DIRTY TRICKS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
Feb. 9th, 2014 12:04 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
defrogITEM: Time magazine reports that the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has been setting up phishing web sites that trick Democrats into donating to the NRCC.
Take this site for example, AnnKirkpatrick.com:
The URL is real, and it looks like a site for Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick, who is running for Congress. But read the small type, and you’ll see it’s actually an anti-Kirkpatrick site asking people to donate to the NRCC.
Time says it’s found 16 such sites so far.
Here’s another one.
The NRCC is pretty unapologetic, says it hasn’t broken any laws because the site does state where the money goes if you look closely enough, and anyway it’s the Democrats’ fault for being dumb enough not to buy the URLs first:
In other words, “Hey, we wouldn't even be able to do this if you were smart enough to buy all yr URLs before we do, so it's yr own fault d00ds.”
Technically they have a point – it’s not technically fraud as long as you take the time to read the small print. And according to this story from Florida, if you do get duped, the NRCC will refund yr money (though it’s also like pulling teeth, reportedly).
On the other hand, the web site design is clearly intended to masquerade as a legitimate site at first glance. That and the fact that their defense is “technically it’s legal” indicates to me a clear intention to mislead – and see how many gullible Democrat supporters they can “legally” fleece. It might not be illegal, but it is devious, underhanded and a dick thing to do.
I don’t think it will make a big difference in the outcome of a given election, mind. But it does serve as a reminder that politics is a dirty game. The object is not to play fair – the object is to win.
So the takeaway for me here is: caveat emptor and all that.
Consider yrself forewarned.
Always read the fine print,
This is dF
Take this site for example, AnnKirkpatrick.com:
The URL is real, and it looks like a site for Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick, who is running for Congress. But read the small type, and you’ll see it’s actually an anti-Kirkpatrick site asking people to donate to the NRCC.
Time says it’s found 16 such sites so far.
Here’s another one.
The NRCC is pretty unapologetic, says it hasn’t broken any laws because the site does state where the money goes if you look closely enough, and anyway it’s the Democrats’ fault for being dumb enough not to buy the URLs first:
The NRCC stands by the tactic and mocks Democrats for failing to grab up Internet real estate important to the party’s candidates. “Democrats are behind the game in digital,” NRCC spokeswoman Andrea Bozek said. “They should be buying the URLs for their candidates. I think that’s a pretty basic campaign tactic.”
In other words, “Hey, we wouldn't even be able to do this if you were smart enough to buy all yr URLs before we do, so it's yr own fault d00ds.”
Technically they have a point – it’s not technically fraud as long as you take the time to read the small print. And according to this story from Florida, if you do get duped, the NRCC will refund yr money (though it’s also like pulling teeth, reportedly).
On the other hand, the web site design is clearly intended to masquerade as a legitimate site at first glance. That and the fact that their defense is “technically it’s legal” indicates to me a clear intention to mislead – and see how many gullible Democrat supporters they can “legally” fleece. It might not be illegal, but it is devious, underhanded and a dick thing to do.
I don’t think it will make a big difference in the outcome of a given election, mind. But it does serve as a reminder that politics is a dirty game. The object is not to play fair – the object is to win.
So the takeaway for me here is: caveat emptor and all that.
Consider yrself forewarned.
Always read the fine print,
This is dF
