The spam evidence:

From: "SP Trader Fund" <sptraderfund@yahoo.com>
To: <emailaddress>
Sent: Tuesday, 23 November, 2004 10:35
Subject: A High growth Investment Fund for Every Type of Investor

Dear Investor

We are an Investment Growth Fund that provides significantly above Index Investment Returns

. Multi-Strategy Investment Growth Fund
. Year to date Return on Capital - 342% (from 1.1.04)
. Annual Yield - 135% (for last 3 years)
. Target Annual Yield > 100%
. Total Track Record - 58 Months
. Funds under Management - $150 Million
. Minimum Investment - $12,500 per 1 Unit

A low cost, no-load fund that presents an easy, affordable and practical way to invest in the S&P 500, the most liquid USA broad market Index. The SP Trader Investment Fund maximizes your investment return with a minimum of risk. For more information Click on:
http://www.sp-traderfund.com/home-6/index.html

Are you tired of mediocre Mutual Fund results or your own poor returns in the stock market? Now is the time to consider a different type of Fund that invests in Index Stock Futures and makes money in any kind of market - Bull or Bear. We are the highest ranked Fund in the World gaining the highest return on investment.
See our Rankings: http://www.sp-traderfund.com/ranking-1/index.html

For the last year stock markets have been going down while SP Trader Fund performance has been increasing. From Jan 1 through Sept 30, 2004, SP Trader Fund has earned 342%.
See our Track Record http://www.sp-traderfund.com/track-record-5/index.html

SP Trader Fund has many Japanese & US investors because of its high ranking, high quality of service and efficient investor reporting. If you would like to know more, please write to us at:
info@sp-traderfund.com

SP Trader Fund is number 2 in Yahoo Search Rankings for SP Fund.

If you do not want to receive messages from SP Trader Fund, please mail to:
sptraderfund@yahoo.com with the word unsubscribe in the subject line.

What's wrong with this picture?

• "SP Trade Investments Capital Ltd" claims to have been around for about 5 years, yet the domain for its website was only created 11 days before we received the spam (2004-11-12).
• According to the UK government website http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/ there isn't any UK company called "SP Trade Investments Capital Ltd" or anything close to that name.
• Domain of websites of UK companies are usually registered using a UK postal address, UK phone number (+44) and often a UK email address. This domain registration indicates no link to the UK whatsoever. It is registered to a person with an address in Austria. The WHOIS record lists no email address for the website owner at all and the phone number provided is in Errol, NH (USA). See for yourself:

  Organization Name: SP Trader Fund  
  First Name: Mark  
  Last Name: Roberts  
  Address 1: Brennerstr  
  Address 2:   
  City: Steinach  
  StateProvince: OT  
  PostalCode: A6150  
  Country: AT  
  Phone: +1.6037106511  
  Fax: +1.0  
  EmailAddress:   
  

sptraderfund.com (2005-03-29)
This is the same "company" as sp-traderfund.com (see above). The domain was advertised in spam on 2005-05-15. The domain was only registered a couple of weeks before the spam was sent. The WHOIS details for the domain registration list a London address without street name or number and no valid post code. No mail could be delivered based on that address.

WHOIS details for domain "sptraderfund.com":

Request: sptraderfund.com
connected to whois.opensrs.net [216.40.33.170:43] ... 
Registrant:
 SP Trader Fund
 Piccadilly
 London,  W1J
 GB

 Domain name: SPTRADERFUND.COM

 Administrative Contact:
    Richards, Jason  xigraman@yahoo.com
    Piccadilly
    London,  W1J
    GB
    +1.447092017493
 Technical Contact:
    Richards, Jason  xigraman@yahoo.com
    Piccadilly
    London,  W1J
    GB
    +1.447092017493


 Registrar of Record: TUCOWS, INC.
 Record last updated on 29-Mar-2005.
 Record expires on 29-Mar-2006.
 Record created on 29-Mar-2005.

 Domain servers in listed order:
    NS1.HOSTEXCELLENCE.COM   69.49.226.6
    NS2.HOSTEXCELLENCE.COM   69.49.227.6


 Domain status: REGISTRAR-LOCK

Here's the address off their website:

SP Trade Investments Capital Ltd.
The SP Trader Investment Futures Growth Fund
212 Piccadilly
London W1J 9, United Kingdom

Europe
Tel:   +44 207 917 9946
Fax: +44 709 201 7493

USA
Fax: + 1 206 984 3220

Fax: + 1 603 710 6511

Posting on TraderClub.com (2004-05-25):

By xigrman on Tuesday, May 25, 2004 - 04:42 pm:

There is an .els TradeStation strategy that is protected by diamond lock. 
I need to crack it to change the variables for my own use and put it on 
another machine. 
Can anyone help me? 
xigraman@yahoo.com 

sptrader.com
This yet another domain associated with the same group, the oldest of the lot, registered on 2004-04-30. Again the address is incomplete. It's registered in a different name.

WHOIS details for domain "sptrader.com":

Request: sptrader.com
connected to whois.directi.com [67.15.47.4:43] ... 
Registration Service Provided By: BRAVENET.COM
Contact: domain-return@bravenet.com
Website: bravenet.com
Abuse Desk Email Address: domain-return@bravenet.com

Domain Name: SPTRADER.COM 

Registrant:
    SP Trade Investments Capital Ltd
    John Nichols (3086836725)        (sptrader_fund@yahoo.com)
    212 Piccadilly
    London
    NA,W1J
    GB
    Tel. +447.092017493

Creation Date: 30-Apr-2004  
Expiration Date: 30-Apr-2006

Domain servers in listed order:
    ns3.bravehost.com
    ns4.bravehost.com


Administrative Contact:
    SP Trade Investments Capital Ltd
    John Nichols (3086836725)        (sptrader_fund@yahoo.com)
    212 Piccadilly
    London
    NA,W1J
    GB
    Tel. +447.092017493

Technical Contact:
    SP Trade Investments Capital Ltd
    John Nichols (3086836725)        (sptrader_fund@yahoo.com)
    212 Piccadilly
    London
    NA,W1J
    GB
    Tel. +447.092017493

Billing Contact:
    SP Trade Investments Capital Ltd
    John Nichols (3086836725)        (sptrader_fund@yahoo.com)
    212 Piccadilly
    London
    NA,W1J
    GB
    Tel. +447.092017493

Status:ACTIVE