Be careful what you download!

Purveyors of porn have recently invented a new business plan. Rather than bothering to sell their product, they simply place it on the Internet where it is easy to steal. When you go for the bait, they get your IP. Then their shyster lawyers demand your name from your ISP, then robo-file mass copyright lawsuits. The result? you get a letter demanding immediate cash to make the legal mess go away. You can find many news articles about this mess. Here is one

I learned about this deal from a local paper. Apparently there have been enough local victims to get their attention.

Be careful out there. The Internet is still a bit like the wild-wild west.

It's probably a good business model, in that not a lot of people want to be involved in a lawsuit (which is on the public record) about porn downloads, so it makes for some quick settlements.

Thanks for the warning. Although I'm not one to seek porn on the Internet, or anywhere else for that matter, spanking stuff is a different matter.

There's spanking stuff on the internet? Shocking!

It is shocking, isn't it. At least it was the first time I typed "spanking" into a search engine and was utterly amazed to find out I was not alone.

Pretty amazing, isn't it? (not to hijack the thread or anything)

That's how I found out I was't alone either. I was shocked, I was amazed, I was overjoyed!

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I read my porn instead of watching it.

There used to be an old scam when after someone died there would be a "passed due bill" sent for those dirty books he had ordered. The idea was the family would be so embarrassed that they would pay it rather than have the con man take them to small claims court - to protect the reputation of the dead man. The scam made its ways into a number of books and stories and was reportedly great if the victim was a clergyman. Scan the obits and see that Father Smith left a niece behind? Then send her the bill for his porn (which the church would have thrown out after his death). Pasteur Billy Bob dies? Make sure his son pays to keep that porn addiction quiet.
"I'd hate to take this to small claims court or make a formal claim against the estate - that's all public record and the press would have a field day. And he was such a steady customer that I didn't twice about extending him credit. No, I don't know where he hid his porn stash." - that sort of thing.

So imagine - you get a letter from a law firm saying that you illegally downloaded their client's porn and if you don't pay up now they'll take you court. Make the fact that you downloaded "Flaming Asses Part III - the Hairbrush strike back!" or downloaded pics of "Barely Legal Brenda Is Naughty" a matter of public record. But your family, friends, and employers won't have to know about your porn addiction if you settle now by sending in a cheque for $$$$.

Doesn't that sound up an updated version of that con? I can't see how they would take you to court for such a minor sum, but if they kept it low enough I'm sure that lots of people would send in that cheque.

Goodgulf

It does sound like the same thing, GG. The older version probably wouldn't work so well these days, as most charges are going to be made via credit card, and the scammer would have a credit card number. So they gotta keep up with the times and the latest technology!



I'll take the niece's behind, thank you, if it's not spoken for.