NESTA Crime Online - University of Brighton Repository

few simple words and a web link, which when clicked, downloads malicious code to steal
data, according to a survey of major computer company’s security division.
“Spamvertised sites” also are found in many spam e-mails which contain links to a
website or websites, which offer products, ranging from adult entertainment to financial
services to health products. The survey also claims that Russia continues to be the
biggest single originator of spam (the starting point of 11 per cent of the world’s junk).
Turkey is second (8 per cent) and the U.S. (7.1 per cent) third. 197
Slammed for spamming
Facebook, the popular online social networking site, has won an $873 million judgment
against a Canadian man, Guerbuez, who bombarded the popular site with sexually
explicit spam messages. He fooled its users into providing him with their user names
and passwords by using fake websites. After Guerbuez gained access to users’ personal
profiles, and used computer programs to send out more than four million messages
promoting a variety of products, including marijuana and adult toys during March and
April 2008. The size of the judgment illustrates how seriously authorities regard
spamming.
Source: Michael Liedtke, (2008), “Facebook wins $873M judgment against sex, drugs
spammer,” Silicon.com. 24 th November.
Spammers are also recycling old techniques, such as voice phishing (or vishing). A
convincing e-mail is sent to an unsuspecting victim, with all links leading to
corresponding, legitimate target pages. But there is a bogus telephone number for
recipients to call to reactivate their account, which had been supposedly placed on hold.
When recipients call the number they are asked for their bankcard number and PIN,
which opens their bank accounts to the fraudsters. 198
Lovet, 2006). Dirty Money on the Wires: The Business Models of Cyber Criminals. Virus Bulletin Conference,
October 11-13, Montreal.
197 Survey conducted by IBM’s X-Force security division, referred to in John Leyden, (2008), “Cybercrooks get
faster, further, nastier,” The Register, 29 th July.
198 Trend Micro (2008), “Cyber criminals reinvent methods for malicious attacks.
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