An update on the situation involving hornsfan65

[weretexas23]

Can current IPs and past IPs be compared to validate his story of being hacked?

 

[BoyBlueTwo]

@shehooksem strikes again

 

[riloh05]

@Ketchum naw...your good fam. appreciate the diligence by you and the staff. i also appreciate you opening up to the board in your 10 thoughts. that wasnt easy, but you are right- this is a family.

 

[Dal_Horn]

Well, I've officially had the one of the most surreal 24 hours of my life. Given that this is completely uncharted territory, I'm going to try to explain this situation via a short timeline of events.

* After the events from Saturday night and Sunday morning concerning the safety of the Orangebloods poster @hornsfan65, the Orangebloods staff spent the better part of Sunday and today working will law enforcement officials to confirm what had allegedly occurred on the message board. There wasn't a phone number listed in the user's contact information and none of the other listed information was current/correct, so initial efforts to provide both aid and confirmation were unsuccessful.

* By the end of this morning, we had very, very strong reasons to believe that the story that @hornsfan65 had told on the site had been untrue. Anwar Richardson led the investigation for us all day today and eventually confirmed through Amarillo police that @hornsfan65 was alive. The police had spoken with @hornsfan65 and that he confirmed that he was safe and claimed his account had been hacked over the weekend. While on a three-way call with Anwar and the police officer, we requested that the officer contact @hornsfan65 and ask if we could contact him.

* Less than an hour ago, Anwar and I spoke with @hornsfan65 over the phone. According to him, he has not used his Orangebloods account in quite a while and he can't explain how this situation occurred or who might have made the posts under his account if it wasn't him. Honestly, we asked a number of questions that he just didn't have answers for and it means that as of this very second, I can't fully explain situation this with complete detail, even if I have strong suspicions about what happened.

The best possible news is that we didn't lose an Orangebloods member this weekend in horrific fashion. I keep reminding myself that this is all that matters. I want to express to everyone that I made repeated attempts to check on his safety and state of mind, imploring with him to talk with us if he needed someone to talk to. However, he was quite insistent that he was in good health and of sound mind.

The bad news is that the a lot of people, including myself, were taken advantage of. All the members of this community wanted to do was be there for someone in a moment of need and that amazing amount of good faith was taken advantage of.

I don't know what else to say other than these three things:

1. Everyone who contributed to the fund that @echeese established in the last 24 hours will have their money refunded. I've told Chuck that I will work hand in hand in any capacity needed to make sure this is done in quick fashion.

2. There is still an active investigation about this on our end. I wouldn't normally write something before an investigation concludes, but this matter required urgent communication between myself and the board.

3. We will work to create a vetting process exists for any fund that is promoted on the site moving forward. We were all just trying to do the right thing, but in the future we're going to have to wait until situations are fully vetted before we support and allow for donations to take place.

A few people have told me that I don't have anything to be sorry about as it relates to all of this, but I don't believe that to be true. The buck stops with me and in retrospect, I would do things a little different today with the ability of a little hindsight.

My sincere apologies.

gk

You did nothing wrong. Be proud of our community/family.

 

[TEXPIMP]

Well, I've officially had the one of the most surreal 24 hours of my life. Given that this is completely uncharted territory, I'm going to try to explain this situation via a short timeline of events.

* After the events from Saturday night and Sunday morning concerning the safety of the Orangebloods poster @hornsfan65, the Orangebloods staff spent the better part of Sunday and today working will law enforcement officials to confirm what had allegedly occurred on the message board. There wasn't a phone number listed in the user's contact information and none of the other listed information was current/correct, so initial efforts to provide both aid and confirmation were unsuccessful.

* By the end of this morning, we had very, very strong reasons to believe that the story that @hornsfan65 had told on the site had been untrue. Anwar Richardson led the investigation for us all day today and eventually confirmed through Amarillo police that @hornsfan65 was alive. The police had spoken with @hornsfan65 and that he confirmed that he was safe and claimed his account had been hacked over the weekend. While on a three-way call with Anwar and the police officer, we requested that the officer contact @hornsfan65 and ask if we could contact him.

* Less than an hour ago, Anwar and I spoke with @hornsfan65 over the phone. According to him, he has not used his Orangebloods account in quite a while and he can't explain how this situation occurred or who might have made the posts under his account if it wasn't him. Honestly, we asked a number of questions that he just didn't have answers for and it means that as of this very second, I can't fully explain situation this with complete detail, even if I have strong suspicions about what happened.

The best possible news is that we didn't lose an Orangebloods member this weekend in horrific fashion. I keep reminding myself that this is all that matters. I want to express to everyone that I made repeated attempts to check on his safety and state of mind, imploring with him to talk with us if he needed someone to talk to. However, he was quite insistent that he was in good health and of sound mind.

The bad news is that the a lot of people, including myself, were taken advantage of. All the members of this community wanted to do was be there for someone in a moment of need and that amazing amount of good faith was taken advantage of.

I don't know what else to say other than these three things:

1. Everyone who contributed to the fund that @echeese established in the last 24 hours will have their money refunded. I've told Chuck that I will work hand in hand in any capacity needed to make sure this is done in quick fashion.

2. There is still an active investigation about this on our end. I wouldn't normally write something before an investigation concludes, but this matter required urgent communication between myself and the board.

3. We will work to create a vetting process exists for any fund that is promoted on the site moving forward. We were all just trying to do the right thing, but in the future we're going to have to wait until situations are fully vetted before we support and allow for donations to take place.

A few people have told me that I don't have anything to be sorry about as it relates to all of this, but I don't believe that to be true. The buck stops with me and in retrospect, I would do things a little different today with the ability of a little hindsight.

My sincere apologies.

gk

I appreciate you owning this, but it really isn't necessary. Everyone who contributed to the thread and donated had their hearts in the right place and that is what makes this place the #1 site out there. I am glad we didn't lose someone from the board, but there must be some accountability and it is on the person who was posting under that handle.

 

[MustGoFaster]

Sucks. This board has become a Dear Abby of sorts, which says a lot about the community, but it has gotten painful to read. I won’t comment on any specific posts, but you can’t read 3 threads without a “prayers needed” topic. Maybe create a corral for such things.

The board is nothing short of depressing.

Football starts soon. Take a chill pill.

 

[CS]

@She_hooks_em

 

[dan 8817]

nm

 

[Ratbelly]

Good job Ketch. Everyone was trusting and none of you guys should be blamed.

 

[morghorns]

Unbelievable!!!! Anyway, the members of this Orangeblood family are amazing. Thank god I am a Longhorn and a member of this brotherhood!

 

[JinSOTEX]

His account was hacked? Suuure. That’s fvcking lame

 

[Jet Peddler]

Wouldn't IP addresses verify if it was him or not?

Yes it should and from ketch’s wording of things (him having doubts) it sounds like there wasn’t any hacking.

 

[BrobaFapp]

flubbergasped

 

[echeese]

OK,

I'm pretty red faced but working with Fundly to return funds.

One thing I do want to share, I have had 3 OBs reach out to me today about family members that need help around the state.

Real, no bullshit cases of guys needing help plus a LEO who head a group called 3rd watch, called me (I had posted the link to fund raise online) about another vet who needs help.

But trying to make lemonaide of our lemons.

 

[PepperedAngus]

According to him, he has not used his Orangebloods account in quite a while and he can't explain how this situation occurred or who might have made the posts under his account if it wasn't him. Honestly, we asked a number of questions that he just didn't have answers for and it means that as of this very second, I can't fully explain situation this with complete detail, even if I have strong suspicions about what happened.

I’m assuming IPs are logged or some other form of authentication occurs and you know what the deal is

 

[StevenG17]

Never a dull moment

 

[jshorn]

Football starts soon. Take a chill pill.

1988 called and asked for its slang back.

 

[HookemHorns]

The vetting process is a good idea. I’d hate to see people taken advantage of again because they are good people trying to help others

 

[Scooter14507]

How can you apologize for being compassionate. Thanks for pursuing it until the end.

 

[Iceman]

@hornsfan65 is lying if he's saying his account was hacked, b/c the Verizon cell phone IP address used to post Sat & Sun is the same IP address used in the past by him. It's also the same IP address used to list his favorite posters on the board on Saturday, which no one that hacked his account would do. If he has the balls to (purportedly) become an Army Ranger, then he has the balls to own his mistake.

 

[Joker Horn]

Well, you were right about the dysfunctional family part of OB

 

[collinhookem18]

Ketch, love the site . Your boy Bobby has been kicking your ass in recruiting for over a year . You need to hire another recruiting guy to rival with EJ . Your business not mine .

Wtf? Get your shit out of here

 

[Big Bertha]

Unfortunately in this world there is a lot of scum out there. People stealing from old people, stealing ssn's, using credit card numbers of others. It's that kind of world. But echeese and everyone who contributed should be commended for their efforts. In the end thankfully nobody lost any money.

 

[aajones63]

What a weird deal... that’s all I really have to say about that.

 

[Anwar Richardson]

Wow. Talk about mixed feelings right now.

I was happy to learn he was alive, which is most important. Now I'm left with way more questions than answers.

 

[Her costar in the beaver picture]

She Hacks Em

 

[PaulKemp]

Hats off to the "hacker" on the most troubling fake-death hoax I've witnessed in my internetting I guess.

Cheers to everyone who stepped up and hope it doesn't turn you off from doing so in the future.

Kind of interesting seeing just how low and how great people can be on the web all in one story.

 

[NovoHorn]

He’s a bitch in my book. He can’t even admit he made a mistake and own it? F that dude.

 

[texaswill]

I didn't wanna be that guy so I just kept my mouth closed. Smh

 

[BrobaFapp]

you have done a fantastic job Geoff. All of you have, we thank you you for this.