The latest computer spam scams Updated: 7/18/2007 By: Steve Ference
ALBANY, N.Y. -- "I hate spam," said Albany resident Fred Polsinelli. "I like to eat spam, but I don't like to look at spam in my email."
"Oh, pain in the butt emails from people you don't ever want to hear from again," said Bridget Conboy of Mayfield.
And Jamestown resident Andrew Goodell said, "I think it's an invasion of my personal property and privacy to be quite honest with you."
FBI out to get spammers
You may get e-cards for your birthday or for a special occasion, but lately you probably have received far more in your email inbox as spammers get creative to try and flood your computer and even scam you.
From loan requests you've never made to supposed cut-rate prices to pills, you likely have plenty of emails you never wanted.
"A lot of drug spam for all sorts of diseases I don't have and hope I don't ever have," said Goodell.
We all know it's a problem, and yet, how big the problem is just might surprise you.
"There's probably millions of scam emails that are sent out on a regular basis," said FBI Supervisory Special Agent Michael Kaste.
It's so prevalent that FBI agents like Michael Kaste have to focus on the biggest cases of fraud, perpetrated through emails. The latest scam: e-cards that aren't from anyone you know full of malicious links. Sure, Kaste said only 5 percent of people actually click on the links, but so many emails are sent out that a lot of people end up clicking away.
"Some of these people can send out upwards of 100 to 200,000 emails at a time," said Kaste.
Another relatively new scam is asking "mystery shoppers" to take part in a scheme where you cash bad checks and send real cash to the perpetrator.
In the end, many people realize spam isn't going away anytime soon, and so they're simply left with a few choice words for the spammers. So if you're a spammer, listen up.
"To be honest with you, if I could, I'd like to be able to send the spam message back to the spam centers with some virus attached to it and shut them down," said Goodell.
Of course, FBI agents said most spammers are probably from other countries where they have little to lose by trying to fool us--sometimes hundreds of times a day.
So, what can you do? Besides using obvious caution when you're online, you can report Internet scams right to the FBI at the Internet Crime Complaint Center online at http://www.ic3.gov
Every day when I get into work I check my email. There are usually over 100/day and they are 99.9% all spam and advertising! I have started to 'unsubscribe' to some of the advertising. Although I don't ever remembering subscribing to any of them!!!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Friend of mine says NEVER respond to these "unsubscribe" links - it only reinforces a good email address. Ask your ISP or site host about spam filtering or tagging, it helps me a LOT
So do I call Road Runner about this the email spamming?
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
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