A scam we could fall for

[Geoff]

I wonder why I get very little spam. I buy on eBuy and before I buy almost everything I ask some sort of question, tests customer service, so my email address is out there and is one of the big freebies. Perhaps it is because the name part is my odd house name with no dots in it. I have got a shipment stuck in Nigerian customs but that is a rarity.

[alan refail]

Like Geoff I get hardly anything in my spam box. What rare things do arrive are almost invariably from sources which usually post to my inbox. Clearly I am not a good bet for selling Russian brides and viagra. Does make me feel old

[dan3008]

Clearly I am not a good bet for selling Russian brides and viagra. Does make me feel old

Doesnt matter, I just cleared out 5 offers for reduced cost breast implants, and a different offer for a clitoral piercing (that sounds painful :/)

[PLUMPUDDING]

Good luck with that Dan, about as useful as penis enlargement is to me

[Ricard with an H]

I would lay money on the main victims being those who are not frequent users of their device.

Some clever websites designed to look like the real thing have turned up on my computer, Pay Pal has been a regular. I use 1Password, it won't load information onto a scam website. I have often wondered if some people click onto dodgy e-mail out of curiosity rather than stupidity.

[dan3008]

I have often wondered if some people click onto dodgy e-mail out of curiosity rather than stupidity.

I do when I'm on my Linux computer. But I have no personal information on that one, so they can't harvest anything lol

[Ricard with an H]

Isn't Linux associated to Apple OS ?

If you open these dodgy e-mails have you found anything interesting ? And what happens ? It must be a sad life sitting in front of a computer devising ways of shafting people. What do say when someone asks what you for a living ?

I'm in IT.

[dan3008]

Isn't Linux associated to Apple OS ?

apple os is built on linux, but is so far separated now that its unrecognisable. for proper linux, your thinking things more like Ubuntu (or other Debian distros), Fedora, Red hat, Arch, Angstrom (a German distro I'm quite fond of)

If you open these dodgy e-mails have you found anything interesting ? And what happens ? It must be a sad life sitting in front of a computer devising ways of shafting people. What do say when someone asks what you for a living ?

I'm in IT.

All sorts, but usually cookie harvesters looking for login details, or key loggers doing the same (or online bank details)

[Ricard with an H]

Thanks Dan.

I must get back into the habit of going into our mail servers, my partner admitted to clicking on something she thought might have been dodgy though there haven't been consequences. She tries to deal her e-mail load on a daily basis but does it when she's tired and has little concentration left after dealing with Oracle problems all day long.

I have been deleting what I can before it gets to her laptop or iPhone, I can see them arriving on our desktop but mostly before she turns her machines on.

Also, I have yet to do anything on the server spam filters. Because I mostly haven't a clue what I'm doing.

[Pa Snip]

This is getting into the realms of double dutch to me at times.

A lot of comments relating to spam, but as I said before it is scams that could cost us dearly.

Thanks Dan.

I must get back into the habit of going into our mail servers, my partner admitted to clicking on something she thought might have been dodgy though there haven't been consequences.

Also, I have yet to do anything on the server spam filters. Because I mostly haven't a clue what I'm doing.

Hi Richard

There hasn't been consequences you are yet aware of, if they have lifted your contacts list you may not be aware for some while, if at all.

If you haven't a clue what you are doing with spam filters and you are in IT what chance do the rest of us stand

[Ricard with an H]

If you haven't a clue what you are doing with spam filters and you are in IT what chance do the rest of us stand

It's her in IT, I'm in gardening and dog walkies. Mind you, I doubt she would sort the spam filters any better than me. She is in a very specialised area, for reason it's always me sorting out the domestic stuff.

[robo]

I must be lacking as I don't get anything like the spam discussed on here

[Ricard with an H]

I think the level of spam relates directly to the type of online activity. I used one e-mail address for a passport application, a order for wine and a few random e-mails. This address attracted zero spam or scam. Another e-mail address used by her exclusively is used for friends, banking, tax purposes and wages but not for any shopping. That account still gets spam and maybe a scam.

Here is an interesting thing, all the telephone scams ask for her by name, all the callers trying to sell investment guidance and suchlike all ask for my name or the call me and use her name. This suggests to me that banks are implicated.

Yes, I have an active bank account but it wouldn't look interesting compared to hers, the other possibility is the investment for pension-purposes people are involved in passing on phone numbers and e-mail details.

I now have 19 blocks on my phone call blocker, many of those from the same people trying to interest us in PPI problems and investment, they keep changing their number but I recognise the voice and call message.

[Geoff]

Which order have you put your names on the electoral register and council tax records? My wife is first on ours and a lot of the snail mail shots come addressed to her.

[Tony Hague]

I get the odd ones trying to get me to log in and update (=disclose) my Amazon or Paypal account details. I seem to have stopped getting any from Nigerian money launderers, viagra sales or other bodily enhancements. I susupect my ISP has at least some spam filtering you can't turn off, and it is sometimes annoyingly overzealous.