Mother’s Day spams, scams now leaner, more targeted, computer firm warns

Cyberscams and spam messages exploiting this year’s Mother’s Day are leaner and have meaner targeting sense this year, a computer security firm warned over the weekend.

 

BitDefender said the cybercriminals behind such scams and spam mail are shifting from flooding inboxes to “greater efficiency” in hooking in victims.

 

“Spam campaigns that emerge around Mother’s Day and other holidays may not overwhelm inboxes like they used to since spam dropped a whopping 30 percent overall in the past year, but the messages people do receive are craftier and look more legit,” it said in its new threat blog “Hot for Security.” 

 

It said that in early May, scammers started tempting German- and English-speaking Internet users with the classic offers of jewelries, flowers, travel gift cards, replica purses and watches, restaurant discounts, and spa or gym vouchers.

 

But it noted the messages now blur the lines between advertising and spam, to get through e-mail filters.

 

“From online booking for romantic dinners to celebrating Mother’s Day, pre-paid gift cards to irresistible luxury gifts such as genuine pearl earrings and jewelries, spammers have anything for sale. However, every purchase is fraught with risks, ranging from paying for a product users will never receive, to credit card abuse,” it noted.

 

The security vendor offered tips and tricks meant to help stay out of harm’s way around this special occasion:

 

- Pay extra attention to online search results, as well as to suggestions posted on social networks and bulletin boards. While some are legit, others try to lure users into accessing links to malware, fake web shops or surveys.

 

- Mothers should pay extra attention especially to e-mail messages that claim to bear digital gifts, including greeting cards, coupons or discount vouchers.

 

-  Never open or download e-mail attachments that come from unknown sources. If you really need to do so, make sure that you scan it first with a locally installed antivirus solution.

 

-  Avoid shopping online when using public WiFi hotspots such as those in airports, coffee shops or malls. Usually, data exchanged between you and the online shop of choice flows through an unencrypted channel and can easily be intercepted by an attacker.

 

BitDefender noted spam filters deployed on e-mail servers, crackdowns on illegal spam networks and increasing skepticism of Internet users, have dealt a significant blow to spammers throughout 2011.

 

However, it said that while spam is becoming less prominent, the number of messages bundled with malware is constantly rising, posing even greater threats for the unwary users. — ELR, GMA News