OfficeOnWeb announced today that the systems provided by Yahoo are the number one centers for groups that harm others websites, SPAM generation, and credit card fraud on the Internet. Regarding SPAM they noted that less than one in 10,000 messages from yahoo.com addresses were valid.
OfficeOnWeb has issued several warnings recently regarding yahoo.com and other services. Excerpts follow:
Almost all fraudulent credit card use on the Internet has a free e-mail address
As early as 1999, OfficeOnWeb has been advising commercial clients to look at orders from free e-mail, services such as yahoo.com and hotmail.com, with great suspicion. By 2001, clients were advised to refuse the orders unless a real e-mail was provided. In 2004, almost every fraudulent order placed on the net uses a free e-mail address with more than 80% coming from yahoo.com
Less than one in ten thousand e-mail messages from yahoo.com and yahoogroups.com are legit
By April of 2004, OfficeOnWeb Ltd found that less than .01% of e-mail messages from yahoo services had any legitimacy. As a result they followed other Internet Service Provider's (ISP's) lead and started trashing all mail from these addresses. While a few complained and some left the service, by May, after installing new SPAM filters, OfficeOnWeb tried to allow e-mail deliver of yahoo addresses. The call volume to reinstall the removal was so significant, that the yahoo.com e-mail refusal was reinstated within one day. To date, this policy has reduced server and bandwidth loads by nearly 40%.
All of recent attacks on client sites include a yahoo.com e-mail address
OfficeOnWeb also noted that all of the recent attacks on their client sites, that used an e-mail address, cited a yahoo.com e-mail address. They noted that in the recent VeToday attack, the group claiming responsibility used a yahoo.com e-mail address.
Yahoo not only does not take any actions, but does not provide a means to stop abuse and fraud
OfficeOnWeb also noted that Yahoo has no abuse, fraud or other reporting mechanisms. They pointed out that Yahoo's own search engine when using "yahoo complaint" and "yahoo fraud" does not show a means to report Yahoo problems. However, they also noted that the queries generated much information that demonstrated that Yahoo's shopping carts, and clients are also major sources of Internet fraud and abuse.
About OfficeOnWeb Ltd
OfficeOnWeb is an Internet Service Provider for professional hosting and access OfficeOnWeb was founded in 1993. For further information, visit www.officeonweb.net.
