Spam Campaign Imitates Genuine Business Opportunity

Spammer tactics evolve faster than entrepreneurs' ability to detect them.

Columbus, OH (PRWEB) August 4, 2006 – The war on spam has not ceased since it became the curse of having an email address. Email providers tout themselves as a refuge for those frustrated by spam, and at least one association has been formed to push for legislation against unsolicited commercial email (UCE). Most people confidently identify spam and delete it without delay.

It may be time to upgrade anti-spam defenses because spammers are getting smarter. Instead of blasting inboxes with messages that unashamedly reek of spam, they are trying a softer approach that appeals to our emotions and makes us want to respond.

Kristen Hallows, owner of resume writing and career coaching firm Job You Deserve, recently received a vague email from a company she did not recognize. The sender said she was doing research for a company that will be writing an article about resume writing. The email asked Mrs. Hallows if she would like JobYouDeserve.com to be featured in the company’s “popular online publication.”

Mrs. Hallows was flattered yet skeptical. She Googled the company name to obtain more information, and the first result was a link to a forum. Entrepreneurs like Mrs. Hallows were discussing the legitimacy of an almost identical email they had also received from this company. Subjects of the articles the company was going to be writing ranged from Lyme disease to personalized chocolates.

The discussion board exposed the true intent of this seemingly interesting proposal. Mrs. Hallows thought she was being offered exposure for Job You Deserve, when in fact the email was just a decoy designed to entice readers to contact an organization, which is actually a provider of search engine optimization services.

While it was disappointing to discover that she was one of countless entrepreneurial targets, Mrs. Hallows does not blame companies for getting creative with their advertising attempts. “It was almost as if someone had read my mind. I was actually looking for ways to get Job You Deserve featured in a ‘popular online publication’ or two,” she says. Mrs. Hallows has one suggestion for other companies that may employ a similar tactic. “Make sure the fictitious employee who sends the red herring email has a first and last name. The sender's lack of a surname was my first tip-off.”

About Job You Deserve

Job You Deserve is a resume writing and career coaching firm dedicated to people who believe they deserve better. Through strategic partnerships with area professionals, Job You Deserve also helps clients determine their ideal career paths and connects them with prospective employers. For more information or to contact Job You Deserve, please visit www.jobyoudeserve.com or call 614-589-8720.

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