TECH Email Schemes

[ChickenLittle]

I've been getting a number of emails from people I don't know with very short messages that seem to be baiting me to reply. For example, I received one that had a subject of "Abnormal email msg I received on your behalf " and the message was "Would you inform me what it was all about?... ".

I assume this is some sort of scam, but I'm not sure what. Is it simply a way to confirm which email addresses are active so they can get a better price when they sell a list to spammers or is there something else going on?

 

[Dennis Olson]

You should never open an email from someone you don't know.

Do they just want a reply, or is there a link to click?

 

[ChickenLittle]

No, no links or attachments. That's what seemed strange. I'm used to the phishing attempts where they send a link to a bad website. I just can't figure out the angle on this one, but I have noticed a sudden increase in the number of these I'm getting.

 

[Dennis Olson]

If you reply, they have a known valid email address to sell to spammers or targeted malware writers.

 

[tanstaafl]

Depending on how sophisticated the e-mail is, from what I understand just opening an e-mail to read it can infect your computer (the act of opening the e-mail activates the code that does the infecting). Something about pictures (including banners) being much more than they seem, perhaps, and other things besides? Or I could be wrong about that. Just to be on the safe side I flatly don't open any e-mails with return addresses that I don't recognize. AOL (yes, I know, POS and massive amounts of ads, but I have other reasons for using it) at one point gives you the opportunity to "hover" over an e-mail and see the first few lines inside the e-mail without ever actually clicking on the e-mail.

 

[OddOne]

1. Never open an email attachment you were not expecting and warned in advance was coming, even if it (appears it) came from someone you know.

2. Never use any Microsoft-made email program. There are free alternatives that are far better and far more aware of this little thing called "security."

Those two alone will do wonders in helping avoid malware infections on Windows PCs.

 

[Dennis Olson]

3. DO NOT use an admin-level account for everyday use of your PC.