# Boards.ie a phishing site?



## gebbel (31 Dec 2008)

Since updating my antivirus, I am getting a warning that Boards.ie has been reported as a phishing site. Needless to say I haven't entered it. Anyone else getting this?


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## ajapale (31 Dec 2008)

What antivirus do you use?


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## gebbel (31 Dec 2008)

The warning is coming from Web Security Guard. I use Avira AntiVir. It was actually Spyware Terminator that advised me to enable Web Security Guard.


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## Vexorg (31 Dec 2008)

Brendan dropped me a mail about this.

Boards.ie is a vbulletin install just like askaboutmoney.com we do not "phish"



> "phishing is the criminally fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication."


We do not masquerade as anything and certainly do not ask for bank accounts or credit card details.

I think it says more about the software than boards.ie


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## Vexorg (31 Dec 2008)

Just had a look at the web security guard website database draw your own conclusions

http://www.websecurityguard.com/detail.aspx?domain=boards.ie&url=boards.ie


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## mathepac (31 Dec 2008)

The advisory re: boards.ie is very carefully worded and makes no specific allegations that I can see*, *but ignores the positive feedback the site is given.
"This Website* May *Contain:

Phishing & scams website (1)
Adware, spyware, viruses (1)"

A disgruntled / banned poster / troll creating bad publicity?


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## rmelly (31 Dec 2008)

Vexorg said:


> Brendan dropped me a mail about this.
> 
> Boards.ie is a vbulletin install just like askaboutmoney.com we do not "phish"
> 
> ...


 
Can you please clarify what your role on boards.ie is (if any), and what authority you have to make these statements? I'm sure Brendan would be happy to confirm your credentials.


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## rmelly (31 Dec 2008)

For the record, McAfee SiteAdvisor gives the following warning for boards.ie:

'In out tests we found downloads on this site that some people consider adware, spyware or other potentially unwanted programs.'


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## MugsGame (31 Dec 2008)

boards.ie is not a phishing site, that's rediculous.

Vexorg is one of the directors / owners of boards.ie.


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## rmelly (31 Dec 2008)

MugsGame said:


> Vexorg is one of the directors / owners of boards.ie.


 
Or certainly claims to be - I haven't seen anything to suggest to me he is. He could be anyone. For all we know he could be attempting to phish us with these posts. *

* I accept that he isn't, but you point is you can't trust that he (or anyone) is who he claims to be (nothing personal Vexorg), unless one of the AAM mods confirms for example.


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## MugsGame (31 Dec 2008)

I was speaking in an official AAM capacity. 
MugsGame (moderator and )

PS I had lunch with Vexorg once when we were discussing how to monetise AAM, and the best we came up with was redirecting you all to a phishing scam on boards.ie. Actually my account has been hacked and I'm not who I say I am. And God only knows who you are!


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## rmelly (31 Dec 2008)

MugsGame said:


> I was speaking in an official AAM capacity.
> MugsGame (moderator and administrator)
> 
> PS actually my account has been hacked and I'm not who I say I am. And God only knows who you are!


 
Isn't is obvious? I'm roger melly (or should that be mellie?), the man on the telly.


Sorry, hadn't realised you were a moderator, although I now recall recently seeing a post where Brendan said you'd just upgraded the vbulletin software, so unless Brendans account has also been hacked...


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## Simeon (31 Dec 2008)

MugsGame said:


> I was speaking in an official AAM capacity.
> MugsGame (moderator and )
> 
> PS I had lunch with Vexorg once when we were discussing how to monetise AAM, and the best we came up with was redirecting you all to a phishing scam on boards.ie. Actually my account has been hacked and I'm not who I say I am. And God only knows who you are!


Congrats MugsGame a Happy New Year. God knows, ye need it!


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## Sherman (31 Dec 2008)

MugsGame you should put your correct AAM title under your name - fair disclosure and all that - how was rmelly supposed to be inspired as to your status as mod?


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## MugsGame (31 Dec 2008)

I assumed he had enough posts to know, or I would have mentioned it in my first post. But I suppose I haven't been very active lately.

My status / title is deliberately misleading. It makes it more fun when playing with trolls / spammers... I don't see why it's "unfair" not to disclose I'm a mod.


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## MugsGame (31 Dec 2008)

Vexorg said:


> Just had a look at the web security guard website database draw your own conclusions
> 
> http://www.websecurityguard.com/detail.aspx?domain=boards.ie&url=boards.ie



Indeed. Compare the results for www.askaboutmoney.com 
http://www.websecurityguard.com/detail.aspx?domain=askaboutmoney.com&url=www.askaboutmoney.com

with those for askaboutmoney.com
http://www.websecurityguard.com/detail.aspx?domain=askaboutmoney.com&url=askaboutmoney.com

- very odd!


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## MugsGame (31 Dec 2008)

rmelly said:


> For the record, McAfee SiteAdvisor gives the following warning for boards.ie:
> 
> 'In out tests we found downloads on this site that some people consider adware, spyware or other potentially unwanted programs.'



McAfee claim that one of the ads boards ran linked to an external download that contained spyware / trojan software.

Update: it looks like the software linked to is fine, and McAfee are over reacting.


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## jhegarty (31 Dec 2008)

MugsGame said:


> McAfee claim that one of the ads boards ran linked to an external download that contained spyware / trojan software.




They had an ad in the title bar for ages (earlier last year) that linked directly to an install for a poker site (green joker). If I remember correctly one of the admins over there is involved in the poker site as well.


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## Brendan Burgess (31 Dec 2008)

Sherman said:


> MugsGame you should put your correct AAM title under your name - fair disclosure and all that - how was rmelly supposed to be inspired as to your status as mod?



The problem we had when we used the title Moderator, is that people accused Askaboutmoney of taking a particular line on financial topics because someone expressing an opinion had the title moderator. 

So most reverted to Frequent Poster.

When we are pronouncing on an Admin issue, we should put in our title, but we often forget.

Brendan Burgess
Administrator.


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## Bubbly Scot (31 Dec 2008)

MugsGame said:


> My status / title is deliberately misleading. It makes it more fun when playing with trolls / spammers... I don't see why it's "unfair" not to disclose I'm a mod.


 
I've been dying to ask since I first noticed it (um...about three days ago! )..is your "title" a typo or your little joke?


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## MugsGame (31 Dec 2008)

My "litle" joke


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## ClubMan (1 Jan 2009)

MugsGame said:


> Indeed. Compare the results for www.askaboutmoney.com
> http://www.websecurityguard.com/detail.aspx?domain=askaboutmoney.com&url=www.askaboutmoney.com
> 
> with those for askaboutmoney.com
> ...


I don't understand - the two profiles look identical to me. I'm not sure if _AAM _works identically using http://www.askaboutmoney.com or http://askaboutmoney.com or why the site supports both. One gotcha would be that if you are logged in via one link then the cookies that implement the login will not carry over to the other.

In relation to the original issue about boards.ie allegedly being an "unsafe" site this could be (a) true in some specific instance (e.g. a dodgy ad link) (b) a case of a false positive (not unknown with security software) (c) a negative report from a disgruntled or mistaken user or (d) something else. Personally I would trust _boards.ie _in general while exercising the normal care and attention required while browsing/clicking on links etc.


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## MugsGame (1 Jan 2009)

ClubMan said:


> I don't understand - the two profiles look identical to me.



They do now. When I entered www.asakaboutmoney.com it showed me the report for boards.ie (from a clean browser.). So I really wouldn't trust that web security site not to be buggy.


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## ClubMan (2 Jan 2009)

Ah - I see. Thanks.


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