SPAM General

[TrevorW]

I recently had an order from Amazon who deliver via AP, shortly after receiving the item I got two SMS spam texts the first saying I had a delivery from Amazon which was redirected as the courier could not deliver to the address supplied, albeit the same address I have used for all my Amazon orders also the Tracking Number was different to the number supplied by Amazon, and directed me to contact a mobile number or click on a site address. Suffice it to say as I had already received my latest Amazon order I knew it was spam, but how do they know I had a recent Amazon order, was it a random guess, I find that hard to believe as having just received the Amazon order.



The second one was for an item coming out of the UK,as I haven't ordered via the UK for over a month I blocked that immediately.


I have a spam blocker app unfortunately it doesn't capture everything, although I'm very vigilant come these types of SMS messages anyhow.

[oska (John)]

They don't, just a higher probability target. I'd never used Amazon until very recently and would get the same spam. The blocker in android sure works well for me now days.

[leon]

This stuff is so common, we often get a message saying we have a parcel that could not be delivered, please click here and fill in details for correct address, or very similar to this, they just don't give up.

But the fact is we have no parcel coming.

Leon

[Kal (Andrew)]

Sometimes random luck can catch even the most vigilant of us out. I once got an email saying internet provider payment hadn't gone through, just as I was refreshing my credit card with new expiry date etc.



Even if an email is legit, I will still never click on a link, so I logged in via the website using my bookmark to check my details. I had not missed a payment, and I was angry at myself for even considering the email was legit.



I ended up sending a copy of the email to the internet provider technical support, wondering why they could not even filter out scam emails that are posing as them to their own customers. Always thought that was wierd.

[Shasta55 (Chris)]

Originally Posted by Kal

Sometimes random luck can catch even the most vigilant of us out.


Even if an email is legit, I will still never click on a link,

You are so right. These messages are spam but they will quickly turn into scam if you play along. The tabloid TV shows have been an endless stream of victims for many many years now. And still lots of fish bite.



Sometimes I wonder if all of these are random as I've had a few "coincidences" when I'm expecting a delivery. I never use Chrome, nor search with Google, very rarely use BookFace & never any other (anti) social media as I know how invasive they are. Yet every time I book airfares or hotels the details invariably pop up in my Android phone calendar which is supposedly not a Google calendar. So who knows how many crooks can also scan your e mail??


We've unfortunately been caught up in a couple of data breaches - one financial - so my mistrust has only grown over time. You are not paranoid if they really are out to get you - and the *******s are.

[AstroViking (Steve)]

Originally Posted by Shasta55

Yet every time I book airfares or hotels the details invariably pop up in my Android phone calendar which is supposedly not a Google calendar.

I think you'll find there is some sort of data analysis going on in your mail program that "helpfully" adds events and things to your calendar.

There should be a setting somewhere to disable it.

V.

[Shasta55 (Chris)]

Originally Posted by AstroViking

There should be a setting somewhere to disable it.

V.

Thanks. I routinely decline those offers but I'll check it as sometimes the settings are not obvious and are "opt-out" rather than "opt-in". That issue does not worry me too much apart from the slim chance that it informs someone we will not be home for that period. It amazes me that a lot of people seem quite comfortable to publish such info on BookFace. I have an encrypted mail program for all financial dealings.


Chris.