PM scams

It's a junk jungle out there!
What happened to me was that someone started sending out emails from me, using my email address. Friends opened them, clicked on the link they thought I'd sent them and some picked up a virus or a Trojan horse or something, depending on their level of protection.
frankel I've changed my email address now. I never give it out except to close friends and GNetters and I have a second one just for daily use and places like Tesco and Amazon.
phoenix that's a nasty one, especially if you're job hunting.

I've had 2 recently that at first glance look like job offers. I googled the email address they gave and found it had been reported on a scam alert site. The person who reported it was (like me) actively job hunting, and nearly fell for it.

Nana - I too try not to forward things on with e-mail addresses showing and when I send a message to a group, I send the message to myself with everyone else 'Blind Copy'. Sadly, my e-mail address is 'out there' despite being very careful and I now get 2/3 frauds every day in my SPAM filter. They are now all fraud - the Russian suppliers of 'viagra' via Canada, and the fake handbag suppliers, have presuambly given up on me - at least for now. Has anyone else been getting more fraud - businessmen from Africa, fake stockbrokers and pensions administrators, that sort of thing?

Yes grace it's the irritation factor ( my iPad wanted to write irrigation factor... I suppose it's the dripping tap analogy) and the fact that people have forwarded these on to my mail box without thinking. I've already had one email address hijacked by hackers who send out fraud emails in my name and I don't want it to happen again.

I wonder how many people realise they could be giving away friends email details when they forward on things. I always delete all other names from previous forwards, and sent it on under blind cc.

I think the point is nana that rather like "cold calls" - which we all know how to deal with, these intrusions are nevertheless very irritating. You don't have to fall for them, you can ignore them, but it is like someone chipping into a private conversation or turning up anannounced at your front door and being hard to get rid of. I can think of 2 religious organisations which engender the same irritation in me! I understand forn GNHQ that while what this member (?) did was not illegal, (s)he is unlikely to do it again - but, you know, when you get aa "private message" in your inbox, simple souls like me, tend to open them in good faith and then get cross.

I just wish people would pass such things through a reality filter and then google it. This will pick up most scams, malicious or mischievous. People believe the stupidest things.

Some appear to be just mischievous, like the one saying that you can see who has been looking at your FB profile. You can't!

Beware latest scam 'Turn Your Facebook Page Pink'. I've had two emails today already but don't go there.

I usually find my spam filter is quite enough and I rarely get undesirable emails, but as I said this was a Gransnet private message which I openend in good faith. Eblessing is (or was) clearly a member so if she is reading this I hope she realises what a useless exercise it all was. A complete waste of her and my time

That happened to me Frankel. My ex-DIL's account was invaded and everyone in her contacts list received emails offering a Viagra type pill, giving explicit details of what it could achieve. The school head, a teacher and a school governor all got the same email, causing acute embarrassment for ex-DIL.

If we are talking now about e-mail spam and scams, they can arrive in your inbox from surprising sources. A friend of ours recently had her hotmail account invaded, allowing the invader to send scam e-mails to everyone in her address book, including me. The scam e-mail arrived in my inbox as a bona fide e-mail from her but, actually, it contained a fake message, include a link to a presumably dodgy website. I deleted the message and my friend's address from my address book but, of course, the invader now has my web address. I now receive far more fraudulent e-mails than ever before.

Anyone may receive spam or scam e-mails, even the most careful internet users. Treat each e-mail with care, especially if it contains a link to a web address. It is best never to click on a web link unless you are very sure it is genuine.

No, if you are not registered on Facebook nobody can contact you.
I am afraid many companies sell lists of e-mail addresses of their customers. Even the DVLA at Swansea will sell names and addresses to some very dodgy debt collectors.
If you get an e-mail from somebody you don't recognise, I would just put it straight into Spam. If you reply, they know they have hit on a genuine address and will badger you.

Greatnan and Elegran.

Thanks for your help. I do understand the G.N. PM system but I still don't understand.

If I am not on things like Facebook etc., are you saying I could get them in my inbox and how does someone get my e.mail address. I am genuinely interested.

Greatnan If someone has no experience of the internet, has not been exposed to postal begging letters and scams, and all the written letters they are used to receiving are from real people, they do not instantly suspect foul play when they read the terrible plights that these so-and-sos describe, so they get caught up.

pogs I have had a spam email from someone in my ordinary mailbox, not from Gnet,the only place I am likely to get one from. It had the header "Private Message" Nothing about why it was a private message, or from what social network. I did open it and it was the usual sort of spam nonsense, but nothing sinister. I think the header was just to make you open it to see what it was about.

It is hard to understand how anybody could be naive enough to fall for one of these scams. Yes, I can't remember the site now, but I remember reading how one potential victim lured the spammer in to keep giving him more and more information about himself and why he wanted the money.

Every site will deal with private messages differently. If you are on Facebook, they will appear with a number beside 'Message' on the left.I get an e-mail to my registered e-mail address when I get a pm on this site. Just to make sure, I click on the 'Inbox' box at the top of the page every day.
If you want to send a pm to a member, find them on a thread and just click on 'Send message' on the name bar above the post.

Oh blimey.

How do you get a P.M. I don't mean on G.N as I know about that. Do you get them in your inbox or what?. Can anyone tell me in simple terms please.

That user name rings a bell, gracesmum! Can't recall quite which thread I saw it on...

Yes it was GN private message and that is why I find it an unsettling way to get round my spam filter. I have deleted it from my Inbox so can't do the hand thingy, but I have emailed GNHQ and told them.
The user name was eblessing - so watch out!

Oh dear! I have only just worked out what PM means. I knew it wasn't Prime Minister since he doesn't use a false identity. I thought it was something to do with the afternoon but it seems I have a Private Message Box too - which is nice, if pristine and unused. My earlier reply was about normal SPAM so I suppose I should post it elsewhere to phish for a comment.

Wouldn't they have to be a member to PM someone? gracesmum, did you get the usual email saying 'So and so has sent you a PM'?
What user name was given on the PM?

I've never had a spam PM through Gransnet.