Diwali is a “Festival of Lights” celebrated across India between late October and early November. This year, Diwali will be celebrated from November 3rd to November 7th. It is symbolic of a ‘new beginning’, the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and the welcoming of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. Therefore, it is a grand celebration. The inner joy and liberation that one feels is articulated in a myriad of expressions: preparation of delicious sweets, entertainment, lighting crackers, decorations, visiting loved ones, and exchanging gifts.
Traditionally, Diwali is also an auspicious time ‘to buy’ and ‘to spend’. Discounts and special offers decorate the walls of every mall and shop and even online shopping Web sites. This is the best opportunity for spammers who don’t blink twice in exploiting such revelry. We are already observing considerable spam volume exploiting this popular Indian festival.
One of the spam categories used by spammers is a ‘fake product offer’ promoting various products at discounted price, where the URL redirects the user to a spam Web page that asks for personal data and sensitive banking information.
Another trick employed by spammers is the use of ‘419 scams’ where in user will receive e- mail from big brands claiming that the user’s email has been selected for a Diwali draw and that an exorbitant amount has been won. Beware of such false claims!
Following are examples of spam subject lines:
Subject: DIWALI OFFER FROM <removed> UK.
Subject: Celebrate this Diwali with <removed> T-Shirts - Redeem voucher included
Subject: <removed>: Diwali offer
While wishing everybody health, wealth, and prosperity during this festive season, Symantec would also like to advise its readers to be cautious from prowling spammers by updating their anti-spam signatures regularly to avoid having their personal information compromised.
Wishing you a very happy Diwali!
Note: Special thanks to Christopher Mendes for his blog contribution.