New Flavour of Spam - MP3 Stock Scams

An anonymous reader writes "Spammers are back with a new trick, this time round sending messages with MP3 attachments that contain the latest pump-and-dump stock scams. One sample identified by Sophos was a heavily distorted 30-second MP3 file. A synthetic female voice was used to promote a particular stock. Says Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos: 'Although the spammers seem to have a fair bit to learn about machine-generated sales patter, some companies might consider blocking all MP3s in email as a matter of course. So many music files infringe copyright, and it can be hard for a company to establish which ones are legal and which are not after they have arrived. Blocking MP3s, or at least quarantining until requested by the user, can be a good way for a company to take a proactive stance against the use of email for illegal file sharing. It also has the benefit of neutralizing this sort of spam at the same time.'"

Well hey now

[SpiffyMarc]

Let's not get hasty. Some of us rely on those daily pump-n'-dump stock scams to support our families.

Won't you think of the shady day-traders?

Better idea: block all text in email

[Sub Zero 992]

Although the spammers seem to have a fair bit to learn about machine-generated sales patter, some companies might consider blocking all text in email as a matter of course. So many text files infringe intellectual property and patented business methods, and it can be hard for a company to establish which words are legal and which lemmas are not after they have arrived. Blocking all letters, or at least the letters J-M and all the vowels until requested by the user, can be a good way for a company to take a proactive stance against the use of email for illegal and/or infringing message sharing. It also has the benefit of neutralizing this most spam at the same time.

Show of hands, please...

[jabber]

So, who thinks the RIAA is behind this?

320Kbps MP3 Spam...

[Starteck81]

... sound so rich you can almost see the pink and taste the meat.

Re:Better idea: block all text in email

[arminw]

....some companies might consider blocking all text in email as a matter of course........

We can all go back to hand written letters and slide rules--- well maybe adding machines are OK. Who needs all this new fangled computer stuff. The plain old phones work well for those who can't wait for the mailman. We get lots of paper junk mail also, but at least we get a little heat from that when it is consumed in our wood stove.

Re:320Kbps MP3 Spam...

[spleen_blender]

Wait... that is supposed to be meat? Why didn't you tell me I was eating this?!

Re:You're Giving Them Ideas . . .

[JK_the_Slacker]

Geez, you finally release a product, and people complain that they weren't on the beta testing team.

I think satan just spoke to me, pump-n-dump porn

[jollyreaper]

Ok, you know that ramen noodle commercial where we see this hawt japanese chick bobbing her head up and down, slurping on something that's just below the bottom of the screen, we all think it's wang but we then see it's an instant ramen cup? Just imagine if it wasn't ramen and the symbol of the stock in question was written on her forehead. Five minutes of knob-slobbing action, brought to you by the fine folks at ABC Corp. Spam this out to a hundred million people and just see the results you'll get!

Wow, that spam plan is so evil, I think the Russian mafia is coming to kill me.

"It might be illegal so ban it all!"

[Enleth]

Such a stance reminds me of this old Polish joke (for some reason, we've got quite a lot jokes about a shepherd): The police enters shepherd's house and finds moonshine-making equipment. - Well, shepherd, we're going to charge you with illegal moonshine production! - But I'm not making it! - But you have the equipment. - Well, then, charge me with rape as well. - Why, did you rape someone? - No, but I've got the equipment!

Re:Ugh, please don't block file types...

[MightyYar]

Arg, why didn't I rename the zip? Duh.

Got one

[HTH NE1]

I received one of these, except instead of a stock spam, it was some annoying woman repeating over and over, "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

Re:Only way I'll listen to these...

[wjhoffman1983]

You have a fine taste for audiophiles? ;)

Re:Better idea: block all text in email

[brianosaurus]

No need to block the letters. Just block all 4-letter words. That will keep stock symbols from appearing. As a bonus, it will neutralize most swear words, making email "safe" for children and christians.

And the best part: the solution doesn't sound like contrived RIAA propaganda. I mean, really. Who ever heard of mp3 files that infringe copyrights?

Re:Better idea: block all text in email

[Torvaun]

No need to block the letters. Just block all 4-letter words. That will keep stock symbols from appearing. As a bonus, it will neutralize most swear words, making email "safe" for children and christians.

And the best part: the solution doesn't sound like contrived RIAA propaganda. I mean, really. Who ever heard of mp3 files that infringe copyrights?

Turns into:

No to block the letters. block all 4-letter words. stock symbols appearing. As a bonus, it neutralize swear words, making email "" for children and christians.

And the: the solution doesn't sound contrived propaganda. I, really. Who heard of mp3 files infringe copyrights?

Now it matches the spam I get grammatically...

Re:I think satan just spoke to me, pump-n-dump por

[Glowing Fish]

A whole new meaning to the term "pump n dump"