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Not a phishing scam-Just a deployment testing error

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  • Member since
    April 2020
Not a phishing scam-Just a deployment testing error
Posted by Eaglecash867 on Saturday, February 27, 2021 5:09 AM

Good morning everybody,

Just wanted to make you all aware of a possible phishing scam with the perpetrators sending e-mails where they claim to be Sprue Brothers.  The reason I say "possible" phishing scam is because I would have had to enter login information and see if I got hacked in order to confirm its a scam.

Here is what the body of the e-mail looks like:

You’ve earned 48 Points!

 

Nice work! You placed an order and earned
48 Points

 

I did click on the unsubscribe button, which took me to a page that didn't ask for login information.  But, that unsubscribe page has a "visit store" link in it which I clicked on, and that took me to a very nicely-done "Sprue Brothers" page which looks legitimate...but VERY different from the page I get taken to when I go to the Sprue Brothers site the way I usually do.  But, it asks for login info, which I didn't give.  The suspect page with the new look also does NOT come up AT ALL when you do a Google search for Sprue Brothers.  The known, legitimate Sprue Brothers site also mentions NOTHING about any "points" system.  Again, not confirmed, but entering login info from the site it links to seems a bit like shooting myself in order to confirm that a gun is loaded.  Not gonna do it.  Just wanted to get the word out.  I'll probably send an e-mail to Sprue Brothers to make them aware of it also.

Edit:  Just sent an e-mail to Sprue Brothers about it.  We'll see what they say about it.  Also sent them the IP address of where the e-mail came from so they can track it down.

"You can have my illegal fireworks when you pry them from my cold, dead fingers...which are...over there somewhere."

  • Member since
    April 2015
Posted by Mopar Madness on Saturday, February 27, 2021 5:33 AM

Very interesting.  I got one of those too. Ive never received an email like that from them before.

Chad

God, Family, Models...

At the plate: 1/48 Airfix Bf109 & 1/35 Tamiya Famo

On deck: Who knows!

  • Member since
    April 2020
Posted by Eaglecash867 on Saturday, February 27, 2021 5:45 AM

Good to see I'm not the only one, Chad.  I've never received anything like that from them before either.

"You can have my illegal fireworks when you pry them from my cold, dead fingers...which are...over there somewhere."

  • Member since
    May 2004
  • From: Land of Lakes
Posted by cbaltrin on Saturday, February 27, 2021 5:58 AM

Any email that asks you to enter login information should be deleted. A legit business that is on the up and up with web security would always ask you to go to their website and login normally. 

Also, I would not  have clicked on any link in a suspicious email.  Clicking any link can cause malware/viruses to be downloaded to your computer.  I would have contacted SB and asked them if the email is legit.  

On the Bench: Too Much

  • Member since
    April 2020
Posted by Eaglecash867 on Saturday, February 27, 2021 7:24 AM

cbaltrin

Any email that asks you to enter login information should be deleted. A legit business that is on the up and up with web security would always ask you to go to their website and login normally. 

Not always true.  The "View or manage your order" links that Amazon sends are an example of that.

Clicking any link can cause malware/viruses to be downloaded to your computer. 

 
True, but since I don't use one of those "free" security programs, I don't have much to worry about in that regard.  Still good advice though.

"You can have my illegal fireworks when you pry them from my cold, dead fingers...which are...over there somewhere."

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Western North Carolina
Posted by Tojo72 on Saturday, February 27, 2021 8:13 AM
Thanks If didn't ask for it,I don't open it.If it's important,it won't be email

  • Member since
    May 2013
  • From: Indiana, USA
Posted by Greg on Saturday, February 27, 2021 9:00 AM

I didn't know Sprue Bros did a points program, but I just checked my account online and apparently they do because I have accumulated points I was unaware of.

So this could easily be legitimate and the email thing is just new. That would be my guess, but it's just a guess.

But......always better to be on the safe side so thanks for the head-up in either case.

  • Member since
    April 2020
Posted by Eaglecash867 on Saturday, February 27, 2021 9:08 AM

Thanks for the info on that Greg.  I just looked in a different place on my account and found the "MyRewards" points area.  They sure don't announce it anywhere on their site.  Oh well...wouldn't be the first time that the deployment of a new web-site and communications system had a few best-laid battle plans that didn't survive first contact with the enemy.  I'll post the reply from Sprue Brothers when I hear back from them.  The IP address is at least in the US, so that's at least not a huge red flag.  Could very well be legitimate.

"You can have my illegal fireworks when you pry them from my cold, dead fingers...which are...over there somewhere."

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Longmont, Colorado
Posted by Cadet Chuck on Saturday, February 27, 2021 10:51 AM

Wow!  I must have spent about $1000 there, over the last few years, and it appears I have a $7 reward waiting for me, but I can only redeem $4 at a time.  

Gimme a pigfoot, and a bottle of beer...

  • Member since
    August 2019
  • From: Central Oregon
Posted by HooYah Deep Sea on Saturday, February 27, 2021 1:01 PM

I don't know what the problem is; I've been ordering my kits from a Nigerian Prince. He said sometimes it takes a while for the product to get sent, and please be patient. And then he mentioned that more postage is required .  .  . Seems to me they should have figured that out the first time.

Yes, there are people that would have believed that, and those folk should really just unplug their computers.

"Why do I do this? Because the money's good, the scenery changes and they let me use explosives, okay?"

  • Member since
    January 2020
  • From: Maryland
Posted by wpwar11 on Saturday, February 27, 2021 1:12 PM

How interesting.  I just recieved the bonus rewards email too.  Didn't open it.  They just sent me a bunch of MRP paints yesterday and I was surprised to see a note appreciating my business with a 800 grit sanding stick.  They usually send me products along with a postcard with a military vehicle on the front.  I always get great service from them.

I'll wait and see what you guys find out about this.  Thanks for investigating Eagle.

  • Member since
    April 2020
Posted by Eaglecash867 on Saturday, February 27, 2021 1:13 PM

Not sure if you got the same deal from him HooYah, but the Nigerian Prince told me I'd get free Tamiya kits for life if I just let him hide a little money in my bank account.  Sounds like a square deal to me.  Big Smile

"You can have my illegal fireworks when you pry them from my cold, dead fingers...which are...over there somewhere."

  • Member since
    August 2020
  • From: Lakes Entrance, Victoria, Australia.
Posted by Dodgy on Saturday, February 27, 2021 4:06 PM

Funny Brian... I wonder if that's the same Nigerian Prince who promised me a wonderful return if I could just invest in his government projects...... Unfortunately I had to decline. He must have been very dissapointed because I havn't heard from him since.

I long to live in a world where chickens can cross the road without having their motives questioned

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Massachusetts
Posted by ajlafleche on Sunday, February 28, 2021 8:51 AM

Some email programs, Comcast, for example, if you click on the From line will give you the real address it came from. 

 

Remember, if the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.

  • Member since
    May 2013
  • From: Indiana, USA
Posted by Greg on Sunday, February 28, 2021 10:16 AM

Eaglecash867

Thanks for the info on that Greg.  I just looked in a different place on my account and found the "MyRewards" points area.  They sure don't announce it anywhere on their site.  Oh well...wouldn't be the first time that the deployment of a new web-site and communications system had a few best-laid battle plans that didn't survive first contact with the enemy.  I'll post the reply from Sprue Brothers when I hear back from them.  The IP address is at least in the US, so that's at least not a huge red flag.  Could very well be legitimate.

 

You're welcome.

If they respond to your email inquiry, do tell. Curious minds and all that, you know.

  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Orlando, Florida
Posted by ikar01 on Sunday, February 28, 2021 11:16 AM

You are still ealing with those Princes?  I got one from teh Chinese Consulate.  The Consulate General was wanting to know where all the information was that I was holding for him and why I haven't sent it yet.  I'm still searching for it in one of the safes holding my supply of gold and silver left behind by the Incas that was buried in my back yard..  I think my consulate out trumps your prince.

Oh well, I'll keep looking.

  • Member since
    April 2020
Posted by Eaglecash867 on Sunday, February 28, 2021 11:37 AM

Just imagine how valuable that Inca gold will be now, since the whole 2012 prophecy petered out.  Oh wait...maybe that was the Mayans.

Haven't heard from the Chinese Consulate yet, but have been alerted to a few attempts of hacking my e-mail account from Chinese IP addresses in the past.  I'm sure it was Xi Jinping himself who authorized it, because secret government hackers are never smart enough to use proxy servers...it HAD to be the Chinese government.  Propeller

"You can have my illegal fireworks when you pry them from my cold, dead fingers...which are...over there somewhere."

  • Member since
    April 2020
Posted by Eaglecash867 on Sunday, February 28, 2021 4:07 PM

Hi everybody,

The e-mails many of us have been receiving from Sprue Brothers are, in fact, from them.  They just weren't actually meant to go out to anybody.

Here is the reply I got today from Devin at Sprue Brothers:

Thank you for contacting me.  I talked with the owner and he is aware of it.  This is what he is sending to the other customers that have contacted us through the help email system:

Please disregard this email.  The email is real (from us) but it was sent out to you in error (it was a test email that was supposed to go out to one person but was sent to many by mistake).   It was inadvertently sent out by our developers working on our new webstore software that we announced earlier this week.

 
The current plan is to switch over to the new software sometime late Wednesday March 3 (please be aware that are webstore will be closed started at 10pm Central time Tuesday March 2 until the software transition is fully completed).
 
Let me know if you have any questions.
 
Kind regards,
Devin

"You can have my illegal fireworks when you pry them from my cold, dead fingers...which are...over there somewhere."

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Longmont, Colorado
Posted by Cadet Chuck on Sunday, February 28, 2021 5:19 PM

Thank you for clearing this up for us!

Gimme a pigfoot, and a bottle of beer...

  • Member since
    May 2013
  • From: From the Mit, but live in Mason, O high ho
Posted by hogfanfs on Sunday, February 28, 2021 7:12 PM

On a good note, I found out I have 869 point available! Big Smile

 Bruce

 

 On the bench:  1/48 Eduard MiG-21MF

                        1/35 Takom Merkava Mk.I

 

  • Member since
    April 2020
Posted by Eaglecash867 on Sunday, February 28, 2021 7:23 PM

Heh...I found out I have 1379 available, but still haven't figured out how to use them.  Maybe that ability will materialize with the new software they're upgrading to.  I'm glad to see them upgrading it, there is definitely some annoying behavior on the part of the buttons down the left side of their site.  If you accidentally touch one of them with your mouse pointer, every time you try to get to something near the left pane, the pop-up menu comes up and prevents you from getting to it.  You have to refresh the page to get that to stop.  It'll be cool to see that go away.

"You can have my illegal fireworks when you pry them from my cold, dead fingers...which are...over there somewhere."

  • Member since
    May 2013
  • From: Indiana, USA
Posted by Greg on Monday, March 1, 2021 9:26 AM

Thanks for passing that along.

On a side note, I cringed when I read the "I talked to the owner and........" response from the rep, and I'll just leave it at that becuase I am fond of Sprue Brothers and the folk there.

Too bad a test email sneaked out, but sure glad it wasn't malicious.

 

 

  • Member since
    December 2020
Posted by TheDemiGod on Tuesday, March 2, 2021 6:58 PM

Sprue Brothers.... meh. I'm not all that impressed with them. I prefer shopping at Scalehobbyist for better prices and selections. Sure maybe once in a while you might find a deal but not too often. Not to mention, it's easier to find what you're looking for. Scalehobbyists makes shopping so easy by breaking it down into sections and catagories. I don't have the patience or time to shop at SB using their search features/catagories sections.

A bonus? I never get phishing spam email from them.Big Smile Just saying...Whistling

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