too good to be true
tech4free
i’ve been getting a fair amount of email as well as friendster bulletin-board posts about getting "free stuff" from a site called tech4free.com. trust me, it’s a scam. if those posters actually bothered to read the terms and conditions and faq from the site, they’ll find out that the gadgets there are anything but "free."
the offer is only applicable to US residents (which rules out almost everyone on my friendster/email network). even if you are a US resident, the terms and conditions states that, in order to qualify for the free gadget, you would not only need to complete one of the offers on the site but have the required number of friends to complete the offers also.
pyramid-scam disguised as a free gadget site.
true.com
ok, so online dating services are, in my opinion, for the pathetically desperate. it was thus a bewilderment why i actually bothered to subscribe to true.com (well, the model was cute and i was bored that time, so i clicked the ad).
recently, i tried to unsubscribe myself though from their newsletters. but a few days after, i got this rather surprising email from someone named "jen3583" who "wants to know more" about me. so i click on the message, gave her "wink" and waited for the reply (also cute, too cute, looking at her profile - which made me suspect whether she’s actually a "real" person).
almost immediately, i get a reply:
Hey, thanks for the wink. Would you like to chat sometime on one of the TRUE chat rooms? They are pretty neat and I feel a little more comfortable starting there, let me know if your interested.
now, that’s really suspicious. the fact that i recently unsubscribed coincided with the i-want-to-know-you-better email which eventually was an invitation to chat on their chatrooms.
so, i reply again to her mail (sent to her email alias on true.com, which uses @truebeginnings.com):
are you real? or just an email autoresponder?
"her" reply:
The Postfix program<jen3583@truebeginnings.com>:as i suspected. it’s a fake account, used by true.com to entice unsubscribing members to get back to using their service. the fact that true.com had to lie to keep their members around has given me even more reason to leave their service.
host 10.0.2.40[10.0.2.40] said: 550 Unable to relay for jen3583@truebeginnings.com> (in reply to RCPT TO command)
Jaja… You know what? I have to say that I am glad I ran across your “blog” because I have come to “suspect” that MANY of these LAME AZZ personal sites use FAKE people… Yeah, they are lame but some of us are just curious and want to see what is out there or at least available, so we try it out. The problem is that they always seem to want MEN to pay for every single part of the service while women seem to be in ABUNDANCE and ALL so very beautiful.
Anyway, I got an email from jen3583, and she was obviously VERY CUTE and VERY SIMPLE but it just didn’t seem write since I STOPPED using True.com. I never actually PAID for it, but I had sent them emails asking WHY CAN WE NOT DELETE OUR PROFILES. I never got a response and now suddenly jen3583 wants to get to know me, so I did a search and found your BLOG…
Maybe someone should begin a campaign to WAKE EVERYONE UP as to the shenanigans that these websites resort to only to get people to PROP up their failing services. It is pathetic and actually I was not only laughing when I read your BLOG but pissed off that someone thinks I am a desperate idiot… F*ck TRUE.COM…
Comment by DonChino — December 21, 2004 @ 11:25 am
Well, if you’re story’s true (bonus points for the pun), then somebody should really tell this guy
Comment by Anonymous for now... — December 21, 2004 @ 2:45 pm
I’ve also received an email from jen3583. Her profile mentions she’s looking for local guys to just hang out with. I’m clear across the state - so the email didn’t make any sense. Also, jen3583’s profile on TRUE states she lives in Arlington, TX. This is just minutes away from Irving. It just so happens that Irving is where TRUE’s headquarters is. From TRUE’s website:
5215 N. O’Connor, Suite 1600
Irving, TX 75039
If TRUE’s policy is to use member accounts in order to deceive other members for TRUE’s benefit then this is not only deplorable but I have to question the legality of it as well.
Comment by SoulTrane — December 22, 2004 @ 10:09 am
WELL I KNOW ONE THING FOR DAMN SURE MY NAME IS JEN AND THIS JEN3583 BITCH IS USING MY E-MAIL ADDRESS AND I AM GOING TO CALL TRUE.COM I LIVE IN WASHINGTON STATE NOT TEXAS GRRR I AM GOING TO CALLL THEM AGAIN AND RAISE SOME H*LL…….
Comment by Jen — December 22, 2004 @ 10:24 am
To whom it may concern-
I just cancelled my account with True. I will make no airs about planning to stay on once the free trial expired, but concerns about your business practices made it difficult to even consider using this account in the future.
On Dec 4, I received a wink from a member named jen3583. I was flattered, but a divorced single mother from Texas doesn’t fit any of my default criteria, and I don’t fit the requirements she had listed, especially body type or age.
But when I received an actual e-mail on the 10th, I started considering doing the free trial. When an e-mail (in fact, word for word, the same e-mail) arrived on the 15th, one week ago, I finally relented. It seemed like the perfect opportunity: 7 free days, 7 days before I left for home. So, I signed up for e-mails and replied.
I received another response the next day, which I was quite pleased with. Unfortunately, no mention was made as to how she managed to find me, here in Indiana, from Texas. At this point I decided to do a quick Google search for her screenname. I came across two distrubing entries (one of which isn’t visible on Google anymore for some odd reason.)
The first was a Craig’s List posting from Portland, Oregon. The poster states that he was contacted by a True member (Jen3583) around the same approximate time and would like to try and get in touch with her. Fair enough, I’m in Indiana, he’s in Oregon, she’s in Texas… It’s possible that she’s simply trolling around the entire surface of the Earth looking for a guy. The next was much more concerning:
http://divisionbyzero.blogsome.com/2004/12/09/too-good-to-be-true/
Apparently, another gentleman, being more familiar with True than myself, decided to e-mail Jen using a work-around for your proxy method. I, personally, attempted this protocol and was able to send an e-mail to myself (still saved in my Inbox, if you’d like to look), so I know it’s valid. He received a bounce-back, indicating that the mailbox wasn’t a true True mailbox. Perhaps there is some nuance here I do not understand which could be explained, but it seems very suspicious, as did her very odd (almost spokeseperson-esque) e-mails to the blogger.
Since I posted there (Anonymous for now…) mentioning the Craigs List entry, two more disturbing comments have appeared. Another contacted member claiming that Jen3583 may be a True construct based on the fact “she” lives right outside your headquarters (this poster, at least, is within the state of Texas. Perhaps her searching window is becoming more limited.)
The last comment (for now, I plan to post this e-mail summary as a comment there) indicates that someone has usurped the e-mail address of the actual Jen3583. If true, I cannot think of any plausible reason why someone would go to the lengths of stealing an account, then e-mail random guys throughout the country. Of course, a very attractive woman e-mailing inactive/discontinued accounts would be a very effective recruiting tool. And, in the hectic holiday season, if half or even a tenth of the guys forgot when their free trial started and cancelled a day late, then that’s still a $30 charge, right?
I want to believe that a company that claims to be “true to you” and seems intent on promoting honesty with background checks and prosecution of married people would have ethical business practices. If you have, in fact, usurped the account/identity/photos of Jen3583, used them for your own means and are now profiting from that… It’s a great concern and I’m willing to question the legality of it. If I receive a nice, logical, honest answer (of course those are all subjective measures, but I have no objective tests which would allow for this type of investigation), I am more than willing to post it wherever this e-mail finds a home and proclaim it to the world whenever necessary. If not, I’ll begin investigating more seriously how many guys have received e-mails from Jen3583 that follow the given pattern.
Thank you,
Thomas Clarke
Comment by Still Anonymous for now... — December 23, 2004 @ 3:19 am
Perhaps I should’ve been more careful with the select all feature if I wanted to remain anonymous…
Comment by Heh. — December 23, 2004 @ 3:19 am
It’s amazing how fast news can circulate these days. As a service to the other folks who may be receiving the same exact letter from TRUE’s JEN3583, below is the original email message I received:
———
Hey, how are you? I’m interested in getting to know you better, so if you want let me know and we can catch up on line sometime, or send me something about yourself.
Hope to here from you soon.
Jen3538
TC
———
Also - Jen from Washington - I’m glad you are taking action.
Comment by SoulTrane — December 23, 2004 @ 5:59 am
ber 23, 2004 things to do today Filed under: general wow! i never expected my post about jen3583 would get some attention from a few concerned netizens espe […]
Pingback by DivisionByZero :: things to do today :: December :: 2004 — December 23, 2004 @ 7:23 am
Upon further review, I did get a “human” reply to my e-mail to her. As previously stated, I did not respond until after the second e-mail (please note: I did *not* duplicate the e-mail. I received two separate identical e-mails, one on Friday and one on the following Wednesday.)
***
Wink 1:
I’m interested in your profile and want to see more. Add your photo FREE , then wink at me to let me know that you’re interested too!
***
E-mail 1: Interested in U
Hey guy, how are you? Would you like to chat some time? I’m interested in getting to know you better so if you want let me know and we can catch up on line sometime.
Hope to here from you soon.
Jen3583
***
E-mail 2: Interested in U
Hey guy, how are you? Would you like to chat some time? I’m interested in getting to know you better so if you want let me know and we can catch up on line sometime.
Hope to here from you soon.
Jen3583
***
E-mail 3: I got your “Hey guy” form letter!
Well I will trust you on the photo, but I am looking forward to seeing your pictures. So when will you be online again so I can chat with you a little more? Jen
Comment by Formerly Anonymous — December 23, 2004 @ 7:50 am
They set Jen after me too, and I live in Europe!! Thanks for your blog!!
DaDavid
Comment by david — December 30, 2004 @ 2:17 am
I live in Arlington, TX but recieved an email with the exact same message.
“Hey guy, how are you? Would you like to chat some time? I’m interested in getting to know you better so if you want let me know and we can catch up on line sometime.
Hope to here from you soon.
Jen3583″
scamtastic, true sucks
Comment by roaflin — December 31, 2004 @ 2:31 am
Oh my god, Unbelievable. I also got the email from jen3583…..ha and i felt special for a miute there. Sure enough “she” sent me the exact same email:
“Hey guy, how are you? Would you like to chat some time? I’m interested in getting to know you better so if you want let me know and we can catch up on line sometime. Hope to here from you soon.
Jen3583 TC″
Those scheming mother fuckers. Damn, I used their 7 day free trial period and cancelled my account afterwards, yet they STILL charged me for a month. I had to call them Nazis and tell them I am not paying for the month. DAMN THEM TRUE BASTARDS!
Comment by Joe — January 31, 2005 @ 12:33 pm
I was one of the people who posted on craigs list. I also googled the username and found two listings, the origional poster at craigs list, and some christian bulliten board. I was suspicious from the start.. i however never got an repsonsed to my replies.
Comment by Dolm — January 31, 2005 @ 4:14 pm
I sent an email to one of the True.com “profile coaches”, the first True.com employee to repsond about any of my inquiries about this Jen3538. I gave her the link to this blog and asked how True.com could get away with this b.s. kind of scheme..following is her response:
“Hi, Dolm. I’m sorry you feel that way. I checked out the blog you mentioned and I noticed reference to a user by the name of jen3583 - it said that she was too cute to be a real person. Nope, she’s a real TRUE member, not a dummy account. What you got was, I think, a bounce message that could have been due to any number of technical problems. Again, I apologize for the misunderstanding, but your assumptions are simply not true.”
In all fairness, this profile coach True.com employee is a real true.com member too, full profile with pics.
I won’t mention this “profile coach’s” username, but I would like to point out she uses the signature “Username, TC” .. just like our “Jen3583, TC”. I’m not saying it’s the same person writing the messages, but it is odd a regular user would put TC in their signature..
Comment by Dolm — February 1, 2005 @ 7:14 am
Chat log from tonight with a True.com TrueCru member (apparently what the “TC” stands for). I got no other info from him, but he seemed to suggest, inadvertantly, that he knew atleast something about the situation..I removed the username to be polite..for now.
. . You whispered to_TrueCru: Jen3583 , heres some more info to delve: http://divisionbyzero.blogsome.com/2004/12/09/too-good-to-be-true/_TrueCru whispered to you: Ok .. I don’t know a lot about that … but I’ll pass the information on and we’ll see what’s going on with that_TrueCru: Just seems a little fishy to me, I’ve seen this sort of thing before with other sites..you cancel membership or trial ends and the next day you get “interested” members whom never respond after you renew your account
: I think it’ll all work out for the best though… We just have to do some talking. I thought seeing were things go meant seeing only each other, he thought it meant still open to seeing other people. We didn’t clairify._TrueCru whispered to you: I’m sending your concerns to my supervisor dolm. I don’t know the entire story of what’s going on with this … I work overnights and am out of the loop on some things. Thanks for bringing this to my attention!
_TrueCru: I’m sure it will green
. . . .
. . . . You whispered to
. . . .
Comment by Dolm — February 1, 2005 @ 3:31 pm