Too-cheap-to-be-true software licenses

[equazcion]

Anyone have any experience with "softbusinessonline"? Their prices don't seem to make any sense. Is this a scam of some kind?

http://www.softbusinessonline.com/i...ath=10&zenid=f673a3e7a4215c38ce288e6556a4eedc

I can't find anything about them on Google, but they come up in a Google ad when I search "Microsoft Office 2007 Basic". I'm new to buying software licenses and am unfamiliar with the scam possibilities, so this might be something rather obvious that's nevertheless going right over my head. If anyone could clue me in I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

---

The site is a Chinese scammer. Whois for softbusinessonline.com:

Registrant:
huang yuhong
beijing
beijing, beijing 100036
China

Registered through: GoDaddy.com, Inc. (http://www.godaddy.com)
Domain Name: SOFTBUSINESSONLINE.COM
Created on: 12-Aug-10
Expires on: 12-Aug-11
Last Updated on: 12-Aug-10

Administrative Contact:
yuhong, huang kokolpopo@gmail.com
beijing
beijing, beijing 100036
China
01085691232

Technical Contact:
yuhong, huang kokolpopo@gmail.com
beijing
beijing, beijing 100036
China
01085691232

Harvey
Senior AnandTech Moderator/Administrator

 

[Unheard]

I can haz my ipod?

Wait. You joined in '06. Nevermind. And yes, it is a scam. They are pirated copies.

 

[techs]

Simple rule. If they are selling it for waaay less then the manufacturer charges for it wholesalde, then its bogus.

 

[equazcion]

The thing is that they're not selling discs, just licenses. If it were software discs I would've said sure it's pirated stuff, but that's not what this is. They explicitly say in the FAQ that they're selling licenses, not media.

You're telling me that they'll take your money and simply not send you a key? Or they'll send you a key that doesn't activate? It seems like they'd get taken down rather quickly if that were the case.

 

[Soundmanred]

Probably VLKs (Volume License Keys) or Technet stuff.
If either is found to be outside the rules of Microsofts game, they will be deactivated and you'll be SOL.

 

[madmex]

Found this thread through Google search and registered so I could post a reply. I work IT security for a living and got this question this morning from a user asking me if I thought this site was legit.

Thought I'd post my findings here so the search engines would index it and hopefully save some people from what is likely a scam.

So here is my analysis:

The first thing I noticed was the grammar of the site wasn't 100% accurate, like someone used a translator and then fixed a variety of the easy-to-spot translation errors, however the first sentence one on their "about us" page made me literally laugh out loud.. Why don't you just say you are all about the money? Oh wait, you did.

SoftBusinessOnline.com Ltd is a software e-commerce concerned about Customer profit first of all. We work for you to have the software of a best quality only. Besides our prices are surprisingly low even for those who are used to live in competitive e-world. We are known for our ethical business policy so our customers are often to apply to us again and get a wholesale discount.
​

Ok, second.. Their about us page didn't list an address, it listed a picture of a building where someone put an address onto the picture, so either they stole this picture (I haven't gone looking) or they just edited the picture. I'm always leery of companies who won't just flat out print their address. So the address they have listed is: 795 Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA.

UPDATE: they stole the picture, right out of this article showing that Twitter just grabbed the entire third floor of this building to expand their operations. Something tells me an online e-tailer isn't going to be able to afford the rent on a place like this.
http://sanfranciscotenantrep.com/2010/01/05/twitter-to-double-space/

And how about a Suite number to go with that? Are we to believe they own the entire building?! They didn't list one, probably because they don't understand the American addressing system.. why? see below.

Third, and most importantly, the whois information for the registration of the domain..

Registrant:
huang yuhong
beijing
beijing, beijing 100036
China

Registered through: GoDaddy.com, Inc. (http://www.godaddy.com)
Domain Name: SOFTBUSINESSONLINE.COM
Created on: 12-Aug-10
Expires on: 12-Aug-11
Last Updated on: 12-Aug-10

Administrative Contact:
yuhong, huang kokolpopo@gmail.com
beijing
beijing, beijing 100036
China
01085691232
​

So, given that the site was registered by someone in China and not San Francisco, and please note: Created on: 12-Aug-10
This domain was created 6 days ago.


So given the 1,2,3 approach of Grammar fail, unlikely physical address obfuscated so search engines can't find it, and a registrant in China when they claim to be out of San Francisco...

Three strikes, you are a scam....

I agree w/ the earlier poster... If you even get something in your email from them, it is likely a VLK (Volume license key) that is probably stolen, or generated.. and the download of office itself that they offer is more than likely full of spyware and malware..

Madmex

 

[Homerboy]

You had me at #3. That's the FIRST thing to search with such companies. Once it was China, let alone a few days old, I wouldn't have bothered with any other investigative work.

 

[equazcion]

Thanks for the insights Soundmanred. From reading the FAQ I did obviously notice the poor grammar. Also the discrepancy between the domain name and the name as displayed in the logo, and other clues that seemed to at least point to sleaze.

So yes the site seems shady in general, and I wouldn't risk any significant amount of money there, but I am still curious about what exactly the scam is. I wasn't aware that it was possible to generate VLKs that will actually activate (or, that will let you update the software, as the FAQ claims you can), at least not on any consistent basis, but if that's true then I suppose it's likely that's what this site is doing.

That's of course unless this is a straightforward "we steal your money and give you nothing" site -- which seems unlikely to me though. Licenses that people expect to get within a few hours of ordering would seem to be the last thing a scammer would want to use. At least with CDs and other merchandise you've got the shipping time before customers start complaining.

Cheapest thing on the site is BitDefender 1-year, in case anyone wants to experiment and report back http://www.softbusinessonline.com/i..._id=61&zenid=f673a3e7a4215c38ce288e6556a4eedc

PS. They seem to have found a way to generate BitDefender keys for several different licensing schemes, again assuming they do indeed give you something that survives activation -- 1-year for 5 pcs, 3-year 5 pcs, 3-year 1 pc, etc. You really think they can do that? If so they at least deserve credit for developing the technique...