Spam campaign roundup: The Independence Day Edition (July 3, 2013)

By

Tomorrow is a federal holiday in the United States that celebrates its Independence Day. The 4th of July has been typically celebrated with fireworks, parades and concerts, as well as many retailers running sales and store specials. It should no longer be a surprise that spam emails abound when big holidays or events are just around the corner. This Independence Day week, cyber criminals did not disappoint.

Over the last week, the Dell SonicWALL threats research team has been following all Independence Day related spam emails.

As July 4th approaches, we observed an increasing amount of holiday related spam emails. These emails have a common theme of trying to lure consumers to click on the links and provide their personal information in exchange for access to deep discounts and offers. Most of these emails are poorly crafted with evident errors in grammar and spelling. The following are some of the most common email subjects:

  • Remanning inventory must go – Updated model list – 4th July Freedom Sale
  • Ford, Chevy, BMW, Doge – 4th of July dealer blow-out
  • July 4th 2013 Special: Apple tablet and phone priced 87% lower then stores near you
  • Apple iPhone and iPad priced 93% lower then stores (4th of July pre-sale)
  • Record low prices announced for 4th of July (view them now)
  • 4th of July Booty Call Message Waiting

Some of these emails look convincing while trying to attract consumers with promises of free gift certificates. Clicking the links on the email body will typically lead the user to an affiliate website and will then be asked to enter their personal information and to participate in a number of offers.

It is important to remember that these offers often cost money in fees or subscriptions without the guarantee of ever receiving the products and services or the free gift card at the end of the process.

We urge our users to always be vigilant and cautious with any unsolicited email and to avoid providing any personal information, particularly if you are not certain of the source.

Dell SonicWALL Gateway Antivirus monitors and provides constant protection against such malicious threats.

Security News
The SonicWall Capture Labs Threat Research Team gathers, analyzes and vets cross-vector threat information from the SonicWall Capture Threat network, consisting of global devices and resources, including more than 1 million security sensors in nearly 200 countries and territories. The research team identifies, analyzes, and mitigates critical vulnerabilities and malware daily through in-depth research, which drives protection for all SonicWall customers. In addition to safeguarding networks globally, the research team supports the larger threat intelligence community by releasing weekly deep technical analyses of the most critical threats to small businesses, providing critical knowledge that defenders need to protect their networks.