Analysis of 1,407 Emails Finds Sales Spam Dominated, While Phone and “I Hacked You” Scams Rose
Summary
Analysts categorized 1,407 emails sent to addresses sourced from darknet combolists. Sales spam was most common; phone scams and “I hacked you” emails increased. The article says every email attachment in the sample contained malware.
Key points
- Analysts created accounts for fake email addresses found on the darknet, mainly in combolists, and categorized 1,407 emails received over a year.
- Generic sales spam was the largest category, with 365 emails (26%); survey scams accounted for 245 (17.5%), and “I hacked you” scams for 237 (16.8%).
- The authors reported increases in phone scams and “I hacked you” scams compared with previous years; phone scams often used fake subscription invoices and toll-free numbers to solicit information or trick recipients into installing ransomware.
- Of 97 “you’ve won free stuff” emails, the article says links or attachments led to ransomware installation.
- Only four emails were marked “High Priority.” The authors also reported just three IRS scams in the sample.
- The article says 7.53% of analyzed emails had attachments and that every attachment contained malware.
Article Details
- Publisher
- DarkOwl
- Report Period
- One-year observation period; exact start and end dates not stated. Published 2023-04-01.
- Scope
- Phishing and spam emails received by fake email addresses sourced mainly from darknet combolists.
- Sample Size
- 1,407 emails
- Key Statistics
- 365 emails (about 26%) were sales or personal-services spam.
- 245 emails (about 17.5%) were survey scams; 237 (about 16.8%) were “I hacked you” scams.
- Only 4 emails were marked “High Priority.”
- 7.53% of analyzed emails had an attachment; the report states every such attachment contained malware.
- Recommendations
- Treat email attachments as malicious unless they can be verified in a safe sandboxed environment.