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Millions Continue To Click On Spam

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the no-seriously-knock-it-off dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Even though over 80% of email users are aware of the existence of bots, tens of millions respond to spam in ways that could leave them vulnerable to a malware infection, according to a Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group (MAAWG) survey. In the survey, half of users said they had opened spam, clicked on a link in spam, opened a spam attachment, replied or forwarded it — activities that leave consumers susceptible to fraud, phishing, identity theft, and infection. While most consumers said they were aware of the existence of bots, only one-third believed they were vulnerable to an infection."

9 of 210 comments (clear)

  1. Click here! by somersault · · Score: 5, Funny

    FIRST POST!!

    --
    which is totally what she said
  2. Re:can't win this battle by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    there will be no end of this, not until we let morons use computers

    I'm really not sure what to say to this...

  3. In completely unrelated news.... by IWaSBoRG · · Score: 5, Funny

    Millions of computer users are idiots.

    1. Re:In completely unrelated news.... by Nemyst · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Yet you know that if your roof leaks you can either look at the tiles and try to patch it yourself, or you call a professional to do it for you. You know that if your house is dirty, you must clean it. You know that if you get bugs, you must call an exterminator to get rid of them.

      You know that if you buy a house, you must be ready to maintain it if you don't want it to fall apart. The same SHOULD be said of computer owners, yet this is not the case.

  4. we need to take advantage of this.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Congratulations!!!

    Your name has been picked. You have just won millions of dollars worth of software. You are also granted the permission to give this software to all of your friends and family.

      Click on this link to claim your prize...

    CLICK HERE TO GET FREE SOFTWARE!

  5. Re:Users. by Spad · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The computer industry is largely to blame for user's attitudes; they've spent years convincing everyone that computers would make their lives easier and do everything for them without requiring any specialist knowledge and we all know that's bollocks.

    We simply wouldn't accept it if the same proportion of people who outright refuse to even try and understand the basics of the IT tasks they perform every day did the same thing with cars or washing machines or lawn mowers. The roads would be carnage - tens of thousands of drivers refusing to learn how to use the stearing wheel or brakes because they "Just want it to take me to the shops, I dont' care how it works".

    I really don't think there's any short-term solution to the problem.

  6. This was an e-mail survay ! by SomethingOrOther · · Score: 5, Informative


    From TF pdf, under methodology

    "Survey participants are all members of Ipsos' opt-in consumer panels in each of the six markets and were invited to participate via email".

    So, people who respond to spam also respond to bullshit surveys via email.
    Who'd a thunk it ?

    --
    Anyone quoted by a reporter knows how little they understand
    Don't believe what you read is the truth.
  7. Re:Absolutely. by GvG · · Score: 5, Insightful

    In defense of your mother, I would have had no idea what to do if you told me to look at the start bar. Task bar, notification area, system tray, I'd have understood any of those, but "start bar" is completely new to me.

  8. Re:can't win this battle by TheRaven64 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yes we can. Advertise cyanide capsules as v1agra and sell them via spam. Problem solved.

    --
    I am TheRaven on Soylent News