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E-mails with PDF Attachment

By Anna Jones

Services for Real Estate Pros with The Virtual Link

July 25, 2007 09:17 AM

I have been inundated with e-mails containing a PDF attachment. I get up to 50 e-mails or more a day with these PDF attachments! Apparently others in my Real Estate Virtual Assistant group IREAA (www.ireaa.com) are having these issues as well.

I don't know the people sending the e-mails and I know that this has to be some new wave of spamming. After doing some research today on this issue, sure enough, spammers have found a way to get around the spam filters set in place.

Spammers are once again switching their techniques. We're used to seeing an image embedded in e-mails but now spammers have attached a PDF file to fool users into viewing the attachment. PDF files have always been deemed credible and legitimate but that security is now gone.

My one wish is that these spammers, phishers and hackers who are apparently very creative and very smart, would spend their time and creativity making the world a better place instead of aggravating us all on a daily basis! But I digress...

Be safe...

Anna Baron Certified Real Estate Assistant

Comments(12)

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Dotti Driver

Sky Realty - Austin, TX

GRI, E-Pro Realtor

It is so frustrating that I turned off my emails to my phone. Sometimes technology is more annoying than helpful.

Jul 25, 2007 09:23 AM

Mary Warren

Las Vegas, NV

I get a lot of these too! I don't open anything unless I know who the e-mail is from. There would be NO reson that I can see why a web site hit, or a new buyer/seller whose name I might not know would send me a .pdf attachment. I get a lot of garbage too from my web site, I don't have a direct e-mail there but rather a 'fill-in form' and the spammers still get by it!

Jul 25, 2007 09:27 AM

No Longer Active

Real Estate - Fallon, MT

That explains all the recent junk I'm seeing... But I would rather just hit delete to an email than be bothered by the cold callers that find my cell number.

Jul 25, 2007 09:28 AM

Bill Gillhespy

16 Sunview Blvd - Fort Myers Beach, FL

Fort Myers Beach Realtor, Fort Myers Beach Agent - Homes & Condos

Hi Anna, Frustrating I know. The latest scam pretends to be an email from a " Mate" or friend. Hopefully the good guys will get ahead of these scumbags.

Jul 25, 2007 09:32 AM

Paul Moye

Benchmark Realty - Franklin, TN

Broker, GRI, SRES

Let's not shoot the PDF but only the meessenger. It is the same as sending a worm or spam in a word or excel document. Just hit delete if you do not know who they are. Or better yet hit forwrd and send it back to them so the attachment follows!

Jul 25, 2007 09:42 AM

LaShon James-Major

The Document Diva - Long Beach, CA

Long Beach Mobile Notary - 562.314.4319

Yes, ever since someone alerted me to this latest ploy a couple of weeks ago I get at least 3-4 a day! And I agree, if they would use their smarts for good instead of evil they'd be happier people.

I love your caricature. It's almost dead on!

Jul 25, 2007 09:44 AM

Joe Dallorso

Ocala, FL

Ocala Real Estate

Hi Anna

I've been getting the PDF junk & a "you've got a postcard" from.....none of which do I open

Jul 25, 2007 09:45 AM

Steven L. Smith

King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. - Bellingham, WA

Bellingham WA Home Inspector

Funny, in my inbox, as we speak, there is a PDF from some yahoo without as much as a subject. And I am getting all this garbage about postcards from a "mate." I am not opening any of them. One time, years back, I got sucked into doing that and picked up a virus that even good quality virus protection could not remove. The computer was no longer frozen, but it had a weird boot up cycle.

Jul 25, 2007 09:48 AM

Billnulls Blog Florida Realty Professional

Charles Rutenberg Realty - Clearwater, FL

AHWD

I have been getting tons of this PDF spam and it is driving me crazy! It started a few weeks ago. I delete everything, but it keeps on coming. May the Bird of Paradise crawl into their computers! I don't get it, why people do this!

Jul 25, 2007 09:49 AM

Skye Hawk

At Your Service! Virtual Assistant Specialists - Fountain Hills, AZ

NAR Cert. REPA "Rockstar REVA"

You know I just wish these types of people would get a life and get a real job. I have gotten a few of these recently and have sent emails back telling them to not contact me anymore or else I will report them to the FBI. I haven't seen repeat emails from them.

Jul 25, 2007 10:17 AM

Jennifer Wilson

Agent Solutions - Calgary, AB

Agent Solutions

Hey Anna!

Thanks for the article. I have been so frustrated with these emails as I'm sure I get 30 or 40 a day as well. These spammers are extremely tricky. Some of these emails come with the subject line "You have an ecard from a family member or someone who cares". Pretty shifty in my eyes.

Thanks again Anna.

Jul 30, 2007 02:42 AM

E-mails with PDF Attachment

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