Would you click on that?

Inexperienced (young and old) users connect to the web every minute. Once these users set up an email account, or navigate to a non-reputable site on the web, they can fall prey to online scams.

Spammers and phishers (which I’m lumping together as ‘scammers’, for lack of a better term) are getting more clever. I’ve posted about this in various ‘scary phish’ posts, where I deconstruct a piece of scam mail that’s landed in my Inbox. Even with language barriers (which are immediate giveaways to a scam mail), the scammers utilize components (like images) from legitimate sites to improve the quality of the illusion to trap customers of these sites.

The scammers use frightening language, like "your account will be closed" or "it appears your account has been compromised" to lure users into their schemes, and a small percentage (albeit enough to continue to fund these operations) fall prey to their traps.

Baseline  posts: "Why We Click", presenting details of some of the psychological tricks scammers are using to trap users on the web.

About Michael Coates
I am a pragmatic evangelist. The products, services and solutions I write about fulfill real-world expectations and use cases. I stay up-to-date on real products I use and review, and share my thoughts here. I apply the same lens when designing an architecture, product or when writing papers. I am always looking for ways that technology can create or enhance a business opportunity .. not just technology for technology's sake. My CV says: Seasoned technology executive, leveraging years of experience with enterprise and integration architectural patterns, executed with healthy doses of business acumen and pragmatism. That's me. My web site says: Technology innovations provide a myriad of opportunities for businesses. That said, having the "latest and greatest" for its own sake isn't always a recipe for success. Business successes gained through exploiting innovation relies on analysis of how the new features will enhance your business followed by effective implementation. Goals vary far and wide: streamlining operations, improving customer experience, extending brand, and many more. In all cases, you must identify and collect the metrics you can apply to measure your success. Analysis must be holistic and balanced: business and operational needs must be considered when capitalizing on a new technology asset or opportunity.

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