How Technology Helped People Communicate
Gifts Pouring In

Spammers Using Tragedy To Their Advantage

(Mis)Uses of Technology

from the sickening dept

Thu, Sep 13th 2001 11:16am — Mike Masnick
I was just commenting to a friend of mine last night that since the tragedy began, I noticed I've been receiving even more spam than usual. I had thought that even spammers would have a heart and stop spamming for the time being. Instead, they're using this opportunity to use the tragedy to promote pornography and check on their mailing lists. Some are even suggesting "donations" that probably will never go to rescue organizations. At least some annoying marketers are doing something. X10.com, famous for their pop up ads, have suspended the ads and their website and instead are using their site to urge people to donate blood and money. Update: The Register has the text of a ridiculous message comparing those who are against spam with terrorists. It's amazing how senseless people can be. While so many people have been doing everything they can to help in any way possible, a small minority of people are only looking to see how they can profit from this tragedy. Sickening.
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  1. identicon
    Brandon, 13 Sep 2001 @ 12:29pm

    I had gotten less

    Though this morning, spam returned with a vengence. Previous to this, I had been receiving significantly less.

    I have seen a couple reference the tragedy, including one this morning which was totally about where you can donate money or blood (and pointed out legitimate locations for this).

    I guess there are good and bad spammers as well.

    Brandon

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    Andrea, 13 Sep 2001 @ 6:44pm

    No Subject Given

    I received the spam about likening anti-spam with terrorism. I made a comment on my Web site, I think I called them slimy, opportunistic f**kheads. Or something.

    I got another one, also providing links to the Red Cross and the like, while asking me if I was interested in buying insurance.

    Unreal.

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    Saddened, 13 Sep 2001 @ 7:03pm

    Re: I had gotten less

    I was thinking about this the other day, when contemplating the breakdown of our intelligence that allowed people to communicate across oceans to plan and execute this madness. What if the terrorists were using spam to hide messages? When you consider the volume of spam on the net, and the dismissive behavior that Americans have to spam, what if they are hiding coded messages in porn ads to slip them under US radar?

    I could have used at least day of silence and mourning so it saddened and angered me to see the vultures sweeping in so quickly to pollute our communications systems. We need to cut off, monitor and regulate unsolicited email to prevent things like this. No amount of profit is worth this many innocent lives.

    God bless us all...

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    Ron Morris, 14 Sep 2001 @ 2:21am

    A more in-depth article on the variety of scams...

    "Still, academics were shocked at the volume and immediacy of scams resulting from the terrorist attacks..."
    http://www.zdnet.com/zdfeeds/msncobrand/news/0%2C13622%2C5096957%2C-hud00025nshm3%2C00.ht ml

    [ link to this | view in thread ]


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