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Spam Poison [https://spampoison.com/] Fight back spam since 2004 Menu Skip to content Home Fight Spam Report Scam About News Knowledge Glossary Contact Privacy Here are the new Emotet spam campaigns hitting mailboxes worldwide Leave a reply The Emotet malware kicked into action yesterday after a ten-month hiatus with multiple spam campaigns delivering malicious documents to mailboxes worldwide. Emotet is a malware infection that is distributed through spam campaigns with malicious attachments. If a user opens the attachment, malicious macros or JavaScript will download the Emotet DLL and load it into memory using PowerShell. Once loaded, the malware will search for and steal emails to use in future spam campaigns and drop additional payloads such as TrickBot or Qbot that commonly lead to ransomware infections. Emotet spamming begins again Last night, cybersecurity researcher Brad Duncan published a SANS Handler Diary on how the Emotet botnet had begun spamming multiple email campaigns to infect devices with the Emotet malware. According to Duncan, the spam campaigns use replay-chain emails to lure the recipient into opening attached malicious Word, Excel, and password-protected ZIP files. Reply-chain phishing emails are when previously stolen email threads are used with spoofed replies to distribute malware to other users. In the samples shared by Duncan, we can see Emotet using reply-chains related to a “missing wallet,” a CyberMonday sale, canceled meetings, political donation drives, and the termination of dental insurance. Attached to these emails are Excel or Word documents with malicious macros or a password-protected ZIP file attachment containing a malicious Word document, with examples shown below. Emotet email with Excel attachment Source: Brad Duncan There are currently two different malicious documents being distributed in the new Emotet spam campaigns. The first is an Excel document template that states that the document will only work on desktops or laptops and that the user needs to click on ‘Enable Content’ to view the contents properly. The malicious Word attachment is using the ‘Red Dawn’ template and says that as the document is in “Protected” mode, users must enable content and editing to view it properly. How Emotet attachments infect devices When you open Emotet attachments, the document template will state that previewing is not available and that you need to click on ‘Enable Editing’ and ‘Enable Content’ to view the content properly. However, once you click on these buttons, malicious macros will be enabled that launch a PowerShell command to download the Emotet loader DLL from a compromised WordPress site and save it to the C:\ProgramData folder. Once downloaded, the DLL will be launched using C:\Windows\SysWo64\rundll32.exe, which will copy the DLL to a random folder under %LocalAppData% and then reruns the DLL from that folder. After some time, Emotet will configure a startup value under the HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run to launch the malware when Windows starts. The Emotet malware will now silently remain running in the background while waiting for commands to execute from its command and control server. These commands could be to search for email to steal, spread to other computers, or install additional payloads, such as the TrickBot or Qbot trojans. At this time, BleepingComputer has not seen any additional payloads dropped by Emotet, which has also been confirmed by Duncan’s tests. “I have only seen spambot activity from my recent Emotet-infected hosts,” Duncan told BleepingComputer. “I think Emotet is just getting re-established this week.” “Maybe we’ll see some additional malware payloads in the coming weeks,” the researcher added. Defending against Emotet Malware and botnet monitoring org Abuse.ch has released a list of 245 command and control servers that perimeter firewalls can block to prevent communication with command and control servers. Blocking communication to C2s will also prevent Emotet from dropping further payloads on compromised devices. An international law enforcement operation took down the Emotet botnet in January 2021, and for ten months, the malware has not been active. However, starting Sunday night, active TrickBot infections began dropping the Emotet loader on already infected devices, rebuilding the botnet for spamming activity. The return of Emotet is a significant event that all network admins, security professionals, and Windows admins must monitor for new developments. In the past, Emotet was considered the most widely distributed malware and has a good chance of regaining its previous ranking. This entry was posted in Knowledge and tagged email spams , emotet on November 18, 2021 by Gupta Vijaya . Nearly 45 million received scam calls in three months Leave a reply Almost 45 million people in the UK were targeted by scam text messages or phone calls over the summer, according to telecoms regulator Ofcom . About half reported getting a scam call or text at least once a week. A survey of 2,000 adults in September found that almost a million people had been misled by a message or a call which they received. Text scams are most common among 16 to 34-year-olds, with two-thirds receiving one between June and August. The elderly are more often targeted using their landlines, with 61% of those over 75 receiving a scam phone call, but all ages are at risk. UK residents who believe they have been targeted, or are the victim of a scam, can report a text message by forwarding it to 7726 – the numbers on the keypad that have the letters for spam on them. However, Ofcom found that 79% of mobile phone users were unaware of that service. Scam calls should be reported to Action Fraud. Lindsey Fussell, Ofcom’s networks and communications group director, urged the public not to reply to messages which do not seem quite right. “Criminals who defraud people using phone and text scams can cause huge distress and financial harm to their victims, and their tactics are becoming increasingly sophisticated,” she said. “Stay alert to any unsolicited contact. Put the phone down if you have any suspicion that it is a scam call, and don’t click on any links in text messages you’re unsure about.” This entry was posted in News and tagged Ofcom , phone scams on October 21, 2021 by Steven Wilson . Why phone scams are so difficult to tackle Leave a reply Many of us now refuse to answer telephone calls from an unknown number, for fear that it could be a scam. And we dread receiving a text message, purportedly from our bank or a delivery firm, again due to concerns that it might be from fraudsters. A recent report suggests that we are right to be cautious. In the 12 months to March 2021, phone call and text message fraud across England, Wales and Northern Ireland was up 83% from the previous year, according to consumer group Which? . Which? analysed data from Action Fraud, the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime, and says this was the biggest rise across all types of fraudulent attacks. It adds that the jump was fuelled by more people getting things delivered during the pandemic, which led to a corresponding huge rise in fake parcel delivery text notifications. In these “smishing” attacks, fraudsters send a person a message, seemingly from a legitimate number, to claim that a small payment is needed before a package can be delivered. Then when you click on the link they try to steal your banking details. Telecom firms and authorities faces difficulties But how exactly are the fraudsters able to do this, and why is it so difficult for telecoms firms and authorities to tackle the problem? Matthew Gribben, a cyber security expert, says that criminals are able to make it look like their phone call or text is coming from the real telephone number of a bank or delivery firm, due to continuing vulnerabilities in the UK (and other countries’) telephone network systems. “There’s no way for the current UK phone network to guarantee 100% that the presentation number it is being told is the actual originating number – it has to take your word for it,” says Mr Gribben, who is a former consultant to GCHQ, the UK government intelligence agency. Protocol’s problem The core of the problem is a telephone identification protocol called SS7, which dates back to 1975. It is a little complicated, but bear with us. SS7 tells the telephone network what number a user is calling or texting from, known as the “presentation number”. This is crucial so that calls can be connected from one to another. The problem is that fraudsters can steal a presentation number, and then link it to their own number. The issue affects both landlines and mobile phones, with SS7 still central to the 2G and 3G parts of mobile phone networks that continue to carry our voice calls and text messages – even if you have a 5G-enabled handset. One theory is that the vulnerabilities of SS7 cannot be fixed because the telecoms firms need to give national security agencies access to their networks, but Mr Gribben says GCHQ (Britain’s intelligence agency) can monitor communications without using SS7 loopholes. The problem, he says, is that SS7 is still used in telecoms networks globally. And it needs to be replaced rather than patched up. “SS7 was developed assuming there would always be legitimate activity [and] goodwill around the use of it,” explains Katia Gonzalez, head of fraud prevention and security at BICS, a Brussels-based telecoms firm that connects and protects mobile phone networks. “There’s too much legacy technology [reliant upon it] that we can’t move away from – we’re going to have these SS7 2G/3G networks for at least another 10 years.” Jon France, head of industry security at the GSMA, the trade organisation that represents mobile network providers around the world, says that “a lot of these problems will disappear” after 5G networks have been fully rolled out. This will mean that SS7 – and 2G and 3G – can be totally replaced. Ms Gonzalez agrees: “It took some time to understand these flaws, and how they were exploited. Now with 5G there will be security from [the centre] of it.” However, Mr Gribben cautions that even when SS7 is replaced by something “entirely brand new and sparkling, there will still be other vulnerabilities [that fraudsters can exploit]”. The GSMA says that telecoms firms are putting “a large amount of effort and investment” into tackling scams. For its part, BICS is using artificial intelligence systems to try to detect and block incoming fraudulent calls and texts. Ms Gonzalez adds the only way to prevent text message scams is to enable telecoms firms to use AI to scan texts for links to fake websites before they are sent. Yet privacy regulators are unlikely to ever agree to that. So instead BICS is calling for “greater collaboration between telecoms firms and governments, better relations between countries, and more effort from the companies on sharing information on the latest vulnerabilities”. When it comes to fraudulent telephone calls, there has been a big increase in so-called “robo-calling” – automated voice calls in recent years. Call authentication systems do exist that can help stop them, and the UK’s telecommunications regulator Ofcom says it is consulting with the telecoms industry to see what can be implemented, and how soon. “These criminal scams are becoming more sophisticated and tackling them requires efforts from a range of bodies,” says an Ofcom spokesman. “We’re working closely with the police, industry and organisations such as NCSC [the National Cyber Security Centre] – which is responsible for cyber-security standards in the UK – to help tackle the problem.” New protocols developed An international standards body, the US-based Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) has also developed new protocols to prevent robo-calling. In a nod to James Bond, the system is called “Stir and Shaken”. US authorities have ordered mobile operators to implement the protocols by the end of 2021, but Ofcom says UK providers can’t do so until networks are sufficiently upgraded, by 2025. As phone and text scams are not going away anytime soon, Amanda Finch, chief executive of professional body, Chartered Institute of Information Security, says: “There’s always more that telecoms firms could do”. “But, security is a continually moving target… basically everyone has to be vigilant,” she adds. Meanwhile, Robert Blumofe, chief technology officer of cloud security firm Akamai, says: “I don’t think there’s a world anytime soon where we can train people not to be fooled, so the solution has to include a way to block the response the text messages are trying to elicit.” This entry was posted in Knowledge and tagged information stealing , phone scams , Which? on September 1, 2021 by Steven Wilson . How to report online attempts to steal your money Leave a reply With scams spiking during lockdown, here are some of the ones to know about – and how to get support Fresh warnings have been issued over a new scam that claims payment is required for a package to be delivered. The latest con involves the victim receiving a text message from “Royal Mail”, claiming that a parcel is ready for delivery, but that an additional fee of £1.99 or £2.99 is required. A link is shared for the recipient to click through and pay the alleged fee, only to be directed to a copycat website operated by fraudsters. One victim revealed on social media in a tweet that went viral that such a con had left her “scammed out of every penny I had” after fraudsters telephoned her pretending to be her bank and asking her to move money around. The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) and Royal Mail have both warned that such messages are fraudulent, with the CTSI adding that such scams have surged over the past year. “This delivery scam is yet another example of fraudsters attempting to make money out of the unsuspecting public,” said Katherine Hart from the CTSI. “Due to the lockdowns, many millions of people rely on product deliveries, so scammers have focused their efforts on this theme. “If you have any suspicions, contact Royal Mail to verify before you click any links or share details,” she added. A spokesperson for Royal Mail said the service would only ever ask for payment by email or text message if a parcel had been sent to them from overseas and a customs payment was due. “In such cases, we would also leave a grey card telling customers that there’s a Fee to Pay before we can release the item.” But what other scams exist and what should you look out for? Here’s everything you need to know. National Insurance Action Fraud, the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime, is warning the public about a National Insurance scam after it received over 34,000 more calls last month compared with February 2020. Victims have reported receiving an automated telephone call telling them their “National Insurance number has been compromised” and that they must “press one on their handset to be connected to the caller” in order to resolve the issue. Once connected to the “caller”, victims are pressured into giving over their personal details in order to receive a new National Insurance number. In reality, they’ve been connected to a criminal who can now use their personal details to commit fraud. Pauline Smith, head of Action Fraud, said: “We are asking the public to remain vigilant and be cautious of any automated calls they receive mentioning their National Insurance number becoming compromised. “It’s important to remember if you’re contacted out the blue by someone asking for your personal or financial details, this could be a scam. “Even confirming personal details, such as your email address, date of birth or mother’s maiden name, can be used by criminals to commit fraud. If you have any doubts about what is being asked of you, hang up the phone. No legitimate organisation will rush or pressure you.” HMRC (tax scams) With the end of the tax year approaching, scams relating to tax payments, bills and rebates are on the rise. Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) received over 900,000 reports of HMRC scams in 2020, with more than half of these offering fake tax rebates. Common scams include messages claiming you are owed a tax rebate, that you’ve missed an important deadline, or warning that you have an outstanding fee to pay. Scams exploiting the Covid-19 pandemic have also been reported, with people receiving texts stating that they are owed a “goodwill payment” due to the coronavirus. Others demand a £250 payment after individuals are accused of “breaching lockdown restrictions”. HMRC has said that it will never send notifications by email about tax rebates or refunds and advise recipients not to open any attachments, click any links or share any personal or payment information. It adds that if you are unsure about the legitimacy of a message you receive by email, text message, WhatsApp, social media or telephone, you can forward the details to the National Cyber Security Council at phishing@hmrc.gov.uk. Genuine emails from HMRC should all end in ‘gov.uk’ only. Any additional words, letters or numbers following this are likely to be fraudulent. Don’t click links contained in emails or messages claiming to be from HMRC – log in to your account, email or telephone them directly to be certain it’s safe. You can also see examples of HMRC scams by following this government link. Investment fraud Investment fraud occurs when you receive a cold call from someone claiming to offer you an opportunity to invest in a scheme, service or product that is actually worthless or doesn’t even exist. It’s also known as share sale fraud, hedge fund fraud, land banking fraud or bond fraud. The majority of investment frauds are run out of offices known as boiler rooms. Victims may also be offered “special discounts”, “insider info” or “exclusive” stock tips. Boiler room operations often contact victims out of the blue and pressure them into making rushed decisions with no time to consider the nature of the investment. Callers often sound extremely knowledgeable and professional, and may produce polished-looking websites, certificates or brochures to “prove” their authenticity. As well as never providing bank account details or sensitive information, never accept investment offers on the spot from cold callers. Instead, look at the Financial Conduct Authority’s ScamSmart warning list which acts as a barrier between unscrupulous scammers and you. Sadly, boiler room operations tend to target people aged 65 and older, so it’s important to talk to older family members and vulnerable people to help them spot bogus callers. Netflix Action Fraud received over 400 reports in just one week from people reporting fake emails purporting to be from Netflix. The emails state that the recipient needs to “finish signing up” by clicking the link provided before they can use the online streaming service. Doing so, however, takes victims to phishing websites that steal your Netflix login, personal and financial information. Netflix says that it will never ask you to enter personal information in a text or email. This includes credit or debit card numbers, bank account details and Netflix passwords. If you think your account has been compromised, Netflix advises you to contact it directly using the details on this page. Romance fraud Romance fraud occurs when a person you’ve met through an online dating website or app uses a fake profile to build a relationship and gain your trust before asking you for money or information to steal your identity. Tell-tale signs include asking you lots of personal questions but disclosing very little about themselves; and exploiting your trust by inventing a reason to ask for your financial assistance, such as money to pay for a flight to visit you, or money for medical treatment for them or a family member. “Perfect” profile pictures can also be a giveaway and may have been stolen from a model or actor. Using the reverse image search tool on Google can help you find the original source of photos. To avoid getting caught out by romance fraud, avoid revealing too many personal details when dating online, such as your date of birth or home address, which may result in your identity being stolen. Never send or receive money or share your bank details to someone you’ve met online, no matter how convincing their story is. And, if you’re online dating, choose a reputable site or app and use their messaging service, rather than switching to social media or texting, where messages can be deleted more easily. According to Action Fraud, women are twice as likely to fall victim to romance fraud and investment fraud twice as men. Paul Davis, retail fraud prevention director at Lloyds Bank, said: “Scammers do this for a living – they’re in it for the long game and will often spend a lot of time building up a ‘relationship’ and trust – they can invent convincing stories, waiting for the right moment to start tricking people into sending them money. “If you’ve struck up a conversation or begun a relationship solely online and the discussion moves on to sending money, that’s the time to stop.” Fraud recovery As if being scammed once isn’t bad enough, data from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) found that over £373 million was lost by repeat victims of fraud in the 2019/20 financial year, with the average victim losing £21,121. However, when someone reported at least one investment fraud, this figure jumped a staggering 300 per cent to £84,604. A fraud recovery scam is when criminals contact victims pretending to be from their bank, a law enforcement agency, solicitors or “specialist recovery firm” claiming to be able to help them get their money back or compensation. Incredibly, this is often the same criminal targeting the victim again, or the victim’s personal details may have been sold on the dark web to other fraudsters. Scammers will usually ask for a fee for this “service” and may ask victims for their bank account details so they can “deposit” the recovered funds. Mark Steward, executive director of enforcement and market oversight at the Financial Conduct Authority said: “Consumers should always be wary of cold calls and promises to recover funds lost to a scam, as these are often signs of an attempted recovery fraud taking place. If you’re under pressure to make a quick decision or a payment, there’s a very good chance you’re talking to a scammer. “Be ScamSmart and check the FCA Register to make sure that the firm you are dealing with is authorised to perform the service they are providing for you, and use the contact details on the FCA Register.” TV Licensing While this particular scam was first identified by the NFIB in September 2018, scam emails purporting to be from TV Licensing resurfaced again in October 2020. Victims receive an email which states that there is a problem with their Direct Debit that needs addressing in order for them to continue watching TV legally at home. Victims are then urged to click a link, which directs them to an authentic-looking website that prompts them to enter their home address and bank details, which are duly stolen by scammers. TV Licensing say that in emails, it will include your name and part of your postcode, compared with scam emails which often just use your email address or “Dear customer”. All legitimate emails from TV Licensing come from donotreply@tvlicensing.co.uk (or donotreply@spp.tvlicensing.co.uk). If you think you’ve been a victim of a TV license scam, contact Action Fraud or email the government’s fraud service at report@phishing.gov.uk. What can I do if I think I’ve been a victim of fraud? If you think you’ve been a victim of fraud, you can contact Action Fraud for help and advice. You can also forward details of suspect scammer to the National Cyber Security Centre. This entry was posted in Knowledge and tagged email scams , phone scams , report scam , text scams on May 15, 2021 by Steven Wilson . Victims of coronavirus scams leave UK victims seriously out of pocket Leave a reply Victims of scams related to the coronavirus outbreak lost nearly €1 million in February, according to the UK’s fraud and cybercrime centre. In a warning to the public, Action Fraud UK said fraudsters conned people out of more than £800,000 (€918,000) in the month, using the COVID-19 crisis to concoct phishing email scams. It said since the start of February, 21 cases of fraud have been identified where coronavirus was mentioned. Ten were reported by victims who were trying to buy facemasks from fraudulent sellers, with one victim losing more than £15,000 on a purchase of masks which was never delivered. Others were victims of coronavirus-themed phishing emails, where people are tricked into opening malicious attachments or divulging login information. Some fraudsters have been pretending to be from research organisations associated with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO). WHO has itself warned people of malicious emails appearing to be from the organisation. “WHO is aware of suspicious email messages attempting to take advantage of the 2019 novel coronavirus emergency,” it says on its website, warning the emails ask for information such as usernames and passwords, or include malicious links or attachments. How to steer clear of online scams Don’t click on links or attachments in suspicious emails, says Action Fraud Don’t reveal any personal or financial details during unsolicited messages or calls WHO says you can verify the sender by checking the email address – an official WHO email will be sent only from an address ending in @who.int Don’t feel under pressure to reveal any information – cybercriminals use emergencies such as coronavirus to scare people into making rash decisions The WHO also advises, if you think you may have given personal information mistakenly to a scammer, change your credentials immediately This entry was posted in News and tagged corona virus , online scams , scams on March 7, 2020 by Steven Wilson . Belgium football transfer: Two arrested in fraud inquiry Leave a reply Two people have been detained in an inquiry in Belgium into alleged fraud involving the transfer of football players, prosecutors say. One, players’ agent Christophe Henrotay, was held in Monaco. The other is said to be an associate in Belgium. They were detained during raids on Tuesday and Wednesday. Prosecutors said the arrests stem from an ongoing inquiry into the £13m (€18m) transfer of striker Aleksandar Mitrovic from Anderlecht to Newcastle United in 2015. “The facts involve notably money-laundering operations and private corruption in the context of football player transfers,” they said on Wednesday. A search was also carried out in London, where a Metropolitan Police spokesman said they were assisting the Belgian investigation. It is understood that Newcastle believe they are not directly connected to the inquiry. In April, Anderlecht premises were searched. No-one was detained at the time. A separate inquiry into suspected fraud involving transfers during the 2017-2018 season led to raids on premises linked to Anderlecht, Club Bruges and Standard Liège last October. This entry was posted in News and tagged Aleksandar Mitrovic , Anderlecht , Christophe Henrotay , football fraud , Newcastle United on September 13, 2019 by Gupta Vijaya . Beware of Bitcoin Investment Emails Pushing Clipboard Hijackers Leave a reply A new malspam campaign is under that contains an attachment that when executed will install a Windows clipboard hijacker that attempts to steal Bitcoins from its victims. This new campaign was discovered by security site My Online Security who received a series of Bitcoin investment related emails. These emails had subject line that included “FW: Review BTC” or “FW: Review Your New Bitcoin International Investment Update 2019” and contained a archive attachment. This archive includes a JSE file, which is a JavaScript file, that contains a Base64 encoded executable stored in the file as shown below. When the JSE file is executed, it will decode the Base64 encoded file, save it to %Temp%\rewjavaef.exe, and then execute it. Once executed, a file called Task.exe will be saved to the %AppData%\svchost.exe\ folder as shown below. This file will then be executed as well. To make sure that the Task.exe is started every time a victim logs into Windows, a startup file called svchost.exe.vbs will be created in the user’s Startup folder. The Task.exe program is actually a clipboard hijacker malware that is based off the open source BitPing program created by a security researcher named A Shadow. A cryptocurrency clipboard hijacker is malware that monitors the Windows Clipboard for certain data, and when detected, swaps it with different data that the attacker wants. In this particular case, Task.exe will monitor the Clipboard for bitcoin addresses, and if one is detected, will swap it for the 3MSghqkGW8QhHs6HD3UxNVp9SRpGvPkk5W address, which is owned by the attacker. As cryptocurrency addresses are typically long and hard to remember, attackers understand that when sending bitcoins, most people will copy an address from another page, site, or program. This malware will detect the copied address in the clipboard and replace it with their own in the hopes the victim won’t notice the swap. Then when the bitcoins are sent, they would be sent to the address under the attacker’s control rather than the intended recipient. The best way to avoid malware like this is to not open attachments that you receive from strangers or that you are not expecting. Furthermore, you should never run attachments that could execute commands on the computer. This includes JSE, JS, VBS, CMD, PS1, .EXE, or BAT file extensions. If Windows is not configured to display file extensions, it is strongly suggested that you enable the display of extensions so you do not open malicious documents or executables by mistake. This entry was posted in Knowledge and tagged Bitcoin , email spams , malspam on March 17, 2019 by Gupta Vijaya . Almost £13,000 scammed from Armagh and Tyrone victims Leave a reply Two people were scammed out of almost £13,000 last weekend, the PSNI has said. One of the victims had nearly £10,000 taken from their bank account after they gave their bank details over the phone, while the other lost £2,500. Both of them were scammed by people claiming to be from BT within a day of each other. The scams happened on Friday and Saturday in counties Armagh and Tyrone. The second victim was kept on the phone for about three hours and persuaded to download software, which resulted in the victim being swindled out their money. Scammers will use any tactic Chief Superintendent Simon Walls has called on families to stay alert and for people not to give out financial details over the phone. “I want to appeal to family members to do all they can to let their loved ones know, especially those who are older and vulnerable, never to give out any kind of financial details over the phone or to download software during a call unless they are 110% sure it is safe to do so,” he said. “Scammers are creative and will do whatever they can to con people out of money. They don’t care who their victim is, they just want the money and will employ whatever tactic is necessary.” This entry was posted in News and tagged phone scams on December 26, 2018 by Gupta Vijaya . Five smart things you should know about phishing Leave a reply 1. Phishing refers to the practice of sending e-mails posing as a genuine service provider and seeking to access confidential information about credit cards and bank accounts. 2. Such e-mails are designed to mislead the investor. Misaligned logos, expanded or contracted photos, or signatures with dubious designations are a giveaway. 3. Look for spelling and punctuation errors and unnecessary use of technical language. The drafts of these mails are not subject to quality checks of the original bank or institution. 4. No bank or service provider will ask you to open an attachment or click a link on a mail. Always access websites using the URL of the bank. 5. The messages that call for urgent action or dire consequences are usually spam. Banks do not send such communication through e-mails. This entry was posted in Knowledge and tagged phishing on April 28, 2014 by Steven Wilson . India and South Korea top sources of spam in Asia Leave a reply India and South Korea were the top Asian sources of global junk mail in the first quarter of the year, while China has pulled itself out of the “dirty dozen” list, a study revealed on Thursday. The United States remained the number one source of junk, or spam, emails accounting for 13.1 percent of the total sent during the three-month period, the survey by computer security firm Sophos said. India was number two in the global rankings, accounting for 7.3 percent of junk messages. Brazil was third with 6.8 percent, followed by South Korea (4.48 percent), Vietnam (3.4 percent) and Germany (3.2 percent). Rounding up the so-called “dirty dozen” list globally were Britain (3.1 percent), Russia (3.1 percent), Italy (3.1 percent), France (3.0 percent), Romania (2.5 percent) and Poland (2.4 percent). China came in 15th, with just 1.9 percent of the world’s spam, according to Sophos. “All eyes aren’t so much on which countries are on the list, but the one which isn’t,” said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos. “China has earned itself a bad reputation in many countries’ eyes for being the launchpad of targeted attacks against foreign companies and government networks,” he said. “But at least in the last 12 months they can demonstrate that the proportion of spam relayed by their computers has steadily reduced.” The US, South Korea, Brazil and India together account for over 30 percent of all the spam emails relayed by hacked computers worldwide, added Cluley. Despite China’s improved rankings, Asia accounted for 33.7 percent of spam sent in the first quarter, larger than Europe’s 31.2 percent, North America’s 16.9 percent and 14.7 percent for Latin America. Spam accounts for 97 percent of all messages received by business email servers, many of them selling counterfeit or illicit goods, Sophos said. Virtually all spam comes from malware-infected computers and cause a huge strain on company resources and leads to lost productivity, it added. This entry was posted in News and tagged Brazil , China , India , South Korea , spam on April 29, 2010 by Gupta Vijaya . 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