FBI email scam = DOS phone attack

November 23, 2005 11:36 AM
Related Categories: Spam, Technology, Crazy

As most of you by now have noticed, there is a new email going around saying that you have been on "more than 30 illegal Websites".  It purports to be by the FBI or CIA.  It is, of course, not real and you shouldn't open it's attachment.  (I have lost count on how many I received today alone)

Interestingly it has the address and contact information for the FBI as the signature of the email.  I did a quick google search on the number, and yes it is in-fact the main number for the FBI.  So, as I am curious about such things, I decide to call and ask how many phone calls they have gotten from concerned citizens.

I received a recorded message "Hello, you have reached FBI Headquarters.  All lines are busy right now.  Please stand by for further assistance." (or something very close)  It then promptly disconnected me.

I thought maybe some glitch happened and I should just try again.  Upon redialing I got two rings, then dead silence.  Not even a voice recording.  Just nothing.  I then hung up, and redialed a third time.  Again I got nothing even after waiting a while.  My first instinct is to reboot something, but since I can't very well do that, I then waited for a few minutes before trying again.  On the fourth try, I got the recording again.  And once again I was disconnected immediatly after.

So I wait for 3 hours, and try again.  Back to message, then immediately disconnected.  Yes the voice message says to stay on the line to talk to someone. 

So, has this email virus managed to use us as a denial of service attack on the FBI switchboard?  Or are they all gone for early Thanksgiving festivities?  I would love to ask them, but their phones are down.

Here is an exact copy of the email in question:

Dear Sir/Madam,

we have logged your IP-address on more than 30 illegal Websites.

Important:

Please answer our questions!

The list of questions are attached.

Yours faithfully,

Steven Allison

*** Federal Bureau of Investigation -FBI-
*** 935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Room 3220
*** Washington, DC 20535
*** phone: (202) 324-3000


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When I got this email, I just pulled all my windowshades, stripped down naked, loaded my revolver and shot my computer three times. Always put one in the hard drive. Maybe that looks a little rash now, but it seemed a good idea at the time and then I took a shower but not in the tub cause they track you by your waste water. Have you noticed that white van that's not parked across the street right now? I don't like how they've made me so fat. They think they can make me fat, well I'll make them fat and that'll show them. Always put one in the hard drive and you can take that one to the bank. Or don't. I'm not the boss of you.
# Posted By Johnny Aardvark | 11/23/05 1:09 PM
I may be crazy, but I think this is the best blog comment ever.
# Posted By Joshua Cyr | 11/23/05 1:17 PM
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