Tag: Spam

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Technology

Are you ready for Unsub Friday?

Photo: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/epsos/8270256961/in/photolist-psNVos-oLkozS-a9tV8E-6FxZMt-dAPegg-jwEPt-5w3b-989HoT-82Yw3o-eeJkaH-Rsa3w-Ru8he-rMrEf-7NdeDj-48Jaht-cDVpz1-cDVoSW-cDVnhG-cDVm17-a9jgke-8mBgf-a3iCNA-erMBid-3pCdKH">epSos</a> @ Flickr.com

There I am at my computer, staring at my inbox. It sits there, right at the top of my overflowing list, staring at me.

“When the hell did I get on Aeropostale’s mailing list?”

Even if you rarely get that much spam email, from about now through Cyber Monday – and a good deal longer – you’re apt to get emails from all kinds of random stuff you never knew you signed up for. Half shit-faced and giving out your email address again, huh? It’ll cost you come Black Friday.

But why not make Black Friday – useless concept that it is in terms of sales – into something really useful: Unsub Friday!

Since every mailer you get is required by law to have a one-click unsubscribe link in it, this Friday and every day after it until Christmas is a beautiful opportunity to clean up your inbox for the coming year. Get rid of all that junk mail by just clicking Unsubscribe to everything that comes in… unless of course it’s the DFE Morning Briefing. Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water…

Categories
Technology

Symantec says spam levels at 3-year low. But what about social media?

CNet News is reporting today that Symatec is declaring spam levels for 2011 to be at the lowest level seen in three years. Believe it or not, that lowest level? That means 70% of all email is spam, compared to 90% in 2010. This is what passes for improvement in email security.

But this also raises another interesting question: where are the statistics for social media spam and malware? These vectors are at least as potentially damaging as any email attack, particularly for businesses with a social media presence that needs maintenance.

Spam sinks to lowest level in almost three years, says Symantec | Security – CNET News.

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Uncategorized

Look Alive: The Latest Holiday Email Scam

Those of you who read this blog know I try to post any suspicious emails I see online for the benefit of the community.  I’ve been recieving emails lately – which correspond quite well with actual purchases for the holidays – that purport to be from UPS.  The body of the email goes something like this:

Unfortunately we were not able to deliver postal package you sent on Oct the 28 in time because the recipient’s address is not correct. Please print out the invoice copy attached and collect the package at our office Your UPS

The sender’s domain name is bostonequipment.com, which is a legit domain name, but unlikely to be the sender’s real domain.

The “invoice” in question is, of course, a zip file.  People: never, never, never open a zip file from someone you didn’t know was going to be sending you one.  This includes friends and relatives.  You never know when one of these dastardly little bastards is a virus, and what you think is an email sent by a friend may actually be virus activity your friend knows nothing about.

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Uncategorized

Have You Seen This Email?

OM-freakin’-G, this is funny.