Email Spam and Phishing

It seems like the volume of email spam has doubled in the last month. Increasingly, we receive daily emails for better mortgage rates, pharmaceutical discounts, and offers to enlarge body parts we don't even have.

The next generation of sophisticated tools is available to email spammers. Hidden code can be embedded into email allowing the sender to track it. A "spam beacon" lets the sender know that this is a valid, live, email address. The sender can also tell if you've opened the email before you tossed it. "Nearly half of all spam is bugged with so-called "spam beacons" for tracking users who open junk mail, said e-mail filtering firm MX."

The latest email scams have also evolved. The newest scams are called phishing attacks. Spammers copy and paste web coding, making their email message appear to be official. They provide links to "look alike" websites where they try to trick you into revealing your personal financial information, by asking you to update an account such as Ebay, PayPal or CitiBank (or other well known entities). Phishing attacks are successful 5% of the time.

The primary motivation behind these emails is identity theft. Scammers are looking to get you to their website and get your information. If the authenticity of the sender is questionable, call the company that sent the email. Most business email will also contain a phone number.

Earthlink is trying to address this problem by releasing new software. Its latest anti-spam software is available to both members and non-members. The software installs with Internet Explorer and automatically downloads a list of known "scam" websites. If you surf over to a site on the list, you will receive a warning.

Given the large volume of unsolicited email that must be sorted through and deleted daily by businesses, do not rely on email as your primary vehicle of communication. If the information is time sensitive, it's best to follow up with a phone call.

About The Author

MARKETING COORDINATOR and WEBSITE DESIGNER-Radha Khalsa, has extensive experience in the areas of marketing analysis, strategic planning and project management.

info@khalsaweb.com

In The News:

pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


Avoid, Shun, Thwart, Prevent, and then Filter Spam

Email is rapidly becoming the standard means of communication among... Read More

Wiki Reek-y Havoc

The Vandals are coming! And this time they're after your... Read More

Winning the War On Spam

For years I didn't worry much about spam.But lately it's... Read More

How To Stop Unwanted Email Spam

You can stop unwanted email spam, you can choose to... Read More

Email Spam and Phishing

It seems like the volume of email spam has doubled... Read More

Where Did The Word Spam Come From?

We've all become familiar with the term spam. It's become... Read More

Spam: The Tasteless Internet Meat of Criminals

Spam. You've all heard of the crazy pink meat in... Read More

Beware of the Newest Activity Online: Phishing

No. I'm not talking here about the outdoor activity enjoyed... Read More

Email Chain Letters - Harmless Fun or Not?

I'm sure I'm not the only person on the planet... Read More

Do You Know Whats in Your Trash?

A hearty welcome to all the spam fighting filters and... Read More

Spam - How to Report it

I'm sure you find spam just as frustrating and annoying... Read More

Which Spam Filter Is Best For You?

With the number of spam filtering solutions increasing each week... Read More

Managing Spam in 2005

In 1998, nearly 10% of all email traffic on the... Read More

The Vanishing Mail

Am I Just Being Paranoid Or Are The Robots Out... Read More

The Great Spam Scam: Five Strategies To Stop Brand and Revenue Robbery

Marketers usually think of anti-spam tactics as 'how to prevent'... Read More

The War on Spam: Google Fights Back

Google is engaged in a war. It is a war... Read More

I Love Spam!

What's the big deal? All you read on the internet... Read More

Im Guilty Until Proven Innocent

No doubt about it."Spam" (unsolicited commercial email) threatens to paralyze... Read More

Stop Spam: How To Escape The Spam Hell-Hole

If you're anything like me, you're pretty sick of it,... Read More

Kill The Messenger (Service)

You are familiar with the software applications that you run... Read More

Avoiding the Spam Trap: Get Your Message Delivered!

Your message is not being delivered.If you send emails to... Read More

How to Protect Your Email ID from Spammers?

You must be one of them experiencing a lot of... Read More

What Is Spam?

If you've been around the interenet any length of time... Read More

How You Can Avoid The New Dangers Of Spam

Until recently, spam has been an annoyance, a definite load... Read More

Protecting Yourself With A Porn Filter

The harmful affects of pornography use and addiction are well... Read More

Your Dolphin E-mail Caught In Spam Tuna Net?

Let me ask a couple of questions:If (potential) customers sends... Read More

Blackhole or Fail - Which One Is Better For Your Mail Server?

Very often SPAMMERS take advantage of catch-all email setup on... Read More

All About Spam

Spam is annoying. Period. Why people would want to send... Read More

Quickly Eliminate 100% of Your Junk Email

Why do so many people think I need to take... Read More

FTC Botches Fight on SPAM, Microsoft Takes Over the Battle

While the Federal Trade Commission is busy fighting over definitions... Read More

How to Fight Back BEFORE Youre Falsely Accused of Spam

A friend of mine received a chilling email message from... Read More

Are You A Spam Zombie?

Over the past few years you've all become familiar with... Read More

Stop Spam! New Spam Blockers

News last week that Internet service provider Verizon settled its... Read More