This Section Contains Important Information about Email Spams & Scams
Consumers should not submit their e-mail addresses to a Web site that promises to reduce unwanted "spam" because it is fraudulent, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission said Thursday.
Though the Web site found at (www.unsub.us) promises to reduce unsolicited commercial e-mail, those who sign up could end up receiving more spam than ever or even fall victim to identity theft, the FTC said.
The Web site uses the same color scheme and design elements as one maintained by the FTC to sign up consumers for the national "do not call" registry, which reduces unwanted telemarketing calls.
The FTC has been ordered by Congress to examine whether a similar "do not spam" list would be feasible, but the agency hasn't yet reached a conclusion and does not operate a "do not spam" Web site.
The unsub.us Web site is not affiliated with the government and consumers should not submit their e-mail addresses to the site, the FTC said in a news release.
"The best way to avoid scams like this one is to keep your personal information to yourself -- including your e-mail address -- unless you know who you're dealing with," the FTC said.
No contact information was listed on the Web site, and registration information pointed to Network Solutions Inc. , a domain-name seller. A Network Solutions official said the Web site owner could not be contacted directly.
FTC officials in the past have warned not to sign up for other "do not spam" sites as they could be a way for spammers to collect more e-mail addresses.
Spam Scams
Moderators: Moderator, Global Moderator
Spam Scams
Last edited by Tami on Sun Oct 09, 2005 11:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
[color=\"#41211C\"]It takes years to build up trust and only seconds to destroy it
[/color]
-
RuffRyders
- Newbie
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Mon Jun 14, 2004 7:47 am
Spam Scams
Old scams pose the 'greatest security risk'
The greatest security risk facing large companies and individual Internet users over the next 10 years will be the increasingly sophisticated use of social engineering to bypass IT security defenses, according to Gartner.
By Munir Kotadia
In an announcement Sunday, the research company defined social engineering as "the manipulation of people, rather than machines, to successfully breach the security systems of an enterprise or a consumer." This involves criminals persuading a user to click on a link or open an attachment that they probably know they shouldn't.
Rich Mogull, research director for information security and risk at Gartner, said in the announcement that social engineering is more of a problem than hacking.
"People, by nature, are unpredictable and susceptible to manipulation and persuasion. Studies show that humans have certain behavioral tendencies that can be exploited with careful manipulation," he said. "Many of the most damaging security penetrations are, and will continue to be, due to social engineering, not electronic hacking or cracking."
Mogull said that identity theft is a major concern because more criminals are "reinventing old scams" using new technology.
"Criminals are using social engineering to take the identity of someone either for profit, or to gather further information on an enterprise," he said. "This is not only a violation of the business, but of someone's personal privacy."
Rob Forsyth, managing director at Sophos in Australia and New Zealand, described a recent "malicious and cynical" scam that targeted unemployed Australians. The potential victim received an e-mail that purported to come from Credit Suisse bank advertising a job opportunity. The e-mail asked the recipient to go to a Web site that was an almost exact replica of the actual Credit Suisse site--but this version contained an application form for the "job posting."
Forsyth said the replicated Web site was recreated so thoroughly that it took experts some time to confirm that it was actually a fraud.
"It was not necessarily groundbreaking, but quite a clever combination of technology," Forsyth said. "They are targeting those people in the community that are most in need--those seeking work. It is exactly those people that might be vulnerable to this kind of overture."
Gartner's Mogull said: "We believe social engineering is the single greatest security risk in the decade ahead."
[Source]
The greatest security risk facing large companies and individual Internet users over the next 10 years will be the increasingly sophisticated use of social engineering to bypass IT security defenses, according to Gartner.
By Munir Kotadia
In an announcement Sunday, the research company defined social engineering as "the manipulation of people, rather than machines, to successfully breach the security systems of an enterprise or a consumer." This involves criminals persuading a user to click on a link or open an attachment that they probably know they shouldn't.
Rich Mogull, research director for information security and risk at Gartner, said in the announcement that social engineering is more of a problem than hacking.
"People, by nature, are unpredictable and susceptible to manipulation and persuasion. Studies show that humans have certain behavioral tendencies that can be exploited with careful manipulation," he said. "Many of the most damaging security penetrations are, and will continue to be, due to social engineering, not electronic hacking or cracking."
Mogull said that identity theft is a major concern because more criminals are "reinventing old scams" using new technology.
"Criminals are using social engineering to take the identity of someone either for profit, or to gather further information on an enterprise," he said. "This is not only a violation of the business, but of someone's personal privacy."
Rob Forsyth, managing director at Sophos in Australia and New Zealand, described a recent "malicious and cynical" scam that targeted unemployed Australians. The potential victim received an e-mail that purported to come from Credit Suisse bank advertising a job opportunity. The e-mail asked the recipient to go to a Web site that was an almost exact replica of the actual Credit Suisse site--but this version contained an application form for the "job posting."
Forsyth said the replicated Web site was recreated so thoroughly that it took experts some time to confirm that it was actually a fraud.
"It was not necessarily groundbreaking, but quite a clever combination of technology," Forsyth said. "They are targeting those people in the community that are most in need--those seeking work. It is exactly those people that might be vulnerable to this kind of overture."
Gartner's Mogull said: "We believe social engineering is the single greatest security risk in the decade ahead."
[Source]
The bruises fade but memories are made.
Spam Scams
Spam Gets Spirtitual
13/12/2004 11:43 AM - Paul Majendie - Reuters
Internet users praying for salvation from junk mail face a new torment - "Spiritual Spam."
Along with the flood of messages offering everything from mortgages to miracle cures, they are now being asked to repent and pray.
"We are seeing more and more of it. It appears to be on the rise," said Martin Lee of email security company MessageLabs.
"The God-botherers are using the techniques of the 21st century. It's Spiritual Spam and almost all of it is Christian," he told Reuters.
The prayers appear mostly to originate from native English speakers in the United States.
"They are very good at hiding where they are. A lot of the stuff is relayed through China," Lee said.
He said it is easier to act against the electronic evangelists in Europe than it is in the US
"The United States 'Can Spam' Act only applies to commercial email. If you are trying to save their souls, then it is exempt from the US Act. But it is illegal under European Union law because it is unsolicited," Lee said.
The spiritual spammers are after souls rather than cash.
"These are old-style evangelicals wanting to spread the message," Lee said.
In one typical example, recipients are warned: "Eternity is a really long time. If you or someone close to you has not accepted God, please do so today."
Then came the prayer: "Deliver me from all my sinful habits. Set me free!"
Neil Hammerton, managing director of computer security company Email Systems, said: "This does not come from mass spam companies. It's people with requests they want to put out.
He said they use a database of well known email addresses and spam software they can buy for as little as 25 pounds.
"They sit at the end of a Broadband connection and send out thousands of emails overnight," he told Reuters.
But he reckoned that spiritual spam still makes up less than one percent of the unwanted traffic that pours onto the Internet every day.
The latest review by Email Systems showed that medical content made up 48 percent of all spam. Next came pornography with 15 percent followed by gambling with 11 percent and mortgages with nine percent.
[Source]
13/12/2004 11:43 AM - Paul Majendie - Reuters
Internet users praying for salvation from junk mail face a new torment - "Spiritual Spam."
Along with the flood of messages offering everything from mortgages to miracle cures, they are now being asked to repent and pray.
"We are seeing more and more of it. It appears to be on the rise," said Martin Lee of email security company MessageLabs.
"The God-botherers are using the techniques of the 21st century. It's Spiritual Spam and almost all of it is Christian," he told Reuters.
The prayers appear mostly to originate from native English speakers in the United States.
"They are very good at hiding where they are. A lot of the stuff is relayed through China," Lee said.
He said it is easier to act against the electronic evangelists in Europe than it is in the US
"The United States 'Can Spam' Act only applies to commercial email. If you are trying to save their souls, then it is exempt from the US Act. But it is illegal under European Union law because it is unsolicited," Lee said.
The spiritual spammers are after souls rather than cash.
"These are old-style evangelicals wanting to spread the message," Lee said.
In one typical example, recipients are warned: "Eternity is a really long time. If you or someone close to you has not accepted God, please do so today."
Then came the prayer: "Deliver me from all my sinful habits. Set me free!"
Neil Hammerton, managing director of computer security company Email Systems, said: "This does not come from mass spam companies. It's people with requests they want to put out.
He said they use a database of well known email addresses and spam software they can buy for as little as 25 pounds.
"They sit at the end of a Broadband connection and send out thousands of emails overnight," he told Reuters.
But he reckoned that spiritual spam still makes up less than one percent of the unwanted traffic that pours onto the Internet every day.
The latest review by Email Systems showed that medical content made up 48 percent of all spam. Next came pornography with 15 percent followed by gambling with 11 percent and mortgages with nine percent.
[Source]
[align=center]
[color=\"#333333\"]Last Blog:[/color][color=\"Green\"] SUMMER [/color][color=\"black\"](30/11/06)[/color]
[/align]
[color=\"#333333\"]Last Blog:[/color][color=\"Green\"] SUMMER [/color][color=\"black\"](30/11/06)[/color]
[/align]
Spam Scams
Heading Off Spam
By Sheryl Canter
Spam is infuriating, but the worst thing you can do is hit the Reply button and vent your frustration on the sender. If you're lucky, the message will go nowhere. If you're not, the reply will confirm to the spammer that your e-mail address is valid, and you'll get more spam than ever.
A more effective response is to report the spam to the offender's ISP, but spammers go to great lengths to cover their tracks. This article will teach you how to identify where spam originates so you can lodge effective complaints that could shut down spammers' Web and ISP accounts
Read the full article at PCMag.com
By Sheryl Canter
Spam is infuriating, but the worst thing you can do is hit the Reply button and vent your frustration on the sender. If you're lucky, the message will go nowhere. If you're not, the reply will confirm to the spammer that your e-mail address is valid, and you'll get more spam than ever.
A more effective response is to report the spam to the offender's ISP, but spammers go to great lengths to cover their tracks. This article will teach you how to identify where spam originates so you can lodge effective complaints that could shut down spammers' Web and ISP accounts
Read the full article at PCMag.com
Last edited by Tami on Fri Apr 22, 2005 5:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
[color=\"#41211C\"]It takes years to build up trust and only seconds to destroy it
[/color]
Spam Scams
If you get an email with the subject line "Notification of Limited Account Access" with the following body, report it to spoof@paypal.com
Even though the links *appear* to be legit, complete with the https:// at the beginning, it's not.
Even though the links *appear* to be legit, complete with the https:// at the beginning, it's not.
{ top of email has an "ID code" image }
PayPal Fraud Mediation
You have recieved this email because you or someone had used your account to make fake bids at PayPal. For security purposes, we are required to open an investigation into this matter.
THE FRAUD ALERT ID CODE CONTAINED IN THIS MESSAGE WILL BE ATTACHED IN
OUR FRAUD MEDIATION REQUEST FORM, IN ORDER TO VERIFY YOUR EBAY ACCOUNT REGISTRATION INFORMATIONS.
Fraud Alert ID CODE: (Please save this Fraud Alert ID Code for your reference.)
To help speed up this process, please access the following form to complete the verification of your PayPal account registration informations: { insert fake link here }
If we do not receive the appropriate PayPal account verification within 48 hours, then we will assume this PayPal account is fraudulent and will be suspended.
The purpose of this verification is to ensure that your PayPal account has not been
fraudulently used and to combat the fraud from our community.
We appreciate your support and understanding, as we work together to keep PayPal a safe place to buy.
Thank you for your patience in this matter.
Regards,
Safeharbor Department (Trust and Safety Department)
PayPal Inc.
Please do not reply to this e-mail as this is only a notification. Mail sent to this address cannot be answered.
Copyright © 2004 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners. PayPal and the PayPal logo are trademarks of PayPal Inc. PayPal is located at 2145 Hamilton Avenue, San Jose, CA 95125.
[color=\"#41211C\"]It takes years to build up trust and only seconds to destroy it
[/color]
Spam Scams
E-Lottery Scam:
E-World Lottery Winners International programs
45 lewis Avenue
Lagos - Nigeria
Ref. Number: 87K4/336/T0714/003
Batch Numbe: 468911521-Bc87
Sir/Madam,
We are pleased to inform you of the result of the E-World Lottery Winners
International programs 2005.
Your e-mail address attached to ticket number 27522465896-6453 with serial
number 3772554 drew lucky numbers 942-20-23-28-45 which consequently won in
the 1st category, you have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of
FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND U.S. DOLLARS.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
We ask that you keep your winning information confidential until your claims
has been processed and your money Remitted to you. This is part of our
security protocol to avoid double claims and unwarranted abuse of this
program by some participants.
All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from
over 20,000,000 company and 30,000,000 individual email addresses from all
over the world. This promotional program takes place every three years.
This lottery was promoted and sponsored by major software companies and
eminent personalities, we hope with part of your winning, you will take part
in our next three years USD50 million International Promotion lottery.
To file for your claim, please contact the coordinator E-World Lottery
Winners International programs
Dr. Chukwunye Ego
c81ego@yahoo.co.uk
Please note, in order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications,
remember to quote your reference number and batch numbers in all
correspondence.
Note: Anybody under the age of 18 is automatically disqualified.
Sincerely yours,
Idris Gidado
Seceretary.
E-World Lottery Winners International programs
45 lewis Avenue
Lagos - Nigeria
Ref. Number: 87K4/336/T0714/003
Batch Numbe: 468911521-Bc87
Sir/Madam,
We are pleased to inform you of the result of the E-World Lottery Winners
International programs 2005.
Your e-mail address attached to ticket number 27522465896-6453 with serial
number 3772554 drew lucky numbers 942-20-23-28-45 which consequently won in
the 1st category, you have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of
FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND U.S. DOLLARS.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
We ask that you keep your winning information confidential until your claims
has been processed and your money Remitted to you. This is part of our
security protocol to avoid double claims and unwarranted abuse of this
program by some participants.
All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from
over 20,000,000 company and 30,000,000 individual email addresses from all
over the world. This promotional program takes place every three years.
This lottery was promoted and sponsored by major software companies and
eminent personalities, we hope with part of your winning, you will take part
in our next three years USD50 million International Promotion lottery.
To file for your claim, please contact the coordinator E-World Lottery
Winners International programs
Dr. Chukwunye Ego
c81ego@yahoo.co.uk
Please note, in order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications,
remember to quote your reference number and batch numbers in all
correspondence.
Note: Anybody under the age of 18 is automatically disqualified.
Sincerely yours,
Idris Gidado
Seceretary.
[color=\"#41211C\"]It takes years to build up trust and only seconds to destroy it
[/color]