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by Mike Masnick

Fri, Sep 30th 2005 10:11am





Does Anyone Actually Still Click On Attachments From Spammers?

from the just-wondering... dept

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?

23 Comments | Leave a Comment..


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  1.  

    No Subject Given

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

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

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  2.  

    No Subject Given

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

    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'.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  3.  

    spam clickers

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

    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."

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  4.  

    Re: No Subject Given

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    jonny, Sep 30th, 2005 @ 11:32am

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

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  5.  

    Re: No Subject Given

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    Anonymous Coward, Sep 30th, 2005 @ 11:40am

    dork

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  6.  

    No Subject Given

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

    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.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  7.  

    Re: No Subject Given

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    RBasil, Sep 30th, 2005 @ 12:02pm

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

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  8.  

    Re: No Subject Given

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

    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.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  9.  

    Spammers

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

    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

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  10.  

    Re: Does Anyone Actually Still Click On Attachment

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

    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.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  11.  

    why open spam in the first place?

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

    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.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  12.  

    anonymous cowardus shit bitcherus

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

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

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  13.  

    Re: No Subject Given

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    John, Sep 30th, 2005 @ 8:15pm

    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

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  14.  

    RE: Does anyone still click on attachments from sp

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

    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.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  15.  

    Re: No Subject Given

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    Tris Megistus, Sep 30th, 2005 @ 11:47pm

    Man, what crawled up your ass and died?

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  16.  

    Re: No Subject Given

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    AZ, Oct 1st, 2005 @ 9:53am

    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.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  17.  

    Re: No Subject Given

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    Anonymous Coward, Oct 1st, 2005 @ 11:46am

    I almost died from laughing when I read this.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  18.  

    Well ofcourse!

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

    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!

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  19.  

    Re: Well ofcourse!

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

    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.)

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  20.  

    Re: No Subject Given

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

    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?"

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  21.  

    Re: No Subject Given

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

    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...

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  22.  

    A diff reality

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

    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...

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  23.  

    Re: Well ofcourse!

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

    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

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]


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