The Spam Omelette #40 – On Nigerian Scams and Medicine Spam

Week in review: August 26 - September 2

1. PLEASE get your money

Ranking first in this week's issue of the Spam Omelette, the word PLEASE is associated with a lottery scam announcing the victim that they have allegedly won the great prize in the UK Lottery (roughly about 700,000 pounds). In order to get the money, the recipient is advised to contact the scammer via a Yahoo! Email address and to provide sensitive information about their banking accounts and credentials. This is how victims can become practically poor from soon-to-be millionaires.

2. CLICK here to become her hero

The word CLICK has been identified especially in messages advertising Canadian Pharmacy products. The message is based on a legitimate newsletter template modified to include a link to an external picture with the products and pricing.

3. EMAIL scams lurking in the inbox

Ranking third in the Spam Omelette top, the word EMAIL has been encountered especially in a spam wave announcing recipients that they are eligible to receive a prize. All that the scammer asks is to "confirm" the personal address and phone number via phone or email.

4. The BANK of Ghana is calling you

This week's newcomer, the word BANK has been identified by the BitDefender spam researchers in a wave of messages laying the ground for a classical Nigerian scam. The sender - mrs. Grace Akpan - tells the sad story of her husband, who left roughly $10 million dollars in a Ghana Bank account. As usually, the victim has to respond with an e-mail and make an advance payment representing account fees and transfer taxes.

5. DIPLOMA spam back in charts

Even though school hasn't started yet, spammers are already on the lookout for new diploma customers who may want to skip the hard part of getting a university degree. The good part is that for a couple of bucks, you'll get your diploma. The downside is that it would be as good as the on drawn on cardboard by your children.