NRA handgun ownership survey

[HighVelocity]

I just got an email, supposedly from the NRA, asking me to take a survey. I looked at the survey and right off the bat, it's How many and what type of handgun do you own type questions.

IS this really from the NRA? It's extremely intrusive and my spidey sense is tingling.

[jiannichan]

I haven't gotten any e-mail like that...

[lrb111]

I didn't get it, either. Isn't there a place on the NRA members page where you can accept/reject email stuff? If so, I may have that part on the NRA site turned off though. I can't recall.

[bt1911]

I just did and contacted the NRA to validate.

[Oldgringo]

I haven't got anything like that and would, like you, be suspicious of it.

[HighVelocity]

I still have the email so if anyone wants it, post your email addy and I will fwd it so you can see for yourself.

[HankB]

Sounds VERY suspicious . . . I would no more respond to that type of survey than I would one asking me what I had in the way of home electronics, collector coins, cash, or jewelry kept at home.

[AEA]

If you respond to it, be sure to put all your serial numbers as well............

That way you will be experienced in reporting these next year!

[Skiprr]

I received one this morning about rifle and shotgun preferences, but I've never seen one from the NRA asking me about how many guns I owned, My Spidey sense would be tinglin', too.

[Mike1951]

It was from this address: <NRA_Publications@www.nranews.org>

While it could be spoofed, I guess, it appeared to me to be legitimate.

[HighVelocity]

I did not take the survey. Regardless of whether it's legit or not, the questions are WAY too intusive.

[nitrogen]

http://www.nranews.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; as a return address sounds very fishy to me.

Do me a favor, if you still have the email?
Check the headers (PM me if you need instructions on how to do that) and PM them to me if you don't mind. By sending me the headers, you'll be letting me know what your real e-mail address is, so don't do that if you're not comfortable with me knowing.

I'm guessing it was spoofed, but if you post the headers, I'll be able to maybe tell.

[Mike1951]

Done.

You have a PM.

[nitrogen]

[EDIT] SEE MY COMMENTS LATER IN THE THREAD. Based on further info I received, I doubt that the NRA is doing anything with the personal information they are gathering, nefarious or not. [END EDIT]

Wow. It looks legit. The IP that the message was received from your your mailserver is the IP owned by nranews.org.

And, based on the way the URL was done, it might be uniquely identified; and maybe even personally identifiable. The "Unsubscribe" URL is nearly the same as the "take the survey" URL.

Most likely, this is just an oversight based on the software that NRA uses to run their contact management; and I doubt that anything shady is going on.

NRA really does need to get with the times though, and be careful with these kinds of things. Geeks like me tend to get upset when companies misuse (accidentally or on purpose) personal information. If you read geek blogs like Slashdot, or slightly lesser geek blogs like The Consumerist, you'll see just how upset some people get.

[HighVelocity]

Wow. It looks legit. The IP that the message was received from your your mailserver is the IP owned by nranews.org.

And, based on the way the URL was done, it might be uniquely identified; and maybe even personally identifiable. The "Unsubscribe" URL is nearly the same as the "take the survey" URL.

Most likely, this is just an oversight based on the software that NRA uses to run their contact management; and I doubt that anything shady is going on.

NRA really does need to get with the times though, and be careful with these kinds of things. Geeks like me tend to get upset when companies misuse (accidentally or on purpose) personal information. If you read geek blogs like Slashdot, or slightly lesser geek blogs like The Consumerist, you'll see just how upset some people get.

That's why I posted. It looks legit but my tinfoil hat started heating up when I saw the questions they wanted me to answer.