Police Seize Assets of TestKiller.com
7/10/2002 -- On June 6 San Antonio police seized assets of TestKiller Ltd., the company that runs the practice exam Web site TestKiller.com.
According to a police report filed with the Bexar County, Texas District Court on June 20, the raid was prompted by Microsoft, who alleged that the site was selling Microsoft certification exam questions.
In his affidavit, seizing police officer Daniel Flaharty, a detective in the Special Crimes Unit of the San Antonio Police Department, wrote that he was contacted by a representative from the anti-piracy office of Microsoft. The unnamed representative alleged to Flaharty that TestKiller Ltd. was selling Microsoft "trade secrets" in the form of questions and answers to Microsoft exams.
According to the report, Flaharty began an investigation based on Microsoft's complaint, which led to the June 6 seizure of $408,566.84 in cash as well as several phones, printers, computer equipment, software and other items from at least one location.
No charges have been filed in this investigation. Calls made to the Bexar County district attorney's office to determine whether the investigation was ongoing were not returned as of press time.
Garry L. Neale, one of Testkiller Ltd.'s owners, politely declined CertCities.com's request for an interview, referring all questions to his attorney, who is out of the country this week.
A spokesperson for Microsoft confirmed that the company was aware of the investigation but said he could not comment on it due to the legal nature of the story.
The Testkiller.com Web site has been offline since early June.
Neale is the former owner of Troy Technologies (TroyTec.com), which in December settled a civil copyright and trademark infringement lawsuit brought by certification vendor CompTIA (see "CompTIA v. TroyTec Settled; Company Pulls CompTIA-Related Products from Site, Denies Wrongdoing").
CertCities.com will continue to follow this story and bring you further updates as they develop.  -B.N.
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There are 254  user Comments for “Police Seize Assets of TestKiller.com”
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| 8/3/02: DR from Central Ohio says: |
I work in a large company with a number of MCSEs (all 4.0 except me) and I wish they WERE paper MCSEs because at least they would have an excuse for their total lack of usable skills. I cannot believe how low the bar must have been for MCSE NT certs. Perhaps the decrease in cert value (for MCSE) is based on real-value of MCSE 4.0's. We have quite a few maintaining a multinational 30 DC, 10K client AD domain and they are stumped day to day with simple administrative tasks (in 2000). Quite a few (including our dept head) have said to me "I don't even want to try the 2000 track, because it's too hard"... Perhaps companies hired these EXPERIENCED NT MCSEs based on Microsoft's promises of qualifications and then REALITY HIT! No Microsoft is saying "no, REALLY, our 2000 guys know what the H.LL they are doing" and the companies are (rightly) saying "sure they do..." (based on the experience with the morons with NT certs) Perhaps, like the tech stock market, to cert bubble has burst and incomes are reflecting your true value to your company? If you came to have sunshine blown up your a$$, your looking in the wrong place, Chester. You are paid what you are worth and if you were worth more, you'd go someplace else. |
| 8/4/02: NickIT from MD says: |
Just Wanted to say that I have been in IT for the past 2 years. Certs got me in the Door and my employer still wants us to get more Certs. Bottom Line: Every day I come to work and perform my best. If I got a Cert Because I studied and Used some cheat sheet, oh well. You still have to know what you are doing, or that piece of paper does not mean squat. |
| 8/6/02: Kismet says: |
On 7/10 someone had the brains to write of brain-dump businesses like TestKiller(aka Troytec): "This have devalued the certification program." Looks to me like someone "have" devalued their elementary and highschool education. I fix my own computer, I wouldn't want anyone who can't pass 4th grade subjects to touch it, regardless of their certifications. |
| 8/8/02: IT Pro says: |
What a bunch of cry babies, braindumps are not evil. Why don't we burn examnotes, study guides, and transcendars. Let's really go back to the dark ages. |
| 8/15/02: Trainer from NC says: |
Good. I hope the industry goes after companies like Testkiller with a vengence. There is a big difference between exam study guides and compromising an exam (i.e. publishing the actual exam questions and answers). I have seen people pass the hardest Microsoft exams using the TroyTec guides who knew nothing of the subject matter except what the amswers were on the test. Microsoft should take this a step further and decertify anyone who ordered and or used these cheats to get their certifications. |
| 8/19/02: Anonymous says: |
Your certs are all worthless you losers |
| 8/23/02: Anonymous says: |
Have any of you thought about actually learning the material to pass the test instead of the answers? There is NO good excuse to use these cheet sheats. If you can't pass by using hands on study, and the books provided by the Vendor YOU ARE AN IDIOT. Not one of you can prove me otherwise |
| 8/26/02: Anonymous says: |
I had a math professor in college who said: To pass this math class you have to be a "Particapant" not a "Spectator". To pass any of the Microsoft exams, this is exactly what you have to do. We need programs, test simulators, and reading that can achieve this process. To simply think you can read the right answer and memorize a question is not going to Guarantee success. Microsoft is aware of Braindumps, and it is easy enough to twist the question around, to have undesired results of memorization. Understanding how you get to the right answer is how you will pass an exam. Instead of killing testkillers, why don't they hire more exam writers... Stimulate the economy and create more Jobs!!!!! I don't think this is a question of integrity, I think it's all about MONEY! |
| 8/28/02: Tracey J. Rosenblath from Picton says: |
I'm really glad that this finally happened. I can't believe Troytech came back as another company after running into trouble. They should have known. If we can just abolish the rest of the braindump companies our certs will be worth something again. And I'm glad to see the editorial staff (ie. Becky Nagel) handling some real nitty gritty news. To the person who said the article was late in coming - put a sock in it - Becky's doing a great job! |
| 8/29/02: I hate PCs from florida says: |
Computers Suck..Bill Gates sucks... Bill uses these tests to generate $BIG$, like he don't have enough. I'm A plus, and MCP, in NT40, tcpip, and others.. Does passing A plus mean you know how to fix PCs,,,a big NO,,great just paid $1200 for the course and $250 for the test... the tests are not what the real world is.. how about if you take the test now and you get one wrong, the smart program keeps asking you on the topic you get wrong and you might fail in 10 questions...great..just f'in great.. now you got to pay another $100 to take it again.. just give 100 questions and grade it like a real test... Bill doesn't make anything easy.. these schools really suck too.. they'll take someone with no computer skills, take the $8k and try to teach them MCSE in a bootcamp in 6 weeks...ya right... these people get overwhelmed and drop out....great..just f'in great...you'll never stop the people looking for the easy-er way.. |
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