A new email scam

[Blackcatsalwaysrock]

Well - new to me. An email from someone with an Anglo-Saxon sounding name saying they’ve attached the photographs Ive been waiting for.

One of those where, if you do happen to be expecting photos, you might click on the link without thinking,

hmm, I think you would have to be really stupid to click on a link without thinking tbh.

But a lot of stupid people do click on links...

Not new but very annoying and persistent. Tom Harrison?

My aged grandmother is going to die without medical treatment. Please send me all of your money, the gods will bless you.

No, the name wasn’t Tom Harrison - I can’t remember what it was though.

They've been common for a few years at least. if you don't read tech stuff on the web, the first you hear about them (if you twig they are spam) is shortly after your email address has been harvested by spammers by a data leak from, or a hack of, some organisation you have signed up to using your email address. Spammers sell lists of these on, so watch out for more! My Gmail sorts them into a Spam folder and deletes them after 30 days or sooner if I decide. Oddly, MR KENNETH STEVENS keeps sending them to me. Often they say 'Is that you in this picture?' They deliberately build in features to filter out the alert (or non-gullible): there is usually something a bit 'off' about the way the email is presented - for example the first hurdle is that I don't know anyone of that name, and secondly if I did they would be very unlikely to prefix their name with MR, and thirdly. would they write it in ALL CAPITALS?

Do you recognise sender's email? Can you hover mouse over the link to see where it goes. Very unlikely to be genuine.

Or busy, or distracted?

Or gullible.

Adding on again, I think often people who fall for this kind of thing are not necessarily “really stupid” but really busy so scrolling through emails in a hurry.

Although people think that is the older people that get taken in by these scams it is more likely to be a younger person between 16 and 34 that is scammed.

Yes. My mother started writing code, as a job, for minicomputers in the 1970s (as she is fond of telling me). It makes her laugh when she is patronised by 15 year olds.

I recommend listening to The Lazarus Heist podcast. It helped me understand the spammy/phishing emails and why you should never ever click on links or attachments unless they’re from someone you know.

A young guy was watching me pay by phone and was very patronising. I told him that I always built my own computers and have taught ICT students computer networking. He stared at me as though I had horns on my head.

I was trying to be nice. Ever tried that?

Who emails photos these days….?!

My dad.. every single time... despite the fact that we both have iPhones!

People that don't have WhatsApp, I deleted mine when Facebook took it over or iPhones.

My DD emails me photos because I don't have (or want), a smartphone and I like to print and frame them.

Its not about being 'nice' Its just common sense, anyone who is stupid enough to click on random links from unknown emails in this day and age shouldn't be let loose on the internet for their own safety.

I've had one like this purporting to be someone on my contacts list. Luckily I knew this wouldn't be her so I didn't click on the link. I don't click on anything unless I'm expecting it or I've checked with the sender.

Maybe so, but why do you keep being nasty? The 'gullible' if you want to use that word, have always been with us, as the history of things like patent medicines ('quack cures') and, famously, the Brooklyn Bridge have shown us. I could mention the issue of political promises before elections or referendums. You're just victim-blaming, and, if I am not using unparliamentary language, a bit trollish.

Had it a few times very annoying always good to warn people. So easy if your tired or busy to open them !

Also, 'allowing' people to use the World Wide Web, email, etc, rather implies the notion of 'not allowing' other people, and how would that be implemented? And are you aware that the 'Internet' is the digital infrastructure or network of connected computers that the web works on, as well as what emails and files travel across. So get your terms right before lecturing people.

Are you one of the gullible ones who have been scammed clicking on a link?That's the only reason I can think you would get so het up about my opinion. Never mind you live and learn :)

And of course this is MN where anyone with a different opinion is being 'trollish'.