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Does Anyone Actually Still Click On Attachments From Spammers?

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from the just-wondering... dept

Fri, Sep 30th 2005 10:11am — Mike Masnick
Must be a slow week in the security world as the latest "oh no, time to worry!" announcement from a computer security company is taking a scam from a the 90s and reviving it as if it's something new. They're claiming that spammers are (gasp! no!) attaching things to spam messages and getting people to click on them. Apparently, this security company either doesn't remember itself, or assumes that no one else remembers that this was the popular way that plenty of viruses were passed around a while back -- leading to the constant barrage of reminders to never open attachments from people you don't know (or even from people you do know, but weren't expecting an attachment from). The only "difference" is that the attached file containing the "payload" is a music file -- but even that's not all that original. Of course, it appears the reporter doesn't remember this either, so perhaps people have already forgotten and there's a new generation of happy clickers getting infected. Where the warning gets really amusing is that they don't seem to be that worried about spyware or trojans being embedded in the audio file... but that those audio files might contain "pornographic or offensive voice-recordings" that you wouldn't want to play in front of friends, family or colleagues. Is this really a problem? Are people being inundated with pornographic voice recordings in spam messages that they're clicking on and offending their family and friends?
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23 Comments

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  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 30 Sep 2005 @ 11:02am

    No Subject Given

    are all your "news" articles just bitching about shit you act like you know more about than the average propeller head?

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      jonny, 30 Sep 2005 @ 11:32am

      Re: No Subject Given

      Don't like it? Don't read it.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 30 Sep 2005 @ 11:40am

      Re: No Subject Given

      dork

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      RBasil, 30 Sep 2005 @ 12:02pm

      Re: No Subject Given

      Mike just loves to bitch about everything. I've been a reader for years but it seems to me "TechDirt" is turning into "TechBitch".

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        TJ, 30 Sep 2005 @ 12:59pm

        Re: No Subject Given

        Am glad it wasn't just me feeling that way. When I read Techdirt recently I find myself skimming more and more to find the actual 'news' in the items. Most of the content is rants about companies 'just not getting it' and links to past items about the same to validate the point. It has become so bad recently that finding which link points to the new content is often not worth the effort. I still look the site over because it is sometimes the first place I read about an item, but it seems the editorial tone has become too close to ranting for a professional technical site.

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      dave, 30 Sep 2005 @ 7:44pm

      anonymous cowardus shit bitcherus

      "propeller head"?????? huh? wouldn't cpu cooling fan head be more better? is this a boat site? yeah... go Mastercraft!!

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      John, 30 Sep 2005 @ 8:15pm

      Re: No Subject Given

      This is pretty clearly an opinion site. That's why I like it. Not the same boring press releases found on other tech sites. For those who don't like it, there are like a billion other websites to read. For those of us who like it don't change

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Diego, 3 Oct 2005 @ 8:12am

        Re: No Subject Given

        Totally agree. I always read it last, I like to read the news somewhere else (several different sites sometimes) make my own opinion, then come here an dcompare with the (yes, sometimes bitchy) opinion they have. But that's what I like about it, it's not just news, it's what comes with them...

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Tris Megistus, 30 Sep 2005 @ 11:47pm

      Re: No Subject Given

      Man, what crawled up your ass and died?

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        AZ, 1 Oct 2005 @ 9:53am

        Re: No Subject Given

        I have my ISP's virus scanner set up and they scan all my emails before they come to me. You wont believe the amount of virusses they have detected as attachments lately! I say if you didnt ask for it and you dont know who it is from dont open it. That way you stay safe.

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Neosin, 2 Oct 2005 @ 10:13pm

      Re: No Subject Given

      It seems that way. Hmm, maybe some new people are on the net and don't know about the email stuff yet? Maybe not such a bad idea to retell the story a few times a year?
      hah. I swear my screen just went blank and said... "Neo... " DANG SPAMMERS!

      "are all your "news" articles just bitching about shit you act like you know more about than the average propeller head?"

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 30 Sep 2005 @ 11:06am

    No Subject Given

    Yes, it is a problem. When my family comes over I always just ignore them and start opening my spam mail. Of course my entire family is watching over my shoulder as I open 'gay_orgasm_shit_funnel.avi'.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    jonathon chase, 30 Sep 2005 @ 11:13am

    spam clickers

    For lack of better word, ignorant is usually what you call these people. Before anyone bashes me over the head, remember that ignorance is the lack of knowledge, and people nowadays love their computer and have no idea what they are doing with it. Its also that people are so obsesed with their desires that they don't consider the old saying, "if it seems too good to be true, it probably is." Hopefully one day people will realize why not to "take candy from strangers."

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Jeff S., 30 Sep 2005 @ 11:46am

    No Subject Given

    You'd be surprised at the number of people that blindly open attachments. Our service & support team are at peoples desks often enough due to this. I think its just that they simply don't know any better.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Brian, 30 Sep 2005 @ 12:59pm

    Spammers

    Anyone who still does this is dumb, I mean come on, you have no idea what kinda crap are in those attachments, I mean I use Thunderbird and I just have it delete all mails by the spamers, there is also a way to see if it is a spam messege without even opening it, but I dont remember what it is becasue I never really have to do it anymore, lol, well just wanted to inform the world

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Tim Rainier, 30 Sep 2005 @ 1:10pm

    Re: Does Anyone Actually Still Click On Attachment

    Yes. What's worse, a lot of folks out there don't even understand much about what the different file extensions mean.

    It's quite hideous.

    The report and the company involved obviously had an issue with it. It doesn't make much sense to criticize them for attempting to alert the public that even decade-old virus technologies are still effective.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    jszpila, 30 Sep 2005 @ 1:19pm

    why open spam in the first place?

    I can't even remember the last time I got spam with a subject line that even made sense, or was in English, for that matter. I don't understand what would convince a person to open some gibberish email from someone they didn't know. Or, for that matter, open an attachment or buy C1al1s from them.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Nismoto, 30 Sep 2005 @ 11:38pm

    RE: Does anyone still click on attachments from sp

    Dude, the article was talking abount html emails that automatically play embedded media, such as a midi file. I don't know where you got the whole "click" thing, that's not what they are suggesting.

    True. Who gives a sh!t if some sound starts playing when you open an email message.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Aleks Y., 1 Oct 2005 @ 12:31pm

    Well ofcourse!

    Let the idiots click away. Please, do it, just not on my computer. Even if it spells; viruses, bugs, spy-ware, or any other kind of pain-in-the-ass experience for you, do it! Because thats how the guy who fixes your computer makes money!

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      SJOS, 1 Oct 2005 @ 5:14pm

      Re: Well ofcourse!

      DUH! That's how I make money! You won't believe the amount of people I see with problems such as these. (don't expect me to read any replies, I probably won't ever open this again.)

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        makaveli, 3 Feb 2006 @ 1:12pm

        Re: Well ofcourse!

        you suck. You don't know that you can actually get arrested for some of the things that you do. Not everybody thinks "oh, poor spencer. He wouldn't hurt anybody."


        ph

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Diego, 3 Oct 2005 @ 8:18am

    A diff reality

    Well, just to illustrate you all a bit on what happens in other countries (asuming u are all from english speaking countries):

    Here (Peru, South America) it's really easy to tell when an email has a virus. Since we all speak spanish and most viral attachments (or music or porn or whatever) come with names in english. If you see an attachment that has a name in english that you don't relate to the person right away, then you can be sure it's a virus. Then you write to that person and say "hey your PC is sending me viruses".

    Which is even more amazing is that some ppl (just a small minority) still get infected with those emails... COME ON!!! For some ppl, computers are like magic... reminds me of medieval ages...

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]


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