Internet Spam

[Quickdraw]

The point of most spam is obvious but I can't figure out the point of this typical message that is supposed to be an eBay "ask the seller a question" response: (I get 1 or 2 variations of this every day)
---------------------------------
Hi, please add another $2 for shipping to Washington.
nyqgpdiv-vtds@mail.com wrote:

>>Hello, what is the shipping cost to Massachusetts?
-----------------------------------

I'm not in Washington or Massachusetts and haven't asked anything. It always references an ebay item via a link but the link always comes up "item no longer in our database or else has been deleted." Anyone else get these?

Thanks to anyone who can shed some light on this....

[Sophia]

Do you have a cat that walks across your keys when you aren't looking?

A ghost maybe?

Some crazed EBay stalker?

Anybody else have any suggestions for Quick?

[AZ Yellowbird]

The only advice I can offer is to NEVER click on any link in any spam. At the least they verify that your email address is valid, at worst they try to steal private info or infect your computer. Just delete the stuff.

[jerrym3]

I love the spam emails where the subject is "long time no hear...." or "hey, how have you been......"

[Brad]

Quick, if you know how to get at it, check the email header to find out where it's actually being sent from.

That email @mail.com may or may not be where it's really coming from. Assuming someone isn't intentionally messing with you, if you find the actual source and you contact the person that runs that domain, you may get them to stop it for you.

[Quickdraw]

Brad, heres another typical spam below - the internet headers match the address it claims to come from but I understand the headers are easily spoofed. I just dont understand the point of this spam... the only logical reason I can think of is the generate interest for an item actually being sold at ebay. However the item number is always "invalid" the few times Ive clicked on the link. The link looks valid and I run a virus check after I click on one and have never found a virus... Oh well.... BTW: Its probably not a good idea to click on the link below just in case - unless you really know what you are doing.


======================================
Hi, please add another $16 for shipping to Saskatchewan.
camseqmu-awyj@mail.com wrote:
Hello, what is the shipping cost to New Brunswick?
--------------------
Question from: opuzys
Title of item: Palm Tungsten E Handheld PDA
Seller: phivoowhi
Starts: Apr-15-04 13:24:41 PDT
Ends: Apr-20-04 13:24:41 PDT
Price: Starts at $112.12
To view the item, go to: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=119238649

[Sophia]

I have recieved several different emails that really do look like they come from EBay, and always asking for personal info. You should forward your emails regarding auctions to the same place I forward the ones I get. Send to spoof@ebay.com

[Quickdraw]

I have recieved several different emails that really do look like they come from EBay

Right, I get those occasionally too and I understand the point of that scam – to get account info. These messages that pretend to be from eBay sellers don’t have an apparent point. If no one here has an answer maybe I’ll ask my Nigerian partner – he seems pretty computer savvy.
I don’t want to make anyone jealous but I got offered a deal to get 15 percent of 27 million dollars just for helping a deposed Nigerian Government Official transfer money out of his country. That’s $4 Million for me! All I had to do was give him my banking account numbers and he does the rest. <grin>
.
.
.
.
.
.

I suppose I shouldn’t joke about that. Can you believe people fall for that? Dunno if it’s true but I heard about two years ago there was a guy that got scammed and went to Nigeria and tried to get his money back and he wound up getting killed.

[loochie]

Originally posted by Quickdraw
To view the item, go to: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=119238649

Harry, you'll notice that link address does not go to ebay, it's going to a computer named cgi.ebay, plus it's missing the origin header of "www" That's how you know it's a fake.

[Quickdraw]

Looch,

I think that is a valid ebay URL... I just went to ebay, searched on an item number, and got this URL:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2474464694

[loochie]

ooops - my bad. that's what I get for listening to my brother-in-law!