spam-Status: No, score=4.8 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_60,DCC_CHECK,HTML_20_30,
HTML_MESSAGE,MIME_HEADER_CTYPE_ONLY,MIME_HTML_ONLY,
RCVD_IN_BL_SPAMCOP_NET,YOU_WON autolearn=disabled version=3.0.0
X-Spam-Level: ****
X-SA-Exim-Version: 4.1+cvs (built Mon, 18 Oct 2004 15:55:05 -0700)
Greetings,
Your email address was entered into our Microsoft X-Box promotional competition at
http://www.Saprizo.com
This is a prize draw, you have actually won a brand new Microsoft X-Box Gaming Console!
Your package also includes these top 5 games:
- Halo: Combat Evolved
- Grand Theft Auto Double Pack
- Madden NFL 2004
- Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
- Tom Clancy's Rainbox Six 3
You are now invited to login to our website and claim your prize that you have won.
There are only 3 winners in total this month, out of thousands of emails, so do count yourself lucky!
We have provided the following web link for you, it is temporary and expires in 72 hours.
If you do not login within this time, your X-Box shall unfortunately be returned to the prize pool.
Here is your link!--link removed--On this page you will need to enter this pass code number to proceed:
204197
This is very important. Do not lose that number!
Put in your address, and we will send your X-Box to you.
We hope that you will enjoy your new X-Box gaming console.
Best Regards,
From Microsoft and the Saprizo.com team!So I tried the link, after removing as much personal information from it as possible. I ended up at saprizo.com, which whois tells me is unregistered.
Hmm, that's odd.
Please note that following these links is quite possibly very stupid. I do not encourage you to do this, though I am providing them anyway.
I ended up here, once I stripped away the frames and changed my email address: http://www.saprizo.com/cgi-bin/server.cgi?registrant=garbage@in.garbage.out&code=a&xm=1
I typed in my special code to get to this: http://www.saprizo.com/cgi-bin/server.cgi?entrycode=204197®istrant=garbage%40in.garbage.out&xm=0&enter=enter
Which still looks legitimate, I suppose. There's an address form, and then these paragraphs:
Due to several people attempting to hack our website to claim free prizes, we now require that you pay for shipping costs as verification that you are an actual winner. We apologize for this inconvenience but it is to make sure that YOU get your X-Box, not someone else!
You will only be charged for the shipping option that you select below. The X-Box itself is of no charge.
People hacking their website? Nearest I can tell it just now sprung into being. I read on and immediately was sure that this is a scam:
Shipping: Shipping option: 12-01-04: At this time only debit card transactions are able to be processed, due to technical reasons. We hope to have credit card processing online as soon as possible. Thank you kindly for your patience.
Card Type: Card Number: Expiry Date: PIN
Don't worry, I stole only their form, not the stuff behind it. They want debit cards and PINs? Oh yeah, like I would hand that information out on an insecure site that seems to be somewhere in, oh, I don't know, Korea somewhere (66.41.135.100). Sign me right up.
So I surfed back around the site, and ended up sending them an email asking if there was any possible way to pay without a debit card. I'll update this if Kento Kawaguchi or one of his colleagues ever reply, but I'm not holding my breath.
I just didn't find anything about the site when I searched Google nor does the domain reveal anything. Please feel free to add comments below or link to better information.
23 comments on avoid saprizo.com
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Yes I've been getting a lot of spam saying that there are parcels full of goodies ready and waiting for me and all I need to do is pay for shipping. Ironically, it stated clearly at the end of these emails that the company does not encourage spam and doesn't do it. Anyway, I unsubscribed from its mailing list, but have realised I'm getting more spam from this company (Trans-Universal Freight Forwarders)!
RECEIVED THE SAME EXACT EMAIL YOU DID WITH SAME EXACT CODE NUMBER FOR PICKING UP AN XBOX. IT SOUNDS LIKE CRAP TO ME.
VERA
I was very surprised to read about this scam en to have the same code number.thank you for this information.I WILL REMEMBER IT CAREFULLY IN FUTURE.this has to STOP!!!
go the same email so that makes it 4 ppl so i think we all just missed and Xbox, or crap.
I got the same code. That makes 5 ppl. Woops... they said only 4 could win this month.
hmm... and another.... cheeky buggers! thats 6 this month!!! we are all so lucky!
I wonder where they got my email. It's my least known. Displeased.
I gave them the opptny to allow me to pay with a check... what a shock.... no reply from these cretins! Never give your pin # to anyone! I hope they get some computer virus. HL
I too received the same email yesterday, I was actually able to go to the site and look around to see how legit it actually was, it seemed so true. They had rules, ways to contact them, privacy policy, and etc. You could also submit your email to "win" a PS2/Gamecube/XBOX/iPod. I did some of my own research before I tried my debit card. I went to whois and this is who it says the website belonged to http://www.whois.net/whois.cgi2?d=http://www.Saprizo.com
... luckily I forgot my pin code, and it said my card was denied and what not (legit or not legit?) its really hard to say. (it says 3 winnders per month, well thats you, vera and I) whos next??? also checked out the BBB.org and no complaints or ANY RECORD of saprizo.com
I received the same email, with the same code....
I received the same email the other day, now the website has disappeared. Why do they think that people will fall for those scams?
got the same message and number.i wonder how many people fell for it!!thanks for the warning
i also got this message but i did enter a compitition to win an X-box a while ago. I also was a little bit suspicious but I got dead agrevated 'cause I entered a competition and this e-mail said I had won an X-box!
I had the same message with the same come too
got the same exact message, with the same code, I wonder how many lucky winners there really are. Never heard before that you need to supply your PIN to use a debit card. Think there any ATMs in Korea that would spit out our hard-earned cash to these creeps?
I got the exact same message and code. These scam artists are getting trickier everyday. The e-mail they sent is suspicious enough that people will read it. Especially the "This is not spam" part. Ugh, I should know never to believe anything that says "This is not spam"! lol.
Whoa... Yet another one...
Wow, we must all be SO lucky.. and to think, we all coincidentally have the same passcode. The website is non-existent, maybe they got enough suckers?
Oops, I almost forgot. My email automatically sent it to my junk box (but I check that anyway). My email protection stuff said that there were special images in the message that would allow the sender to know my email was a valid address just by opening the file type (news to me, but I'm not exactly up on the cutting edge tech stuff), leaving me suseptible to more spam from that sender. Wonder what they'll try to send next?? "You've won a PS2, just send us $50 shipping, and give us your social security number, address, driver's license number...."
Same email, same code. Some people have no morals.
Thanks all for dropping by. The site now appears to be long since gone.
hi i allso got this saprizo mail.. i was so stupid to enter my card information but nothing has ever happend to my account,, maybe cuz my card infomation is from denmark?? the numbers didnt macth complete but anyway the still got the rigth numbers,, is there an option to sue them and get our prizes or money... i think people who do that form of jokes or hacking do not have a live..
I received a similar email with a shipment verification form stating that there is a package of unknown content waiting form me.