I just got an e-mail ostensibly, from E-Bay billing dept asking for passwords and personal information. I knew it was spam, because I’d gotten a nearly identical one from Comcast 2 weeks ago.
I discovered something by accident. When I highlighted the text in the body of the e-mail, hidden, random text was revealed. When I copied it to text edit, the hidden words were still hidden, but with the plain text command in text edit, the hidden stuff popped out.
Since I’m such a doofus at anyhing computer, I had to tell everyone I did something smart!
Aren’t you proud of me?
:rolleyes:
So what’d the hidden message say?
And this is more than spam, I think it’s called phishing when they ask for your personal info. If you still have it, follow This Link
Just random words. Here’s the plain text version
Yeah, burn 'em!
About once a day I get one from paypal, ebay, or random banks, asking me to “update” my credit card info, social security number, mothers freakin maiden name, etc.!
I mean, really! :rolleyes:
I believe those random words are designed to get past spam-mail filters.
But, as Duke of Rat said, this is far worse than spam: they are trying to get your personal details to steal money. Normal spam is just a waste of tiome and bandwidth: this “phish” is dangerous.
Those random words are called noise. They are there to defeat anti-spam tools. Some spam filters use dicitionaries to look for “spammy” words in a message. If the percentage of spammy words is high enough, the message is blocked. By adding noise, especially noise that will never be found in a dictionary, you lower the spammy/nonspammy ratio and increase the odds that your message will get by filters.
I would have never figured out how to discover that hidden message. I’m very proud of you.
Picunurse
Yeah, I got one today too. First one from eBay though. Had several from Paypal.Fuckin pricks! Wouldn’t you like to take a baseball bat to assholes?
As far as figuring out the text…You are head and shoulders above me. I stand in awe!
Now, How do we get even. 
:eek:
Was that intentional? 
Got an update card message from netflix that was legit. Figured it was since I had just gotten a new debit card. Still went to the site first instead of using the email click-through.
Good on you, picunurse. I’ll look for secret messages then next time I get a phishing lure.
You’re a sick, sick man Harmless . We’ll probably get along just fine!!!
Quote:
res devoted vexing
Dear eBay member, kicker spice deletions brute compiling
Technical services are being carried out on a planned software upgrade. falsity grassers automotive apothegm chuckles
We earnestly ask you to visit the following link to start the procedure shanties sloper intensify seize ligament
of confirmation of your personal data. ladle tempts pilfer Iroquois harvester
follow this link to update account information. beverage branding Jesuitism hissed interfacer
However, failure to update your billing information record mastering seeming midway Eileen orderlies
will result in account termination. intoxicant picnics Messiah bottoming blanketers
We present our apologies and thank you for your cooperation. enlist arrow matchable holocaust spouses
***eBay Billing Departemnt team. loathly risers attractive bivariate achiever returning supportive brutality traffics sensation
This is a pretty funny message when you read it. I like the “messiah bottoming blanketers” (great band name) and the “beverage branding jesuitism” the best.
As long as you don’t mind your sick, sick men being girly-girls we’ll get along dandy!
The guy who started that “words everyone knows but no one uses” thread ought to have looked at this first.
I like the “intoxicant picnics”, as long as they’re not with “holocaust spouses”.
I once got spam from a “Canadian” pharmacy.
And what random word did they pick as their email name?
Poison :smack: