09-07-2001, 10:58 PM
Several people (we don't know how many) have evidentally been
receiving letters supposedly from me, Fred Lloyd, the owner
and operator of QRZ.COM. The entire content and envelopes of
hese letters have been forged and the person committing this
crime appears to live in or near the Charlotte, North Carolina,
area according to the postmark.
Even though no money is involved, it is still a very serious
crime. Read more about what I received in the mail today...
Today I received two letters that bore my return address
as a result of their having been returned by the Post Office.
My name and the QRZ address were hand-written in the return
area of the envelope.
Our forger isn't too bright. For starters, one letter was
addressed to an someone in Spain, but bore only 34 cents
postage (local domestic). This was returned to me, postage due.
The letter was postmarked 22 August 2001, Charlotte,
NC. It was printed using a cheesy color printer, in RED
and with very large letters. This letter reads (including
the original color, misspellings and bad grammar):
<blockquote>
Dear Mr. [witheld]
This is Fred Lloyd at the QRZ web site. I'm writing too you
to inform you that you need to update your personal info on my
web site like your U.S.ADDRESS and CALLSIGN.Please do
in the neat near future.If you don't do so,i have to
delete everything on my server and your need to file a form
610 with FCC to update your personal info on the QRZ web site.
Sincerely;
Fred LLOYD AA7BQ
</blockquote>
The second letter, also postmarked on the same date and
time as the first, was addressed to a Pete Campwin and is
even more nonsensical than the first. It reads (again
with original color, misspellings and grammar):
<blockquote>
Dear MR.Peter Campwin,
This is Fred LLOYD,At the QRZ web site.Inoticed you have sent me
an e-mail last month upon you wanted to update your personal
info on your callsign..I do not supply CB callsign nor do
i publish them to AMATUR OPERATOR'S.If you wishing too become
a HAM RADIO OPERATOR find a coordinator in your area that is
willing too give you the test. You need to file a 610 form out
also for a new callsign and not for cb callsign.Wishing too put anything else on my web site will result in account termination.You
can check out anything else on my web site but please do not
try too add your CB callsign to my web site unless
you have a HAM CALLSIGN
Sincerely;
Fred Lloyd AA7BQ
</blockquote>
Well, for starters, I hope that not too many of these types
of letters have gone out. If you have received any kind of
letter in the mail from QRZ then it's almost certainly a
forgery because for starters, I don't write letters. In
correspondence that I might rarely send out, I always use
preprinted return address labels and never write them out
by hand (I'm too lazy for that). Also, Charlotte, NC
is more than 2000 miles from my Arizona office.
Secondly, I don't care if people fail to keep their information
current. I've got over 1,000,000 names and addresses to
look after and the vast majority of them are accurate. If people
don't keep their information current then they deserve what they
get. I don't delete old information from the database either,
why? Because it has historical value, and secondly,
how am I supposed to know that it's old?
Now, about the forgery. Why would someone do this? Is someone
so hard up for a QSL card that they'll resort to the commission
of a felony to obtain it? Mail forgery is a very serious crime
and comes under the jurisdiction of federal law. Whoever sent
these letters, and you know who you are, are about 10 minutes
away from an extended prison sentence.
In closing, let me say to all of the loyal QRZ fans that if
you receive an unsolicited letter from QRZ then it's a FAKE,
period. The first clue will be that it's not postmarked in
Scottsdale Arizona. The second clue is that it's apparently
written by an idiot. Please don't be offended by these letters
if you receive one. Consider the source.
73,
-fred
Fred Lloyd, AA7BQ
receiving letters supposedly from me, Fred Lloyd, the owner
and operator of QRZ.COM. The entire content and envelopes of
hese letters have been forged and the person committing this
crime appears to live in or near the Charlotte, North Carolina,
area according to the postmark.
Even though no money is involved, it is still a very serious
crime. Read more about what I received in the mail today...
Today I received two letters that bore my return address
as a result of their having been returned by the Post Office.
My name and the QRZ address were hand-written in the return
area of the envelope.
Our forger isn't too bright. For starters, one letter was
addressed to an someone in Spain, but bore only 34 cents
postage (local domestic). This was returned to me, postage due.
The letter was postmarked 22 August 2001, Charlotte,
NC. It was printed using a cheesy color printer, in RED
and with very large letters. This letter reads (including
the original color, misspellings and bad grammar):
<blockquote>
Dear Mr. [witheld]
This is Fred Lloyd at the QRZ web site. I'm writing too you
to inform you that you need to update your personal info on my
web site like your U.S.ADDRESS and CALLSIGN.Please do
in the neat near future.If you don't do so,i have to
delete everything on my server and your need to file a form
610 with FCC to update your personal info on the QRZ web site.
Sincerely;
Fred LLOYD AA7BQ
</blockquote>
The second letter, also postmarked on the same date and
time as the first, was addressed to a Pete Campwin and is
even more nonsensical than the first. It reads (again
with original color, misspellings and grammar):
<blockquote>
Dear MR.Peter Campwin,
This is Fred LLOYD,At the QRZ web site.Inoticed you have sent me
an e-mail last month upon you wanted to update your personal
info on your callsign..I do not supply CB callsign nor do
i publish them to AMATUR OPERATOR'S.If you wishing too become
a HAM RADIO OPERATOR find a coordinator in your area that is
willing too give you the test. You need to file a 610 form out
also for a new callsign and not for cb callsign.Wishing too put anything else on my web site will result in account termination.You
can check out anything else on my web site but please do not
try too add your CB callsign to my web site unless
you have a HAM CALLSIGN
Sincerely;
Fred Lloyd AA7BQ
</blockquote>
Well, for starters, I hope that not too many of these types
of letters have gone out. If you have received any kind of
letter in the mail from QRZ then it's almost certainly a
forgery because for starters, I don't write letters. In
correspondence that I might rarely send out, I always use
preprinted return address labels and never write them out
by hand (I'm too lazy for that). Also, Charlotte, NC
is more than 2000 miles from my Arizona office.
Secondly, I don't care if people fail to keep their information
current. I've got over 1,000,000 names and addresses to
look after and the vast majority of them are accurate. If people
don't keep their information current then they deserve what they
get. I don't delete old information from the database either,
why? Because it has historical value, and secondly,
how am I supposed to know that it's old?
Now, about the forgery. Why would someone do this? Is someone
so hard up for a QSL card that they'll resort to the commission
of a felony to obtain it? Mail forgery is a very serious crime
and comes under the jurisdiction of federal law. Whoever sent
these letters, and you know who you are, are about 10 minutes
away from an extended prison sentence.
In closing, let me say to all of the loyal QRZ fans that if
you receive an unsolicited letter from QRZ then it's a FAKE,
period. The first clue will be that it's not postmarked in
Scottsdale Arizona. The second clue is that it's apparently
written by an idiot. Please don't be offended by these letters
if you receive one. Consider the source.
73,
-fred
Fred Lloyd, AA7BQ