Bloody phishing emails

[heatseeker]

I have been receiving recently an influx of genuine looking phishing emails, one of them was from Paypal. I very nearly clicked on the link in that email, because it said something about a recent transaction that had gone wrong and I started to panic.

I am always careful when entering competitions to tick all the boxes, so not sure why I am suddenly receiving all these emails?

I have reported the offending emails (another from HMRC about a tax rebate). AIBU to wish I could send them a complex computer virus to totally corrupt their system?!

[Caitlin17]

I started a thread about this but more about the increasingly weirdly inventive spam I was getting on one email address. It was surreal and funny.

If it's a fake PayPal one you can submit it to PayPal and they will take out the sender!

[heatseeker]

I have reported it to Paypal, I'm just worried that I have received a fair few recently and am wondering why? Had a period of getting loads of pop ups and slow scripts as well. I do have antivirus software but it makes me wonder how effective it is sometimes.
Have set up a new email address and am gradually moving stuff over now.
Some of the phishing emails are crap with terrible grammar and spelling which I can spot a mile off, but the ones I received recently had me fooled initially.

[Caitlin17]

I only use a phone for email it's only one of my addresses which gets spam - a rarely used Nokia Ovi account which is operated by yahoo. It's nothing to do with a virus.

[coffeeinbed]

Not surprised tbh.
Same here.
Recently it's been impossible to buy even some milk in the corner shop without the cashier asking about your email address and postcode.
I blame the spam and fishing on that.

[ziggiestardust]

Same here, the amount of spam I've been getting recently is ridiculous. It should be illegal, such a waste of time!

[Oldraver]

My OH got his first dodgy/phising email (as I assume they want you you to click the link and pay straight away with your card details). It was so bad it was funny, we especially like the 'Bye for now'

^Dear Lodger.
Current letter isn't an eviction notice; this is a 10 days' warning about your rent arrears. For the moment you owe #2000 (two thousand pounds) of rental payment which is a breach of our Tenancy Agreement.
Please pay two thousand pounds within 10 (ten) days. If you do not make this payment in the next 10 (ten) days, we can apply to the court to end your tenancy, and for you to pay all the rent owed.
We enclose a copy of your rent record for you to check with your bank statements or receipts, see it here
Bye for now,
Chief Accountant of the Leasing Company^

[Caitlin17]

Oldraver I got one thanking me for sending my cv to Lockheed. If I'd got the job I'd have been able to pay all the final demands from HMRC and Companies house.

[cozietoesie]

The spammers have lists which they swop around or sell - sounds as if you've got onto one of those.

At least you're alert to it because the likelihood is that your new email will fall the same way eventually. Common sense is always the best defence.

[Oldraver]

Caitlin I thought HMRC held a billionty of pounds of refunds if only you just click the link

I'm just jealous HMRC havn't offered me free money

[Caitlin17]

On a side issue I take it every one knows Microsoft never call you to tell you there is an important update/security issue with your computer and you must log into it now to resolve? And you've told all aged relatives and gormless teenagers this too?

We had a spate of these calls (landline phone is reserved for my mother, his mother and emergency calls from Microsoft) If I hadn't been late for work it'd have been fun to keep the conversation going to see where it would lead.

[cozietoesie]

My brother used to put the phone down (but live) saying something like 'Back in a minute.....' and then go away. Costs them virtually nothing on phone charges (sadly) but Boy does it use up their time. He hasn't had one for ages now.