"Adleech" parasite leads to Russia

An "Adleech" parasite - not to be confused with Adsense - is currently swamping the wordldwideweb in unsolicited ads, is growing, and looks set to change the web as we know it- in fact authors are downing their quills and just saying a Big Nancy Reagan to Adleech. In other words, "No". So what is Adleech and from where does it come?

Adleech is a term we coined in a previous posting. It is used to describe those annoying little ads that have started appearing alongside articles posted on the web via various Blogs and Websites. (Just Google "thebigretort" and you will see what we mean. The ads promise to deliver an article via a hyperlink, but when a reader clicks on the link s/he only discovers a one-page ad with no content other than 'Mp3' hard sell riding on the coat-tails of the main article.)

A list of domains with unsolicited ads attached to TheBigRetort is currently growing, and, although we are happy to see our Google presence rise (due to the work we put it), we are not at all happy to be associated with the current campaign. (In fact, our opinion on Adleech can be gleaned from part of the title we created. And, for the record... TheBigRetort does not receive any remuneration these links. Save for those ads listed on our site we do not sponsor links in this manner.)

We have for some time now seen a growth in a readership from Brockley to Beijing. And it is one for which we work tirelessly, endlessly, long into the night, and for very little - if any - remuneration (hint-hint). However, when we discovered some unwanted parasites in Moscow, we just had to take a closer look at who was sticking the nuclear finger. Was it Putin? Could it have been that nasty old KGB? Or was it ... Agent "Dmitry"?

The administrative contact for the majority of the domains that were causing us such a headache were registered to one "Holes Dmitry". However, emails to Agent Dmitry remained unanswered. Dmitry, in short, was an elusive twat. He had also registered other domains that he had then gone on to attach to our articles, which also made him a right C U Next Tuesday too.

A list as long as your arm were registered via ESTDOMAINS, INC - MP3SKYLION.COM, MP3LOOPUP.COM, MP3CARZ.COM etc. However 'Konstantin' of Estodomains blaimed the hosting company. (A contact email for the hosting company was also given.)

But Dmitry wasn't alone... Others, like Dmitry, had shielded their identities through a company styled "PrivacyProtect.org". Supposedly based in the Netherlands, PrivacyProtect.org led us to a company styled "Directi". (It goes on.)

The companies are the creation of two brothers based in India. Bhavin Turakhia was very helpful actually and promised that someone 'from my team will shortly connect with you and provide you an appropriate response. we are known as a white hat registrar and are very very strict w.r.t our abuse prevention policies.'

It is fair to say that due to Bhavin's intervention we not only had confirmation that Directi and PrivacyProtect.org were connected, but our complaint was also then fast-tracked. (A link between these two companies (and others) was established by the most excellent DomainDetectives.net. Another company that doesn't answer emails but is quite remarkable in its pursuit of identity shielders.)

The identity shield was later removed, and the identities of adleech sites owners was 'revealed' - in as much as 'Dmitry' or 'Nick' etc could be that revealing. PrivacyProtect.org also listed additional domain owners that TheBigRetort now drags into the light (most of them belong to Dmitry);

MP3SKYLION.COM

MP3LOOPUP.COM

MP3CARZ.COM

1PODMP3.COM

RNP3F1ESTA.COM

HANZMUSIC.COM

TORONTOMP3S.COM

It further claimed that 'the problem that you have brought to our notice needs to be filed (sic) Hosting Provider of the domain names.' And so our woes did not end there either...

TheBigRetort coined a new cyberphrase in accusing peddlers of MP3 as 'adleechers', little wonder that a cheeky adleecher then attached a series of MP3 ads to the article about adleeching. (Perhaps with a hearty bell laugh. See torrentsrapidsharemusic.com/rapidshare-artist2608-accused.asp. But please don't buy the product, or click on the links.)

INMP3Z.COM was created at 20-Mar-2008. Again the registrar Estodomains pops up. and its appropriately styled "SEOHELL.ORG" nameservers pointed us towards a company styled Cernel, Inc. (We wrote to the host informing it that a 'Nick (mailto:karrambas@gmail.com) also based in Moscow, but at the time of writing had received no response. In fact, the same person has also registered another adleech on that same date via another domain.)

So, as we write, so shall we sow.

Coming soon in TheBigRetort.... the response.