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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| 7/11/02: Anonymous says: |
linux is the wave of the future |
| 7/11/02: George Bukacki from USA says: |
My friends Barry, Gary and Eric all used brain- dumps to pass Microsoft related exams. I don't see what the big deal is. Companies like test killer and troytec really help speed up the study process. Within hours, you can prepare yourself for the MS exams. These sites are a time saver. As for real life experience, I can't say. I running for politcal office. Senetor George Bukacki does know much about computers. Thanks... |
| 7/11/02: mcp#106X says: |
congrats...you were one of the first...but i amnot talkingabout the study guides...i strayed from my point..i was really just wanting to say you should never call another tech an idiot or stupid(as per TIM)..you should try and point them in the right direction and help them in any way you can.... |
| 7/11/02: Phil from Philadelphia says: |
This is a funny situation because MS has not been exactly the role model for ethical business practice either. Truth of the matter is that Testkiller was not different than jrksoftware.com, testking.com, or any other "self test, practice test" software. Look at jrksoftware? I registered their questions and they even guarntee on their site that you'll pass the actual test because you are basically buying a copy of it from jrksoftware. Exam essentials is in essence the same thing. I have obtained my CNE and used exam essentials the whole way through. Sometimes the exam essentials question was the same as the actual question... its all over the place. Microsoft wont be able to stop it because its become too big.Just do a search for mcse on google and you'll see the hundreds of sites offering "actual questions, actual answers." The truth is that whether people use braindumps or not the real world situations will weed them out. Nothing can prepare you for actual cert exams 100%, nothing. Even those training schools. Braindumps should be like cigarettes, know that you are hurting yourself and if you choose to do it so be it. IF you want to learn the material thats your call. People ive spoken to have had over 20 years networking experience and have had difficulty passing microsoft test because ms wants you to know "their" way, not the real world way. Well not everything is MS so in a sense in order to even pass the test you almost have to use some sort of dump unless you have over 20 years experience!! |
| 7/11/02: Anonymous says: |
Now how can i cheat on Microsoft Cert test now? |
| 7/11/02: Anonymous says: |
Does Microsoft yank the certifications of people who are proven to have used these braindumps? If they don't what's the point? The operators of the sites will just start another site and start all over. |
| 7/11/02: Anonymous says: |
It really scares me how stupid some of the attitudes are here. I've been an IT professional transplanted from other technical professions for years now, yet it amazes me how much we have to learn. How many hours we have to work, and the crap we have to put up with to keep up with technology and earn a job that doesn't pay us anywhere near what it should considering all of that. The biggest problem as I see it is the pure greed among our own. The bullshit statements that just cover-up for people cheating (claiming they are already so great that they should be able to do this, because those tests don't mean anything anyway or some other stupid answer). I have worked in the industry (including those tech training schools) long enough not to take those "we don't need no stinkin certs, I got experience" people at their word. Their are plenty that are full of crap and quite incompetent but stay lost in the companies they work or eventually solve something by hacking away at someone elses expense. As far as I'm concerned, everyone should have to take the damn tests to really prove that they know anything or they don't get the job (just like a license). Why, because I'm tired of busting my butt to learn all of this and pass tests (without ever cheating, and believe me its damn hard stuff. NT 4 was a cakewalk) to find out the pay scale is being eroded by all the morons holding jobs they don't deserve or employers who manage to play to our weaknesses while we are stupid enough to not stick together (while all those execs are walking off with millions that were earned in many cases via the technologies we all build and maintain). As I said, I've worked at those tech training centers and have seen even instructors have others sit tests for them (more cover my ass greed). I say..if I see you cheat I'm turning your butt in and hope to blacklist you in the industry. Study the material, take legit parctice exams that make you think why is that the answer, setup a home lab (I've seen people collect junk PCs and revive to make it work), but don't cheat. Also, think about the impact on all of our salaries before you start acting like a putz! Lastly, no matter what anyone tells you, its rare for anyone to get through a Win2k MCSE test series without having to retake some (I have that from credible sources at Microsoft and from my own observations when I did a stint as Prometric Test Admin). Ultimately, you all who stick with it and finally pass your exams will know more than those who are full of crap out there. Yes you may still need to clock in some real world experience but nothing you learned is wasted. Its all the real deal. Oh and when you are finally working in the industry, work hard and well, and make sure you get paid what you are worth. If you have to rat out some of the BS artists and feel joy when they get canned, so be it. You worked for it. |
| 7/11/02: Tim says: |
Someone who still has a problem - you misread my earlier post. People, especially an instructor, who still doesn't understand that grokking a MOC class does not entitle you to passing an MS exam are idiots. The whines that "we have to cheat because a 30 hour MOC class doesn't give all the answers" are no more rational than any of the other excuses. I have no problem with classes (MOC or otherwise) and 3rd party books. I've read tons of them. I teach a few classes a year. The insult I flung that seems to have set you off is directed at those who expect a MOC class to be all they need to pass an exam. And since it's not, rather than take the hint that perhaps they have a mistaken expectation, they use that to justify cheating. |
| 7/11/02: Anonymous says: |
Well Tim...I can side with you on one thing. The MOC classes aren't sufficient. They aren't bad, but as you indicated are not all that you need to pass a test. Practice exams (not to cheat but as a learning and measuring tool), books (the resource kits are the best), technet, hands on with the product are all needed. Its harder than it used to be, but I don't accept anyone cheating. They should get a sound "lumping up" and have their cert pulled. |
| 7/11/02: AC from Midwest says: |
The reason "braindumps" etc. exist is because Microsoft designs the curriculum in Redmond and the tests in San Jose and never the twain shall meet. If they tested over the curriculum rather than some nebulous objective there would be little incentive for "braindumps". Anyone remember the old IIS 4 test where the first five questions were involved SQL down to the error codes and the official MS curriculum never even suggested you could get an error code using a Web front end to SQL db. |
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