It is well known that there are nefarious individuals that are doing what they can to compromise databases to steal personal information. This may have happened at Investor's Business Daily. When I subscribed to their newspaper several years ago, I created a special email address that was only disclosed to IBD for their business purposes. I just received a pump & dump spam to that email address. Please check the attached PDF, and if you have received the same and have a subscription you purchased from IBD over their web page, you may want to keep an eye on your credit card you used to pay for your subscription.
It's called spoofing and it likely had nothing to do with Investors.com. It probably came about because of an attack on your own browser. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoofing_attack
I'm an IBD subscriber. I got the same email and opened it because the address showed investors.com same as IBD. Then received two more soon after. The question should be: Has any one received this email that does not subscribe to IBD? If it could be determined, then it would definitely point to IBD.
I'm well aware of spoofing emails as I used to be an email admin at a Fortune 500 company. It was spoofed from investors.com, but went to a mailbox only known by investors.com. My systems are very locked down with a hardware and software firewall as well as other measures to prevent viruses and spyware to get into our network. Whenever I sign up for a service I specify a mailbox known only by the service I am subscribing to. If I had a myspace account, the email address associated with it would myspace.com@thedomainIuse.com, this way, if there is any spam, I will know the source of the leak. This leaked from IBD. Thanks, Chris
I got something similar or the same, (already discarded it, otherwise I'd make a positive id on it), yesterday I believe, or the day before. They, IBD, most definitely sell lists to pump and dump type operations, in my not so humble opinion. I made certain they do not have or ever wiol have my primary email address, and in fact I also opened a POBox in large measure so they will not have my home address to sell. (Interestingly enough, I have home delivery, but somehow, thankfully, they only sell mailing addresses, not delivery addresses, apparently). Most of the materials come thru the post, and this example may be the only instance I 've seen or recieved to date through the email, but like I said, they are strictly relegated to the email account designed for just such purposes, to keep 'em at bay. I htink the security aspect is intact, and not breached, but its good you are addressing it post haste, may make them think twice about rolling it out (the spamming / selling email lists, etc) in a big way or in continuing it at all. All the same it reflects badly on ibd, and I will not be renewing my sub with them. It really tips their hand into what kinds of activities they will engage in, and indicates a lack of any real interest in their subs financial well-being, once again in my opinion, despite all they say and do to present themselves otherwise. They are really just a circus act, and they are just as inclined to include the likes of the unusual and grotesque in their lineup of stable mates.
Don't just see a tree and miss the rest of the forest. Too many trading ideas to give it up. Just one of the stocks I got ytd from IBD made up for the subscription price and another, ERS, made $4,400 in about a month. I also think they have some of the best political commentary in print.
IBD is a sub par rag run by a self promoting huckster. As such, it is not unexpected that he would sell subscriber data to anyone with a check book.
http://www.pebbleandavalanche.com/weblog/2006/10/20/blog-20061020T0508 Investor's Business Daily Newspaper Subscription List Stolen