Strange Emails

[jillruss]

Is anyone else receiving strange emails with attachments - about one a day - with odd titles like 'Re: Hi' or ' Re: Your Letter' ( when I haven't written one!), which just say 'please read the attached' or 'please open the attachment'? They're always from a different email address.

I'm a pretty suspicious type so I've immediately deleted them - I don't want to import a virus! If anyone else gets them, I think my advice would be to do the same. They may be perfectly harmless but, if so, why not tell you what they're about before they invite you to open the attachment?

I thought I should post this on RC as most of my emails are to do with family history research.

Jill

[Tephra]

It's a very common ploy to grab the attention of the curious.   Just keep deleting them.


Barbara             

[Gadget]

My ISPs very kindly put all such mails into a Spam folder, I can then check if any are valid, otherwise I delete them with one click or the ISPs deleted them after a given period.

Gadget

[Simon G.]

Been getting those for years.  They're just spam.

[RJ_Paton]

A lot are just spam but many also fall into the suspect variety regarding propagating virus and trojan attacks.
Some just note your address as a live one and like ET, phone home - which can open you up to more spam or more serious attacks.
safest path if its not something you are expecting junk it

[annaandchester]

Depending who your email provider is, they have different ways of reporting spam. If it is the same email address you can block them - dont open them or reply to them - sometimes they are just looking for active emails to add to a mailing list and then you get even more spam!

Anna x

[kerryb]

I am so suspicious about emails now, if I don't know the sender or the subject looks slightly sus I delete. 

I have been in trouble with my partner for this because I deleted a couple of enquries to this business.  Well I ask you if someone sends an email with an enquiry about a Sussex trug entitled Hello what do you expect??!!

Kerry 

[RJ_Paton]

Kerry I would agree with you wholeheartedly ...... even if the message is from someone I know it still gets the full scan before i open any attachments (although my system is set up to do this automatically).
Personally I use Thunderbird for my email and its junk filters are pretty good at learning what is wanted and whats not ... (after you've trained it)

[kerryb]

I have a spam filter provided by my ISP Wanadoo.  Trouble is the junk senders are getting round that.  For instance if you filter words like viagra they get round it by now typing v/agra.

Very annoying!!!!

Kerry