Hello dear WordPress bloggers,
We’ve become aware of a scam involving an ‘advertising agency’ that wants to put banner ads on your site.
Here’s how it works: You are sent a nice email, personalized from a real person, with phone number. The site looks legit (not very nice, but legit). Once ‘approved’, you are sent a login to their site. You download the plugin, “adv.zip” and upload to your site. You can then place banner ads on your site.
From our research it has gone by the following names so far:
- bevestoagency.com
- ritaagency.com
- Izidaagency.com
- gelbertagency.com
- pakbbagency.com
- Jinaagency.com
- markaagency.com
- karaagency.com
- kervelagency.com
- lego-agency.com
- Lana Agency / LanaAgency
The acceptance email looks like:
Dangers & Risks
It seems no one is sure what exactly the banner ad plugin does, but one thing is for sure -no one is getting any money from this ‘agency’. Installing plugins ads code directly to your site. So there is always a risk when installing plugins or themes. Thats why it is so important to get them from reputable sources. The code has been scoured by many people with no one finding anything malicious except for another user added to the site. Of course that is dangerous because then anyone with that username/password can change the site in any way they want.
What to do
Right now, it is enough to de-active & delete the plugin. And then go through your site’s users and delete any unknowns. We will update the blog if anything comes of this threat. Sign up here to our feed or get the emails instead.
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Sources:
http://www.warriorforum.com/main-internet-marketing-discussion-forum/509224-advertising-scam-important.html
http://www.atpeaz.com/index.php/2011/wordpress-blogs-targeted-scam-beware-of-the-adv-zip-plugin/comment-page-1/?print=1
http://mephistos.com/2011/08/04/devious-scam-aimed-at-bloggers/comment-page-1/#comment-3641
http://www.sleeandtopher.com/2011/12/warning-bloggers-beware-of-blog-banner-ad-scam-with-adv-plugin/
I’m glad I googled and found your post. I almost got swindled by the lego-angency.com. The emails they sent were perfect copies (except for my unique login details) of the pictures you posted.
What I hate more than being cheated is getting my hopes up…and they certainly did that.
I’m so sorry Cody, that is definitely disappointing!
~Cathy
Don’t worry Cody. It is only natural that you got your hopes up. It happens to everyone in that situation. Just remember, there is no free money anywhere unless you find it on the floor. Even then, I always try to find an owner. But the money you earn will never be taken away.
I was contacted by “Sacha Charles” at “Lana Agency” regarding this exact same scam yesterday. We pitched some prices back and forth via email while I tried to investigate them (and found a shocking ZERO results when Googling for their “Ad Agency”, which raised my eye brows). Thankfully I found your article BEFORE I got scammed by these folks. THANK YOU!
Again, it was: “Sacha Charles” @ “Lana Agency” (www.lanaagency.com)
Please add this identity to your article?
Thank you Jeremy! Its added.