PayolaPals: Bizarre new form of phishing?

[altivo]

I received an e-mail this morning on an account that is completely unconnected to LJ. It was an apparently legitimate notification from Yahoo Groups (I examined the headers and addresses closely and it really did come from there) asking me to confirm that I intended to request membership in a group called "PayolaPals".

I did not make such a request. I can't imagine why anyone who knows that particular address would have signed me up for the group clandestinely either. Yahoo is vague about the nature of the group or its purpose, other than saying it is a closed group about an "internet business opportunity". There appear to have been no new messages posted to the group since some time in 2003, but it has over 200 members.

I did not, of course, confirm this. I never requested membership in the group, and it sounds suspiciously unsavory to me. But I'm curious. Have any of you seen this, or heard of this group before?

Comments

[songcoyote.livejournal.com]

I've never heard of them, and it does indeed sound like a (relatively subtle) phishing attempt. DELETED! :D

I'm in Utah on break from my training session right now. Utah is certainly lovely, but I've had some odd looks directed my way (I think I might be a long haired hippie freak or something), especially when I first got off the plane in my faded jeans and tie-dyed shirt :)

The weather's been lovely, I've wished I was just a little closer to Illinois, and I particularly wish I wasn't sleeping alone for a week. I'm just not used to it *pout*.

Anyway, have fun, be well, and don't touch the phish ;)

Light and laughter,
SongCoyote

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Oh? You're a spoiled 'yote.

Yes, I definitely didn't touch the phish. A little further examination suggests that it is actually some sort of pyramid scheme that involves posting something on your web site (hence the use of that address, which is given as webmaster on some of my pages) and supposedly receiving compensation for it. Shady at best, possibly illegal, and certainly not something I'd do.

[songcoyote.livejournal.com]

Perhaps I am a little spoiled, but not so much that I don't take time to appreciate how nice it is to have a chance to snuggle. This period of absence just makes the return all the sweeter :)

Snuggles to you, sweet pony, and warm smiles.

Light and laughter,
SongCoyote

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Mmmm, snuggles. Better than anything else, I say.

[lobowolf.livejournal.com]

Hmm, never seen it, sounds quite bogus to me.

[pioneer11.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've seen that. But I'm paranoid-selective about who or what
gets to see me on my email. Anything that I've never asked for goes
into the magic bit bucket in the sky. (The All Zeros Heavan).

^_^

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

I delete anything like that, it sounds like something to get you on a spam mailing list rather than a phishing scam.

Is your email address placed anywhere? perhaps a robot email farming thing picked it up.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

That seems likely. The odd thing about it was the use of a Yahoo groups mailing list. The actual mailing list exists, but has sent out no messages since 2003. Presumably if I had confirmed membership, I would start receiving bizarre spam of some sort, but it wouldn't have come from the Yahoo group.