Junk Mails...Sometimes can be Very Innovative 面白スパムメイル

There a zillions of junk mails flying around the world. Jan. 17 2012, Kyoto police arrested 7 Japanse, who had earned about 6 million (in 1.5 years) by sending junk mails, 500 million mails in one shot!

In the past, Spamit it is one of the most well known spam crimes. It is said to have been sending about 50 billion junk mails a day.

For many junk mails, just looking the titles always make one want to laugh. Sometimes, the ideas of the way the mails are formed can be said quite innovative. Innovative in the sense that they are designed to attrace the interestes of some people, especially those with poor knowledge of internet crimes. One common trick is to put the most attractive terms as sender's name.

Like all kinds of virus, a small group of people are making trillions of people suffering, daily. It is so easy for those malicious guys spilling out tons of spam emails, but is is always so troublesome for many more others to deal with the result. The references below give us good summaries about how to stop, prevent and report spam emails, all are none easy in any sense.

But, besides the hassle of taking care of spam mails, one must be also aware of one most malicious type: hoax mail. Hoax-Slayer gives a very comprehensive list of internet scams. Most of them are well disguised so that the first timer tends to believe that one's luck has finally come. But all of the are designed for only one thing: cheating people for money.

Ironically, from the same internet resources, one can easily find services that enables anybody to general hoax mail (aka spoof mail). hoaxmail.co.uk is one of them. It provide tools "to anonymously send spoof email and SMS, allowing you to define exactly what shows as the sender of your message." Sounds fishy and bad enough already.

(updated on Mar. 19, 2012) Recently, having got many ones from "YouTube Service". One title example is "YouTube Service sent you a message: Your video has been approved". This is a link in the mail, e.g "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjuULRgT08&feature=topvideos_mp", but in fact it is linked to a totally different site.

Below are the titles of some spam mails. The left side is sender.

"KISS" -- My Husband Just Left
A new Checking Account -- Second chance checking accounts
!!!Warning!!! -- Someone ran a background check on you!
XX+ Dating -- Meet singles over XX
Enlarge with Free trials -- She will not be able to resist
Enlargement Pills Free Trials -- Why waste any more time
office -- USFR Grant Approved
RIAA -- Copyright violation litigation procedure
Orchard Bank Credit Card Web Deals -- An Orchard Bank MasterCard offer for you
Jon C -- Pay your house off in 5-7 years
Urgent Security Scan For Your PC
Problems with the IRS?
Strong, Powerful, Erections!... Try Vydox Rsik FREE!
Gain Up to 3 Inches Naturally
Apply & Get $2,500. Payback in 3 years
Re:Preapproval for up to $10,000USD. Pay it off in 2018!
You have received a 25 Kohl's Winter Savings notifications!
iPad Auctions $12 - What a deal! 

Similarly, there are virus hoaxes, false reports (in the form of emails) about non-existent viruses, often claiming to do impossible things (SOPHOS). Unfortunately, many geniuses have their wisdom used in the wrong places, and many innocent people become victim of them.

Recently, there are more varieties. One example starts with:

Let me divulge to you a procedure I use myself to make in excess of $7600 each and every month, spending very few hours every week at home on my laptop.

If it is really so, why just don't do it himself/herself, and eliminate any possible competitors?

Just be careful about any mails, whose sender is not familiar to us!
References:
How to prevent spam
How to Stop Spam Email
Stop Spam!
Stop SPAM Email, A guide to stop SPAM mail & reporting it
Latest Email Hoaxes - Current Internet Scams - Hoax-Slayer (back of main page)
The latest email and virus hoax information - SOPHOS

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2014年1月9日 13:21 (RBB TODAY)

トレンドマイクロは1月9日、同社公式ブログにて「2013年のスパムメール脅威状況を振り返る」と題する文章を公開した。同社は「スパムメールの全体像において、2013年は変化の年」と考察している。

　スパムメールの数は、2011年に急増したが、2012年は減少しほぼ従来の水準に戻っていた。しかし2013年に、再度増加の傾向を見せたという。

　傾向としては、第3四半期に入り健康に関連したスパムメールが増加。トレンドマイクロが確認したスパムメール全体の30％を占め、毎日200万通以上が確認された時期もあったとのこと。これらのスパムメールは、より巧妙な手口へと進化しており、インド（10％）およびスペイン（8％）、イタリア（7％）、米国（6％）を含むさまざまな国のPCから送られていた。

　さらに同ブログは、「添付される不正プログラムの変化」についても指摘。金融関連の情報を収集する「ZBOT」は、第1四半期から第3四半期にもっとも拡散されていたが、第3四半期の途中で「TROJ_UPATRE」ファミリが取って代わり、添付される不正プログラムの首位になったという。11月には、添付ファイルを含む不正なスパムメールの約45％が不正プログラム「UPATRE」を含んでいた。「UPATRE」は、「ZBOT」や「身代金要求型不正プログラム（ランサムウェア）」、特に「CryptoLocker」を含む他の不正プログラムをダウンロードするものだ。

　同社は、2014年以降の傾向について、「犯罪者は、検出を回避し、うまくユーザーを餌食とするために、従来のスパムメールの手口を融合させる」「スパムメールは、不正プログラムを拡散させる手段として引き続き利用される」「スパムメール数という観点から、ソーシャルネットワークを利用したスパムメールは劇的な増加を経験する」と予測している。
http://topics.jp.msn.com/digital/general/article.aspx?articleid=2934550