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– This type of spam is often referred to as a Virus Hoax or Mail Hoax.
– This type of mail covers a very broad category from the "If you don't
forward this to 5 people in 5 minutes, you will have 5 years of bad luck," to
the "Microsoft e-mail beta test will pay you 245 dollars per person to whom
you forward this mail," to "little Johnny is going to die but wants to be in the
Guinness Book of World Records for having received the most e-mail
before he passes." This type of message plays on the recipient's gullibility.
– Hoaxes are trying to trick you into sending out as many warnings as you
can to as many people as you can.
– If you are ever in doubt as to the authenticity of a suspicious mail, you can
browse an extensive list of mail hoaxes by visiting this site:
Fake virus warnings, forged messages, or deceitful mail attempting to get the
recipient to respond in a certain way.
– Although similar to the previously described type, this spam can have
more serious consequences. Often it derives from spammers posing as
legitimate companies, for instance, "Microsoft Official Virus Warning" or
some such thing. Microsoft, or any other reputable company, does not
send out unsolicited virus warnings, nor unsolicited mail trying to get you
to upgrade drivers on your operating system (do not confuse this with the
Automatic Update feature of Windows Operating Systems). The spammer
will tell you there is a new update to prevent a virus, and will try to get you
to download an actual virus in its place.
– Another common example is spammers posing as legitimate mail
domains, often soliciting funds for a cause. For instance, the spammer
may say that they are collecting money for disaster relief in the wake of the
9/11 tragedy, or trying to raise money to build a new wing for a cancer
ward. Reputable charities do not use spam to solicit funds.
– Another common example is a mail message leading an unsuspecting
person to believe they have won a valuable prize, and asking them to
"Simply call this number to claim your prize." The number is often an
overseas 809 area code, billed at extortionate rates per minute, with the
goal of simply keeping you on hold for as long as possible.
– A further example of a spam message designed to deceive, is the one
arriving with a few names in the TO: field which very closely resemble your
own mailing address, leading you to believe that a simple typo allowed you
to be the lucky recipient of a fabulous offer. These spams may start
something like "As requested, here is....", or "Thanks for getting back to
me, here is that site I was talking about......". Do not be misled; if the mail
was not solicited, don't answer it.
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Lotus Domino 6 spam Survival Guide for IBM eServer
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