Spammers are getting ready for one of the biggest events of their calendar year. Symantec Security Response have released a report listing the top five spam subject lines related to February 14, which are:
1. Increase your length, the best Valentine’s gift.
2. Show off your length for Valentine’s Day.
3. Get it before Valentine’s Day and watch her smile .
4. You have been invited to partake in a shopping spree with [Removed] this month for Valentines!
5. Happy Early Valentine’s Day, you have been selected to go on a $1000 Shopping spree to [Removed]
If you don’t want to receive a surprise gift of malware or phishing attacks, Symantec recommends the following advice to stay safe online:
• Never respond to spam. A response will let the spammer know they have reached an active email address, and this just leads to more spam. Likewise, clicking on links within a spam email that promises to remove you from the sender’s mailing list will again reaffirm the email address is active for the spammer. Delete suspicious email without reading it.
• Get multiple email addresses for multiple purposes. Have one address specifically for personal use, known only to family, friends and colleagues. Another email address could be for mailing lists and newsletters, and another for online enquiries and orders.
• Watch where you post your email address. To avoid being caught by bots, don’t post your full email address on any publicly accessible webpage.
• Deploy protection. Ensure you are using an up-to-date security program that protects against spam and viruses while still allowing legitimate email through.
