Spam email is an email that you get from a total stranger that does not have permission to have your email address. It is very annoying when you receive email asking you to join something, buy something, or even launder money.What about the emails asking for a password reset on an account of yours? The world of email has made us easy targets for scams and illegal activities.
These people that send spam emails only have to press the send button to reach thousands, if not millions of people at once. They surely must get at least a few suckers and unsuspecting newbie’s to take their bait after sending out thousands of spam emails.
How Does Spam Email Know MY Name?
When you receive spam email you will notice that the email might mention your private email address or sometimes even your name. This information is easy to get for any experienced spammer as you can buy this information, steel it, or ask for it. People often use their real name when signing up for accounts online, interacting online, and in emails to friends.
Did you know that the biggest risk comes from your friends putting your identity out there without even knowing it. They are probably sharing their friends lists to the world on Facebook or sharing your email when they forward on a funny email you sent to thousands of unknown people.
Also the next biggest risk is YOU. See this article about YOU being the cyber security terrorist.
What Does Spam Email Look Like?
Here are a few examples of spam emails. Of course there are thousands of different ones circulating around. For example there must be hundreds just about Ebay and Papal alone. I always get an email saying I have not paid my Ebay account and could I sign in to fix this problem. Yeah sure. They obviously want to steel my 100% rated account to rip off a few people with.
| FROM MR CAMPBELL WILLIAM MANCHESTER (WA) 20515Greetings,As you read this, I don’t want you to feel sorry for me, because, I believe everyone will die someday. My name is Mr. Campbell William, from New-Zealand base in London; I have been diagnosed with oesophageal cancer, which was discovered very late, due to my laxity in carrying for my health. It has defiled all forms of medicine, and right now I have only about a few months to live, according to medical experts.I have since lost my power of speech and can only manage to write now, as that has been the only way I am able to communicate. I have not particularly lived my life so well, as I never really cared for anyone not even myself but my business. Though I am very rich, I was never generous, I was always hostile to people and only focus on my business as that is the only thing I cared for.But now I regret all this as I now know that there is more to life than just wanting to have or make all the money in the world. I believe when God gives me a second chance to come to this world I would live my life a different way from how I have lived it.Now that I know my time is near, I have willed and given most of my properties and assets to my immediate and extended family members and as well as a few close friends. I want God to be merciful to me and accept my soul and so, I have decided to give alms to charity organizations, as I want this to be one of the last good deeds I did on earth. So far, I have distributed money to some charity organizations in UK, Brazil and Ireland. Now that my health has deteriorated so badly, I cannot do this my self any more. I once asked members of my family to close one of my accounts and donate the money, which I have there to charity organization in Bulgaria; they refused and kept the money to themselves.Hence, I do not trust them anymore, as they seem not to be contented with what I have left for them. The last of my money which only few of them knows of is the huge cash deposit that I have with my Bank in London. I will want you to help me collect this deposit and dispatched it to charity organizations. PLEASE KINDLY CONTACT ME HERE IS MY PRIVATE E-MAIL:( wcampbell230@yahoo.co.th ) Regards, MR Campbell William |
| From Mrs Grace Koffi… FROM THE DESK OF BILL AND EXCHANGE MANAGER, FOREIGN REMMITTANCE DEPT. BANQUE INTERNATIONALE DU ABIDJAN ABIDJAN, COTE D,IVOIRE. Dear friend, With due respect, I write to you this proposal.I am the manager of bill and exchange Audicting department at the foreign remittance department of Banque Internationale du Abidjan . I am writing following the impressive information i got about you through my search for a legitimate foriegner i will do this transaction with. which assured me of your capability and reliability to champion this businees opportunity. In my department, I discovered an abandoned sum of U.S$45.5m USdollars (FORTY FIVE Million, Five Hundred thousand US dollars) . In an account that belongs to one of our foreign customer who died along with his entire family in November 2001 in a plane crash. Since I got information about his death, The Bank have been expecting his next of kin to come forward and claim his money because The Bank cannot release it unless somebody applies for it as next of kin or relation to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines and policies but unfortunately we learnt that all his supposed next of kin or relation died alongside with him at the plane crash leaving nobody behind for the claims. It is therefore upon this discovery that I now decided to make this businness proposal to you and release the money to you as the next of kin or relation to the deceased for safety and subsequent disbursement since nobody is coming forth and I dont want this money to go into the Bank treasury as unclaimed Bill. According to our Banking policies and guideline here which stipulates that if such money remained unclaimed after Eight years, the money will automatically be transfered into the Bank treasury as unclaimed fund. The request of foreigner as next of kin in this business is occasioned bythe fact that the customer was a foreigner and a Burkinabe cannot stand as next of kin to a foreigner. I agree that 40 % of this money will be for you as foreign partner, in respect to the provision of a foreign account, 10 % will be for reimbursement of any expenses incured during the curse of the transaction and 50% would be for me. There after I will visit your country for disbursement according to the percentages indicated. Therefore to enable the immediate trnansfer of this fund to you as arranged, you must apply first to the bank as relation or next of kin of the deceased indicating your bank name, your bank account number, your private telephone and fax number for easier and effective communication and location where the money will be remitted . Upon receipt of your reply, I will send to you by fax or email the text of the application. I will not fail to bring to your notice that this transaction is hitch free and that you should not entertain any atom of fear as all required arrangements have been made for the transfer . You should contact me immediately as soon as you receive this letter To my private email contact at/ gkoffi11@voila.fr Trusting to hear from you immediately. Yours faithfully, Mrs Grace Koffi. AUDICTING DEPARTMENT. BANQUE INTERNATIONALE DU ABIDJAN. |
| I wish to notify you that The United nation Economic Bell out (UNEBO) made you a beneficiary for the sum of Seventy five Thousand Dollars, (USD$75,000.00)Note: you are advise to contact the area coordinator in Africa Dakar Senegal for more details information on how you can receive the cash.Here is the contact of the coodinator in Africa as follow: Email: uneconomicsbailout@yahoo.com Mr.Louis NgomaThanks and good luck to you. United Nations Headquarters New York City.Mrs. Clara Smith. Secretary General. |
What Does Spam Email Do?
Spam email, most of the time, has been sent with bad intentions. That is why we need to be vigilant about receiving spam email.
Spam email can:
- Steal your identity by you sharing personal information with what looks like a legitimate email.
- Take over your online accounts. A good example is Ebay. See how to protect your online accounts.
- Strip your bank accounts when you share bank information because they say they want to deposit money into your bank.
- Go on a spending spree on your Paypal account.
- Steel your Facebook account and contact all your friends and pretend to be you. See how to protect your Facebook account.
Can Spam Email Be Stopped?
Yes spam email can be stopped but it is hard work. I like to create a multiple layer email account system where certain email address are only for certain things. This is difficult to control but well worth it.
You can also setup a whitelist in your email program so only approved emails get through to you.
Get Protection – Install a Program!
A software program will not upgrade your memory but it will clean out all the junk files, detect Malware, delete unused registry keys, Automatic Driver updates, monitor your email and stop incoming attacks. If you do not know how to protect your computer manually or simply do not have the time, it would be a crime to not have protection on your computer. At the moment I am using PC Matic to maintain everything for me. This software is amazing and has won a number of top awards. You can get a free scan for your computer to see how it works before you buy.
