ARIN – Computer Security Articles

Tech CEO Sentenced to 5 Years in IP Address Scheme

October 17, 2023 admin American Registry for Internet Numbers, Amir Golestan, ARIN, Micfo LLC, Ne'er-Do-Well News, spamhaus, Web Fraud 2.0

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Tue, 17 Oct 2023 16:23:25 +0000

Amir Golestan, the 40-year-old CEO of the Charleston, S.C. based technology company Micfo LLC, has been sentenced to five years in prison for wire fraud. Golestan’s sentencing comes nearly two years after he pleaded guilty to using an elaborate network of phony companies to secure more than 735,000 Internet Protocol (IP) addresses from the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN), the nonprofit which oversees IP addresses assigned to entities in the U.S., Canada, and parts of the Caribbean.

Independent Krebs

Adconion Execs Plead Guilty in Federal Anti-Spam Case

June 10, 2022 admin A Little Sunshine, Adconion Direct, afrinic, Amobee, ARIN, CAN-SPAM Act, Daniel Dye, inspiring networks, Jacob Bychak, maikel uerlings, Mark Manoogian, Media Breakaway, Micfo, Mohammed Abdul Qayyum, mybroadband.co.za, Ne'er-Do-Well News, Optinrealbig, Petr Pacas, Scott Richter

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Sat, 11 Jun 2022 00:04:22 +0000

On the eve of their federal criminal trial for allegedly stealing vast swaths of Internet addresses for use in large-scale email spam campaigns, three current or former executives at online advertising firm Adconion Direct have agreed to plead guilty to lesser misdemeanor charges of fraud and misrepresentation via email.

Independent Krebs

Feds Allege Adconion Employees Hijacked IP Addresses for Spamming

September 2, 2019 admin A Little Sunshine, Adconion Direct, Amir Golestan, Amobee, ARIN, Blackstar Media LLC, CAN-SPAM, Daniel Dye, HostWinds, Jacob Bychak, Kim Perell, Mark Manoogian, Media Breakaway, Micfo, Mohammed Abdul Qayyum, Optinrealbig, Peter Holden, Petr Pacas, Scott Richter, SingTel, Spam Nation, spamhaus, The Coming Storm

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Mon, 02 Sep 2019 20:52:00 +0000

Federal prosecutors in California have filed criminal charges against four employees of Adconion Direct, an email advertising firm, alleging they unlawfully hijacked vast swaths of Internet addresses and used them in large-scale spam campaigns. KrebsOnSecurity has learned that the charges are likely just the opening salvo in a much larger, ongoing federal investigation into the company’s commercial email practices.

Independent Krebs

A Tough Week for IP Address Scammers

May 15, 2019 admin American Registry for Internet Numbers, Amir Golestan, ARIN, John Levine, Micfo, Micfo LLC, Ne'er-Do-Well News, Sherri Lydon, Stephen Ryan, The Coming Storm, The Internet for Dummies

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Wed, 15 May 2019 22:09:12 +0000

In the early days of the Internet, there was a period when Internet Protocol 4 (IPv4) addresses (e.g. 4.4.4.4) were given out like cotton candy to anyone who asked. But these days companies are queuing up to obtain new IP space from the various regional registries that periodically dole out the prized digits. With the value of a single IP hovering between $15-$25, those registries are now fighting a wave of shady brokers who specialize in securing new IP address blocks under false pretenses and then reselling to spammers. Here’s the story of one broker who fought back in the courts, and lost spectacularly. On May 14, South Carolina U.S. Attorney Sherri Lydon filed criminal wire fraud charges against Amir Golestan, alleging he and his Charleston, S.C. based company Micfo LLC orchestrated an elaborate network of phony companies and aliases to gather more than 735,000 IPs from the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN), a nonprofit which oversees IP addresses assigned to entities in the U.S., Canada, and parts of the Caribbean.

Independent Krebs

Tracing Spam: Diet Pills from Beltway Bandits

April 19, 2017 admin American Registry for Internet Numbers, ARIN, C3T, dan@gtacs.com, Defense Point Security, Farsight Security, GTACS, Matthew Sodano, Other, Power Storm Technologies, Ron Guilmette, tracesystems.com

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2017 18:56:10 +0000

Reading junk spam messages isn’t exactly my idea of a good time, but sometimes fun can be had when you take a moment to check who really sent the email. Here’s the simple story of how a recent spam email advertising celebrity “diet pills” was traced back to a Washington, D.C.-area defense contractor that builds tactical communications systems for the U.S. military and intelligence communities.