Showing posts with label fraud. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fraud. Show all posts

Wednesday, 26 January 2011

"Pirates and the Internet have driven me insane" - Andrew Crossley, ACS:Law

BREAKING NEWS LEADING TO POSSIBLE DEMISE OF ACS:LAW

ACS LIVE! ACTION NEWS has dedicated itself to following, reporting and mocking the rise and continual fall of now notorious scam UK Law firm ACS:Law and its head crony Mr. Andrew Jonathan Crossley.

Crossley is a man who has lead a trite and meaningless life full of contempt, slobbery and woeful gloating; dedicating his time to 'getting rich quick' off the backs of a future-thinking nation who believe in progression - and most importantly - sharing.

Proving once and for all that attempting to control the Internet, our nation's last open channel for free and unregulated broadcast, is far from the brightest of ideas, Mr. Crossley is throwing in the towel after being laughed and boo'd out of court.

The first time ACS:News heard Mr. Crossley's voice 'live' was shortly before his website was blasted offline by cyber-protesters.  In either a drink or drugs-fueled, or just plain childish flailing of emotions, Andrew shouted "You can't stop me", "Your muvvaz", "I'll get the f***ing law on you", and other such pearls of wisdom to that effect to our journalist over the phone.  Unfortunately this call was never recorded to see the light of day but one can rest assured this outburst did little to stop the inevitable onslaught that would quickly result in the leaking of ACS:Law's entire database of internal secrets and the methods used to enable this scam to operate in the UK.

The leak was without a doubt the wake-up call needed to push word of this nation-wide scam to the mass media.  The next day the country woke to news of the leak and word of a massive investigation underway by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and the UK Data Commissioner, among others.

File-sharers quickly released 'megapacks' containing all of the music supposedly protected by Crossley and his firm, further humiliating the exposed con-artists and showing just how detrimental appointing firms like ACS:Law is to a content holder's interests.

ISPs country-wide went on record both in and out of court stating that they'd start defending their customers against the likes of ACS:Law and wouldn't be duped again.

Since the leak ACS:Law has attempted and failed to come back online and most importantly rake in as much cash as they can before a possible half a million pound fine that could lead to the firms closure.

The leak ensured that the country was clued up to the goings-on at ACS:Law and the name quickly became synonymous with a get rich quick scam who's legal letters needed filing in the 419, spam and fraud baskets of our nation's homes, causing Crossley to attempt sending his feeble scare-letters under the guise of other law practices.

Now, after ACS:Law's final day in court, an undercover reporter for ACS:News has been on the phone to Andrew Crossley who had this to say:

"I have ceased my f***ing work... I have been subject to criminal attack.  My emails have been hacked. I have had f***ing death threats and bomb threats for f***s sake.  The Internet made me f***ing rich and now the f*** [the Internet] has ruined my f***ing life...  I'm out... There's nothing left for me here, even my f***ing b**** druggie wife hates my f***ing guts.  Let the c***s have their f***ing free music or whatever, I'm done trying to make money off these f***ing pirates.  They've driven me f***ing insane."

This comes in stark contrast to his initial 'on the record' response to the Internet turning on ACS:Law, when Crossley was quoted as saying "Big whoop... It was only down for a few hours. I have far more concern over the fact of my train turning up 10 minutes late or having to queue for a coffee than them wasting my time with this sort of rubbish... [The attack was] typical rubbish from pirates."

Could this be the end of ACS:Law?  We'd love to say yes but it's important we follow this through to the end.  Keep spreading the good word, keep an eye on the usual ACS:Law-related outlets, our Twitter page and your letter box.

The battle for keeping the Internet and our culture open, resourceful and free has only just begun.

ACS:News 2010 - 2011

Monday, 25 October 2010

BREAKING NEWS: ACS-Law blasted off the net, again

ACS:NEWS LIVE AT BREAKFAST

It's been almost a month since the initial takedown of ACS:Law's website, leading to one of the biggest data leaks in UK history.  The firms owner and registered solicitor scumbag, Andrew Crossley, is now churning out so-called 'legal' letters at a ridiculous pace in an attempt to scare as much money out of the UK public as he can before the inevitable.

In what's been dubbed a 'drive by' DDoS attack, ACS-LAW.CO.UK has once again been obliterated and taken offline by activists attempting to bring media attention to the tactics used by these law firms to generate revenue under the guise of 'copyright protection'.

The site went offline yesterday evening, GMT, and remains offline this morning.  Sometime during the night the site was removed all together and is now directing to a 'parked' page with little evidence of the scam left on the domain.  Before being knocked offline, ACS-Law appeared to be attempting a full comeback, finally updating their pathetically unprofessional MySpace-esque website with contact links and even, ironically, a home page link to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).

A search for ACS Law on Google, Bing or similar search engines now exposes the truth about the rogue law firm with the official site hidden away somewhere in the pages and pages of news about the catastrophic email leak.

If you've received a letter post September 24th - keep everybody updated by joining the official ACS-Law thread on Slyck and in turn gaining mountains of helpful advice.

The Internet was exploited by ACS-Law for profit.  That same Internet, our Internet, is to be its biggest downfall.

UPDATE:  Our reporters' attempts at contacting Andrew Crossley's mobile phone about his website, directly, have been met with a 'number not in service' tone.  You can contact ACS-Law's offices directly on 02071932493 in the UK or 442071932493 internationally and leave a message.

Monday, 11 October 2010

Received a letter from ACS:Law after the 24th September?

REQUEST FROM THE ACS:NEWS FRONT DESK

Have you or anybody you know received a letter from the team of fraudsters at ACS:Law since the 24th September 2010? (the email leak)

If so, the anti-ACS gurus at Slyck would like to hear from you.  Go here to find out more.

It doesn't matter if it was your first letter, second, response to a letter of denial or anything else.

We need to keep the news of the ACS:Law scam alive and not allow Andrew Crossley to sneak back into the shadows after the breaking news throughout the past two and a half weeks.

ACS:News recommends you include the following information in your post or message to SlyckTom:
- Date letter received
- What ACS:Law is claiming
- Whether or not it's your first letter
- If you chose to include a scan of your letter remember to block out your personal details (you can do this in Paint)

Your help will put together further journalistic investigation and exposure to the ACS:Law scam which is systematically being torn apart day by day.  Your help is greatly appreciated.

You can also catch up with other people who have received an ACS:Law letter in the near-500-page-long help thread, where you can also post information if you've been targeted by a similar firm.

Thursday, 30 September 2010

BREAKING NEWS: Pirates release ACS:Law 'megapack' of music, tell Andrew Crossley where to shove his letters

ACS:NEWS LIVE FROM LONDON:
News is breaking this morning to the release of a pack via Usenet, BitTorrent and other file sharing platforms which is looking to be one of the biggest insults to ACS:Law since the catastrophically embarrassing email leak.  Inside the pack are all 15 albums and 1 song 'forbidden' from being distributed online by ACS:Law.

We now go live to our reporter in London for more.

From the vast amount of data accumulated online via people who have received letters from ACS:Law in the past, along with the fresh leaked emails, the Internet has managed to compile an extensive list of all the titles currently 'protected' by the rogue law firm.

It is thought that the 'avoid' list will crush ACS:Law's revenue system while hardcore pirates show Andrew Crossley that they cannot and will not be stopped by sharing the music pack on the vast, decentralised BitTorrent protocol.

This has been taken directly from the 'nfo' (text file accompanying the release) of the forbidden music pack, a screenshot of which can be found HERE or HERE:

"
__      __  _____    _______   ____  __._____________________  _________
/  \    /  \/  _  \   \      \ |    |/ _|\_   _____/\______   \/   _____/
\   \/\/   /  /_\  \  /   |   \|      <   |    __)_  |       _/\_____  \
 \        /    |    \/    |    \    |  \  |        \ |    |   \/        \
  \__/\  /\____|__  /\____|__  /____|__ \/_______  / |____|_  /_______  /
AC!2o1o\/         \/         \/        \/        \/         \/        \/

         .......:::::::: WANKERS Proudly Present :::::::.......
 
          ACS:Law's 'Share This, Get Sued' Forbidden Music Pack


DiRECTORY NAME: ACS.Law.Forbidden.Music.Pack.READNFO-WANKERS

RELEASE iNFO:

Aquagen - So Far So Good
Blackguard - Profugus Mortis
Candlemass - Death Magic Doom
Cascada - Evacuate The Dancefloor
Chimaira - The Infection
Deathstars - Night Electric Night
Eluveitie - Evocation I The Arcane Dominion
Epica - The Classical  Conspiracy
Guru Josh - Infinity
Hammerfall - No Sacrifice, No Victory
Hands On Scooter
Mantic Ritual - Executioner
Nightwish - Made In Hong Kong
Samael - Above
Subway to Sally - Kreuzfeuer
Success Will Write Apocalypse Across the Sky - The Grand Partition and the Abrogation of Idolatry

{If you already have one of these releases (identical value) then point this torrent at the directory if you wish, the more sharing the better}
{Remember, there's a chance you could be sent a legal letter should ACS:Law still be in business when you download this, if they choose to target this release should it end up being shared via BitTorrent.  If you are outside of the UK, you will be not be targeted.  If you are using a privacy service, you will not be targeted.  If you recieve a letter then there is plenty of advice out there for you on the web; you don't have to pay a thing.  That said - download at your own risk.}

NOTES:

Right, so here we have the full list of forbidden music Andrew Crossley and ACS:Law have been targeting people over, courtesy of Slyck.com.  Big up to Slyck for compiling the list and respect to the original rippers and releasers of this little lot.

Why has this been created?  Well, several reasons...

One; to prove how easily we at WANKERS could acquire these albums and songs.  Do you think it took us hours of trouble?  No, it was point and click business as usual, something anyone with an Internet connection can achieve.

Two; To show ACS:Law and other such firms, agencies and corporations alike that we WILL NOT STOP SHARING despite your 'terror and fear' tactics and your attempts to manipulate politics and the law.

Three; To show artists that employing the likes of ACS:Law is completely detrimental and pointless.  You're throwing money at something you cannot stop, despite what ACS:Law might say to convince you otherwise.  Embrace sharing - be thrilled that so many people are able to access, share and enjoy your creation without any strings attached.

Four; Because we can and always will be able to.

So, P2Pers, go ahead -- download and share this with everyone.  Keep sharing and don't allow yourself to be bullied by the likes of Andrew Crossley, ACS:Law and other such Anti-P2P organizations.  We are the future.   "

A quick scour of the Internet shows that the release can be downloaded via BitTorrent from any of the following mirrors:
Mirror 1 | Mirror 2 | Mirror 3 | Mirror 4 | Mirror 5 | Mirror 6 | Mirror 7 | Mirror 8 | Mirror 9 | Mirror 10

More on this breaking news as it unfolds...

Monday, 27 September 2010

BREAKING NEWS: ACS:Law to be Sued for Huge Breach of Data Protection

LIVE FROM ACS:NEWS HQ
Massive news is breaking this hour as to LEGAL ACTION being taken against ACS:Law and Andrew Crossley by Privacy International (PI).  This is the first in a possible wave of action to be taken since the leak of ACS:Law's email database containing firm secrets and the full information of many of their victims including addresses and credit card numbers, amoungst a vast amount of other information.  You can view PI's full press release which, we are hearing has just gone live, HERE.

The Press Release clearly outlines how the data was obtained and distributed online, stating the importance of noting that the data was made public by ACS:Law web administrators themselves and not via an outside security breach.

Tens of thousands of pieces of information on ACS:Law victims are now publically obtainable exposing their names, addresses, phone numbers, email address, credit card details and the file(s) they have been accused of sharing online.  In many cases these are titles of pornography where the victim 'paying up' could be deemed safer to their reputation than going to court accused of sharing explicit titles online.

UPDATE:  There has now been several mainstream media reports on the situation, see the original breaking ACS:NEWS post for constantly updated links.

ACS:NEWS will be keeping you up to date on this news as it happens...

BREAKING NEWS: Andrew Crossley's arrogance, greed finally gets the better of him

LIVE FROM ACS:NEWS 24 HQ:  CONFIRMED - All emails; internal and external have been leaked from ACS:Law.
We will be using this air time to create a central point of links to all sources relating to the leak, including news and mirrors to the leaks themselves [SCROLL DOWN TO DOWNLOAD THE LEAK].

All information is either out or being sifted through as we report this breaking news.

Keep tuned to this URL for constant rolling links as they appear.

News:
[Friday/Saturday 24th/25th September 2010]


[Sunday 26th September 2010] 

[Monday 27th September 2010] 


[Tuesday 28th September 2010]


Database:
Mirrors:

Please note that HTTP links can be subject to removal and modification.  This reporter stongly recommends using a torrent client to download and share the leak.

Witnessess to this incident are encouraged to share and seed the leaked emails when and where ever they can.

CALL TO ACTION [26th September 2010]
LIVE FROM LONDON: Citizens of the Internet and beyond - The ACS:Law email leak is undoubtedly huge and as an increasing amount of ACS:Law company information is obtained from the leaked company emails it is important that each of us do our part in spreading the news.  This includes posting on your website, blog, news outlet, Twitter, Facebook, social networking sites and contacting interested parties who would, too, be interested in the information that has been gained.
We have strong evidence to believe that Andrew Crossley and ACS:Law have, in the past, looked into hiring a company that specialise in keeping a soiled reputation off the Internet.  This includes setting up websites about the person, social networking profiles and search engine manipulation.  A Google search for the term "ACS Law" demonstrates just how many individuals across varying online discussion groups have been targeted by the ACS scam.  It is vital that these communities hear about this leak.  Current examples are this post on Slyck.com from P2P activist Alexander Hanff and this post on British Telecom's (BT) discussion board, indicating just how interested companies are with this information.  MORE TO FOLLOW...