You said -- "Exactly, sounds like a front for the Russian mafia to collect credit card numbers."
Maybe that could be true for other web sites that are unknown or obscure. And I wouldn't recommend anything obscure. But, these guys are not obscure and they are not unknown. They've been "written about" for years -- and in major publications. And this has been looked into, as far back as three years ago -- that I'm aware of. There has never been a problem with them.
Any accusation -- such as the one that you're mentioning -- is simply a vague and undirected accusation that doesn't hold up to over three years of *history* that they've had along with the many articles and "investigations" that have been done on them.
And look at it this way -- what would be an *easier way* for RIAA to "shut them down" than to *prove* credit card fraud. RIAA has been *unable* to *ever* prove that -- and they've got the "resources" to prove that -- for sure.
Regards,
Star Traveler
I've NEVER had a problem using my credit cards in the former Soviet Union (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltics, etc.). BUT, I've had my identity stolen (twice if the stolen VA records get used that way) in the US. If the "mafia" is involved in this sort of operation (the website) it would probably make most of its money from demanding "protection money" from the owners. That way the money keeps coming in. One well publicized incident of stolen identity and that site would collapse, i.e., no more money for the mafia.