full-disclosure - Re: Spam is funny!

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Date: Tue, 1 May 2007 01:29:29 +0100
From: "Aaron Gray" <angray@...b.net>
To: <full-disclosure@...ts.grok.org.uk>
Subject: Re: Spam is funny!

> Shaun wrote:
> 
>> One trend I've noticed recently is that spammers appear to be tailoring
>> the subject headers to individual recipients. I'm not talking about the
>> crap where they stick your name in the subject, it seems they're getting
>> much more specific, and perhaps tracking where they picked up an email
>> address to begin with and which sort of subject lines might pique the
>> recipient's interest. 
>> 
>> I receive a lot of spam where I glance at the subject - even if SA has
>> tagged it - and actually have to wonder whether or not it's a legit
>> message, because the subject is relevant to my interests. A quick
>> example,
>> 
>> Subject: The Redirect requests to SSL port option allows you to redirect
>> requests to the specified SSL port.
>> 
>> I do a lot with SSL, so naturally I opened up that email just to see
>> what the heck they're on about. Of course it turns out to be a stock
>> spam for CYTV. But I get a lot of spam now with unix-ish, programming,
>> or other geek related subject lines that I have to take a look at
>> because they _could_ be legit. 
> 
> I've seen a lot of spam lately (last 6-8 weeks -- maybe more) using, as 
> their "Subject" lines similar such "sentences" from online copies of 
> (mostly) Linux-ish books and "how to" articles (and often as the hash-
> buster text in the message body).  This may be loosely targeted -- we 
> quite possibly subscribe (and post?) to several similar mailing lists 
> and the use of our addresses _in this particular spam_ may be from 
> harvesting such lists or their web archives -- or it may be that some 
> spammer thinks (or knows from monitoring his RoI) that such "techno-
> speak goobledegook" Subject: lines work better (non-tech folk _may_ 
> have been conditioned by much poorly-considered "tech support" to "dumb 
> down" when anyone starts "talking techie" at them...).

Whats the point we still chuck it away.

Aaron

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