Villa Fortuna? Clever(ish) spam.

[vinylweatherman]

Dear Brian, please find attached your official invitation to Europe's #1 new online casino.

As one of our best customers, I managed to get you an invite to the pre-launch party of Villafortuna.com, the NEW, ALL European Casino! You can be assured of easy banking, great odds and excellent customer service. We will also give you 25 Euro FREE to try it out (no purchase required). All you have to do is download the casino and register as a real player.

The quick way there is to just click on the link below:
xxxwww.villafortuna.com

I really appreciate any feedback you may have regarding this casino and, with permission, will contact you later in the week.

ALSO PLEASE NOTE that the games are available in Italian, German, Spanish and French but that certain aspects of the website and software are currently in English only.
Everything will be available in your favourite language by the time the casino officially launches on 1 July 2008.


Enjoy your FREE BONUS MONEY and best of luck,

Mario
Villa Fortuna News.


This one got me going. Walked right through my ISP's usually oversensitive filters, yet has all the "wrong" words, an affiliate link, and even shows as having an attachment that seems to be "invisible" - I can't access it from "save attachments", yet the paperclip icon clearly shows.

My genuine first name is also shown, although the subject line gives the game away

"Your pre-launch invitation ##FIRSTNAME##. "

The sender is shown as:-

"Villafortuna News [do_not_reply@villafortunanews.com]"

I have never heard of them, who are they?

It's the kind of name I feel Fortune Lounge might pick for one of theirs, but they have just shed overcapacity by going down to 8 casinos.

The link LOOKS "clean", but that "invisible attachment" has got me decided NOT to risk it - something is up with this Email.

If this is somehow a botched marketing ploy by some real casino with a rep here, they had better fess up, and take some advice on how NOT to invite players "out of the blue" with weird looking Emails that just scream "VIRUS Included" at them!

[lots0]

Ill tell you whats up with that email.....

Generic7.scd.... A Trojan Horse Downloader

If you opened the email, run a full virus scan ASAP.

[jolub]

I have my emails scanned before they arrive in my inbox but I still don't trust all the crap that I get scammed with. If you don't ask for something, don't open the email offering it to you.

[jetset]

I think this must be a rogue affiliate, because this is an imminent Microgaming powered online casino licensed in Malta and registered to Iconic (Malta) Ltd. The management is allegedly very experienced in the business.

I've drawn the attention of appropriate people to the virus loaded spam.

[chuchu59]

Are they trying to cashin on Villa's reputation after his 3 goals for Spain?

[vd752]

it's a new casino from Grand Prive


according to Grand Prive affiliate manager post at CAP

... a small list of players were sent invitations to play at Villa Fortuna. ... These players were invited to play at the casino as a means to generate wagering, which is one of the requirements of getting the brand licensed.

...

Should you find any players posting on any of your forums with regards to Villa Fortuna, please delete the posts immediately. We are not looking for the brand to be advertised in this manner.

We will advise on the affiliate program for this brand closer to the time of launch, which we hope will be no later than 1 August. ....

Hope this help.

[GrandMaster]

I think this must be a rogue affiliate, because this is an imminent Microgaming powered online casino licensed in Malta and registered to Iconic (Malta) Ltd. The management is allegedly very experienced in the business.

Players need something better than an allegedly very experienced management. HippoJo was announced to have "substantial backers" and "highly experienced and respected Australian online gambling consultant" and we all know what happened.

[jetset]

it's a new casino from Grand Prive according to Grand Prive affiliate manager post at CAP
Hope this help.

Thanks for that information, vd752 - perhaps you could advise the affiliate manager concerned at CAP about the virus mentioned in Lots0's post - presumably that's the last thing they want happening.

[jetset]

Players need something better than an allegedly very experienced management. HippoJo was announced to have "substantial backers" and "highly experienced and respected Australian online gambling consultant" and we all know what happened.

You're clearly stating the obvious.

[vd752]

Thanks for that information, vd752 - perhaps you could advise the affiliate manager concerned at CAP about the virus mentioned in Lots0's post - presumably that's the last thing they want happening.

I don't see any proof that there e-mail contains a virus, just a supposition in first post and a guess in second. Sorry if I'm wrong.