May your holidays not be filled with scams or spam

With the advent of the holidays, it should come as no surprise that spammers and scammers are trying to lure in unsuspecting customers with fake websites and emails. A recent attempt, as reported by Sophos, includes emails supposedly sent by Amazon. The emails themselves contain typos. Most users are wary of such things, but they might not be as suspecting of the attachment the emails contain. When opened, the attachment directs people to a web form requesting their address, date of birth, and other identifying information.

The attachment is yet another version of a phishing scheme. Phishing schemes usually involve links but not necessarily. It seems that spammers and scammers are investigating new options as people become more aware of spam warning signs. The signs include:

• Misspellings. The authors of spam and scams usually aren’t writers and editors. They don’t proofread their work.
• Incorrect grammar. Many spam emails use obviously incorrect grammar. The subject and verb don’t agree, or the sentence structure is awkward.
• Incorrect addresses. If the address is wrong, it’s probably spam or a scam. At best, it means that the person didn’t take the time to determine your gender. Unless you have a name that is common to both sexes, you should be addressed correctly almost all the time.
• No security protocols. If you are redirected to a form requesting personal identifying information, that form should have HTTPS enabled. If it doesn’t, you should refrain from entering any information.
• Requests for money transfers. Money transfers are the most obvious form of spam and scams. They usually come from your rich uncle or aunt in Nigeria; however, some schemes employ one of your contacts’ email addresses and says that your contact is stranded overseas and needs money.

If you still aren’t sure you’ve received a spam email, you should call the company or person who purportedly sent it. Confirm that you need to submit your information. See if your friend actually  is stranded and in need of assistance. You never know; you might rekindle a friendship or customer relationship with the simple act of a phone call.

How do you identify spam emails? What do you do when you receive one?