Sophos reports a new tactic being used by spammers to harvest email addresses. The scam begins with an email asking for recipients to forward email chain letters to the sender as part of an email chain letter study.
Because chain letters are often sent along with entire or large portions of email address books attached, the addresses gleaned from the "study" are extremely valuable to spammers. Sophos reports that this information could also be used as a crucial element of a phishing attack.
Part of the email reads as follows:
I would be very grateful if you would be kind enough to forward absolutely anything and everything that remotely resembles chain mail, forwards of any type (even the rude ones). This project is based over the next year and I need at least 500,000 forwards for this project to be a success, so please keep them coming the more the better
"Spammers need email addresses like a fish needs water. Without details of 'live' email addresses they struggle to get their unwanted marketing messages in front of their potential customers," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos.
"Under the pretence of 'research' spammers are trying to fool internet users into passing on dozens of email addresses with every message they forward.
"At best this could result in spam being sent to all of your friends and colleagues, at worst they could be put at risk of identity theft. Computer users should break the chain and not respond to messages such as this one."
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