http://www.rants.org/2007/10/31/weirdest-spearphishing-attack-ever/ Thoughts, musings, and rants by Karl Fogel Mon, 06 Sep 2010 08:06:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1-alpha http://www.rants.org/2007/10/31/weirdest-spearphishing-attack-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-5525 Karl Fogel Thu, 01 Nov 2007 08:19:10 +0000 http://www.rants.org/2007/10/31/weirdest-spearphishing-attack-ever/#comment-5525 No, the <em>worst</em> thing that can happen is the Americanization of James Bond. Oh, wait, that's already happened. Maybe I should call her! No, the worst thing that can happen is the Americanization of James Bond. Oh, wait, that’s already happened. Maybe I should call her!

]]> http://www.rants.org/2007/10/31/weirdest-spearphishing-attack-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-5513 Matt Braithwaite Wed, 31 Oct 2007 23:55:59 +0000 http://www.rants.org/2007/10/31/weirdest-spearphishing-attack-ever/#comment-5513 Call her up. Have an adventure. What's the worst that can happen? You end up dead in a ditch in Sardinia? Call her up. Have an adventure. What’s the worst that can happen? You end up dead in a ditch in Sardinia?

]]> http://www.rants.org/2007/10/31/weirdest-spearphishing-attack-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-5506 Karl Fogel Wed, 31 Oct 2007 21:46:31 +0000 http://www.rants.org/2007/10/31/weirdest-spearphishing-attack-ever/#comment-5506 <p>I’ve been seriously tempted to call, just to see where it leads (an all-expenses-paid tour of Greece?). But not from my own phone. From a pay phone… using a calling card… that I bought with cash.</p> I’ve been seriously tempted to call, just to see where it leads (an all-expenses-paid tour of Greece?). But not from my own phone. From a pay phone… using a calling card… that I bought with cash.

]]> http://www.rants.org/2007/10/31/weirdest-spearphishing-attack-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-5505 Lev Wed, 31 Oct 2007 21:38:53 +0000 http://www.rants.org/2007/10/31/weirdest-spearphishing-attack-ever/#comment-5505 This is indeed very interesting. Her English is at near native speaker level, as is her comprehension of your rather subtle reasoning. Yet the scheme is entirely transparent. If you were to go to the effort of directly spearphishing a mark, wouldn't it be much more compelling to make the hook more plausible than "I'm appealing to random people on the internet?" Perhaps spinning a yarn about how the anonymous denunciation appears to have originated from your domain, or that your name and/or website was referenced in the accusation, or even that you had been recommended by a mutual friend as someone who could help. Very strange... keep us posted. This is indeed very interesting. Her English is at near native speaker level, as is her comprehension of your rather subtle reasoning. Yet the scheme is entirely transparent. If you were to go to the effort of directly spearphishing a mark, wouldn’t it be much more compelling to make the hook more plausible than “I’m appealing to random people on the internet?” Perhaps spinning a yarn about how the anonymous denunciation appears to have originated from your domain, or that your name and/or website was referenced in the accusation, or even that you had been recommended by a mutual friend as someone who could help. Very strange… keep us posted.

]]> http://www.rants.org/2007/10/31/weirdest-spearphishing-attack-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-5491 Scott Carpenter Wed, 31 Oct 2007 09:28:28 +0000 http://www.rants.org/2007/10/31/weirdest-spearphishing-attack-ever/#comment-5491 Wow -- that really <i>is</i> strange, to invest so much effort in such an odd line of attack. Wow — that really is strange, to invest so much effort in such an odd line of attack.

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