Spammers Target the iPod Generation

Scams are also getting more convincing: e-mails purporting to come from Amazon and eBay are abundant and cyber-criminals are making a concerted effort to give these fraudulent mails stronger authenticity. Official shipping notes and Web site imitations have increased dramatically. This problem is causing concern among banking customers, who (according to a Silicon.com survey released in mid-January) believed that unclear online banking communication strategies could cause uncertainty, allowing phishing scammers to take advantage.

"The increasing sophistication of spam mails, such as vastly improved graphics, references to the 'CAN-SPAM' act, and fake certificates of authenticity, is certainly a worry for consumers," commented Alyn Hockey, director of research at Clearswift. "As spammers get better at cloning company Web sites and legitimate marketing mail, organizations must ensure they deploy robust e-mail filtering software, and e-mails users must become increasingly vigilant when purchasing online in order to avoid being ripped off."

Style Savvy Spammers