Spam emails

[simondavies3Participant @simondavies3]

This link (**LINK** has a very interesting explanation why phishing emails are so badly written.

In short, if you are capable of identifying the spelling and bad grammar errors, you are too switched on to be a suitable candidate target. Thus, it acts as a sort of pre-filter, with responses likely only from those who are unable to see the issues.

Simon

[simondavies3Participant @simondavies3]

and why they cant spull wright or do right grammer

[Tony Pratt 1Participant @tonypratt1]

Wondered for a long time why the criminals could not get the spelling and grammar error free? I see it a lot in everyday life but wasn't sure why 'professionals' got it wrong.

Tony

[Mike HurleyParticipant @mikehurley60381]

Interesting Simon, but to be honest I can't remember the last time I had one – my Gmail spam filter just seems to work! Anything that did sneak through would tend to stand out like a sore thumb!

Now, about the £1Million prize you have won, just let me have you account number and PIN so I can credit you

[simondavies3Participant @simondavies3]

Posted by Mike Hurley on 17/03/2023 10:23:03:

Interesting Simon, but to be honest I can't remember the last time I had one – my Gmail spam filter just seems to work! Anything that did sneak through would tend to stand out like a sore thumb!

Allow me to share some of mine with you – I have so many opportunities for riches beyond my dreams that someone else should benefit as well

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

"However, the reason why phishing emails have so many typos is simple—they’re intentional and are included by design. The scammer’s goal is to send phishing emails to a very gullible, innocent victim. If they have typos, they’re essentially weeding out recipients too smart to fall for the scam."

​​​​​​​The logic of that defeats me.

And whatever logic it has is subverted by the comment in the next paragraph:

"Sometimes, the sender might not speak the language they’re writing in, which explains typos, grammatical errors and strange phrases or sentences."

[mark costello 1Participant @markcostello1]

We have native news casters that cannot speak such well known words like "covid." I think They may have heard it a time or two.

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

That’s usually the story for general phishing attempts on random targets but there are some very sophisticated attempts when the target is specific and they are designed to look like eMails you would expect. Public Science Labs, NHS and the Academic sector to name just a few are prime targets with mails looking extremely authentic often looking like they originate within the organisation.
It’s all a right royal PITA and has the potential to cost the tax payer millions in preventative measures let alone the fall out from failures.

regardd Martin

[Bill DawesParticipant @billdawes]

I have recently had a spate of emails telling me about free gifts, undelivered parcels etc. Of course I just delete them but it makes me feel nervous that they might be attaching themselves to something I can't see.

Scoured my settings but can't see any obvious way of stopping them. This is on Yahoo, both laptop and android phone.

Any ideas guys as to how I can stop this.?

Bill D.

[Anonymous]

Your anti-virus scanner should take care of any harmful attachments – make sure it scans email. You should check your email client to make sure it doesn't automatically open any attachment/link.

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

Of late I have been getting lots of adware on the PC, Yesterday a text arrived from:- E. Scan Providor. Sky. this saying thank you for your oder. the cost nearly $400. The originator:- mujqsx8@gmail.com.

Any ideas please. It would not let me view all the details.

[Grindstone CowboyParticipant @grindstonecowboy]

I think there's a danger of getting drawn down the rabbit-hole. If you receive something you know is fake, just delete it, forget it and move on. Wanting to do something about it is a normal reaction, I suppose, but pretty much a waste of time and effort.

Rob

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

Posted by Grindstone Cowboy on 18/03/2023 10:14:36:

I think there's a danger of getting drawn down the rabbit-hole. If you receive something you know is fake, just delete it, forget it and move on. Wanting to do something about it is a normal reaction, I suppose, but pretty much a waste of time and effort.

Rob

Totally agree with that. Anything that is unusual, connected with banking or money or even vaguely unusual deletion is the best bet. If you think something may be genuine but involves money do check by other means. Last Christmas I had a fairly large online order from Waitrose due for delivery. I received a text to say that the delivery was on hold as the bank had held up payment and I should ring a certain number to authorise the transaction. Being a twitchy kind of person I didn’t do so immediately but first checked my online order which showed that delivery was indeed on hold and then from the Waitrose website rang their customer support number, explained what had happened and had them confirm that the number was indeed one of theirs.

If you are at all suspicious of anything don’t trust it. If you want to check on things do so independently of the communication you are suspicious of. All banks and genuine shops will never complain that you are being too cautious. By default be suspicious of everything until you are satisfied you are in safe ground.

Its a pain but so is having to lock your back door there days but such is life.

regards Martin

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Clive –

I am on BT Internet and that has a tool called View Source. Does yours, if a different provider, have an equivalent?

That will sometimes show it has come though some intermediate address just as obscure as the original.

In any case, mark as "spam" and block the sender. Also forward it to an appropriate "phishing [at] " service – but I think some of the more sophisticated gangs might be latching onto that and building anti-forwarding protection into their messages. On a coupe of occasions I by-passed that by sending the page-full of computerese shown on View Source, as a block of plain text..

[Author]

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