K1OIK - eham issue - set the record straight

[W3WN]

How does this happen? Are you saying someone could say they have something for sale and actually use my e-mail address to do the corresponding (how) this worries me that something like this could happen.
I have posted want ads at times, but when it is out side of the USA or Canada I just don’t respond.

Once they hijack your email account, or once they set up an email account with your call on a "free" email provider... yes, that's exactly right.

[WH2HAO]

I have your lost inheritance. Please western union a $1000 processing fee to me and I'll send it right over to you.. Ever see this one.. lol..

[VE3FMC]

As the rules increase, the RBs will adjust their MOs. Having pix means they will have to PHOTOSHOP in QSLs and Date/timestamps. There is NO guaranteed way to prevent a rotten RB from ripping you off unless you deal with him in PERSON. That is why I like Hamfests and swapmeets. I can look at the radio, hold it in my hands, and pay the seller in CASH on the spot. We both walk away quite happy.

Maybe the rules for posting need to change. A photo like this is pretty tough to duplicate don't you think? Not too many scammers are going to have an LED sign with my call sign on it.

But like you Pat, I would rather see the equipment in person before I buy it. Maybe not something small but a radio or amp, I want to see that in person.


It really is sad that is has come down to this. Where the hell has the honesty gone amongst amateurs?

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[KA5ROW]

I have gave a link in the past to my web page or I state my call so they can go to QRZ and see it their and follow QRZ’S link to my web page and also see what I am listing in the shack photo.

[KT1F]

How does this happen? Are you saying someone could say they have something for sale and actually use my e-mail address to do the corresponding (how) this worries me that something like this could happen.

It depends what you really mean. This guy didn't use Burt's email address. He simply created a new one that contained Burt's callsign and then sent and received emails with that new address, pretending to be Burt. I guess he was hoping to make use of the fact that Burt is well known. The fact that the address he used and Burt's real address are both at Yahoo is unimportant, other than it makes them look somewhat similar.

The much bigger thing this guy managed to do is login to Burt's qrz.com page and change the address there so anyone checking might feel reassured that it really was Burt. The only realistic conclusion that anyone has come up with as to how he did that was that he guessed the password.

But ... note that it's trivial for anyone to send email "From:" any address they want. I could easily send an email from your address. That means nothing. I haven't hacked anything of yours. It's just like writing the return address on an envelope. Receiving email at that address is quite another matter. That requires knowing someone's password at whereever their email is handled. With email it's easy to set a "Reply-To:" address which is different to the "From:". Watch what happens when you hit reply. Check where your reply is being sent to. If it changes but you don't notice (it's easy to miss) then you might think you're talking back and forward to the "From:" address. In that sense, someone could appear to use your email address to communicate while negoiating a deal even though they haven't hacked into anything or know your password.