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August 30, 2008 4:55:41 AM CDT

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Stories related to: spam

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Stories 1 - 20 of 24

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  • August 2008

    • Facebook Getting Aggressive With 'Wall Spam'

      CNET  |  Aug 25, 08 8:07 PM CDT

      Facebook Getting Aggressive With 'Wall Spam'

      (Newser) - “Wall spam” has gone from minor annoyance to publicity problem for Facebook, and it seems the social-networking giant is getting more aggressive in its attempts to combat it, reports Caroline McCarthy in CNET. Within 2 hours of receiving a spam post yesterday, McCarthy found it had been deleted by Facebook. Until recently, the site has merely been disabling links in suspected messages. More »

      Tags

      Facebook  • social networking  • Internet security  • Mark Zuckerberg  • spam

    • Anti-Spam Program Aids Archivists

      BBC  |  Aug 18, 08 6:41 PM CDT

      Anti-Spam Program Aids Archivists

      (Newser) - Archivists attempting to convert aging texts into digital copies are turning to a trusted online tool used to block automated spammers, the BBC reports. Many sites that make users write out garbled words or segments of text as a means of proving they’re actual human beings are displaying texts from antique texts that need transcribing. More »

      Tags

      spam  • archive  • CAPTCHAs

  • July 2008

    • US Surfers Get Biggest Bite of Spam

      San Francisco Chronicle  |  Jul 2, 08 5:35 PM CDT

      US Surfers Get Biggest Bite of Spam

      (Newser) - Internet users in the US get the most spam, security-software firm McAfee finds after a study. McAfee gave 50 people across 10 developed countries laptops and instructed them to sign up for as much stuff on the internet as possible, and to reply to every spam message. The resulting volume of spam surprised even the researchers, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. More »

      Tags

      Internet  • fraud  • email  • spam  • computer security  • capitalism  • McAfee

  • June 2008

    • 'Spam King' Owes MySpace $6M

      Associated Press  |  Jun 17, 08 9:36 AM CDT

      'Spam King' Owes MySpace $6M

      (Newser) - A Colorado company accused of spamming must pay MySpace $6 million in damages and legal fees after an arbitrator ruled for the social networking site, the AP reports. Media Breakaway and its CEO, aka the "Spam King," were accused of using hijacked or "phished" accounts to send millions of advertising messages to MySpace members. The site has banned the company and its employees. More »

      Tags

      lawsuit  • social networking  • MySpace  • spam  • phishing

    • In One Domain, Anyway, Man Still Conquers Machine

      Time  |  Jun 9, 08 4:53 PM CDT

      In One Domain, Anyway, Man Still Conquers Machine

      (Newser) - Every web user has come across CAPTCHAs: wavy-lettered depiction of words you must retype as text. Most pay them no mind, but, Lev Grossman writes in Time , we should reflect upon completing one. They're one of the rare visible skirmishes in the largely invisible war between spammers and security programmers. But besides that, they are quite literally tests of our humanity. More »

    • Surfers Beware: Danger Could Lurk at .hk, .cn

      Associated Press  |  Jun 4, 08 3:57 PM CDT

      Surfers Beware: Danger Could Lurk at .hk, .cn

      (Newser) - A study by antivirus software firm McAfee warns Web surfers to be cautious of sites on certain domains, the AP reports, with corner-cutting registration companies often skipping security precautions. The domains .hk, .cn and .info were found to be riskiest. More »

      Tags

      Internet  • fraud  • website  • identity theft  • spam  • web surfing  • Internet fraud

  • May 2008

    • Yahoo Suit Targets Lottery Scammers

      PC World  |  May 27, 08 8:50 PM CDT

      Yahoo Suit Targets Lottery Scammers

      (Newser) - Yahoo is suing a group of unidentified spammers who’ve sent emails claiming to be from the "Yahoo International Lottery Organization," soliciting personal information and sometimes money from purported lottery winners. Yahoo is seeking damages for fraudulent use of its trademarks, but it might prove hard to identify the scammers, especially if they’re located outside the US, PC World reports. More »

      Tags

      lawsuit  • Yahoo  • spam  • phishing  • scam

    • MySpace Wins Record $234M From Spammers

      Associated Press  |  May 14, 08 2:55 AM CDT

      MySpace Wins Record $234M From Spammers

      (Newser) - MySpace has been awarded $234 million from spammers in what's believed to be the largest such judgment ever, AP reports. A federal court ordered two notorious spammers to pay damages for sending hundreds of thousands of messages to MySpace members. The social networking site hailed the award as a “landmark.” More »

      Tags

      social networking  • MySpace  • spam

    • Spam, Curse of Web, Turns 30

      Washington Post  |  May 3, 08 11:06 AM CDT

      Spam, Curse of Web, Turns 30

      (Newser) - Spam turns 30 today, but don't break out the champagne just yet: The junk e-mail is as healthy as ever, frustrating tech experts desperate to blow out its candles. It all started on May 3, 1978, with a pitch for a new computer on a government-run precursor to the Internet. Even then, the reaction was fierce, the Washington Post says. More »

      Tags

      Internet  • email  • Bill Gates  • spam

  • March 2008

    • Gmail Spam Doubles, Duping Junk Blocker

      PC World  |  Mar 10, 08 7:09 PM CDT

      Gmail Spam Doubles, Duping Junk Blocker

      (Newser) - Spammers doubled junk mail from Gmail accounts last month and all but iced a touted spam-blocker, PC World reports. Gmail junk rose from 1.3% to 2.6% of all spam in February, overwhelming the company's CAPTCHA programs with spam from multiple accounts. "It's only a matter of time before (CAPTCHAs) are comprehensively defeated," one analyst said. More »

      Tags

      Google  • spam  • Gmail  • CAPTCHAs  • junk mail

    • Coming Soon to Your Cell: Spam

      Washington Post  |  Mar 10, 08 2:25 PM CDT

      Coming Soon to Your Cell: Spam

      (Newser) - To the dismay of customers and cellphone providers, spammers and even phishers have gone mobile. Researchers predict US consumers will get a record 1.5 billion spam text messages this year, while “smishing” texts try to con recipients into giving up sensitive financial information, reports the Washington Post . Most galling of all, users pay for spam text messages they receive. More »

      Tags

      cell phones  • fraud  • Verizon  • spam  • text messaging  • phishing  • mobile advertising

  • February 2008

    • Europe Now Spam King

      Ars Technica  |  Feb 6, 08 5:17 PM CST

      Europe Now Spam King

      (Newser) - More spam is sent from Europe than any other continent, Ars Technica reports. Symantec systems’ latest “State of Spam” report said that European IP addresses are now responsible for 44% of all junk emails sent. Only three months ago, North America produced 15% more of the world’s spam than Europe. More »

      Tags

      Europe  • email  • broadband Internet  • spam  • Symantec

  • January 2008

    • Feds Indict 'Spam King'

      Reuters  |  Jan 4, 08 1:50 PM CST

      Feds Indict 'Spam King'

      (Newser) - A federal grand jury has indicted a Michigan man and 10 others for spamming and stock fraud, Reuters reports. Alan Ralsky and his associates face 41 counts related to using spam to promote little-traded Chinese stocks, artificially driving up prices, and then making a killing by selling the stock. Ralsky is one of the US’s most prolific spammers, prosecutors said. More »

      Tags

      spam  • Chinese stock market  • Internet fraud  • stock fraud

  • December 2007

    • E-Cards Spread Holiday Cheer, Viruses

      USA Today  |  Dec 24, 07 7:44 PM CST

      E-Cards Spread Holiday Cheer, Viruses

      (Newser) - Online greeting cards are all the rage this holiday season. They're mostly free, and can feature funny, interactive subjects ranging from elf tossing to reindeer arm wrestling. E-cards are also delivered instantly, an advantage for the forgetful around Christmas. But traditional cards are still the preferred way to spread holiday cheer, with 20 paper cards sent out for every e-card, claims the Greeting Card Association. More »

      Tags

      Internet  • Christmas  • spam  • holiday  • computer virus  • spyware  • holiday card

    • Inventor Takes On Spam, Fatal Blood Cancer

      New York Times  |  Dec 3, 07 4:16 PM CST

      Inventor Takes On Spam, Fatal Blood Cancer

      (Newser) - Silicon Valley entrepreneur Steven T. Kirsch will save his own life right after he’s done eliminating spam email, he says. Kirsch has a rare form of blood cancer with a 5-7 year life expectancy, but he says, “I just look at it as a problem…you have four years to solve it or you don’t get to solve any more problems,” according to The New York Times . More »

      Tags

      cancer  • email  • Silicon Valley  • spam

  • November 2007

    • Google: Spammers Throwing in Virtual Towel

      Wired  |  Nov 29, 07 11:37 AM CST

      Google: Spammers Throwing in Virtual Towel

      (Newser) - Emailers have been hitting the “Delete” button for years, but spammers may be just now taking the hint, Google says. The tech giant isn’t releasing specifics, but it insists that the number of junk emails sent out has leveled off and could even be dropping for the first time in years, an encouraging sign that spammers may be giving up. More »

      Tags

      Internet  • Google  • Yahoo  • email  • spam  • virus  • Gmail

    • Don't Take the Bait on Phishing Scams

      MarketWatch  |  Nov 18, 07 12:53 PM CST

      Don't Take the Bait on Phishing Scams

      (Newser) - We've all learned to avoid the obvious e-mail scams—but sometimes it's just hard to tell.  MarketWatch gives you some tips from separating the chaff from the wheat: Know what a phishing scam is: an attempt to con you into supplying ID info, account numbers, names, passwords and so forth.  Be wary. Do not reply to requests for financial information initiated by someone else.  Legitimate businesses will not ask you supply or "verify" account information. More »

      Tags

      list  • email  • spam  • phishing  • scam  • Contact Network of Spam Authorities

    • NJ Spammer Draws 2 Years in Slammer

      Reuters  |  Nov 3, 07 9:00 AM CDT

      NJ Spammer Draws 2 Years in Slammer

      (Newser) - Todd Moeller, the 28-year-old New Jersey man who sent spam e-mails to 1.27 million America Online accounts, was sentenced yesterday in federal court to 27 months in prison. Moeller and a friend were nabbed after making a deal with a government informant to send the emails in August 2005; ironically, the spam message advertised a computer security program, Reuters reports. More »

      Tags

      New York  • email  • New Jersey  • AOL  • spam  • scam

  • October 2007

    • FTC Cracks Down on Diet Spammers

      InformationWeek  |  Oct 11, 07 2:44 AM CDT

      FTC Cracks Down on Diet Spammers

      (Newser) - The Federal Trade Commission is cracking down on spammers hawking weight loss and anti-aging products via 175K junk messages, Information Week reports, as the FTC chair announced the filing of civil complaints in Australia, Canada, and the United States. It's the first action brought by the agency under the Safe Web Act, passed by Congress last year to combat spam. More »

    • YouTube Becomes SpamYou

      CNET  |  Oct 10, 07 4:54 PM CDT

      YouTube Becomes SpamYou

      (Newser) - Spammers are spreading their mischief via YouTube using a "Storm" worm virus, security experts warn. The virus exploits the site’s “invite your friends” email function, CNET reports, targeting Xbox owners and video-game fans by luring them with the promise of a popular prize: a free copy of "Halo 3." But click on the email’s links and it turns into a booby prize: the Storm worm launches. More »

      Tags

      YouTube  • spam

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