Spam Scams - how and why people will try to fool you. Protect yourself. |
 |
|
|
| |
Spam Scams - how people use your personal information to commit crimes
NEW ATM SCAM - read here to protect yourself
One of the reasons spam has become so prevalent is because it is so profitable.
There are 3 main reasons for spam to be sent out.
1) Direct selling of a product or service - these guys aren't evil, just inconsiderate. Unless they hire a professional service that makes use of unprotected mail relays, trojans, insecure webpages,etc. Then they have no excuse and should be flayed. Also, when you choose to make a purchase from a spammer, consider that a) you're perpetuating the reason spam is used so often. and b) do everything you can to ensure the product you are purchasing is actually going to reach you. One common way to commit fraud is to offer a product, take the customers money, and simply not deliver. Phone the company, make sure you can reach them via the phone. Always be diligent.
2) Email Hoaxes - everyone has received these, microsoft is tracking such and such and will donate $1 for every person you send it to,etc,etc. This is only one example of a useless waste of bandwidth, time, and harddrive space. And the original senders don't even derive a benefit from it. Just check out the wide variety of different hoaxes that people perpetuate. Possibly these guys are really trying to inconvenience or anger people, but the vast amount of hoax spam we receive in our mailboxes sometimes makes one want to tape an angry beehive to their backs and just smile.
3) Now for the people that deserve to have their fingers removed. The "phishermen" and "pharmers". These guys have no redeeming qualities whatsoever. They send you email with one purpose. To steal your identify, banking information, or anything else they can use against you. Never give sensitive email to strangers over email, especially if they have initiated contact. This can include your social security number, banking details, credit cards, etc.
NCFTA is a non-profit organisation concentrated on cyber crime and conducts the DMA's Operation Slam Spam in connection with the FBI. The DMA is working with the NCTFA, federal authorities, non-profit organisations and business organisations in order to tackle fraudulent spam.
NCTFA also warns that phishing attacks, which use scam emails and bogus websites to trick recipients into revealing confidential personal or financial information, are on the increase.
Online fraud cost merchants $2.6 billion in 2004, an increase of $700 million from 2003, according to the CyberSource Corporation. Imagine what it could be in 2006.
Protect yourself. Educate yourself. Do not be taken in by scoundrels that are in fact low-life digital criminals.
|
|
|
Copyright © 2008 - 2024 SpamAlert.org, All rights reserved.
|