Last System Update - 7/11/05.  Members' classified ads are always ranked above non-member ads within the same date stamp; this is one of the benefits of paid membership in HorseContacts.com.  We're now flagging all Member ads with our Member button (see illustration at left) so they are recognizable by visitors, just as Member business listings are flagged with the Member button in our Business Directory.  This added benefit highlights members' ad ranking and gives their ads greater visibility. For more information on how classified ads are ranked and grouped, please see our Classifieds FAQ Page. To become a HorseContacts.com Member, click the "Join now" link in the left hand column of your control panel or call 303-882-2640.

Important notice to AOL users.  In their efforts to stop spammers, AOL is blocking domains and ISPs in unprecedented numbers.. If you have signed up as a registered user and posted classified ads or other information on our site, HorseContacts.com will send you automatic messages containing your login info., classified ad confirmations including your ad ID number, charge receipts, and HorseContacts.com Mail inquiries from visitors who are responding to your ads.  If you're not receiving these messages, check with AOL. If you don't want to receive email messages via HorseContacts.com, or if you receive a message from HorseContacts.com that you believe is spam, please alert us right away; do NOT report these messages to AOL as spam:  If you report them as spam, it's not the person in the 'FROM' address field who gets reported and blocked, it's HorseContacts.com's own email server. Please note we never use email to send unsolicited advertising, nor do we sell or share contact info. with other companies; see our Privacy Policy.

Because AOL is extremely aggressive in blocking perceived spam (see /updates.htm#aol and http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22aol%22%2B%22blocking+email%22), legitimate messages to AOL addresses may be blocked. We recommend using an email address other than AOL (for example, a free web-based email address such as Yahoo or Hotmail) when registering or posting ads. 

Attention, Mac/Safari Browser Users:  Our parent company Extend, Inc. is working to resolve an incompatibility problem between Mac's Safari browser and our classified ads' php programming. Please note it's not Mac per se, and not all Safari users are affected.  If you have difficulty accessing our site using Safari, please try IE, Netscape, or Opera.  Can't access our control panel or secure pages?  HorseContacts.com will post and edit ads directly for you. Use our Safari-friendly secure form at https://secure.azc.com/dvsmith/orderphoto2.html to submit a photo ad. If you're submitting a text-only ad, no need to use a form; just email your text directly to info@horsecontacts.com along with your instructions and we'll post it for you.  

Have questions or need assistance? Check our Classified FAQ, write to us at info@horsecontacts.com, or call 303-882-2640 during regular business hours. We're happy to help.

Infected email messages spoof HorseContacts.com. Copied below are samples of email messages that spoof HorseContacts.com's 'from' address.. Other similar messages arrived subsequently with varying "from" address and subject lines. The messages' attachment (sometimes a zip file) is a common email worm. These messages purport to be from HorseContacts.com, but they are NOT. You can tell these are bogus messages for the following reasons:

(1) FROM address is not a legitimate email account for our domain.
(2) Wording of both the subject and message is awkward, as if the sender is not an English speaker.
(3) Subject references a non-existent service; HorseContacts.com does not manage email accounts or anti-virus services for its users.
(4) Message does not include Marcy Klutchka's or Debbie Smith's signature block.
(5) Message does not identify the type of file attachment. HorseContacts.com rarely sends attachments, but if we do we will clearly identify the attachment in the body of the message (for example, .jpg, .gif, .doc, .pdf, etc.). We never send .zip files.

If you receive a message of this sort, do NOT open the attachment. Your virus protection software should take care of it for you, but play it safe and delete upon receipt.

This is not a HorseContacts.com-specific attack - we're hearing from other domain owners who are receiving similar messages targeted to their own domains. Here's what our email services provider AZC.COM has to say on this subject:

"As far as we can tell, this is a new virus being sent to everyone. We're receiving them in support as well as in our personal email boxes (ie: yahoo accounts) as well. Most likely, these are coming from hijacked machines, but I'm guessing whatever program has infected these computers also generates a message with the domain name in the signature line, ie: AZC.com Staff These are the two latest articles on worms at cnet.com, though they don't mention this new variant :http://news.com.com/2100-7355-5167596.html, http://news.com.com/2100-7355-5169195.html. Most likely someone you know has been infected and, as with MyDoom, the virus is drawing names from their address book and sending out messages with those names in the sender and signature fields of the email. You will also want to check our FAQ on email forgeries: http://azc.com/htmls/faqs/deal_with_forgeries.html."

___________________________________

Spoof #1

yo wazzup :P

well here is ur stuff! good luck!

cya!

+-+-+ Anti-Virus: No Virus

+-+-+ RMENEQUEST- AntiVirus Service

+-+-+ www.horsecontacts.com 

___________________________________

Spoof #2

-----Original Message-----

From: administration@horsecontacts.com [mailto:administration@horsecontacts.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 03, 2004 7:16 AM
To: info@horsecontacts.com
Subject: Notify about your e-mail account utilization.

Dear user of horsecontacts.com,

Some of our clients complained about the spam (negative e-mail content) outgoing from your e-mail account. Probably, you have been infected by a proxy-relay trojan server. In order to keep your computer safe, follow the instructions. Further details can be obtained from attached file.

The Management,
       The horsecontacts.com team      http://www.horsecontacts.com 

___________________________________

Spoof #3

-----Original Message-----

From: noreply@horsecontacts.com [mailto:noreply@horsecontacts.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 03, 2004 10:08 AM
To: info@horsecontacts.com
Subject: Notify about your e-mail account utilization.

Dear user of horsecontacts.com gateway e-mail server,

Your e-mail account will be disabled because of improper using in next three days, if you are still wishing to use it, please, resign your account information.

Further details can be obtained from attached file.

For security reasons attached file is password protected. The password is "52412".

Have a good day,
         The horsecontacts.com team      http://www.horsecontacts.com

___________________________________ 

Scam Alert: Exploring all the Internet has to offer can be great fun and very profitable, but it pays to have some "street smarts".  Please see important information on Internet scams, including updates on the ubiquitous "Cashier's Check Scam". These scammers are all over the Internet targeting anyone selling high-priced items such as cars, boats, airplanes, and yes, even horses and horse equipment. We urge you to learn how to recognize their pitches and take appropriate steps to protect yourself.

HorseContacts.com's database features the spam-busting tool HorseContacts.com Mail. But there are further steps you can take to protect yourself against spam. See our tips on preventing spam.

Attention, all Equine Businesses, Clubs and Associations! Are you listed in our public business directory?  Search here, and if your organization is not listed please see easy instructions on how to add or contact us for assistance. There's no charge for this service if your business or organization is located in located in Oregon or northernmost California. Don't see your favorite business or organization listed? Let them know and help us spread the word. Thousands of visitors search HorseContacts.com daily looking for products and services in their area - make sure they can find you!