Here’s a look at the Zeus botnet’s top spam campaigns:

1. An unauthorized transaction billed to your bank account- Although most people should know that if their bank spots a fraudulent transaction they will call you or send you a letter - not email you, this subject line is alarming enough to get some people to open it and wind up getting phished or infected with malware.
2. DHL Tracking number #######- This is one of the oldest campaigns. A variation uses UPS instead of DHL, but in both cases the included attachment has a hidden executable that contains malware.
3. FDIC has officially named your bank failed bank- An obvious attempt to exploit the economic crisis. Too bad the horrible grammar gives it away.
4. Hello- This is why it’s often advised not to send emails this way. Many spam filters flag messages with “Hello” or “Hi” as the subject because of campaigns like this.
5. Notice of Underreported Incomeir- The glaring misspelling gives this away as spam right away.
6. Review your annual Social Security statement- This has been around for a while as well. The scammers are hoping there are still folks out there who don’t know that the SSA sends out your statement via postal mail about 6 months before your birthday each year.
7. Welcome to Friendster- An obvious attempt to exploit a brand. Unfortunately for them Friendster isn’t quite as popular as it used to be.
8. You have received a file from (email) via YouSendIt.- This campaign is banking on people’s natural curiosity to be peaked enough to open it.
9. Your Flight Ticket #####- Delta was one of the more recent airlines to be exploited by this campaign. The scammers are hoping that when someone gets the fake ticket and cheery note informing them that their credit card has been charged over $800 that they’ll be upset enough to not think first and open the attached paperwork, which delivers a Trojan.
10. Your Order with Amazon.com- This is a blatant phishing campaign. Every link in the fake notification leads to a fake Amazon login page. It’s pretty easy to spot though because the total amount due, which is listed twice, is always two different amounts and there is plenty of broken English as well.

I recently joined a few email administrator discussion groups on LinkedIn.  I was surpirsed to see how many administrators are currently in a job search.  Although you may already know how to identify email phishing scams, it’s easy to get so caught up in the pressure which may derail our focus.

With the global economic meltdown, millions of people are out of work.  The stress is enormous. Marriages are dissolving, because  love jumps out the back window when money stops coming through the front door.  CNN even reports that many failed marrages can’t be completely dissolved, because couples can’t even afford to go their separate ways.  Tensions escalate as some couples are forced to stay together because they can’t sell property.  This is very fertile ground for email spam phishing scams to reap huge profits.

The phishing sharks are circling the rough water of a highly competitive job market. This volatile emotional climate sets the  stage for people to make very irrational decisions. People in a job search are vulnerable and easy prey for phishing scams. Bank accounts are being emptied due to people allowing their emotions to override making practical business decisions.    It’s  easy for anyone to get lathered up with email scams promising a job opportunity or making fast cash working at home in, but a cool head and common sense must prevail. I can  personally attest there are legitimate work at home opportunities.  When I’m not providing technology support to email clients, I provide business career coaching services.  My wife also runs a very successful Internet eComerce business. Continue reading Use Common Sense During a Job Search»

Most web browsers are supposed to protect people by implementing security zones. These safe zones use different security settings of a web browser, which can vary based on the location of the web page being viewed. Phishing emails can lure users to a malicious code web site.  These sites attempt to install spyware, malware or both onto the unknowing person’s computer. These web sites rely on weaknesses in web browsers, which will allow installation and execution of harmful programs on a computer.  These web browser vulnerabilities allow overriding settings, even when these sites are located in a security zone that is not trusted and normally would not allow those actions.

Continue reading Phishing Emails Exploit Browser Weaknesses»