Phishing on PAO Home

Notes to and from the paowers that be
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jfugina
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Phishing on PAO Home

Post by jfugina »

Hey everyone. Beth alerted me to a phishing warning e-mail that she received about the PAO homepage yesterday. I didn't think anything of it, because it wasn't from a legitimate source. But then a note came from google, saying that they were removing certain PAO pages from their search index. So I looked at the code pages, and there's definitely some junk files that I didn't put there.

The problem is, I don't quite know what to remove in order to make the problem go away without damaging the site, so I'm thinking of removing it completely. The site doesn't get much use (to my knowledge), and it is completely separate from the forum. So taking the home page site down entirely shouldn't damage the forum at all.

I have to do something to get rid of this phishing problem, and I don't really have a bunch of time to investigate and tinker at it. So I just wanted you all to know that if the home page goes away, that's why. I'll try to get something back up in its place when time permits. But it wouldn't be anything very elaborate. Just an intro to us, and a link to the forum.

Thanks for understanding.
Julie Fugina
#26 in the order of the PAO
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azemigh
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Re: Phishing on PAO Home

Post by azemigh »

no problem, thanks for the head's up.
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Monica
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Re: Phishing on PAO Home

Post by Monica »

Fine by me! ;) I can't tell you the last time I actually went to the home page.... I go directly to the forum.
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pbp908
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Re: Phishing on PAO Home

Post by pbp908 »

No matter how many times I delete my "favorite," empty the cache, reset Safari and save a new favorite link to PAO Forum, it still always takes me to the home page. I've given up on not going to the home page. :lol: However, it's probably a good thing (every cloud has a silver lining) because that's how I've found the hijacks.
Pam P.
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http://www.pamsmeanderingthoughts.blogspot.com
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jmp1022
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Re: Phishing on PAO Home

Post by jmp1022 »

fine by me too
Jill P
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Northeast Illinois
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jfugina
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Re: Phishing on PAO Home

Post by jfugina »

Pam - I'm betting you've noticed by now that paohome.paperartistsonline.com is now gone. I've deleted the sub-domain. The site files are all still there, but they shouldn't be accessible through search engines and whatnot. I've stood up a new site that will eventually be the homepage, and I'll fix the links here and in the gallery when it looks like something worth publishing. The new sub-domain is home.paperartistsonline.com, but there's no content there.

Basically the new homepage will be a very basic blog type of thing. Maybe someday I'll set it up so that there can be guest bloggers or something. Or maybe I'll even blog there about the PAO events going on. Who knows? More than anything, I hope it's not as appealing to hackers and hijackers. Because compensating for those types of scum of the earth is not exactly how I prefer to spend my very limited free time. :angry48:

Also - calling all digi artists. The new homepage will need a lovely new header image. It should be 960px wide by 250px tall.
Julie Fugina
#26 in the order of the PAO
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pbp908
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Re: Phishing on PAO Home

Post by pbp908 »

Oh heck, I give up on ever coming directly to the forum! Tried again last night to change it, have nothing in history, still works wonky. :censor:

Julie, I think I'm the only person who ever used the front page, and as long as I can find you all, I'm happy with whatever. I may give the artwork a go this weekend. Thanks for the dimensions.
Pam P.
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http://www.pamsmeanderingthoughts.blogspot.com
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pamcook
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Re: Phishing on PAO Home

Post by pamcook »

Thanks Julie.
Pam, I know that you know way more than I do about computers. I always go to paperartistsonline.com/forum and end up the same place every time. How frustrating for you!
Pam Cook #48
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jmp1022
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Re: Phishing on PAO Home

Post by jmp1022 »

after I get to the forum, I save that link. I hardly ever went to home page.

I was a little worried when we were put on facebook. All kind of weirdo's on there.
Jill P
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Northeast Illinois
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mpizzazz
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Re: Phishing on PAO Home

Post by mpizzazz »

The only time I ever get to the Home Page is when I am on some strange computer overseas and need to start from scratch with the websites I visit regularly. I'll let you know how that goes.

Can't we just use the above banner throughout the site, changing the size to fit?
marianne
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pat-czap
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Re: Phishing on PAO Home

Post by pat-czap »

Well, I do go to the homepage, and wondered what the heck. So glad to have found my way to this point. It is now bookmarked.

Thanks for what you do Julie. Much appreciated.
Pat from NW OHIO
Midwest, USA
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jfugina
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Re: Phishing on PAO Home

Post by jfugina »

Regarding the banner question - I don't know how much I'd really get into updating that homepage. It's been basically static for 4 years. I don't want to commit to having to change out that banner. I don't mind doing it here, now that I've got a quick way to do it. But I don't want to be obligated to do it on the landing page. I'd rather have one banner that defines us that can stay up as long as it needs to.
Julie Fugina
#26 in the order of the PAO
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Monica
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Re: Phishing on PAO Home

Post by Monica »

I didn't even realize anyone here went to the home page first. I always type www.paperartistsonline.com/forum when on a different computer to go straight to the forum.
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pbp908
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Re: Phishing on PAO Home

Post by pbp908 »

The home page was how we got into the chat room, but it's been forever and a day since we used it. I think we all just forgot it was there. There were also some favorite shopping sites saved there and a few links to shopping sites that generated a teeny bit of income to support the website. I can't remember what else was there. Oh, yes, there was a section on it that listed the most recent posts and activities on the site. I think I was probably the only person who ever went there. LOL.

Love the PAO Blog post, Julie. :lol:
Pam P.
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Monica
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Re: Phishing on PAO Home

Post by Monica »

Chat room?? You mean Skype? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


I totally forgot we even had one....
No. 28 in the Order of PAO
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