Spam that doesn't look like spam, but you have to beware anyway.
One of the editors here recently started receiving spam that doesn’t really look like spam. It looks like a simple request for information, and there’s no link to click. Here’s a sample:
Do you have to dial a 1 on a wireless phone? Since you have experience, I was hoping you could give me some clues as to what you look out for. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. Thankyou, Tony
Seems harmless enough, right? And on its own, you might even be tempted to respond in a helpful way. Until you get this one a couple of hours later:
Does the blackberry storm have wifi? There are so many factors to consider. Would you be kind enough as to give me some pointers as what to look for or avoid? Any help appreciated. Thanks. Regards, Janet
Perhaps Janet and Tony really do need this editor’s help! Well, no. This is a kind of targeted spam that really just attempts to get a response, to verify that you are a real person with a valid e-mail address. The spammy, phishing-type stuff comes later. But this raises an issue – what kind of a world do we live in, where we have to be suspicious even of e-mail messages like these? That guy on the street, asking for help, or even for directions – do you just walk on by?
