The Truth About Forwarded E-mails, SPAM, Viruses & Internet Hoaxes

Written by Lynnette on August 23, 2006 | Comments (0)

To anyone who's ever sent a many-times-Forwarded email before: Please stop it.

Or at least if you're going to continue to do it, please do it right.

Here are a few tips about Forwarding e-mails that we can all use...

For what it's worth, while I was researching for today's post, I actually learned a few things myself. So I can assure you, there's a little something in here for everyone.

Did You Know?...

Forwarded e-mails are the primary reason for the huge amounts of SPAM that we all receive in our e-mailbox.

Forwarded e-mails are also the root of most viruses that people receive on their computers.

How is this possible, you ask?

Well, you may have noticed that every time you Forward an e-mail onto someone else, information (such as the e-mail addresses and/or names of everyone who's received this e-mail before you) carries over each time. THAT information is the root of all evil! (See why below.)

You should NEVER send an email to someone with all of that information showing.

Here's what you need to do in order to properly Forward an e-mail on to someone.

How Forwarded Emails Are Increasing SPAM & Viruses

As a message gets Forwarded from one person to another (eventually being read by hundreds or even thousands of different people!) that list of e-mail addresses that you see in the "To:" or "CC:" box continues to build as well.

This creates a nice long list of everyone who's ever received this particular e-mail through this particular chain of Forwards.

Here's where it gets bad...

It's no secret that Internet & e-mail marketing gets a product or an idea in front of more eyeballs than could otherwise be reached. THAT's where the unscrupulous behavior comes in.

SOME people (who have something to sell, who have a great idea, or who "buy" active e-mail addresses for other purposes) will take Forwarded lists of e-mail addresses and use them to their advantage -- whether that be to send out a virus to thousands of people at once... or to send out details of their "great product or idea"... or to try out their hacking or spamming skills online... or to simply build their own database of e-mail addresses... or a variety of other scenarios.

An active, regularly checked e-mail address is a hot commodity. And yours could be utilized in more ways than you know, if you don't protect it.

How Viruses & SPAM Are Spread

You've heard about people getting a virus from opening an e-mail before, right? That's pretty straightforward.

Check out this video about how e-mail SPAM gets started -- don't miss the tips below the video screen!

But did you also know that the e-mail addresses (and computers) of completely innocent people who've never even opened an e-mail containing a virus can be used as pawns in the process of spreading viruses and SPAM?

It happens all the time... e-mail addresses (and computers) are effectively "hijacked" and utilized for someone else's gain.

How?

Through a sophisticated process of computer hacking which involves tapping into computers, activating codes, sending things via e-mail addresses, and invading Address Books.

Such is why it is so important to ...
... keep your computer as secure as possible (with passwords, hardware, and other "hoops" that someone would have to jump through to gain access to your information)

AND

... keep your e-mail addresses as private as possible (using more than one e-mail address, not Forwarding or opening Forwarded e-mails).

What You Can Do

So, after reading this, you're probably now feeling the urge to BCC: everything!

And... you don't want anybody Forwarding anything to you that shows your e-mail address in the TO: line either!

What can you do?

Simple. Tell everyone you know about the proper way to Forward an e-mail... That way, we'll all be helping to put an end to Internet SPAM and computer viruses once and for all.

The more people who do it right the less vulnerable we all are in the long run.

It's up to each of us to follow these simple steps in order to provide extra security and privacy to all of the people in our Address Books.

If we don't "hide" the e-mail addresses of our friends and relatives when we Forward e-mails from this point forward, then we are adding to the problem by putting those e-mail addresses out there for ALL to see... for ANYONE to steal... and for SOME to use to their advantage!

For the record, I only give out my "junk" e-mail address anytime I'm corresponding with someone that I don't know very well. Until I can determine that they are not the type to get (and send!) Forwarded e-mails, they're simply not worthy of my "good" e-mail address. The fewer people who know about my "good" e-mail address, the less SPAM I receive at that address, and the less likely it is that e-mail address will be hijacked and used to someone's else's advantage.

Things To Remember:

Every e-mail you send (even Forwarded e-mail) should be personal -- it should look like a personal e-mail, rather than junk mail.
E-mail should only be sent (or Forwarded) to people who know you well.
E-mail should only be Forwarded to those you are confident would be happy to read the things that you find interesting.

"If you get SPAM e-mail that you think is deceptive, forward it to spam@uce.gov. The FTC uses the SPAM stored in this database to pursue law enforcement actions against people who send deceptive email."
Source: Federal Trade Commission