about scams
Tuesday, 1. December 2009, 00:40:00
Email scams have changed... for good and for bad (depends on the POV and the case).
I decided to pick two samples that demonstrate two directions scams seems to be taking:
As simple as that. Now the subject takes a more important role than the content: "Your email ID has been awarded one million pounds. in our Tobacco Promo". This, I must say, seems to be one of the worst scam emails I've ever seen. Compare it to the following:
I've highlighted the important bits of the email; the difference is clear.
I was already wondering some time ago when this kind of "improvements" to the scam (and spam in general) emails would be seen.
What's next?
P.S. if you haven't voted at the Earth Hour website please consider doing so.
If you are having problems voting because of the flash application, here's a direct link.
I decided to pick two samples that demonstrate two directions scams seems to be taking:
NAME
ADDRESS
TELEPHONE
SEX
As simple as that. Now the subject takes a more important role than the content: "Your email ID has been awarded one million pounds. in our Tobacco Promo". This, I must say, seems to be one of the worst scam emails I've ever seen. Compare it to the following:
Dear Raphael,
This email might come to you as a surprise and the temptation to ignore
it as not serious could come into your mind but please consider it and
accept it with a deep sense of humility.
[...]
The sum of (£10,700, 000.00 Million Pounds), has been floating as
unclaimed since 2002 in my bank as all efforts to get across the
relatives of our customer Mr. Ruben Geissert who deposited the money
have hit the stones. Unfortunately, He died of Cardiac Arrest in the
year 2002, without a registered nest of kin.
I've highlighted the important bits of the email; the difference is clear.
I was already wondering some time ago when this kind of "improvements" to the scam (and spam in general) emails would be seen.
What's next?
P.S. if you haven't voted at the Earth Hour website please consider doing so.
If you are having problems voting because of the flash application, here's a direct link.
WIDGETIZE
Anonymous # 1. December 2009, 06:24
scam fighting haven't changed: report to the email and/or web hoster, often the scammers account is closed within an hour. Repeat^n.
Anonymous # 1. December 2009, 09:25
£10.7 Million Million Pounds exceeds the Gross Domestic Product of the US ;)
Raphael # 1. December 2009, 15:33
Originally posted by anonymous:
Spam (and scam) fighting on that front has indeed not changed, but the filters need to be tweaked as well. Just like when they started using Google Calendar and similar services.
Originally posted by anonymous:
haha, nice catch. I had not even noticed it said they were in millions.