Monday 30 January 2012

spam emails..........

I've received a few spam emails over the last week.............I know one friend who clicked on the link in a spam email and it caused lots of trouble.
Gmail is where all my online emails go and I don't get much general spam but they have a great filter and it all goes to the spam folder and I delete them all without even opening them...............
BUT sometimes you get spam from friends..............they may have clicked on a bad email link/website.........somehow their account has been compromised..............
mostly they have no idea spam has been sent out to you...........If they are friends I always send back a new email to them to let them know I got an odd email............
So how do you know if it is "dodgy"
1. you keep getting emails from people you don't know (like Cheryl Ashmore - I am not sure who you are but I keep getting spam from you)
2. the email has an odd "subject" to what you may "normally" get from that person.........
3. The link isn't making sense to what they may have sent to you..........eg a link to a blog post ..........it is usually longer and the web address may make no sense at all...........
4. the email may have gone to LOTS of people in the "to" spot..........The only group emails I send out are to people who are part of a group I am emailing for a specific reason eg. SAL, SSCS, 
5. Sometimes you get links to join things or view pictures of your friends, a mailing list you haven't joined up to...........usually SPAM.........
6. sometimes blog post get spam comments...........if you see a blog comment that has nothing to do with the post you just read with lots of links don't click on them.........

SO IF IN DOUBT DELETE
Your friend won't be upset if you delete what you think may be a "spam email"..............when you email them to let them know they sure won't mind emailing you the link again if it was a good email that you should have opened..............but they sure will be happy to know they got hacked..............

how to protect yourself
keep your antivirus/security up to date.............and remember to scan your computer regularly..........
if you get hacked by someone change your passwords..............

don't open emails that don't "look right"

I'll add the link to this post to the help section on my sidebar
.........take care til next time.....Chookyblue.........

17 comments:

Shiralee Stitches said...

Thankyou so much for the priceless info, Chooky....I am on a fast learning curve...I hadn't realised you needed to ever doubt an email from a known source ie I never knew about email hacking until I got caught.....I've learnt a lot from my mistakes, and this info of yours on how to spot a 'dodgy' email is great. I am worried now about my actions possibly causing others (those in my contact list) trouble...I hope my bloggy friends would let me know if that were the case...like you, my google email account is purely for my bloggy communication...but you know that Chooky because you set it all up for me, for which I am forever grateful...smile and hugs...

willywagtail said...

Mostly it i s just common good sense. The trouble isthat we are often too tired out by life to remember. If the subject or sender or link look a bit didgy I sometimes google them. It almost always turns out to be spam. Thanks. Cherrie

Anonymous said...

thankyou so much Chooky as i had received one also,it was a link to a chemist,i thought the email was different ,i will be more awhere next time.xx

Googy Girl said...

Thanks Chooky, our computers are so important to us all it is a really good idea to be very careful

got a strange one the other day from one of my regular bloggers

gracie said...

Wonderful information. I delete a lot of stuff without opening it.

tillymint said...

Hi Chooky, I just popped in to thank you for visiting my blog and for your lovely encouraging comment on my Gardeners Journal Quilt. Slowly but surely I am making progress with it :)

Great advice on the spam emails, it's all to easy to just open a mail just because you see a familiar name. Thanks for reminding us that we all need to be vigilant, our computers are too precious to take risks with!

Dawn said...

great post!...I too have been caught oput reading spam emails and then once opened they send on to all my friends... so sad that they do this...But now I have a checklist and am not afraid of deleting dodgy emails...
thanks for sharing
Hugs Dawn x x

suzitee said...

Great advice Chooky! I'm fairly ruthless with my delete button, but didn't realise that the spam could be sent inadvertently from people on my contacts list- scary, huh?

Kathy said...

All great advice, thanks :)

Susan said...

Thanks Chookyblue - all good advice. It is so inconvenient when things go wrong.....

Bev C said...

If in doubt throw it out.That is my motto.
Happy Monday.
Bev.xoxo

Unknown said...

Hi Chooky, I just checked in to say Hi & thanks for dropping by my blog. I have also just read your info on spam & the dangers associate. I am not shy about deleting emails, & also put senders into the blocked area. That way I don't accidentally link on something I don't want

annemariesquilt said...

Thanks for letting us know.. I do not open mails for persons I do not know !! It is very important to be aware about odd emails espcially thoose who says " you have wann something" Take care and have fun

Satu said...

Thanks for the good tips about spams! I never open emails from the unknown addresses... they fly straight away to the trash. My computer teacher said that never open email, which contains .zip files. I don't know, if it's true, but atleast I think hard before opening them.

Indigo Blue said...

I had a spam email which arrived with my friends email address attched and did not look odd at all. I was not able to open it anyway but then a few mins later it went straight through my address book. I did send an alert email and put an emergency post on my blog.

I was mortified and I alerted my friend via another method to let them know, they promptly cancelled bank cards etc. Luckily many were bounced back, had an out of office email so they would have seen my alter first but it really is frightening how fast they rampage through your address book. No damage to my laptop although my friend's laptop was wrecked. I think my internet protection helped.
I have not had any backlash from that experience but it sent a cold shiver down my spine at the time.
Good advice given here too.
xx

FloS said...

Thanks to share your experience and advice with us !
Florence

Yvonne W said...

Thank you , Chooky for your advice re spam emails. It is scary when you read some of the experiences that other people have had. Makes me think now before I open any emails. Like you, all my blog contacts is via my google account.
Take care,
Yvonne