[Bibby_83]

Hi,
I came across this website this evening - www.protechstore.com

ProTechStore is a computer hardware reseller to trade & retail. We have been selling computers & hardware since 1997.

Edit: Site is definitely suspicious, beware.

[bl4ck4dd3r]

was wondering this too
am after a printer and their price is extremely low (£50 below the next cheapest)

found them using google product search although this doesn't add any weight to their credibility.

[pcdunk]

As a photographer, most of the Canon gear prices are ridiculously low and the specs are way out. A Canon 30D plus 100mm lens for just over £100, don't think so.

[Hatchorder]

Domain Name.......... protechstore.com
Creation Date........ 2009-06-22
Registration Date.... 2009-06-22
Expiry Date.......... 2010-06-22
Organisation Name.... Alberto Melacini
Organisation Address. PO Box 61359
Organisation Address.
Organisation Address. Sunnyvale
Organisation Address. 94088
Organisation Address. CA
Organisation Address. US

Admin Name........... Admin PrivateRegContact
Admin Address........ PO Box 61359
Admin Address........
Admin Address........ Sunnyvale
Admin Address........ 94088
Admin Address........ CA
Admin Address........ US
Admin Email..........
Admin Phone.......... +1.5105952002
Admin Fax............

Tech Name............ TECH PrivateRegContact
Tech Address......... PO Box 61359
Tech Address.........
Tech Address......... Sunnyvale
Tech Address......... 94088
Tech Address......... CA
Tech Address......... US
Tech Email...........

Website created 22/06/09 but company has been trading since 1997 and website says 2005 - 2009.

UK company but .com website registered in US?

Sounds a crock of **** to me!

[Elektriksheep]

Originally Posted by Hatchorder

Domain Name.......... protechstore.com
Creation Date........ 2009-06-22
Registration Date.... 2009-06-22
Expiry Date.......... 2010-06-22
Organisation Name.... Alberto Melacini
Organisation Address. PO Box 61359
Organisation Address.
Organisation Address. Sunnyvale
Organisation Address. 94088
Organisation Address. CA
Organisation Address. US

Admin Name........... Admin PrivateRegContact
Admin Address........ PO Box 61359
Admin Address........
Admin Address........ Sunnyvale
Admin Address........ 94088
Admin Address........ CA
Admin Address........ US
Admin Email..........
Admin Phone.......... +1.5105952002
Admin Fax............

Tech Name............ TECH PrivateRegContact
Tech Address......... PO Box 61359
Tech Address.........
Tech Address......... Sunnyvale
Tech Address......... 94088
Tech Address......... CA
Tech Address......... US
Tech Email...........

Website created 22/06/09 but company has been trading since 1997 and website says 2005 - 2009.

UK company but .com website registered in US?

Sounds a crock of **** to me!

Where do you get information like this from? It would be nice to be able to check this information myself when a website look suspicious rather than Googling the company and hoping and suspicious activity has been reported.

Thanks in advance.

[Elektriksheep]

newtechlink.com appears to be the same company - website style and layout is almost identical. "Founded in 1988, headquartered in Tempe, Arizona" apparently.

Found through Google product search also.

Would like to see when their site was created and who it's registered to.

[bl4ck4dd3r]

you can use one of the whois services such as

Allwhois.com

or if you have the right tools on your mac / pc you can do it from there

[Elektriksheep]

Originally Posted by bl4ck4dd3r

you can use one of the whois services such as

Allwhois.com

or if you have the right tools on your mac / pc you can do it from there

Nice1. Thanks for that.

Info for "newtechlink.com"....

Domain Name.......... newtechlink.com
Creation Date........ 2009-06-22
Registration Date.... 2009-06-22
Expiry Date.......... 2010-06-22
Organisation Name.... Takeshi Tsujita
Organisation Address. PO Box 61359
Organisation Address.
Organisation Address. Sunnyvale
Organisation Address. 94088
Organisation Address. CA
Organisation Address. US

Admin Name........... Admin PrivateRegContact
Admin Address........ PO Box 61359
Admin Address........
Admin Address........ Sunnyvale
Admin Address........ 94088
Admin Address........ CA
Admin Address........ US
Admin Email.......... contact@myprivateregistration.com
Admin Phone.......... +1.5105952002
Admin Fax............

Tech Name............ TECH PrivateRegContact
Tech Address......... PO Box 61359
Tech Address.........
Tech Address......... Sunnyvale
Tech Address......... 94088
Tech Address......... CA
Tech Address......... US
Tech Email........... contact@myprivateregistration.com
Tech Phone........... +1.5105952002
Tech Fax.............
Name Server.......... yns1.yahoo.com
Name Server.......... yns2.yahoo.com


[removed possibly libellous comment]

Thanks again for the URL.

[Bibby_83]

I looked up that server address on the web and found some disturbing information. -

Fake bank, probably for phishing -
Artists Against 419 - Fake Bank Database

http://forum.419eater.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=166213

Some other payment fraud -
Fraud Data - Escrow Fraud Prevention

There might be other examples, I will delete this post if I am making unfair accusations but this is surely the evidence that it is [suspicious][choice of words corrected by mod] behaviour. Again, all I can say is beware any of these sites - Protechstore.com, Newtechlink.com

It seems that there are a number of fake business sites using the same server and all of them have since disappeared. I believe none of the information given on these sites is true or accurate.

[Elektriksheep]

Originally Posted by Bibby_83

I looked up that server address on the web and found some disturbing information. -

Fake bank, probably for phishing -
Artists Against 419 - Fake Bank Database

forum.419eater.com :: View topic - frozen-stgeorge-review-account.com

Some other payment fraud -
Fraud Data - Escrow Fraud Prevention

There might be other examples, I will delete this post if I am making unfair accusations but this is surely the evidence that it is criminal behaviour. Again, all I can say is beware any of these sites - Protechstore.com, Newtechlink.com

Nice. Good work. I came so close to buying something on Protech before I found this thread. I'd actually entered half my bank details then realised I hadn't checked them out. Damn glad I checked :O)

[Bibby_83]

Yes, I was suspicious also but when the evidence turned up on here I almost wanted to close this thread to prevent giving any attention to these sites. I thought it relevant to post here since the 'business' gave a UK address but it is clearly US based and I think [suspicious][choice of words corrected by mod]. I have removed my earlier posts to keep this clear.

If mods permit the thread title can also be changed.

Actually, can AV Forums mods advise on how to procede with this thread? I think it is clear that if these web addresses are dodgy we should either delete this thread or inform people so they don't grab someones money over the weekend.

[Elektriksheep]

I used Google product search a lot and I've noticed a number of these sites appearing there. There was one called "Looksmartpro.com" which had people all over the net complaining about never receiving items and getting ripped off. You'd thought that if we can find out this dodgy info (fairly easily) about these companies that Google would be able to do the same before listing them in their product search.

It's a shame we can't rely on Google for that. At least at the moment.

[Bibby_83]

The same thing has been happening on Ebay for the last couple of years - those scams are usually easier to spot but others have been cleverer. For the last one, (a fake disposal/police auction - those are always a scam) the persons responsible had copied or embedded Ebay Trusted Seller and Paypal Certified logos directly into the auction text, probably through seller software or HTML.

They seem to appear and disappear within a week or weekend but Ebay is arguably too blase about them since much of the fall out goes through Paypal. Escrow is another one to watch I think - they apparently spoof an Escrow account (US electronic cheque service) for payments to Ebay and other websites and gather all the money sent to it.

[bl4ck4dd3r]

i had noticed a whole bunch of stores too that had unbelievably low prices when using google product search, today many of them either no longer exist or are no longer listed by google.
i don't know how retailers get their site listed there or how they are removed but if google themselves remove listings when something is shown to be less than legitimate, it does seem that they have been quite prompt as I only discovered these sites yesterday and now they are no longer listed.

[Elektriksheep]

Originally Posted by bl4ck4dd3r

i had noticed a whole bunch of stores too that had unbelievably low prices when using google product search, today many of them either no longer exist or are no longer listed by google.
i don't know how retailers get their site listed there or how they are removed but if google themselves remove listings when something is shown to be less than legitimate, it does seem that they have been quite prompt as I only discovered these sites yesterday and now they are no longer listed.

It's good to know that Google are (apparently) doing something about it, but prevention would obviously be better than cure.

I was under the impression that companies paid Google to be listed under their product search. I could always be wrong, however. It has happened once or twice before ;O)

[ChiosNic]

Thank you for this thread!!

It makes the second Google link for NewTechLink apart from their Whois entry - pretty impressive for a company in business for decades and employing thousands of people* worldwide.

I was alerted by the prices and the fact that their shopping cart is not secure.

[removed libellous comments]


Very grateful to have suspicions confirmed.

[Bibby_83]

Hi Sheep,
To be honest they already charge fairly average prices on some stuff, especially on Ebay (where in auctions the price can go way above what I would pay).

I am saying this because I actually think that saying 'if it looks too good to be true, it usually is' might actually make people less vigilant, if not ignorant of how these things work out. Sometimes everything about these sellers looks fine enough but there are a few characteristics which I think most of us are aware of -

- They often claim to offer the best prices and customer service without providing any evidence (though a legitimate business might also do this)

- Very often they will attempt to engender trust with potential customers by falsely claiming good feedback, positive customer experiences and also by using genuine consumer protection schemes under false pretences

- In addition to the above, legal text will be included or quoted although it is worthless and usually nonsense (ie. if you don't give us your money we will take you to court - they have no right to do this in the UK at least)

- Sometimes, and especially on foreign websites, the use of English Language and Grammar will be sloppy or unprofessional - simple spelling errors and generally rushed presentation are the norm

There are others but these are just a few I have thought of, I saved some to a Word document for use on Ebay but I am only allowed to say certain things for reasons to do with seller protection. Sadly Ebay tends to favour sellers on these matters although I am fairly certain most fraud is carried out at their end rather than that of the buyer.

I think I should also add that communications with these people is not a good idea and could put you at further risk.

[Elektriksheep]

Originally Posted by Bibby_83

Hi Sheep,
To be honest they already charge fairly average prices on some stuff, especially on Ebay (where in auctions the price can go way above what I would pay).

Fair play, really, I haven't looked at any of their ebay stuff. I was just going off've the prices of the product I was looking for.

Originally Posted by Bibby_83

I actually think that saying 'if it looks too good to be true, it usually is' might actually make people less vigilant, if not ignorant of how these things work out.

Good point :O)

[Greggersxxx]

According to the About Us part of the site:

Revenues over $5 billion
Over 4,500 employees worldwide

They really should spend some of that revenue on a decent e-commerce site and stop using Open Source Joomla.

The address is 12 Harefield Road in London. Now Google Maps doesn't show where number 12 is, it does suggest though that number 16 is a house, number 14 is Wickes, so next door (evens all on the same side) should be this one..... (give street view a chance to load)

12 harefield road - Google Maps

Of all the cheek!!

[ChiosNic]

Too funny!!

This is also supposed to be at that address:

The Brand Centre
Department Stores (Shops & other Retail Outlets) based in the Harefield Road area of Uxbridge
Tel: 01895 814888
Address: 12 Harefield Road Uxbridge Middlesex UB8 1JS

Now we know our finest are strapped for cash, but......

[Elektriksheep]

Originally Posted by Greggersxxx

According to the About Us part of the site:

Revenues over $5 billion
Over 4,500 employees worldwide

They really should spend some of that revenue on a decent e-commerce site and stop using Open Source Joomla.

The address is 12 Harefield Road in London. Now Google Maps doesn't show where number 12 is, it does suggest though that number 16 is a house, number 14 is Wickes, so next door (evens all on the same side) should be this one..... (give street view a chance to load)

12 harefield road - Google Maps

Of all the cheek!!

Hahaha. [libelleous comment removed by mod], you have to respect their sense of humour :O)

[Pontiac]

Fellas, I've had to go through some of these posts and remove some choice words that extend just a bit too far. Please can we keep our choice of words based on fact. No matter how suspicious a company may look allegations simply based on assumption cannot be made and have no place on this forum.

[Elektriksheep]

Originally Posted by Pontiac

Fellas, I've had to go through some of these posts and remove some choice words that extend just a bit too far. Please can we keep our choice of words based on fact. No matter how suspicious a company may look allegations simply based on assumption cannot be made and have no place on this forum.

Fair play :O)

so glad was advised to check out ur forum in regard to newtechlink/protech.............admit did go full length other night of trying to purchase a lcd 32" from 'protech' but when came to filling in credit card details couldnt get them accepted. following nite i fired up 'newtechlink', thot it lookt familiar so out of curiosity typed in same screen name as i created for protech, and it was accepted!!!.....still not fully put off, i searched there offers and was gobsmakt, a 42" plasma jvc £229, now that did seem to good to b true so was advised to chek out here before doing anymore....so glad i did. Thankyou

[Bibby_83]

Hi,

Originally Posted by Pontiac

Fellas, I've had to go through some of these posts and remove some choice words that extend just a bit too far. Please can we keep our choice of words based on fact. No matter how suspicious a company may look allegations simply based on assumption cannot be made and have no place on this forum.

Just to make it clear, my allegations are based on the fact that their server has been used by known fraudsters and many other fake businesses such as logistics and gun sales (in the US).

[Bibby_83]

Just tried the Protechstore website this evening and it looks to be no longer live, in fact it isn't even coming in on my browser - thank god for that. Sadly Newtechlink is still up there, if the rest of the racket isn't gone soon then I think I still wouldn't have anything to do with them.

I was not jumping to conclusions when I posted my comments earlier - I think if people lose money to illegitimate sellers it is a real shame because protection on the web just isn't up to it, otherwise these people wouldn't keep coming back (as they do).

[furiouspaul]

I've just been saved from a potential erroneous purchase with protechstore. If something looks to good to be true...

It was the lack of any seller ratings on Google shopping that activated my spidey sense, now once these 'suspected' scammers get round to faking a bit of good seller feedback for their sites I think spotting these will be even more diffcult.

Anyway kudos to this thread for making my decision to swerve past protechstore so easy.

[Elektriksheep]

Originally Posted by furiouspaul

It was the lack of any seller ratings on Google shopping that activated my spidey sense

How can there be a lack of seller ratings if they've been trading since 1997? ;O)

I can still get on both sites btw.

Originally Posted by vicky67

so glad was advised to check out ur forum in regard to newtechlink/protech.............admit did go full length other night of trying to purchase a lcd 32" from 'protech' but when came to filling in credit card details couldnt get them accepted. following nite i fired up 'newtechlink', thot it lookt familiar so out of curiosity typed in same screen name as i created for protech, and it was accepted!!!.....still not fully put off, i searched there offers and was gobsmakt, a 42" plasma jvc £229, now that did seem to good to b true so was advised to chek out here before doing anymore....so glad i did. Thankyou

I hope you get this message. CANCEL YOUR CREDIT CARD. Just because the website didn't seem to accept your details, does not mean that they haven't recorded the information. If they are indeed a fraudulent setup, then they already have your credit card details. Good luck!

[Elektriksheep]

Originally Posted by mrhavana

I hope you get this message. CANCEL YOUR CREDIT CARD. Just because the website didn't seem to accept your details, does not mean that they haven't recorded the information. If they are indeed a fraudulent setup, then they already have your credit card details. Good luck!

Yep. Definitely do this. I hear some banks charge for this, but I know RBS do it free - just call up your bank, tell them your CC details have been 'compromised' and they'll cancel the CC (not the CC account) and send you out a new one. Easy.