Unexpected inheritances of millions, Viagra advertising, dubious flirt messages: around every second German Internet user (55%) is annoyed (24%) or very annoyed (31%) by email spam.

But not all types of spam are equally annoying. In a representative survey, the two largest German email providers WEB.DE and GMX wanted to know from Internet users in Germany: Which spam tricks annoy you the most?

The result:

The top 10 most annoying spam emails of 2019

1. Phishing emails from payment services (52%)
2. Fake bank messages (43%)
3. Dubious notifications from dating or partner exchanges (42%)
4. Unwanted newsletters (40%)
5. Pornographic offers (38%)
6. Supposed inheritances (24%)
7. Fake contact requests on social networks (22%)
8. Dubious appeals for donations (22%)
9. Dubious drug offers, including Viagra, cannabis oil (17%)
10. Dubious diet offers (14%)

The survey was carried out by the opinion research institute YouGov Deutschland GmbH on behalf of WEB.DE and GMX. In the period from October 21st to 23rd, 2019, 2131 German internet users aged 18 and over were surveyed.

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The results are weighted and representative of the overall German population.

Source: obs/WEB.DE
Source: obs/WEB.DE

Security expert explains: This is behind the most annoying spam emails

But email spam is not only annoying, the malicious emails can also quickly become dangerous. Christian Schäfer-Lorenz, head of the email security department at WEB.DE and GMX, explains the three most annoying spam tricks in 2019 - and how users can protect themselves:

TOP 1: Phishing emails from payment services

This is how it works:

The attackers send emails that at first glance look deceptively similar to real notifications from PayPal, paydirekt, klarna.de and Co. The victim's access data is supposed to be accessed via a link in the spam email.

This is what the expert says:

“The attackers can easily make purchases online using the access data. The quality of spam campaigns is constantly increasing - phishing emails look more and more authentic.

So you should look at your inbox with a good dose of common sense: If in doubt, it is better not to click on a link, but to enter the internet address of the payment service yourself in the browser.

TOP 2: Online banking spam

This is how it works:

The spam senders use fake bank messages to ask their victims to log into their online banking account as quickly as possible using a link - for example to check for an incorrect booking. Here too, the access data is stolen.

This is what the expert says:

“Online banking spam is less about emptying the victim's account. A valid bank account is much more attractive: for example, you can create a fake identity in order to conclude contracts or make purchases on account.

This misuse is often not recognized as quickly because the bookings only become visible in the bank account after a delay. The same applies here: It’s better to go to the bank’s website yourself in your browser than to click on a link in a possibly fake email.”

TOP 3: Dubious notifications from dating or partner exchanges

This is how it works:

Online criminals use ambiguous messages and/or explicit photos to try to lure their victims to dating platforms or dating sites. It's rarely about true love: here, too, the focus is on money.

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This is what the expert says:

“With the dating scam, spam senders primarily address the recipients’ emotions and personal vanity: Do I actually have a new contact? Is anyone interested in my profile? This can be a strong motivation to sign up for a dubious website or visit a particular dating profile.

There you often have to pay for access first. In particularly complex fraud scenarios, internet criminals may even involve unsuspecting users in a chat, during which a decoy, usually female, will sooner or later want money - either for erotic photos or videos or to make a living.

The motto here is: turn your head on! You should always be skeptical when it comes to money.”

In general, this also applies to the dangers in 2020: In addition to a well-trained email provider's spam filter, common sense is an effective weapon in the fight against spam and phishing.

Further information at: https://newsroom.web.de

You might also be interested in: Warning: Malicious SPAM emails in the name of several federal agencies

Source: WEB.DE
Article image: obs/WEB.DE


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