Comments on: A Wrench for Social Engineering http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/a-spanner-in-the-works-for-social-engineering.html Science Blog from Freelance Science Writer David Bradley Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:41:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: David Bradley http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/a-spanner-in-the-works-for-social-engineering.html/comment-page-1#comment-418819 David Bradley Tue, 06 May 2008 07:37:55 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/?p=1643#comment-418819 Hi Robert I don't think it would be worth the effort. If a phisher is sending out a million messages a day, then one misleading response is not going to impact them much, especially when estimates put positive responses at one in a 1000! Incidentally, there was a guy in the news last week who has collected and catalogued every spam message he ever received and there's another (well-known guy) who does respond to spam and phish with silly messages. As to risks it depends on what you're giving away by responding... I used to make stuff up for telemarketers too, but only to get a laugh out of them. After all they're usually just people too (not always, but usually) and they've got mouths to feed and mortgages to pay, it's not like they are the fat cats who own the cr*p being sold ;-) db Hi Robert

I don’t think it would be worth the effort. If a phisher is sending out a million messages a day, then one misleading response is not going to impact them much, especially when estimates put positive responses at one in a 1000! Incidentally, there was a guy in the news last week who has collected and catalogued every spam message he ever received and there’s another (well-known guy) who does respond to spam and phish with silly messages. As to risks it depends on what you’re giving away by responding…

I used to make stuff up for telemarketers too, but only to get a laugh out of them. After all they’re usually just people too (not always, but usually) and they’ve got mouths to feed and mortgages to pay, it’s not like they are the fat cats who own the cr*p being sold ;-)

db

]]> By: Robert Bowen http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/a-spanner-in-the-works-for-social-engineering.html/comment-page-1#comment-418182 Robert Bowen Mon, 05 May 2008 20:52:25 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/?p=1643#comment-418182 Has anyone researched the possible effects and risks of responding to spammers and phishers with mis- or disinformation? It seems that would divert some of their energy and make it less profitable. I'll make up stuff for telemarketers ( especially after a glass or two of wine) in the interests of wasting their time, but what about the safety of responding to the online weasels? Has anyone researched the possible effects and risks of responding to spammers and phishers with mis- or disinformation? It seems that would divert some of their energy and make it less profitable. I’ll make up stuff for telemarketers ( especially after a glass or two of wine) in the interests of wasting their time, but what about the safety of responding to the online weasels?

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