Google Docs -- Latest Tool For Spam Tricksters

DocteurPC — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 21:36:00 +0000

Forum: Safe computing
Topic: Google Docs -- Latest Tool For Spam Tricksters
Poster: DocteurPC

McAfee is sending the following warning. If you use Google Docs or receive links to Google Docs documents, be careful.

Spammers have started to use Google Docs to deliver their unsolicited
messages in a continued effort to circumvent spam filters, according to
McAfee's spam researchers. Google Docs is Google's online rival to
Microsoft's Word text procession application.

By hosting their message on legitimate sites such as Google Docs,
spammers make it harder for anti-spam technology to block the messages.
As a result, the junk mail can slide under the radar of many e-mail
filters.

In the Google Docs attacks, spammers send a simple text e-mail that
includes a link to a document hosted on the Google service. The Google
document actually includes the spammy message, for example advertising
medications, stocks or other items.

The Google Docs spam is similar to image hosting spam, whereby spammers
use legitimate image hosting services to serve up their message.

The volume of Google Docs spam isn't very high. On a recent day McAfee
Avert Labs' spam traps captured 517 spam e-mail messages that included
links to Google Docs. Internet users should be aware that a link to any
Web site, including Google Docs, could be malicious.

Spam poses a significant threat to businesses and consumers. Not only
does unwanted e-mail clog inboxes and take up time, cybercrooks use spam
to deliver malicious software or trick unsuspecting consumers into
giving up personal information through phishing attacks

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Google Docs -- Latest Tool For Spam Tricksters