Suppose you get a phishing or spamming message (I know, I know, never happens...) I know that if you open an attachment or click on a link, you have given yourself up to the forces of darkness. But what I am wondering is: is there a risk in just opening the e-mail itself?
I don't get a lot of these things (my filters are pretty good), and the few that I get I just delete without opening/looking at them. But I was wondering if there is a risk in opening the e-mail itself? I figure that the computer savvy people here would know.
Oh, and a sort of related anecdote: I got a message that I was really uncertain about, but did eventually open it. It was from 'Jessica Manlove,' and I figured, that HAS to be a fake name, but the message did not offer to enhance my, um, endowment, nor did it mention that Hot Housewives Want You!!! or anything like that; turns out that 'Jessica Manlove' is her real name, and she is an employee of my college's alumni relations ('please send us money') office.
Phishing/spamming query to Those Who Know
- wintergreen48
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- silvercamaro
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Re: Phishing/spamming query to Those Who Know
If that's not phishing, I don't know what is!wintergreen48 wrote: she is an employee of my college's alumni relations ('please send us money') office.
- mrkelley23
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I've heard conflicting stories, but I tend to err on the side of caution in these cases. Snopes does not show any viruses/worms that are opened by merely opening the email, but I've also seen warnings about just that. I just can't remember how reputable the source was.
For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled. -- Richard Feynman
- MarleysGh0st
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Re: Phishing/spamming query to Those Who Know
In the days when e-mail was just plain text, we used to say there was absolutely no risk. Now, it depends on what kind of software you use to read your e-mail. There have been a few exploits that could work just by reading HTML-rendered e-mail or viewing an image that has been evilly crafted to take advantage of a vulnerability in the image-viewing software.wintergreen48 wrote: I don't get a lot of these things (my filters are pretty good), and the few that I get I just delete without opening/looking at them. But I was wondering if there is a risk in opening the e-mail itself? I figure that the computer savvy people here would know.
I'd say the odds are far, far less (particularly if you keep your PC update with the latest security patches) than if you open a suspicious attachment, but we can't give you 100% certainty.
- Bob Juch
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Re: Phishing/spamming query to Those Who Know
I agree. If you have security software than scans your messages, that's better, but there's still a risk.MarleysGh0st wrote:In the days when e-mail was just plain text, we used to say there was absolutely no risk. Now, it depends on what kind of software you use to read your e-mail. There have been a few exploits that could work just by reading HTML-rendered e-mail or viewing an image that has been evilly crafted to take advantage of a vulnerability in the image-viewing software.wintergreen48 wrote: I don't get a lot of these things (my filters are pretty good), and the few that I get I just delete without opening/looking at them. But I was wondering if there is a risk in opening the e-mail itself? I figure that the computer savvy people here would know.
I'd say the odds are far, far less (particularly if you keep your PC update with the latest security patches) than if you open a suspicious attachment, but we can't give you 100% certainty.
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- Douglas Adams (1952 - 2001)
Si fractum non sit, noli id reficere.
Teach a child to be polite and courteous in the home and, when he grows up, he'll never be able to drive in New Jersey.
- Douglas Adams (1952 - 2001)
Si fractum non sit, noli id reficere.
Teach a child to be polite and courteous in the home and, when he grows up, he'll never be able to drive in New Jersey.