We all get hundreds of spam emails every day. I usually delete mine without opening, as they can contain a lot of malicious things. Would I like a bigger breast? Sure! How about some blue pills that would help me have a bigger... appetite? Absolutely! I could do my entire shopping using just the spam emails I receive every day. However, this morning, unlike other mornings, there was only one spam email. How strange! Did they get tired of spamming me?
The title said ‘Buy a genuine replica Rolex’!!! Can there be such a thing? A ‘genuine’ replica? The site name sounded reassuring ‘cheapnicewatchs dot com’, however, a quick search on Google and I soon found out that it was pointing towards a Russian site. Wow, you cannot go wrong with a Russian Rolex! I decided to see how ‘safe’ it is. Enter Hotspot Shield, to cover my real IP address. And I’m in. Professional looking website, lots of watches, handbags, jewellery. You can get your fake Louis Vouitton handbag for $100, all the latest replica Rolex watches at unbelievable prices. This is fashion paradise! Or is it? Let’s have a look!
I looked at their FAQ section. They reassure you that their replica watches are 99.9 % like the genuine ones, only at a fraction of the price. Gold plated, they will not rust, last you a lifetime, waterproof, crushproof, idiot-proof . Wow, not even Rolex can sustain such a claim.
How safe is it to order from them? Well, they say it is ‘safer than ordering in real life’.
How safe is ordering from your site?
124-bit encryption programs? Wow, this must be cutting edge technology, which nobody seems to have heard of so far. I only know about 128-bit encryption, but hey, I’m way out of date with the latest advances in encryption, and my University IT Security professor must be an idiot. This new encryption program must have been invented by the scammer himself. Let’s put it to the test.
I decided to treat myself to a nice looking Rolex sports model, which on their site costs $179. The website lists the shipping fee $29 to the US and $39 to other International destinations. They are giving me the option to pay another $29 for a 1 year warranty. Well, let’s do it, you never know what can go wrong in a year. Grand total is $208.95. Go to check-out before I spend more money on some more ‘genuine’ replicas. Name, address, credit card details. Let’s test their ‘124-bit encryption’. No HTTPS? You gotta be kidding, HTTP is much better to use with 124-bit encryption... Well, what do I know? Let’s test my brand new fake name, address and credit card. If the website does any credit card check, it will definitely reject the order. Enter 16 random digits. Press the magic key ‘Enter’. Order is received! That was easy, the 124-bit encryption worked wonders, all without using any HTTPS, can you believe it? And they didn't even bill me for shipping! I scammed them! Or have I?
Now back to being serious... This is an example of one of the thousands of websites that are out there for one purpose only: to STEAL your credit card details! They look genuine, professional webpage design (probably cloned some real website). Thousands of people fall prey to these scams every day. Don’t let it be you! Do not buy anything from an email received as spam! Or you will live to regret it.
