Recently we have received some mails from People that we KNOW the XXXX XXXXXX represents a name and/ or email address that we KNOW, telling us to download something or open a file. (see examples below).
The download link will be highlighted but it does not show the site that you are going into for example the Check it out! which was in BLUE does not tell you where you would be going to be led to.
On the other hand a ‘genuine’ link would look like this http//www.google.com.my/ or http//www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=37257 where you can identify the name of the website you are going to visit.
How do the spammers get your emails?
When we send emails we use to and cc but those are not for the consumption of the world at large. but when we forward emails telling us to make a quick buck… wow, those emails are circulated worldwide and the spammers will be collecting your names and emails.
So the next time when an email comes in with your name and email your friends will not think twice before clicking on the link to open it.
Thats when the spammers say ‘gotcha’.
SOLUTION
There is a simple solution to this when you wanna forward something.
- Delete all the names you see in between the top of the email and the message. if a message is forwarded 10 times, it will contain 100s of names in it. If it goes around the world 100 times, imagine the multiplying effect…
- There is an address space call BCC put all the names of your 65 rotary members inside this field. the spammers will not get to their names and email addresses, no fake mails will come back to trick you…
EXAMPLES
– On Fri, 10/23/09, xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
fbNOREPLY@myfanbox.com> wrote
Fromxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <fbNOREPLY@myfanbox.com>
Subjectxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx says you should see this video clip.
Toalex@alexchanglaw.com
DateFriday, October 23, 2009, 101 PM
xxxxxxxxxxxx thinks you will really like this YouTube Video. Check it out!
This email was sent by XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX using the ApplicationYoutube Video Seach.
You can stop receiving emails here.
