Home Login Registration Authors Contact Us About Us Subscribe
Want to receive new articles via e-mail? Click here!
: Home  :: Internet Marketing  :: SPAM
Email Spam and Phishing
by Webdevinfo - Webmaster
Views: 395
Votes: none
Rating: 0.00
Synopsis:
It seems like the volume of email spam has doubled in the last month. Increasingly, we receive daily emails for better mortgage rates, pharmaceutical discounts, and offers to enlarge body parts we don’t even have.
Rate this article  Print this article  Email this article  View this article in PDF  Discuss this article
Page:  1
The Article

It seems like the volume of email spam has doubled in the last month. Increasingly, we receive daily emails for better mortgage rates, pharmaceutical discounts, and offers to enlarge body parts we don’t even have.

The next generation of sophisticated tools is available to email spammers. Hidden code can be embedded into email allowing the sender to track it. A “spam beacon” lets the sender know that this is a valid, live, email address. The sender can also tell if you’ve opened the email before you tossed it. “Nearly half of all spam is bugged with so-called "spam beacons" for tracking users who open junk mail, said e-mail filtering firm MX.”

The latest email scams have also evolved. The newest scams are called phishing attacks. Spammers copy and paste web coding, making their email message appear to be official. They provide links to “look alike” websites where they try to trick you into revealing your personal financial information, by asking you to update an account such as Ebay, PayPal or CitiBank (or other well known entities). Phishing attacks are successful 5% of the time.

The primary motivation behind these emails is identity theft. Scammers are looking to get you to their website and get your information. If the authenticity of the sender is questionable, call the company that sent the email. Most business email will also contain a phone number.

Earthlink is trying to address this problem by releasing new software. Its latest anti-spam software is available to both members and non-members. The software installs with Internet Explorer and automatically downloads a list of known “scam” websites. If you surf over to a site on the list, you will receive a warning.

Given the large volume of unsolicited email that must be sorted through and deleted daily by businesses, do not rely on email as your primary vehicle of communication. If the information is time sensitive, it’s best to follow up with a phone call.

About The Author


MARKETING COORDINATOR and WEBSITE DESIGNER-Radha Khalsa, has extensive experience in the areas of marketing analysis, strategic planning and project management.
info@khalsaweb.com

Page:  1
Rate this article  Print this article  Email this article  View this article in PDF  Discuss this article
Similar/related articles:
Advanced Search
Site Search:


FirstWebHosting
Top Ten Hosts as picked by our editors - with reviews and interviews.
The Host Planet
Web hosting reviews and ratings. Learn how to spot a great host.
Hosts2002
The first and greatest hosting directory with the consumer in mind.
Hostcue.com
Hosting directory for the masses with special offers Check us out!
WebDevForums
Web developers or all levels discuss the details of design and ecommerce.
Needscripts.com
Free scripts and applications for web developers.