RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

Hello,


I apologize, but recently the email account rakereport at gmail.com became compromised and I have decided to create accounts linked directly with the RakeReport.net site for security purposes.

Be aware that I had control over the gmail account on Friday, March 23rd in the morning, and noticed later in the evening that the account was no longer accessible. Please disregard any emails you may have received from that account after that time.

I believe this is related to my blacklisting of RakeAid.com from future listings on our site, but I do not have any proof at this time.

Anyway, please update your address book to reflect that we are now using contact at rakereport.net for our contact email. You may verify that what I say is correct by visiting our site and viewing the changes on the contact, advertising and about us pages.

Thank you for your understanding during this frustrating event.

Anthony Martino
RakeReport.net

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

[ QUOTE ]
I believe this is related to my blacklisting of RakeAid.com from future listings on our site, but I do not have any proof at this time.

[/ QUOTE ]

So you think Degen did it? Interesting. I guess if you left the pw the same that might make sense.......

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

[ QUOTE ]

So you think Degen did it? Interesting. I guess if you left the pw the same that might make sense.......

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't have proof, but it is quite a coincidence that I lose control of the account a little while after the falling out.

The password had been changed. But there are ways to try and recover an account on gmail if you are the original account holder and have the email that was initially sent to your account when you created it.

I can only assume that is what occurred, as I was not the original account holder.

Regardless, I am using new email accounts that are within my control now.

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

there's no reason to use gmail accounts when you have a real corporate account possible. degen was dumb to set it up that way, you were dumber to continue to use it that way.

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

Will you divulge why RakeAid has been blacklisted from your directory?

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

[ QUOTE ]
Will you divulge why RakeAid has been blacklisted from your directory?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm curious too.

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Will you divulge why RakeAid has been blacklisted from your directory?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm curious too.

[/ QUOTE ]

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

Because of the negativity surrounding his past actions, I felt it would be best to no longer have his site on mine.

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

why are you posting this here? if anything happens with my websites should i post it here? what about the other 12435432143214 website owners on these forums..........

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

How much did you pay for the website?

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

[ QUOTE ]
why are you posting this here? if anything happens with my websites should i post it here? what about the other 12435432143214 website owners on these forums..........

[/ QUOTE ]

i think in this case it's reasonable. it might save someone if they get an e-mail from this address...

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

rakereport... why dont you tell the truth about this whole situation.. its a much more interesting story.

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

Whats that suppose to me "The4Aces"? As just a regular punter, all this looks very bad on the whole affiliate/rakeback scene. Lots of rumours, half-truths and accusations is never good for anybody business.

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

Lets see if rakereport will tell us.. If not then I might.

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

I know the standard answer to the following question is "no", but I'll ask it again anyway: should people with RB through Degen be worried?

Tx.

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

[ QUOTE ]
Lets see if rakereport will tell us.. If not then I might.

[/ QUOTE ]

nothing is stopping you from giving ur side of the story, especially if you can back it up with facts...

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

New rr.net owner, did you get a contract written out? Do you have set penalties for violating agreements? Is the money still in ESCROW or some other way you could set up a dispute? Something seems very odd here.

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
why are you posting this here? if anything happens with my websites should i post it here? what about the other 12435432143214 website owners on these forums..........

[/ QUOTE ]

i think in this case it's reasonable. it might save someone if they get an e-mail from this address...

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly. I was in contact with affiliates and sites I was advertising with via that address. While I had a complete list of my advertisers offline on my system, as well as affiliates who were listed on my site, there was a distribution list that I don't have offline.

I did my best to contact as many affiliate sites about this as I could, but in the off-chance I missed anyone, figured it would be prudent to post here as well.

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

[ QUOTE ]
New rr.net owner, did you get a contract written out? Do you have set penalties for violating agreements? Is the money still in ESCROW or some other way you could set up a dispute? Something seems very odd here.

[/ QUOTE ]


I don't want to get into the specifics of everything that has gone down. It's been far nastier than I could have anticipated.

Suffice to say I just want this all to be over with and both of us to move on. Again, I don't know that it was definetely him, but I can't see any other reason why the email address would suddenly be inaccessible.

Regardless, I don't care about the address, I just want to move on.

As for his rakeback business, I don't think anyone should be worried. His dispute is with me, and as far as I'm aware he's always been good about paying out to players signed up under him.

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

RakeReport. Have you actually given degen any compensation for the site?

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

[ QUOTE ]
RakeReport. Have you actually given degen any compensation for the site?

[/ QUOTE ]

nope

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

Rakereport, why do your banners imply a WSOP seat giveaway when there is no such offer?

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

For what its worth.

xxhttp://www.rakereport.net/wsop.php

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

[ QUOTE ]
Rakereport, why do your banners imply a WSOP seat giveaway when there is no such offer?

[/ QUOTE ]

because he is a lying thief.

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

[ QUOTE ]
For what its worth.

<a href="xxhttp://www.rakereport.net/wsop.php" target="_blank">xxhttp://www.rakereport.net/wsop.php</a>

[/ QUOTE ]

Right, there is no WSOP offer there. Misrepresented don't you think? Advertising that in banners would certainly lead players to believe there was a promo or am I just taking it too seriously?

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

I dont know. Its grey area imo.

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Rakereport, why do your banners imply a WSOP seat giveaway when there is no such offer?

[/ QUOTE ]

because he is a lying thief.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wonder who this is.

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
For what its worth.

<a href="xxhttp://www.rakereport.net/wsop.php" target="_blank">xxhttp://www.rakereport.net/wsop.php</a>

[/ QUOTE ]

Right, there is no WSOP offer there. Misrepresented don't you think? Advertising that in banners would certainly lead players to believe there was a promo or am I just taking it too seriously?

[/ QUOTE ]

Listed affiliates at our site offer WSOP, WPT and EPT seats, and the page on our site in regards to this advertising campaign explains further.

It's my belief that a lot of players out there still don't understand rakeback and what they're missing out on. But just tossing up a banner with various rakeback percentages may not be the ideal way to draw them to the site to inform them.

What a lot of players do want is a free seat in a major televised tournament. So that was the direction I initially took with advertising. There is a question mark on the banner, and more details on the website.

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
For what its worth.

<a href="xxhttp://www.rakereport.net/wsop.php" target="_blank">xxhttp://www.rakereport.net/wsop.php</a>

[/ QUOTE ]

Right, there is no WSOP offer there. Misrepresented don't you think? Advertising that in banners would certainly lead players to believe there was a promo or am I just taking it too seriously?

[/ QUOTE ]

Meh...I think it's explained pretty well.

However, I AM quite enjoying this little drama that is playing out, especially now with the seeming return of Degen. Countdown to ban?

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
For what its worth.

<a href="xxhttp://www.rakereport.net/wsop.php" target="_blank">xxhttp://www.rakereport.net/wsop.php</a>

[/ QUOTE ]

Right, there is no WSOP offer there. Misrepresented don't you think? Advertising that in banners would certainly lead players to believe there was a promo or am I just taking it too seriously?

[/ QUOTE ]

Seems fine to me.

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

So far I'm the only one so I guess I'm the one reading it wrong. At the very least it's catchy.

I guess rr.net isn't going to respond to the other thoughts in this thread involving the dispute?

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

[ QUOTE ]
I guess rr.net isn't going to respond to the other thoughts in this thread involving the dispute?

[/ QUOTE ]

The4Aces is an affiliate that Degen sub-affiliates for. I am no longer responding to Degens emails, nor will I carry on a dialogue with his cohorts either.

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

After reading this whole thread, I really think you should give this RakeRePort.net guy a break he has explained every question you asked him. Just my 2 cents.

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

rakereport.net is it true that you used to go by the name Headi? or what ever that name was.

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

I thought Heidi was Degen? But then he said she left RakeAid... and he sold rakereport... to his exemployee??? For no money???

What's going on here?

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

More plz

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

Heidi=RakeReport.net

Heidi quit working for Degen and offered to take over the site on a profit sharing deal. When Heidi had the site transferred to her, she told Degen she was now keeping it and not giving him any of the proceeds.

RakeReport.net lied to all of the affiliates who have signed up at the site and swindled Degen out of the website, cashing in all of the trust she had earned doing support for RakeAid.com and RakeReport.net for more than one year.




The site currently gets less than 15 hits per day.

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

Blackmagix=Degen


In the effort of full disclosure, yes, I had previously worked for Degen. I originally received rakeback from him starting in Dec of 2005. Around June of 06 I came on board to assist him with customer support for a number of his sites.

Trying to work with someone who exhibits serious signs of bipolar is extremely difficult (I don't mean this to be some ridiculous statement on my part, I have checked out the wiki page for this disorder and he exhibits some clear signs of it).

His mood swings could be really ridiculous at times. He had periods where he could be pretty nice, but then he'd flip out over minor infractions.

I'm an extremely detail-oriented individual, Degen is more of a big picture guy. Degen would be very quick in requesting something, but often extremely vague. While I'm quite more lengthy in my writing.

When given a task I would often have questions about the details. And he would pretty much just tell me to "do it". So I would go and "do it" as I thought best, and many times he would flip out saying I hadn't done it how he wanted it done (when he never gave me any details to go on, as I am not a mind reader)

We had our ups and downs, but usually worked through them. I disagreed quite frequently with how he conducted his business. But because it was HIS business, there was little I could do except voice my concern.

I believe around the time that Party was leaving the U.S. market, Degen requested that I change my persona to represent a female named Heidi. He felt that it would provide a better "face" to customer support. So I did that.

Despite our differing ethical viewpoints, Degen and I made a relatively good team. He was skilled at starting and developing businesses, but his customer service could be atrocious at times, resorting to even swearing at customers.

So my skills in customer service, my patience in dealing with yet another player who earned 30 cents in rakeback and hadn't been paid and was going to report us for running a scam, came in handy.

Still, I became weary of his mood swings, and how condescending he could treat myself and others. Plus all the mistrust he had for his partner Ryan, as well as for RakeTracker.

In December I began looking for new employment, and I left his employ early this year after finding it.

He had originally promised me a bonus for the partial sale of one of his businesses, since I had helped him in growing it. When it sold, he stated he couldn't have done it without me.

Well, that day I happened to let it be known to one of his business partners (that I was contacting for a support issue, this is prior to my leaving his employment) that Heidi wasn't a female at all. As far as Degen had led me to believe, Heidi was just a face for the customers to see. I had zero reason to believe that it would be an issue for people he was doing business with.

So when I needed to contact Craig at RakeTracker about a customer support issue, he asked me if I was Degen, as that would make it much easier for us to communicate with one another. I explained I was not, but that he was correct, I was a guy.

There was a lot of suspicion around Heidi because Degen had been posting as Heidi in various forums (he had wanted me to do it, but I was swamped with customer support issues and opted out). So many noticed that there were differences between the email/AIM communications with Heidi and the forum posts.

Anyway, I didn't think much of it and mentioned it to Degen later that day. He flipped out, because I guess he had swore up and down to some of his business partners that Heidi was in fact a woman. So now I had made him out to be a liar. He yanked my bonus and told me I didn't deserve it anymore and he wasn't going to pay it.

I tried to explain to him that the bonus was promised based on past performance already completed, but he would just ignore any of those emails and respond only to whatever he wanted to answer.

Degen wanted his RakeAid site to remain in the top three spots on the main page of RakeReport.net, as well as to have a share of the profits. I can't run an "unbiased" rakeback directory using his methods.

I already had an uphill battle given his past transgressions of inflating traffic and bid amounts, and putting his site first so frequently.

I didn't want to tarnish his reputation any further, as he has shown me some kindness in the past and his rep is hurt enough already. But since he seems intent on dragging this out, I felt the need to explain further.

In addition, you will find a current copy of RakeReport's stats here: March 07 Stats

Unlike Degen, I have no intention of falsifying anything regarding the site stats or bid amounts from affiliates. He has a history of telling lies. He would claim that RakeAid was on it's way to being one of the biggest rakeback providers out there, saying he had 1500 player accounts. Well, that was partially true. There were almost 1500 accounts on the rakeaid site at that time, but in actuality, less than 300 of them were producing MGR. Many of them were dead accounts (players who wanted rakeback that we weren't able to provide due to various reasons, or possibly other affiliates just checking out his site by creating an account)

I blacklisted RakeAid because being associated with Degen is bad for business, plain and simple.

And again, for the record, Degen has paid players under his affiliate accounts. I do not believe that anyone receiving rakeback from him needs to worry. He may be disorganized and sometimes run a bit late for payments, but to the best of my knowledge he's always paid up.

Unfortunately, Degen decided to escalate things further. He sent me threats, saying he had friends in Boston who were involved with "shady things" and would do things for sums of money that meant very little to him.

He sent my wife and myself messages stating that he had gotten a quote of $500 for me and then $2,000 to have her raped (this is when he was threatening to have his web coder cancel the domain name transfer, so I had taken control of some of his gmail accounts to ensure I had insurance against his attempt)

I didn't delete any of his emails in the accounts, nor did I use them to send anything out pretending to be him. I returned them to him actually.

He keeps flip-flopping, telling me he just wants this over and he isn't going to try and take the site. Then he tells me the game is back on and I have to pay him $25,000, or give him 40% of the profits, etc.

He crossed the line with the threats of violence against my family. He has my home address and phone #, and I have his and his partner Ryan's. I just want to be left alone to grow RakeReport.net without him trying to cause me problems. But I have saved all communications from him and have emails to prove he threatened us. He's a sick individual and should really get help. Unfortunately, he's been financially successful by being a liar, and that doesn't really motivate him to change his ways.


EDIT: I tried to post under a different account on these boards about the threats. I didn't want to out Degen, I just wanted advice.

Because I failed to provide enough details, NT wound up deleting the thread and banning that account. Then I guess the details found their way to the Mod forums, and Degen still has people in there because he contacted me asking why stuff he said to me was being written about in there.

Some of it was misreported, kinda like the telephone game, the message got messed up in the transfer over there. But it was not my original intention for him to be implicated or for this to escalate.

They must have tied the IP address from my post to my other accounts here and known it was myself and Degen.

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

Ok... So that is a lengthy story... So did you pay Degen any money or not for rakereport.net... and if not why do you have ownership of it?

Re: RakeReport.net Update-Gmail Account Compromised
 

Degen posted here that he sold the website. That was back in February.

Now all of a sudden he's coming at me with threats of violence against me and rape against my wife after I blacklist RakeAid.com from my site (again, have emails to prove these threats, should a moderator need to confirm this)

The domain name is registered to me, the web host is mine. I am not going to give him any of the sites profits, or let him list his site on there.

I am not going to give in to his threats either. I'll admit originally it worried me because of my wife. But then I thought about what he had written.

He had said he knew "20 year old punks" in Boston and claimed to have paid them $100 to drive over 50 miles to my house to take pictures.

He never provided copies of these pictures, and I honestly can't see one person driving that far for 100 bucks with the price of gas, let alone more than one person having to split it.

In addition, he tacked on a deadline after sending me the messages for him to regain control over one of his email accounts. Again, I was holding onto it to ensure that the deadline had passed and he couldn't try cancelling the domain transfer.

Anyway, I have to work today, so likely won't be able to respond any further until later tonight.