Theft of WRTA’s prospect database (via Constant Contact) took place in early-mid January 2009, roughly same timeframe as when following also took place:
1) Permanent theft of WRTA’s company website/domain (authorized WRTA personnel and staff could no longer access company website of ReligiousTravelAssociation.com).
2) 16 WRTA-related domain names were cybersquatted.
Theft of WRTA’s prospect database had immediate consequences for all involved. Those who committed theft of WRTA’s prospect database began taking immediate illicit and/or illegal action and use of the database which included but not limited to the following:
· Barred authorized WRTA personnel/contracted staff from accessing the company’s own prospect database and/or communicating with individuals within it.
· Database thieves began correspondence with individuals listed in WRTA's proprietary database.
· Database thieves corresponded w/the individuals in database by utilizing WRTA’s email address(es) associated with ReligiousTravelAssociation.com.
· Database thieves removed all references to World Religious Travel Association in subsequent email communications.
· Database thieves replaced WRTA contact information with contact information of their own choosing – including replacing mailing address with a California mailing address of their own choosing.
· Database thieves provided a falsified “image/presence” acting as alleged authorized representatives/personnel of WRTA’s Faith Tourism Kit.
· Database thieves had WRTA’s prospect database in their possession to engage in any other non-WRTA related communications.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR?
IMAGE #1
This is an image of WRTA’s website/domain FAITHTOURISMKIT.COM, which was hosted and promoted by WRTA. As this image shows, if someone wanted to receive the complimentary Faith Tourism Kit created and provided by WRTA, they would enter their respective email address here and press enter. Take note also of the verbiage right below the sign-up box which states “Privacy by Safesubscribe. For email marketing you can trust” (this is the verbiage of Constant Contact, the email marketing system utilized by WRTA).
IMAGE #2
After performing the action mentioned above (in Image #1), the individual would then enter their proprietary contact name and information. In this case, you’ll see the individual signing up is “Brian” and his email address ends in ….1975@yahoo.com. Also take note at lower-left of webpage regarding “Email Privacy Policy” (and related link).
IMAGE #3
After the individual enters their personal/proprietary contact information and clicks “Save Profile Changes” (see Image #2 above), the individual then receives this “Thank You” communication confirming their subscription to selected mailing lists.
IMAGE #4
Subsequent to receiving above “Thank You” communication, the individual then receives its first full email from WRTA in response to their signing up to receive WRTA’s Faith Tourism Kit. Things to look for in this image:
· Email received by Brian (same individual who registered above) on March 20, 2009, at 4:49pm.
· The email sender is listed/featured as “World Religious Travel Association” with sender’s email address related to the domain of ReligiousTravelAssociation.com
· The letter portion of email features following items:
o 1-800 phone number for WRTA
o References to visit website ReligiousTravelAssociation.com
o The official icon of WRTA is featured in full color
o Letter is signed by “The World Religious Travel Association Team”
· At very bottom-center section of image and below the letter (in middle of email)…….look for the full and official company mailing address of WRTA. Here’s what you’ll see/find:
World Religious Travel Association | 8156-E. South Wadsworth Blvd. #338 | Littleton | CO | 80128
IMAGE #5
Following up to previous email, the individual (Brian with "1975 Yahoo.com") now receives a NEW follow-up email regarding the Faith Tourism Kit. Here are the new/different/changed items to look for in this email version versus the original email received (see Image #4 above)
· All references to “World Religious Travel Association” have been completely removed.
· All icons/images related to “World Religious Travel Association” have been completely removed.
· The email sender is no longer listed/featured as “World Religious Travel Association” but rather now uses the replaced and generic name of “Faith Tourism Kit” – yet still utilizes an email address associated with domain of ReligiousTravelAssociation.com
· The phrase “Faith Tourism Kit” is used generically throughout the email as opposed to any specific references to World Religious Travel Association
· The phone # for WRTA has been completed removed from email address.
· The following changes have been made to the mailing address (at center-bottom of email)
o The name of “World Religious Travel Association” is replaced with generic name/phrase of “Faith Tourism Kit”
o The entire official company Colorado mailing address for WRTA has been removed and replaced with a new California-based mailing address of the prospect thieves' choosing.
IMAGE #6
This image contains an email (Feb 2010) sent approximately one year after above email communications (March 2009). Here are things to look for, along with special notes:
* This email shows how the prospect database thieves remained in control of WRTA's stolen Constant Contact account and database for at least one year (or longer) following their initial theft of the database.
* This email shows how the prospect database thieves continued to communicate into the Year 2010 with individuals listed in the stolen database (database initially stolen in January 2009).
* This email shows how all the illicit and/or illegal actions initially taken by the database thieves in Image #5 (see above) continued to be carried out and remain as such into 2010. Just to recap, as this Feb 2010 email image shows, this includes the following:
· All references to “World Religious Travel Association” still remain completely removed.
· All icons/images related to “World Religious Travel Association” still completely removed.
· The email sender still not listed/featured as “World Religious Travel Association” but rather still instead only uses the replaced and generic name of “Faith Tourism Kit” – yet still utilizes an email address associated with domain of ReligiousTravelAssociation.com
· The phrase “Faith Tourism Kit” is still used generically throughout the email as opposed to any specific references to World Religious Travel Association
· The phone # for WRTA still remains completed removed from email address.
· The mailing address still remains a California-based mailing address of the database thieves' choosing.
IMAGE #7, 8, 9, and 10
The final 4 images featured below are screen shots of Constant Contact's policies, terms of use, agreements, etc. In short, as you review these, you'll see how many of these policies, terms, and agreement clauses were violated and breached by those who committed theft of WRTA's prospect database and utilized Contact Contact to illicitly communicate with the individuals/organizations contained within WRTA's propriety database.
