Spark email security filtering is appalling

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Spark email security filtering is appalling

FineWine

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Nurse (R)

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#165830 21-Feb-2015 23:36

My brother in-law unfortunately answered the below email and then contacted me when he realised he had made a huge error. He had given them all his details; address, phones and credit card details. I immediately told him to cancel his cards, which he did. But because he has legitimised his email address he keeps receiving them. I myself have even been the recipient of these phishing emails this year.

On doing some research these emails are well known around the world so;

why isn't Spark/Yahoo security software blocking these emails????

I have included two such emails with different 'From' addresses but both saying essentially the same thing.

So far the 'From' addresses have been:

<accounts@icloud-messages.co.uk>
<helpdesk@appleigenius.eu>
<noreply@apple.com>

Spark get your act together or are you wanting us to fork out more money for your Security Suite. $95 for the basic and $150 for the premium. You should be on top of your game and adding and then automatically blocking KNOWN phishing addresses. This is appalling.

Cheers

To: **********@xtra.co.nz
Subject: iCloud Cancellation
Date: 1 February 2015 07:11:14 NZDT
From: "Apple Helpdesk" <accounts@icloud-messages.co.uk>
Reply-To: accounts@icloud-messages.co.uk

iCloud ID - **********@xtra.co.nz

This is the final notice to inform you as of 31 - January - 2015 that you have not yet updated your account information. Under "Know your Customer" legislation Apple Inc is required to perform a validation of your information, failure to do so will result in termination of your service in less than 48 hours.

To stop the termination of your Apple and iCloud please validate your account information before the deadline.

Please continue to Validate your iTunes Profile »

Case Your Reference: #R3BMN41116-A125

Sincerely,
Apple Inc.

My Apple ID | Support | Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe

Copyright © 2015 Apple Inc. 31-23, Rue Sainte Zithe, L-2763 Luxembourg‎ All Rights Reserved.

Since
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

To: ***********@xtra.co.nz
Subject: Your iCloud Cancellation
Date: 20 February 2015 05:18:57 NZDT
From: "iCloud Guru Support" <helpdesk@appleigenius.eu>
Reply-To: helpdesk@appleigenius.eu

Apple ID - **************@xtra.co.nz

This is the final notice to notify you as of 19 - February - 2015 that you have not yet updated your Apple ID information. Under "Know your Customer (KYC)" legislation Apple Inc is required by law to perform a verification of your Apple ID, failure to do so will result in deletion of your Apple ID and associated information in less than 48 hours.

Please continue to » Update your iTunes ID

To prevent the deletion of your Apple ID please you Apple ID information before the deadline.

Resolution Support Request ID: #K8AA11914-1358

Sincerely,
Apple Inc.

Whilst the difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a bit longer. However, miracles you will have to wait for.

nathan

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#1243972 22-Feb-2015 00:03

can you block them in your email client?

mattwnz

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#1243973 22-Feb-2015 00:04

It's a free service subcontracted out to yahoo, what do you expect. Get a gmail account, or purchase a paid email server where you can then get some accountability .

freitasm

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Geekzone

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#1243992 22-Feb-2015 08:16

I think it's unfair to go like this on a provider.

Spam filters are on a best basis and it's almost impossible to weed out all the fake emails while letting in the good ones. If too many are blocked with false positives people will complain of not receiving emails - and some people might have messages that could easily triggers a flag and block those.

Put in another way: if someone calls your brother-in-law saying it's from the bank or credit card and asking "Before we can proceed we need to identify you. Please tell us your access number and PIN..." would he give the number or tell the person he will call back on the bank's phone number in the back of the card?

People should be very alert when reading unsolicited messages. We have better capacity to filter out spam/scam than a computer has. In case your brother-in-law needs a Windows-based anti-spam (assuming he is not using a Mac), Spark offer FREE McAfee to every broadband user.

FineWine

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Nurse (R)

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#1244279 22-Feb-2015 17:42

freitasm: I think it's unfair to go like this on a provider.

freitasm: People should be very alert when reading unsolicited messages. We have better capacity to filter out spam/scam than a computer has. In case your brother-in-law needs a Windows-based anti-spam (assuming he is not using a Mac), Spark offer FREE McAfee to every broadband user.

Yes my brother-in-law was foolish but he is a techno Luddite and I have been sorting out his Apple Mac based problems for years but my point is; if you google the above addresses, especially the first and third ones, you will find hundreds of reports, discussions & notices concerning these spam email addresses going back to at least Feb 2013, that is certainly time enough for Spark/Yahoo to add them to their Block list.

freitasm:We have better capacity to filter out spam/scam than a computer has.

When you say 'We' do you mean the Server side of things or the Home computer side. If you mean the Server side then the 'better capacity' is failing. If you mean the Home side and you are a MS Windows user, well what can I say, MS OS software have always needed security software installed and you are a fool if you do not install some. But in this case it is Apple OS. But operating systems aside, ISP's have the technology to filter these addresses and signatures out if their management is on the ball and clearly Spark/Yahoo email services are not.

Whilst the difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a bit longer. However, miracles you will have to wait for.

nathan

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#1244284 22-Feb-2015 17:48

Apple users are not magically immune to malware. FWIW.

FineWine

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Nurse (R)

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#1244286 22-Feb-2015 17:55

nathan: Apple users are not magically immune to malware. FWIW.

Yes I know. malware is dependant upon the user doing something stupid, like clicking on links, downloading software, media, from dodgy sites, etc.

Whilst the difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a bit longer. However, miracles you will have to wait for.

DarkShadow

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#1244292 22-Feb-2015 18:23

FineWine:
nathan: Apple users are not magically immune to malware. FWIW.

Yes I know. malware is dependant upon the user doing something stupid, like clicking on links, downloading software, media, from dodgy sites, etc.

We can add buying a laptop form a Chinese company to that list now...

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freitasm

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#1244311 22-Feb-2015 18:47

FineWine:
freitasm: I think it's unfair to go like this on a provider.

freitasm: People should be very alert when reading unsolicited messages. We have better capacity to filter out spam/scam than a computer has. In case your brother-in-law needs a Windows-based anti-spam (assuming he is not using a Mac), Spark offer FREE McAfee to every broadband user.

Yes my brother-in-law was foolish but he is a techno Luddite and I have been sorting out his Apple Mac based problems for years but my point is; if you google the above addresses, especially the first and third ones, you will find hundreds of reports, discussions & notices concerning these spam email addresses going back to at least Feb 2013, that is certainly time enough for Spark/Yahoo to add them to their Block list.

Emails found on a search aren't added to blacklists. People need to report those emails to the provider, usually by clicking a button "This is spam". And even so, out of millions emails sent every hour, only one, two or hundred reports won't be enough to blacklist an email. Everyone needs to do their job by helping flagging emails that pass the filters.

FineWine:
freitasm:We have better capacity to filter out spam/scam than a computer has.

When you say 'We' do you mean the Server side of things or the Home computer side. If you mean the Server side then the 'better capacity' is failing.

By WE I mean WE, HUMANS. That's the last line of defence.

FineWine: If you mean the Home side and you are a MS Windows user, well what can I say, MS OS software have always needed security software installed and you are a fool if you do not install some. But in this case it is Apple OS. But operating systems aside, ISP's have the technology to filter these addresses and signatures out if their management is on the ball and clearly Spark/Yahoo email services are not.

Any OS has vulnerabilities. Don't think that just because someone is running Linux or OS X they're immune. The worst vulnerability is the human factor and the best defence is common sense.

Having the best anti-malware software in any platform won't help if someone click INSTALL | NEXT | NEXT | OK or fill an online form because of an email.

Inphinity

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#1244338 22-Feb-2015 19:28

I find the fact that someone would believe those messages on face value more appalling than the fact that thee ISP isn't automagically blocking emails you don't like. If these came in good ol' snail mail, and just went "Hey there, please send us some money, thanks. From Apple." would it be NZ Posts fault when you got duped? And as soon as an email that someone *wanted* to receive is blocked, it's all "OMG THEY ARE TOO STRICT ON SPAMM!11onEONE!".

Sideface

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#1244446 22-Feb-2015 21:25

Inphinity: I find the fact that someone would believe those messages on face value more appalling than the fact that thee ISP isn't automagically blocking emails you don't like. ...

"Techno-Luddites" may be less likely to realise that legit IT companies/banks don't send our messages like this.
To a Geekzoner this would be blindingly obvious.
But most people are not Geekzoners.
Phishers only need one person in a thousand to fall for it ...

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freitasm

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#1244462 22-Feb-2015 22:14

Those who know should educate others. One at a time.

I think I made great progress with in-laws...

linw

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#1244608 23-Feb-2015 09:44

No good blasting Yahoo here. For heavens sake, tell/force your BIL to switch to a gmail account as their spam filter is very very good (note I didn't say infallible!).

After that, give him Mauricio's advice. We really are the last line of defence.

But I also know about your frustration with trying to help with these events having recently had to clean a friend's comp after he let the nice helpful Indian man 'fix' his computer!

FineWine

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Nurse (R)

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#1244638 23-Feb-2015 10:25

After doing some research within Spark website, that was not easy ended up using the search term 'report spam emails' I came across this page 'Stop spam downloading to your mail client' and here 'Yahoo Xtra Mail - Troubleshooting'

The first links instructions need to be updated they are wrong. I did send feed back. I also sent a copy of my spam email as per the second link.

As the first links instructions are incorrect I sent my own instructions to my B-I-L.

I still get back to my first observation that these spam addresses have been around for a while and should already be known to Spark/Yahoo. My new observation is that on the Spark page/s there is no obvious or easy way to report these spam addresses ESPECIALLY if you are not email/internet savvy.

Whilst the difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a bit longer. However, miracles you will have to wait for.

Oblivian

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#1244643 23-Feb-2015 10:37

As its outsourced to Yahoo, the only way to report, is use their designed apps (which push nasty dating messages etc in between legitimate ones) and click the this is spam button, or drop your client and predominantly use webmail.

1101

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#1244671 23-Feb-2015 11:33

freitasm: I think it's unfair to go like this on a provider.

Unless its justified.
Yahoo/extra spam filtering is appaulingly bad. Has been since day 1

I have the issue of it blocking legit emails.
Can the yahoo/xtra spam Filter be turned off: NO !!! (why not)

But I agree, no spam filter will catch all spam .

Reporting new spam email really does not help. You may stop a single spammer (perhaps), but it wont stop the next one or the one after that.