Contacts From Unknown Thais

[nong38]

Hell folks, in the last 3 days I have had several emails from people with thai sounding names with what appears a long contact list of "friends" and indicating facebook as a meeting point. I do have a facebook account and am wondering where my email has been aquired from. Has anyone got any thoughts on why this has stared and how , how I can stop this, is it a scam of some sort? I have junked them all for now.

[nong38]

Should have said do not have a facebook account and thanks in advance for any thoughts,

[bangkokcitylimits]

Last week I registered a second Twitter account for my business. Even without any content yet, within few hours I had 8 'followers' who were all spamming the same links, all had Thai names.

Could be the same, there is well advanced software that does automated sign-ups for all kinds of accounts etc., better report and block instantly.

some tips:

NEVER use this e-mail address for groupmails if you don't know how to do this properly, to prevent private e-mails starting to circulate on the internet often ending up on the valuable list of a spam company. When sending group mail always use the 'BCC address field' only then addresses are protected from being visable to others, in the 'TO address field' you enter your own e-mail address. Many thanks from someone who hates spam like you do !

When you see an e-mail that says forward this on to '10' of your friends, or sign this petition, for good luck, or whatever, it almost always has an e-mail tracker program attached that tracks cookies and e-mails of the people you forward to. The host sender gets a copy each time it is forwarded and then is able to get lists of active e-mails adresses to use in spam e-mails, or sell to other spammers.

[nong38]

Last week I registered a second Twitter account for my business. Even without any content yet, within few hours I had 8 'followers' who were all spamming the same links, all had Thai names.

Could be the same, there is well advanced software that does automated sign-ups for all kinds of accounts etc., better report and block instantly.

some tips:

NEVER use this e-mail address for groupmails if you don't know how to do this properly, to prevent private e-mails starting to circulate on the internet often ending up on the valuable list of a spam company. When sending group mail always use the 'BCC address field' only then addresses are protected from being visable to others, in the 'TO address field' you enter your own e-mail address. Many thanks from someone who hates spam like you do !

When you see an e-mail that says forward this on to '10' of your friends, or sign this petition, for good luck, or whatever, it almost always has an e-mail tracker program attached that tracks cookies and e-mails of the people you forward to. The host sender gets a copy each time it is forwarded and then is able to get lists of active e-mails adresses to use in spam e-mails, or sell to other spammers.

I did have one of these forward jobs last week as it happens so that might be it. So what do I do now? I am not a pc expert, but last May did have an unaothized visit to my bank account and I do want that to happen again.

[bangkokcitylimits]

Last week I registered a second Twitter account for my business. Even without any content yet, within few hours I had 8 'followers' who were all spamming the same links, all had Thai names.

Could be the same, there is well advanced software that does automated sign-ups for all kinds of accounts etc., better report and block instantly.

some tips:

NEVER use this e-mail address for groupmails if you don't know how to do this properly, to prevent private e-mails starting to circulate on the internet often ending up on the valuable list of a spam company. When sending group mail always use the 'BCC address field' only then addresses are protected from being visable to others, in the 'TO address field' you enter your own e-mail address. Many thanks from someone who hates spam like you do !

When you see an e-mail that says forward this on to '10' of your friends, or sign this petition, for good luck, or whatever, it almost always has an e-mail tracker program attached that tracks cookies and e-mails of the people you forward to. The host sender gets a copy each time it is forwarded and then is able to get lists of active e-mails adresses to use in spam e-mails, or sell to other spammers.

I did have one of these forward jobs last week as it happens so that might be it. So what do I do now? I am not a pc expert, but last May did have an unaothized visit to my bank account and I do want that to happen again.

to give a useful answer, what e-mail provider do you use ?

the bank account thing, it could have been yourself using an insecure WiFi network, e.g. in a hotel, this happened to my PayPal account. they recognized me via the WiFi network in a Philippine hotel as an unauthorized attempt to login, but it was just me. account blocked for a week...

[nong38]

Last week I registered a second Twitter account for my business. Even without any content yet, within few hours I had 8 'followers' who were all spamming the same links, all had Thai names.

Could be the same, there is well advanced software that does automated sign-ups for all kinds of accounts etc., better report and block instantly.

some tips:

NEVER use this e-mail address for groupmails if you don't know how to do this properly, to prevent private e-mails starting to circulate on the internet often ending up on the valuable list of a spam company. When sending group mail always use the 'BCC address field' only then addresses are protected from being visable to others, in the 'TO address field' you enter your own e-mail address. Many thanks from someone who hates spam like you do !

When you see an e-mail that says forward this on to '10' of your friends, or sign this petition, for good luck, or whatever, it almost always has an e-mail tracker program attached that tracks cookies and e-mails of the people you forward to. The host sender gets a copy each time it is forwarded and then is able to get lists of active e-mails adresses to use in spam e-mails, or sell to other spammers.

I did have one of these forward jobs last week as it happens so that might be it. So what do I do now? I am not a pc expert, but last May did have an unaothized visit to my bank account and I do want that to happen again.

to give a useful answer, what e-mail provider do you use ?

the bank account thing, it could have been yourself using an insecure WiFi network, e.g. in a hotel, this happened to my PayPal account. they recognized me via the WiFi network in a Philippine hotel as an unauthorized attempt to login, but it was just me. account blocked for a week...

My email provider is hotmail. I have been marking them as phishing scams, does that help?

[craig]

I've had a few messages on chat appear on my yahoo mail from folks with Thai sounding names...Also some unknown folks asking to be added as contacts on my Skype account...I typed a reply to one and found she was in Ghana...I blocked all of them.

Who knows?

[bangkokcitylimits]

My email provider is hotmail. I have been marking them as phishing scams, does that help?

─► Report the emails as SPAM and make sure they are not in your contacts list.

If you are using Hotmail Messenger I suggest you run a special MSN malware scan, MSN is very notorious for being infected easy and messing around with contact lists !

─►scan your PC using your antivirus

(Avast is the best antivirus and FREE)

─►then get MSN cleaner,it removes those typical MSN malware

MSN Cleaner

─►scan your PC to remove those typical MSN viruses

If you get email with spam, but with one of your contact as 'sender' inform him immediately, an tell him/her to disinfect his MSN Messenger following the steps above !

If the spam continues or get worse, get a new hotmail address, connect the 2 accounts (shared login and easy switch) and let the old account forward the clean mails to the new account, give the new address only to people you trust and be more careful, for all kinds of sign-ups and unknown people, keep using the old account.

[BB1950]

Last week I registered a second Twitter account for my business. Even without any content yet, within few hours I had 8 'followers' who were all spamming the same links, all had Thai names.

Could be the same, there is well advanced software that does automated sign-ups for all kinds of accounts etc., better report and block instantly.

some tips:

NEVER use this e-mail address for groupmails if you don't know how to do this properly, to prevent private e-mails starting to circulate on the internet often ending up on the valuable list of a spam company. When sending group mail always use the 'BCC address field' only then addresses are protected from being visable to others, in the 'TO address field' you enter your own e-mail address. Many thanks from someone who hates spam like you do !

When you see an e-mail that says forward this on to '10' of your friends, or sign this petition, for good luck, or whatever, it almost always has an e-mail tracker program attached that tracks cookies and e-mails of the people you forward to. The host sender gets a copy each time it is forwarded and then is able to get lists of active e-mails adresses to use in spam e-mails, or sell to other spammers.

I did have one of these forward jobs last week as it happens so that might be it. So what do I do now? I am not a pc expert, but last May did have an unaothized visit to my bank account and I do want that to happen again.

If you notice, those invites come from Facebook. I had a similar problem before. Near the end of the invite is a link to prevent you from getting invites again. Even if you are not a Facebook subscriber.

If you must reply to one of these chain links or need an email for signing up to unknown sites. then use a Disposable Email Address service or set up another email account of your choice to collect Spam. Note, email providers such as hotmail will delete the account if you do not sign in a least once a month.

Here's a list of some disposable email services:

http://www.email-unl...ail-address.htm

There are many many more. You can Google 'disposable email services' or 'temporary email address'.

[nong38]

My email provider is hotmail. I have been marking them as phishing scams, does that help?

─► Report the emails as SPAM and make sure they are not in your contacts list.

If you are using Hotmail Messenger I suggest you run a special MSN malware scan, MSN is very notorious for being infected easy and messing around with contact lists !

─►scan your PC using your antivirus

(Avast is the best antivirus and FREE)

─►then get MSN cleaner,it removes those typical MSN malware

MSN Cleaner

─►scan your PC to remove those typical MSN viruses

If you get email with spam, but with one of your contact as 'sender' inform him immediately, an tell him/her to disinfect his MSN Messenger following the steps above !

If the spam continues or get worse, get a new hotmail address, connect the 2 accounts (shared login and easy switch) and let the old account forward the clean mails to the new account, give the new address only to people you trust and be more careful, for all kinds of sign-ups and unknown people, keep using the old account.

Ok thanks for that can you tell me who do I report spam to and how do I do that?

[bangkokcitylimits]

Ok thanks for that can you tell me who do I report spam to and how do I do that?

Just click the SPAM or UNWANTED button above or via the little arrow > dropdown top-right of the mail, this will put the sender on a blacklist, not sure though if it has any effect when only person one reports a sender, or it needs to be more.

[nong38]

Ok thanks for that can you tell me who do I report spam to and how do I do that?

Just click the SPAM or UNWANTED button above or via the little arrow > dropdown top-right of the mail, this will put the sender on a blacklist, not sure though if it has any effect when only person one reports a sender, or it needs to be more.

Thanks for all the help I will try what you suggest and have a close look at my next incoming emails.

Top information from all to a novice thanks to all

[tjcalla]

Might be a bit late with this reply but...

To answer the question of getting Thai e-mails ect, I have to answer both yes and no.

I have two different computer systems sharing the same T O T net service. Both systems run almost identical programs although both have different accounts for Hottmail and Skype..

On the first system running Windows 7 I constantly get e-mails from unknown Thai's trying to either make contact or offering everything under the sun. I even get Thai contacts on my Skype account asking that they be placed on my contacts list..

My second system, used for business, is run on an Apple MAC BOOK PRO. On this system I have never recieved any Thai e-mails or Thai's trying to ask to be placed on my Skype contact list..

I've been told there is a simple answer as to why. According to what I've been told Windows based systems constantly ping the network, (it's like giving out your phone number / sddress to anyone) so people who run scams run software that automatically picks up your system and sends a reply. It appears the Apple system doesn't ping the network constantly thus radically reducing the chance of someone getting your IP address.

Is this true?

Am also wondering if there is anyone out there running a Windows system that also has installed any type if IP protection software? By running such a package I'm told a Windows system acts more like an Apple system, true?

[bangkokcitylimits]

I've been told there is a simple answer as to why. According to what I've been told Windows based systems constantly ping the network, (it's like giving out your phone number / address to anyone) so people who run scams run software that automatically picks up your system and sends a reply. It appears the Apple system doesn't ping the network constantly thus radically reducing the chance of someone getting your IP address.

Is this true?

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[bifftastic]

I have a hotmail account that I don't use much. I also have a Facebook account but it uses my other email address, from my ISP. I get occasional emails in the Hotmaill account, with Thai names and a kind of Facebook design to them. There's no way they are anything to do with my FB account, or anyone I know, I also get occasional emails that look like they come from my friends hotmail email addresses but they're asking me to join some dodgy looking social site like zoosk or hi5, I reckon they're just spam so I mark them as 'junk' and ignore them. I used to open them but now, anything like that, even if it says it's from my friends, I just 'junk' and ignore. Hotmail's full of crap like that, one reason I don't use it much.

It's never really given me any problems like viruses or anything like that, it's just annoying.

If I were you I'd get a new email provider, Gmail is pretty good I've heard.

I still use MSN messenger for talking to a couple of friends but rarely open the Hotmail any more.

Spam is so boring, why do they bother?

[Paul888]

Spam is so boring, why do they bother?

Because they can hit millions of people with one FREE click and sadly there are many people out there who make it fruitful for them

[bangkokcitylimits]

Spam is so boring, why do they bother?

Because they can hit millions of people with one FREE click and sadly there are many people out there who make it fruitful for them

How many users access spam emails, click on the links found within, and open attachments intentionally? Why are they doing it, and who are they holding responsible for the spread of malware and spam in general, while conveniently excluding themselves?

A newly released survey from the Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group (MAAWG), summarizing the results of the group’s second year survey of email security practices, offers an interesting insight into the various interactions end users tend to have with spam emails.

Key findings of the survey:

* Nearly half of those who have accessed spam (46%) have done so intentionally – to unsubscribe, out of curiosity, or out of interest in the products or services being offered

* Four in ten (43%) say that they have opened an email that they suspected was spam

* Among those who have opened a suspicious email, over half (57%) say they have done so because they weren’t sure it was spam and one third (33%) say they have done so by accident

* Canadian users are those most likely to avoid posting their email address online (46%). Those in the U.S., Canada and Germany are most likely to set up separate email addresses in order to avoid receiving spam

* Many users do not typically flag or report spam or fraudulent email

* When it comes to stopping the spread of viruses, fraudulent email, spyware and spam, email users are most likely to hold ISPs and ESPs (65%) and anti-virus software companies (54%) responsible

* Less than half of users (48%) hold themselves personally responsible for stopping these threats

It’s interesting to see the paradox of end users blaming ISPs and antivirus vendors, whereas 43% of the surveyed users said that they have accessed spam emails, and that they do not typically flag or report these emails.

What the majority of the survey participants appear to be unaware of, is that, despite the fact that since early days of spam, spammers have been attempting to verify the validity of the emails, by attempting to unsubscribe themselves, the users are confirming that their email is valid. In short, it means even more spam. (read more of this article)

The best way to block 98% of SPAM destined for you mailbox is to sign up for Secure Mail by Prime Networking.

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