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Messer Gas Spam 2021-09-10

If you haven't heard of Sodastream, it is basically a kit you can buy for carbonating your own water/drinks at home. They seem to be sort of popular but their business model is a dick move, because everything about them (expect maybe the water) is proprietary. Want to use a different bottle? Sorry, not an option. Want to get your CO2 from somewhere else? No way eh. So I went looking for an alternative. I actually found plenty of DIY goofs who had plans or instructions for home made kits, and they didn't seem much cheaper, but they certainly seemed more flexible. So I figured I'd try it.

I ended up buying a regulator for about $60 or so and a buddy of mine was nice enough to ask at the local BOC outlet how much a CO2 tank would be. He was told $40 a year for tank rental and $40 per fill with CO2. I was told I just have to create an account with them and pay online, then have him pick it up. Sounds simple right? Well, pump the brakes there princess. BOC has actually been bought out by Messer. So I went to Messer's web site and filled out a bunch of info on their contact us page and sent it to them. I got an email telling me that someone would be in touch. The next day I got an email with the subject "CREDIT APPS" from a Messer customer service guy who forwarded me the info I filled out the day before, attached a PDF, and added no additional comments or information other than his automated signature. I was a little irritated that some goof [me] who just wanted to pay credit card and get a tank of gas would need an account and a credit check, so I called and said that about 90% of what's on the form didn't even apply to me. I was told to just fill out what I could and send it back. I did, but the only information I was putting in there was the info that I originally sent them. Whatever, I sent it and got back an email telling me I now had an account.

Now, I apparently didn't get a Messer Webshop account (which I requested) but whatever, I decided to just call and see if someone could help me place an order for a stupid tank. The lady I spoke with said that the store where I wanted it picked up had no stock of CO2. In government, the thing that you consider to be your primary purpose is called your "core competency". Apparently Messer Gas didn't have what I think could be called their "core competency". So I said I would try to make arrangements for a different pickup location and call back to complete the order. While I was at it, I asked her the price. Apparently the cost of the gas was about 30% more than I had been told and the tank rental was almost triple.

myfreakinimage Oh yeah?

So I asked her what I needed to do to arrange for Messer to erase all record of my contact information and accounts. She gave me an email address to contact them and make that request. Yeah, their customer service apparently can't do that. The next day [before I had bothered to email them to request that they forget who I am] I saw this on my mail server:

Sep 3 18:15:41 mail "SMTPD"#0112712#01166657#011"2021-09-03 18:15:41.168"#011"185.196.55.9"#011"SENT: 220 Dude, Wassup!"
Sep 3 18:15:41 mail "SMTPD"#0112696#01166657#011"2021-09-03 18:15:41.304"#011"185.196.55.9"#011"RECEIVED: HELO s777.hubucoapp.com"
Sep 3 18:15:41 mail "SMTPD"#0112696#01166657#011"2021-09-03 18:15:41.306"#011"185.196.55.9"#011"SENT: 250 Hello."
Sep 3 18:15:42 mail "SMTPD"#0112704#01166657#011"2021-09-03 18:15:41.442"#011"185.196.55.9"#011"RECEIVED: MAIL FROM:<ss-messer@s777.hubucoapp.com>"
Sep 3 18:15:46 mail "SMTPD"#0112704#01166657#011"2021-09-03 18:15:45.759"#011"185.196.55.9"#011"SENT: 250 OK"
Sep 3 18:15:46 mail "SMTPD"#0112720#01166657#011"2021-09-03 18:15:45.896"#011"185.196.55.9"#011"RECEIVED: RCPT TO:<boldizsaradachichara@snork.ca>"
Sep 3 18:15:46 mail "SMTPD"#0112720#01166657#011"2021-09-03 18:15:45.915"#011"185.196.55.9"#011"SENT: 550 Unknown user"
Sep 3 18:15:46 mail "SMTPD"#0112696#01166657#011"2021-09-03 18:15:46.053"#011"185.196.55.9"#011"RECEIVED: QUIT"
Sep 3 18:15:46 mail "SMTPD"#0112696#01166657#011"2021-09-03 18:15:46.056"#011"185.196.55.9"#011"SENT: 221 goodbye"
Sep 3 18:15:46 mail "SMTPD"#0112712#01166661#011"2021-09-03 18:15:46.221"#011"185.196.53.7"#011"SENT: 220 Dude, Wassup!"
Sep 3 18:15:46 mail "SMTPD"#0112704#01166661#011"2021-09-03 18:15:46.344"#011"185.196.53.7"#011"RECEIVED: HELO s263.hubucoapp.com"
Sep 3 18:15:46 mail "SMTPD"#0112704#01166661#011"2021-09-03 18:15:46.344"#011"185.196.53.7"#011"SENT: 250 Hello."
Sep 3 18:15:46 mail "SMTPD"#0112696#01166661#011"2021-09-03 18:15:46.494"#011"185.196.53.7"#011"RECEIVED: MAIL FROM:<ss-messer@s263.hubucoapp.com>"
Sep 3 18:15:48 mail "SMTPD"#0112696#01166661#011"2021-09-03 18:15:48.050"#011"185.196.53.7"#011"SENT: 250 OK"
Sep 3 18:15:48 mail "SMTPD"#0112712#01166661#011"2021-09-03 18:15:48.185"#011"185.196.53.7"#011"RECEIVED: RCPT TO:<ss-messer@snork.ca>"
Sep 3 18:15:48 mail "SMTPD"#0112712#01166661#011"2021-09-03 18:15:48.336"#011"185.196.53.7"#011"SENT: 451 Please try again later."
Sep 3 18:15:48 mail "SMTPD"#0112720#01166661#011"2021-09-03 18:15:48.473"#011"185.196.53.7"#011"RECEIVED: QUIT"
Sep 3 18:15:48 mail "SMTPD"#0112720#01166661#011"2021-09-03 18:15:48.475"#011"185.196.53.7"#011"SENT: 221 goodbye"
Sep 3 18:16:49 mail "SMTPD"#0112712#01166662#011"2021-09-03 18:16:49.221"#011"185.196.53.7"#011"SENT: 220 Dude, Wassup!"
Sep 3 18:16:49 mail "SMTPD"#0112696#01166662#011"2021-09-03 18:16:49.365"#011"185.196.53.7"#011"RECEIVED: HELO s263.hubucoapp.com"
Sep 3 18:16:49 mail "SMTPD"#0112696#01166662#011"2021-09-03 18:16:49.367"#011"185.196.53.7"#011"SENT: 250 Hello."
Sep 3 18:16:49 mail "SMTPD"#0112712#01166662#011"2021-09-03 18:16:49.500"#011"185.196.53.7"#011"RECEIVED: MAIL FROM:<ss-messer@s263.hubucoapp.com>"
Sep 3 18:16:49 mail "SMTPD"#0112712#01166662#011"2021-09-03 18:16:49.500"#011"185.196.53.7"#011"SENT: 250 OK"
Sep 3 18:16:49 mail "SMTPD"#0112732#01166662#011"2021-09-03 18:16:49.650"#011"185.196.53.7"#011"RECEIVED: RCPT TO:<ss-messer@snork.ca>"
Sep 3 18:16:50 mail "SMTPD"#0112732#01166662#011"2021-09-03 18:16:49.792"#011"185.196.53.7"#011"SENT: 451 Please try again later."
Sep 3 18:16:50 mail "SMTPD"#0112696#01166662#011"2021-09-03 18:16:49.930"#011"185.196.53.7"#011"RECEIVED: QUIT"
Sep 3 18:16:50 mail "SMTPD"#0112696#01166662#011"2021-09-03 18:16:49.932"#011"185.196.53.7"#011"SENT: 221 goodbye"
Sep 3 18:17:50 mail "SMTPD"#0112712#01166663#011"2021-09-03 18:17:50.438"#011"185.196.53.7"#011"SENT: 220 Dude, Wassup!"
Sep 3 18:17:50 mail "SMTPD"#0112696#01166663#011"2021-09-03 18:17:50.578"#011"185.196.53.7"#011"RECEIVED: HELO s263.hubucoapp.com"
Sep 3 18:17:50 mail "SMTPD"#0112696#01166663#011"2021-09-03 18:17:50.581"#011"185.196.53.7"#011"SENT: 250 Hello."
Sep 3 18:17:50 mail "SMTPD"#0112712#01166663#011"2021-09-03 18:17:50.763"#011"185.196.53.7"#011"RECEIVED: MAIL FROM:<ss-messer@s263.hubucoapp.com>"
Sep 3 18:17:50 mail "SMTPD"#0112712#01166663#011"2021-09-03 18:17:50.775"#011"185.196.53.7"#011"SENT: 250 OK"
Sep 3 18:17:50 mail "SMTPD"#0112732#01166663#011"2021-09-03 18:17:50.913"#011"185.196.53.7"#011"RECEIVED: RCPT TO:<ss-messer@snork.ca>"
Sep 3 18:17:51 mail "SMTPD"#0112732#01166663#011"2021-09-03 18:17:51.003"#011"185.196.53.7"#011"SENT: 250 OK"
Sep 3 18:17:51 mail "SMTPD"#0112696#01166663#011"2021-09-03 18:17:51.138"#011"185.196.53.7"#011"RECEIVED: QUIT"
Sep 3 18:17:51 mail "SMTPD"#0112696#01166663#011"2021-09-03 18:17:51.140"#011"185.196.53.7"#011"SENT: 221 goodbye"

That's right, an IP address in Hungary was (1) trying to send mail to a non-existent email address on my server and (2) trying to deliver mail to an email address I had created just days before and which I had only ever given to Messer. Nice. But wait, there's more! A week later I get an email from Messer saying:

Dear valued customer,

Messer has been made aware of a phishing scheme sent to customers asking them to update Messer's bank account information and payment method in their systems. These requests are fraudulent attempts to divert payment to cybercriminals and do not come from Messer. We take information security very seriously and ask that you be vigilant in preventing fraud and helping to protect our common interests.

Oh yeah? I can tell you "take information security very seriously". Thanks for doing such a bang-up job.

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