Hackers, squatters and related scum

[Don_P]

Some of you know, my little website got taken over last year by what is called a squatter. The fool thought it had some value either for ransom or to sell the domain name... what a maroon. This clown took over a storm relief donation site, churches and thousands of others. I imagine I just got caught up in a large handful they were stealing.

Doing some checking the individual used the name Stanley Pace from Flower Mound TX. Digging deeper, the house was one for sale and had been used by this name 12,572 times to register domains (gee don't the cyber cops see a trend?) Continuing to dig, that alias was used by a renowned hacker and common thug, Max Ray Butler   http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_537532.html

But, he was supposedly in prison when my site was hacked. His wife or ex (I'm not sure which she is now) could be the culprit, or it could be someone else. Any ideas on how to find out more? I have some email adresses but don't want to open mine up to a response containing some code. Kinda more wanting to knock on a door and say Hi!

[peternap]

How did they take over a registered domain?

[MountainDon]

What a talented guy, gone to waste. Interesting story.

[Don_P]

I'm not really sure Peter, this guy wandered around inside Fed computers for fun. It looks like the domain was listed as expired on the sale pages but on the registrars site it is showing paid up, which it was. I can buy it back from any of a dozen places. They are pack forming creatures. Oh, the price is anywhere from $13,600 to "negotiable"... for a $10 website 

Mostly what irritated me is that my calcs have links in quite a few places for people to freely use, you know, the intention of this box of transistors. I've been googling my site to see where it's name had been linked. There are about 170 broken links that I've found just to my few pages. This guy or these people did alot of damage with over 12,000 sites taken over.

It has been interesting;
My blower calc, which I put together when I was trying to design the sawdust fan on the sawmill popped up on a magic mushroom site being used for some sort of ventilation fan. Well at least I didn't arm the rebels  . When I first put that one up on a forum a guy proudly reported that he had used it to design one that was strong enough to unintentionally suck up a barn cat.   
A few pages on log homes ended up linked to a polish forum where they talked about log homes for thirty some pages.
The pulley calc was linked from a steam engine forum,  , I need to stay away from places like that.
The shingle calc is linked to the most, DIY chatrooms to roofing companies. I wrote that one in about an hour just messing around. I thought those calculations were so simple nobody would actually look for a calculator.
One with nail shear info had been linked on an engineering forum, which made me feel good. It's gotta be a classy place, they won't let me in.

But I think I see a way to get it back

[MountainDon]

One with nail shear info had been linked on an engineering forum, which made me feel good. It's gotta be a classy place, they won't let me in.

But I think I see a way to get it back

Funny  .....  gest of luck with getting it back

[John Raabe]

This is a very upsetting story Don_P. Your calculators and various tools have been a great contribution to members of this forum and to the great Universal Wiki in the sky.

Guys like this hacker should not be allowed near a computer. I'm not exactly sure how that would be enforceable, however.

Let us know if there is anything this forum can do to help.
 

[peternap]

Yes, very upsetting Don.
I had people buy up every variation on OldVa...but have never had ay trouble with my domain.

Let me know if I can help.