Spam Getting Spammier

Dear Readers,

Either several of my friends and acquaintances are stranded in London, or there’s a lot of spam going around. So do be careful with email and do not click on any links or download anything unless you know the person who sent it to you. And also make sure that the sender’s name matches a legitimate email address.

Recently I have received emails from local people who all seem to be stranded in Madagascar or London, and are in need of $1,600 or some other sum. Just today I got three spams from the “Better Business Bureau,” telling me of a violation that has been reported about me.

Also, on my work address, I have been getting legitimate-looking emails from service providers that I use, such as Facebook, Paypal, American Airlines and other name-brand companies. The email from the airline told me to download the flight info for a flight I never booked. My “bank” reported that my account had been hacked and I needed to reset the passwords by downloading an attached form.  I’ve also received similar emails from Facebook and Paypal.

I even sometimes receive emails from my own email address!

And what a bummer that the shoe retailer I sometimes use– Zappos.com–on Wednesday announced that it was hacked and the personal information of account holders was stolen.

It’s exhausting just trying to sort through it all. But it’s worth keeping a look out for spam, which seems to be on the rise.

Adrienne