Spam that includes only a PDF file as an attachment

[Donald]

I get some spam every once and awhile but it's just a email with a PDF attachment. Malwarebytes and ESET do not find anything wrong with the attachment.

So what are they trying to get me to do? Opening the PDF shows me a receipt and still neither Malwarebytes nor ESET find anything wrong.

 

[Pew]

The PDF is usually a fake document with a "click here to login a view" link to a fake website. That's how they get around AV scans and anti-spam filters.

Those and htm/html files are the most common ones but these tend to get blocked alot.

 

[Hall]

Opening the PDF shows me....

Why are you opening them ? Don't, just delete them.

 

[uc50ic4more]

1) You opening the attachment at all is very likely going to alert the spammers that the email address is a valid one and is checked and actioned upon; and is actioned upon by someone who will actually open an attachment in a spam email. The price for your email address on the black market will skyrocket.

2) Malicious stuff can be baked into a PDF. It will almost certainly require your action (click/tap on a link or otherwise engage with a graphical or text element) but it can be as nasty as a malicious web page.

3) An anti-virus service is never going to flag a PDF because PDF files are not executable.

 

[andrew_j]

Those pdf can be fake invoices for you to contact their support on however message might be getting messed up.

 

[ripcord]

Some versions of Adobe Acrobat have security flaws that can be exploited by malformed PDF documents. Best to just delete sketchy files like that.

 

[mk378]

Why do users make this so complicated? The only interaction with unsolicited email should be one click on the trash can icon.

DELETE IT

 

[Hall]

Why do users make this so complicated? The only interaction with unsolicited email should be one click on the trash can icon.

I know a person who thinks "what if it's an order from a new customer?" or "what if they are interested in our products?" and so on. I've said it here, I don't play "what if...." games.

 

[Donald]

I was really trying to see what type of spam this might me.

 

[mk378]

Armchair spam detective isn't a good idea. At best it's a waste of time. Leave this to the experts (which I'm not). And also those experts already have a copy, since that's how spam works.

 

[Donald]

Armchair spam detective isn't a good idea. At best it's a waste of time. Leave this to the experts (which I'm not). And also those experts already have a copy, since that's how spam works.

I actually work in computer security trying to keep the bad guys out of the mainframe.

 

[Pablo]

I actually work in computer security trying to keep the bad guys out of the mainframe.

I'm sure someone at an oil chat site can help!

I hope you are air gapped on a zero wireless PC when you are clicking about.

 

[Hall]

I actually work in computer security trying to keep the bad guys out of the mainframe.

How many PC-based virii infect mainframe systems ?

 

[2005jettatdi]

If I get an email with a link or attachment and no personal message in the body of the email it goes directly to trash. Clients have a hard time understanding I do this to protect their information.

If I get an email that says "Click this link to view your statement" it goes to the trash and I go to my bookmarks to log in and see if there is a statement. I just read 95% of infections are caused by error or carelessness.

 

[Donald]

How many PC-based virii infect mainframe systems ?

We worry about many things on the mainframe. But the security is bullet proof unless there are compromised user IDs.