Mathschase - Is this a suspicious website?

[ap_]

Am I being overcautious/paranoid?

 

A while back we received the following email from Mathschase

 

From: Sarah Watts [[email protected]]

Sent: 04 December 2018 22:35

To:

Subject: Page Suggestion

 

Hi,

 

I am inquiring about whether you may be interested in linking to our site https://www.mathschase.com/ from your school website?

 

http://www.exampleschool.info/mathweb/index_files/Page827.htm

 

Maths Chase is a completely free site where you can quickly test your times tables. The site is a very simple game but I think kids will find it a really fun way to learn their times tables. I wondering whether this could be a useful resource for your site readers?

 

Thank you very much for your consideration.

 

Kind Regards,

Sarah

 

Sarah Watts

[email protected]

https://www.mathschase.com

 

As the site seemed to require students email addresses for logins (it doesn't actually have this functionality working yet) I requested GDPR and privacy information and received no response. I emailed them again and also tried contacting them via their website and twitter and also received no reply.

 

Googling "Sarah Watts mathchase" doesn't bring up any useful information and only a UK phone number that doesn't work displayed on other sites e.g.

https://www.supportincornwall.org.uk/kb5/cornwall/directory/service.page?id=DlLJaE5AFGw

 

The website itself uses copyrighted characters such as the Mr Men and Mario (not a big deal in terms of suspiciousness) but the fact that many primary schools link to this site which potentially will harvest children’s email addresses from a seemingly (to me) very elusive company, is of concern. The privacy notices and Ts&Cs links on their website also don’t work.

 

Can anyone confirm that this website is legit?

Edited June 18, 2019 by ap_

[hardtailstar]

Not sure if its a legit website but we had that exact email sent to one of our email addresses set up for parents to email about homework.

 

They didn't think to check the 'contact us' page which has the office email and school phone number on it!

 

I just deleted it as we are a secondary school and only link to items that have been tested and checked they are useful for students.

Edited June 18, 2019 by hardtailstar

[FishCustard]

I wouldn't say it's prima facie suspicious, but I wouldn't link to it. They're just out for free promotion.

[PotNoodleTech]

Why would you even need a primary school child's email address for a basic website just to test their times tables?

 

Alarm bells on.

[puzzlelady]

I received the same exact message, addressed not to our main email but to a person linked on a page who has nothing to do with what goes into our site--like trying to get in through a side door? Maths Chase seems to be a one-woman operation based in UK, at least for now, fishing for free listings on other sites. No information about the business or its spokesperson anywhere on the site. Its free offerings, it appears, will be supported by ads. I decline such requests. Edited March 6, 2020 by puzzlelady
add info

[GrumbleDook]

I've requested more information with my DPO hat on.

[paulkerton]

They're looking for free promotion and they're looking for your site to link to theirs to boost their SEO.

I don't know if it's dodgy or not directly, but it's kinda ugly.

 

Much like a company that I had never done any business with before, who called and asked one of the school secretaries my name.

They gave it, and then they sent a 30 day trial of their software (that I never actually ended up seeing, actually)

 

Cue around 40 days after the call, when finance wanted to know where the bill for £199 for software I'd never requested to be sent was generated from. Proper underhand behaviour.

[hardtailstar]

Not sure if its a legit website but we had that exact email sent to one of our email addresses set up for parents to email about homework.

 

They didn't think to check the 'contact us' page which has the office email and school phone number on it!

 

I just deleted it as we are a secondary school and only link to items that have been tested and checked they are useful for students.

 

Since this reply I think they have sent about 4 or 5 of the same email to the same email address as I said about above.