Increase in spam

[OFSO]

Anyone else noticed an increase in e-mail spam ? Started maybe three weeks ago (i.e. before XP support demise). I haven't changed my DNS filters, 'washer, or anything else, but suddenly more crap is arriving via yahoo.

[mixture]

Yes. I have very robust server-side mail filtering in place.

Normally I get max 1 or 2 a week.

Now I've been getting 2 or 3 a day.

I suspect in the old cat & mouse game, Mr Spammer has managed to escape the cat.

[BEagle]

Nope. Haven't had any spam get through 4 different accounts - and the e-mail server hasn't noticed anything more than the normal 1 or 2 every other day.

I also had an XP update last night.....

Is the XP paranoia simply the 2014 millenium bug?

[mad_jock]

Beagle There is a whole thread on it.

Verdict is out currently what is going to happen.

If you have no compelling reason to stay with xp you would be sensible to either up grade or use it as an excuse to get new hardware which comes with win7 or win 8.

Poo may hit the fan but then again it might not.

But i would suggest you get all inportant data backed up just in case.

I suspect you won't like win 8 and it will be quite quickly be replaced.

And if you were keeping up with the changes that yahoo have done recently you would know why things have changed. It also affects gmail etc as well.

If you run mailing lists your in for a fun week!

[mixture]

Is the XP paranoia simply the 2014 millenium bug?

No it is not. :ugh:

You must dump XP. End of story. Very few people have a reason to stay with it, those who do tend to be from the business community and will tell tales of embedded systems etc. .... none of that applies to home users. If all you do is typical homey stuff (browse internet, look at photos, write emails etc.).... then there is no reason you cannot dump XP.

Its not a case of "if", but "when" something will happen. That is absolutely guaranteed. The threats are very real supported by much technical evidence.... and no, anti-whatever software will do nothing to protect you.

Its your choice... either you heed sound advice, or you learn the hard way.

Let's keep XP off this thread please, there's a whole hamster wheel thread only a few listings away from this one should you wish to join the "clinger-on" vs "don't be so stupid" debate .....although there is technically no "debate" to be had on this one, hence the hamster wheel !

[Mike-Bracknell]

There was a new botnet that started last week. It took us a day after the Americans before we saw an uptick on spam but it happened. According to my antispam cluster though the increase hasn't been massive. My one-or-two-a-week became one a day earlier this week but has since died down.

[onetrack]

I'm running Windoze 7, not XP, but I certainly have had an increase in scam emails in the last week. No doubt it's the scammers taking full advantage of the warnings about XP becoming redundant - or is it MS sending them out, to frighten computer owners into upgrading to Windoze 8?? :E

[mad_jock]

mike have you had any problems with the DMARK stuff yet?

The spam about XP is just a new line playing on peoples fears.

Most of us don't have the same feelings of doom about the XP compared to some admins.

Your teenage user of pirate torrents and porn sites running in admin account will be vastly more exposed to nasty's.

The biggest thing is ensuring that your running in a normal user account with your security settings requiring an admin password for any changes to the OS. A lot of home installations won't have this as Microsoft install defaults to setting up an admin account initially and a lot just keep running with this account.

Unless there is some over riding issue with not having XP you should get shot of it. To be honest the changes in hardware since XP machines were getting punted out is pretty vastly improved on several levels of hardware. Screens, processors, graphics and drives.

Windows 8 is a bit wank. Once you go to 8.1 and avoid having a Microsoft account and get used to it 8.1 seems to be ok to be honest. I don't have a touch screen or any of that nonsense.

I just got a new lappy for under 1000 UKP and stuck a SSd in it and the performance is quite honestly amazing so the niggles aren't that annoying compared to wanting to do something and it just doing it.

For a lot of folk it just breaking away from what they are used to which is the issue.

[BEagle]

mad_jock wrote: For a lot of folk it just breaking away from what they are used to which is the issue.

For many of us, it's the prospect of having to pay hundreds of pounds for a new computer, simply because the greed of Micro$oft requires it....:ugh:

PC users would feel less disinclined, if the rubbish of Win8 hadn't been thrust upon us. And who but a child wants a touchscreen laptop?

[mad_jock]

Well I sort of agree.

Win 8.1 works fine without a touch screen.

You go straight to desktop and can get a start menu third party but its going to be put back with a big update this summer.

Mate you should have a look what you actually want to use on your computer. Most people these days who aren't interested in playing games can quite happily get by with a form of Linux. Free software and updates until you computer packs in.

[OFSO]

The spam about XP is just a new line playing on peoples fears

Dear mj: since I started this thread I take offence at that suggestion.

As I wrote, it started three weeks before the end of XP support so was nothing to do with it. Furthermore the spam is arriving thru one of my alternative names and hence to yahoo! Nothing to do with "playing on peoples fears".

The aim of my first post was clearly expressed;

Anyone else noticed an increase in e-mail spam ?

...and the answer is yes, some have.

NOTHING WHATSOEVER TO DO WITH XP

[mad_jock]

Sorry mate you have taken that the wrong way.

I meant the spammers will use any issue which is public and relatively high interest to use for the hook to pull people in.

It could be XP, tax rebates, child support, digital TV, anything which will spark an interest.

[Shack37]

I have w7 home premium and haven't had any increase in spam. In fact a couple of genuine messages have gone to the junk folder.

[onetrack]

The scammers never give up and they're ready to pounce on any new "business opening".
It's reported that they're getting the email addresses of MH370 NOK and sending them an email telling them there's compensation waiting for them. Of course it's an "advance fee" fraud. :hmm:
There's nothing that's low enough for those pieces of morally-depraved cockroach excrement, that send out email scams. :ugh:

[OFSO]

Sorry mate you have taken that the wrong way.

No problem. I guess the high temperatures you are experiencing up there in the north are making it hard to stay cool in matters XP !

[mixture]

Howzit OSFO ?

I'm seeing the cat starting to catch up with the mice again... numbers are falling back to normal for me.

[OFSO]

True, numbers are falling, but it is Sunday ;-)

[ExSp33db1rd]

True, numbers are falling, but it is Sunday ;-)

You mean spammers go to church ?

Unlikely, more likely stand around a steaming cauldron wearing pointed hats.

[OFSO]

more likely stand around a steaming cauldron wearing pointed hats.

Actually, the congregation do that in the church I pop into on Sunday mornings !