Edit: I got dominated in practical joke.

[leinadM]

They ain't going to email you saying you're under investigation.

 

[dethman]

Originally posted by: FortFunFoSho
Right, well in theory, I thought it was a joke last week when my friend got one. But when they wrote me an e-mail using my first name on an account I have never used for public purposes, I get interested.

which suggests it could be one of your friends screwing with you. but who knows.

 

[timswim78]

Did an infousa search on the number, and here are the results:

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATN
935 PENNSYLVANIA AVE NW # 11
WASHINGTON DC 20537
(202)324-3000
SIC Code: 912101

 

Uhhhh...do you think the FBI would really tell you if they are investigating YOU for filesharing? Wouldnt that kind of ruin their evidence gathering? If it is legit, scare tactic at best. Call the number and see what happens.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Kiyup

Originally posted by: FortFunFoSho
"Hello *****,

I'm writing to inform you that you are currently under investigation for pirating music via filesharing applications. Most notably, your use of the application "Kazaa Lite", which is currently in litigation. If you have any questions, please contact my office at the number below.




Got it in my e-mail today. And its weird cause its an account I never give out.. or use for that matter. But it is my school account.

I advise that you take that off, at least the contact info.
I don't believe that it is too smart.

Why?

It's public information.

 

[AAjax]

Very intersting, they got the phone number right but I doubt its legit.
Bet its a chain letter. In any account post the return address for the email.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: timswim78
Did an infousa search on the number, and here are the results:

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATN
935 PENNSYLVANIA AVE NW # 11
WASHINGTON DC 20537
(202)324-3000
SIC Code: 912101

:Q:Q

It could still be a joke, doesen't mean that's where the email really came from. Post the headers.

 

[illusion88]

Originally posted by: FortFunFoSho
Right, well in theory, I thought it was a joke last week when my friend got one. But when they wrote me an e-mail using my first name on an account I have never used for public purposes, I get interested.

Nothing wrong with calling the number. I would check the header to make sure its not a fake email. Just because the address is fbi.gov doesn't mean it actually came from there. The header would tell you if it came from an actual FBI.gov server.

EDIT: Eli is right, post the headers.

 

[leinadM]

Just cause they gave you a real number doesn't mean that the mail is real.

 

[SoylentGreen]

Originally posted by: leinadM
They ain't going to email you saying you're under investigation.

That's sound better, did you read the SMTP header? You can find out the true origin of the email.

 

[Angrymarshmello]

Do you live on campus and use the dorm's net access? If so, the school's admin dept. probably gave them your info

 

[illusion88]

show us the headers!

 

[Legendary]

If you call the # you will get the FBI. The FBI # is obviously public domain.
Checking the headers would probably be the best way.

 

[FortFunFoSho]

The way I get into this email account (school account) I cannot see the headers.
But my friend who received the same one last week checked out his headers and it sure did come from fbi.gov.

 

[Ylen13]

how much do you want to bet its riaa job

 

[GoodToGo]

I for one dont think he is lying. Just last week, one of our network administrators walks into our lab and asks for a particular person. This guy leaves his Kazza on overnight and there have been tons of movement of copyrighted material to and from his comp. The administrator unplugged his comp from the network and warned against filesharing since he had been contacted by the RIAA and the MPAA regarding his file transfers.

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

Please post the email headers.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

I smell an SMTP bounce. Need headers.

- M4H

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: GoodToGo
I for one dont think he is lying. Just last week, one of our network administrators walks into our lab and asks for a particular person. This guy leaves his Kazza on overnight and there have been tons of movement of copyrighted material to and from his comp. The administrator unplugged his comp from the network and warned against filesharing since he had been contacted by the RIAA and the MPAA regarding his file transfers.

Filesharing over a work connection (fibre line?) is just a little different then an end-user, methinks.

- M4H

 

[ProviaFan]

Originally posted by: Kiyup

Originally posted by: leinadM
They ain't going to email you saying you're under investigation.

That's sound better, did you read the SMTP header? You can find out the true origin of the email.

Yup. Just because the From line says somebody@fbi.gov, that doesn't mean that the message actually came from there. After all, why would they warn you in advance if they're coming to take your computer and check it out?

fdisk /mbr

(yes, you would actually need a real disk wiping utility, but that's just a first step quick example)

 

[illusion88]

Originally posted by: FortFunFoSho
The way I get into this email account (school account) I cannot see the headers.
But my friend who received the same one last week checked out his headers and it sure did come from fbi.gov.

Do you use HTML access for email or something? How can you not see the headers?

 

[FortFunFoSho]

Guys I cannot post the headers because it is a webmail interface via school.

Again i repeat my friend received the exact same e-mail using his name instead and he checked out the headers and it was from fbi.gov

 

[FortFunFoSho]

Yes, this account can only be accessed via web.

 

[jlee]

Call the number..if it's legit, inform the answering individual of the *legal* uses of file-sharing programs...

 

[leinadM]

Originally posted by: FortFunFoSho
Guys I cannot post the headers because it is a webmail interface via school.

Again i repeat my friend received the exact same e-mail using his name instead and he checked out the headers and it was from fbi.gov

Again, even if it was from an FBI address, doesn't mean that the FBI sent it.