Fake New Cache Notification

[+cameracowgirl]

I just got a new cache notification, but it's VERY fishy. The country of origin is wrong (Russia, not Canada), and the satellite images show it in an impossible location (the middle of a ferry terminal laneway intersection). Even the reviewer's name is new to me. I'm pretty certain that Groundspeak may have been hacked again, but I see no news of that in the forums. How do I report the cache as fake without clicking on it?

[Pup Patrol]

I just got a new cache notification, but it's VERY fishy. The country of origin is wrong (Russia, not Canada), and the satellite images show it in an impossible location (the middle of a ferry terminal laneway intersection). Even the reviewer's name is new to me. I'm pretty certain that Groundspeak may have been hacked again, but I see no news of that in the forums. How do I report the cache as fake without clicking on it?

 

What's the GC code?

 

B.

Edited May 29, 2016 by Pup Patrol

[+cameracowgirl]

A friend emailed a different reviewer and the cache was retracted.

 

I wonder if there are other fake cache pages like it? If so, then nobody else seems to be posting about the topic, yet.

[+cameracowgirl]

I just got a new cache notification, but it's VERY fishy. The country of origin is wrong (Russia, not Canada), and the satellite images show it in an impossible location (the middle of a ferry terminal laneway intersection). Even the reviewer's name is new to me. I'm pretty certain that Groundspeak may have been hacked again, but I see no news of that in the forums. How do I report the cache as fake without clicking on it?

 

What's the GC code?

 

B.

[+MartyBartfast]

If you think the Email is a scam then ignore it, but look up the cache directly on Geocaching.com using the GCcode in the Email.

 

If you really want to report it then use the "contact us" link at the bottom of all the geocaching.com pages.

[+cameracowgirl]

It was GC6JPJD

[+MartyBartfast]

A friend emailed a different reviewer and the cache was retracted.

 

I wonder if there are other fake cache pages like it? If so, then nobody else seems to be posting about the topic, yet.

 

Doesn't necessarily mean it's a fake cache page, could be a simple mistake. If you planted a cache in many parts of Russia, but accidentally entered the co-ords with a W rather than an E then there's a good chance that it would show up as being in Canada.....

[+ChileHead]

A friend emailed a different reviewer and the cache was retracted.

 

I wonder if there are other fake cache pages like it? If so, then nobody else seems to be posting about the topic, yet.

 

Doesn't necessarily mean it's a fake cache page, could be a simple mistake. If you planted a cache in many parts of Russia, but accidentally entered the co-ords with a W rather than an E then there's a good chance that it would show up as being in Canada.....

 

From the retraction note, that appears to be the case.

[+cameracowgirl]

But isn't the reviewer supposed to check the satellite images and confirm that the location is legal and correct before publishing?

[jholly]

But isn't the reviewer supposed to check the satellite images and confirm that the location is legal and correct before publishing?

Depends, if the reviewer was a dog and got distracted by a milkbone it could have slipped through.

[+TeamRabbitRun]

I heard that back during the First Cold War, the Soviets would intentionally publish incorrect maps to foil invaders and insurgents.

 

No gas-station-map was reliable.

 

Could this be a remnant of that time?

 

CJ, are you around to comment?

 

(All in jest, my friend.)

[+Ladybug Kids]

But isn't the reviewer supposed to check the satellite images and confirm that the location is legal and correct before publishing?

Yes, but per jholly's post, some/many reviewer's are dogs (Alaska is reviewed by six dogs),, and they don't care which hemisphere they are in.

 

Also, sometimes at the default map zoom level, even when "E" and "W" are swapped, the cache location looks legitimate and it's not until one zooms out several levels that the error becomes apparent.

[+-CJ-]

This particular cache was created by a newbie with zero finds, zero hides, just registered at the website, with an intention "to try how geocaches are published at all". I've got information that it was published by accident and quickly retracted after several comments.

 

I think that I will invest some resources into the development of an illustrated "walkthrough" in Russian language so that geocachers can have visual tool to get understanding of how caches are published and submitted on this website.