---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 5 Jan 94 16:56:34 PST
From: Jan Potter <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Cc: [log in to unmask]
Subject: FYI
Barbara, This came over my e-mail today. I don't know if you want to share
this with everyone or not. I am trying to overcome my Internet timidity, but
in the mean time you decide! jan
You'll probably see this elsewhere, but just in case.
-------------------------TEXT-OF-FORWARDED-MAIL--------------------------------
Date: Wed, 5 Jan 1994 08:09:57 -0800
Reply-To: "ASIS-L: American Society for Information Science"
<[log in to unmask]>,
Rowan Fairgrove <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: "ASIS-L: American Society for Information Science"
<[log in to unmask]>
>From: Rowan Fairgrove <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: FYI: WARNING Int'l Internet Assn
To: Multiple recipients of list ASIS-L <[log in to unmask]>
I am cross-posting this information from another mailing list.
Please consider it a public service announcement. I'm sure
may of you have seen this company's notices and wondered if
they could be for real. They seemed too good to be true...
------ Forwarded Message
Date: Tue, 4 Jan 1994 16:18:44 -0500
>From: Scott A. Ward 703-614-4719 <[log in to unmask]>
To: Multiple recipients of list COMMUNET
Subject: Warning: International Internet Association
A company calling itself the International Internet Association, and billing
itself as "the largest non-profit provider of free Internet access in the
world" has started advertizing in the Washington, D.C. area, and offering
free
Internet accounts to individuals who will FAX them, among other things, a
credit card number. As an active member of the Member Council of the
National
Capital Area Public Access Network (CapAccess), I wanted to find more about
this organization that supposedly has offices NOT THREE BLOCKS FROM
CAPACCESS.
Here's the result of my search for the IIA.
1. Their address, listed as "Suite 852 - 202 Pennsylvania Ave, N.W.
Washington
D.C. 20006", is actually a post office box at Mailboxes, Etc.
2. The company lists no incorporation, trademark or service-mark licenses.
3. They claim your E-mail address would be <userid>@iia.org. However:
a. No iia.org is listed in the hq.af.mil hosts table
b. No iia.org is listed in the acq.osd.mil hosts table
c. No iia.org is listed is the INTERNIC 'whois' database
d. No iia.org is listed using the INTERNIC 'netfind' Internet lookup
In other words, IIA.ORG does NOT, at this time, exist.
4. Although they apologize profusely in the application, they state that
"Without receiving a credit card number, the IIA _cannot_ process an
account."
5. Although I have left a message on their voice-mail system, I have
received
no response from them. (they also apologize in the voice mail that, due to
demand, they are operating at a 3-week backlog for applications.)
I cannot judge an organization in advance. However, I do think it highly
suspicious that, to use their propaganda, "The International Internet
Association is able to make this service available through generous private
donations, and the extraordinary dedication of its membership." I can say
that
I am not convinced this organization exists, and highly discourage any
Internet
user from sending information until you make certain that the IIA is real.
------ End of Forwarded Message
Rowan Fairgrove
Research Librarian
Ricoh California Research Center
2882 Sand Hill Road, Ste 115
Menlo Park, California 94025-7022
[log in to unmask]
