Warning to Application Developers: scammer asking for free codes

Doctor Q · 01:46 PM

We would like to caution application developers that one or more scammers have contacted iPhone and iPod touch software developers by email, pretending they are from MacRumors and asking for free promo codes "for review." Accessory companies have also been targeted by the scammers.

Some of these messages claim to be making a request "on behalf of http://www.macrumors.com/". Others claim to be from Arnold Kim (owner of MacRumors). Some of the scammers use email addresses of the form macrumors@somedomain.com or arn.kim@somedomain.com, while others use unrelated addresses. These addresses have no connection to MacRumors and the messages are fraudulent.

One known scammer going by the names of Alex Wilson and Novica Josifovski has been particularly proficient over an extended period of time. The scammer has used the following email addresses in their correspondence: haker_novica@hotmail.com and mate01@live.com.

Any email from MacRumors, its owner, or its staff will come from @macrumors.com. Remember that email addresses can be forged too and we're not the only website that scammers pretend to represent. All businesses should be cautious about unsolicited requests for copies of their products.

We have heard from several developers who were appropriately suspicious of scam email. If you doubt the authenticity of a message claiming to be from MacRumors, contact us.

MacDawg · Feb 23, 2010, 10:44 AM

Not surprising, but sad to see nonetheless

Glad MR has been alerted to the scam and is being proactive to head it off

tico24 · Feb 23, 2010, 11:35 AM

I received one of these the other day. It was very convincing (except for the @live email address). Luckily I thought to check with Dr Q before giving away a free copy of my app.

WiiMarioHacker · Apr 10, 2010, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tico24

I received one of these the other day. It was very convincing (except for the @live email address). Luckily I thought to check with Dr Q before giving away a free copy of my app.

Bold&Italic= Made me crack up laughing. People do some drastic things only to be rated out by an email extension.

Anyway, thanks for the warning, and glad MR got a report about it.

Mike777 · May 1, 2010, 04:08 PM

sounds like people who can't even be bothered to shell out a dollar to try an app before cracking it.

Thats the only reason I dislike jailbroken stuff.

ComputersaysNo · May 26, 2011, 09:02 AM

Well, you can always reply to them that nifty app called Macdefender

nomadmtb · Jun 7, 2011, 12:33 AM

Really?! Can they not afford to buy the freaking app themselves? Sad that people do stuff like this. Geeze.

Acorn · Jul 31, 2011, 10:34 AM

its amazing what people will do to save 99 cents

Colonel Tuxedo · Feb 20, 2012, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acorn

its amazing what people will do to save 99 cents

My guess is they are probably publishing the codes somewhere and attempting to make money with ad revenue, but I could be wrong. I just can't imagine someone going through all of that to save a couple of bucks.

Then again, I'm not a criminal so...

fruitycups · Mar 25, 2012, 04:03 PM

Wirelessly posted

Man ppl are crazy..

katt · Apr 20, 2012, 08:59 AM

good to know this forum already knows

loaferkan · Aug 26, 2012, 11:09 PM

I received an email like this. Really convincing but i just notice that they are just using a yahoo account. Now that part is really strange, they should have used the company's email account and not just yahoo.

Feb 23, 2010, 10:35 AM	#1
Doctor Q macrumors god Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Blood Donation Center	Warning to Application Developers: scammer asking for free codes We would like to caution application developers that one or more scammers have contacted iPhone and iPod touch software developers by email, pretending they are from MacRumors and asking for free promo codes "for review." Accessory companies have also been targeted by the scammers. Some of these messages claim to be making a request "on behalf of http://www.macrumors.com/". Others claim to be from Arnold Kim (owner of MacRumors). Some of the scammers use email addresses of the form macrumors@somedomain.com or arn.kim@somedomain.com, while others use unrelated addresses. These addresses have no connection to MacRumors and the messages are fraudulent. One known scammer going by the names of Alex Wilson and Novica Josifovski has been particularly proficient over an extended period of time. The scammer has used the following email addresses in their correspondence: haker_novica@hotmail.com and mate01@live.com. Any email from MacRumors, its owner, or its staff will come from @macrumors.com. Remember that email addresses can be forged too and we're not the only website that scammers pretend to represent. All businesses should be cautious about unsolicited requests for copies of their products. We have heard from several developers who were appropriately suspicious of scam email. If you doubt the authenticity of a message claiming to be from MacRumors, contact us. Last edited by WildCowboy; Aug 25, 2011 at 01:46 PM.
	3

Feb 23, 2010, 11:35 AM	#3
tico24 macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Eastleigh, UK	I received one of these the other day. It was very convincing (except for the @live email address). Luckily I thought to check with Dr Q before giving away a free copy of my app. __________________ \| MacBook Pro 15" 2.4GHz 4GB-RAM \| iMac 24" 3.06GHz 4GB-RAM \| iPhone 5 Black (32gb) \| New iPad 32GB Wifi \| Second Shootr - The Digital Shoot Assistant For Modern Photographers
	3

May 1, 2010, 04:08 PM	#5
Mike777 macrumors member Join Date: May 2010	sounds like people who can't even be bothered to shell out a dollar to try an app before cracking it. Thats the only reason I dislike jailbroken stuff.
	-2

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Feb 23, 2010, 10:44 AM	#2
MacDawg Demi-God (Moderator) Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: "Between the Hedges"	Not surprising, but sad to see nonetheless Glad MR has been alerted to the scam and is being proactive to head it off
	2

May 26, 2011, 09:02 AM	#6
ComputersaysNo macrumors 6502 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Amsterdam	Well, you can always reply to them that nifty app called Macdefender
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Jun 7, 2011, 12:33 AM	#7
nomadmtb macrumors member Join Date: Nov 2008	Really?! Can they not afford to buy the freaking app themselves? Sad that people do stuff like this. Geeze.
	2

Jul 31, 2011, 10:34 AM	#8
Acorn macrumors 68000 Join Date: Jan 2009	its amazing what people will do to save 99 cents
	2

Mar 25, 2012, 04:03 PM	#10
fruitycups macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jun 2011	Wirelessly posted Man ppl are crazy..
	0

Apr 20, 2012, 08:59 AM	#11
katt macrumors member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: right now in HK	good to know this forum already knows
	0

Aug 26, 2012, 11:09 PM	#12
loaferkan macrumors regular Join Date: Aug 2012	I received an email like this. Really convincing but i just notice that they are just using a yahoo account. Now that part is really strange, they should have used the company's email account and not just yahoo.
	0


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