Today a client forwarded an email message to me–worried it meant that her Yahoo Search Marketing account was going to be canceled.  The body of the message is at the bottom of this post.  This message is nothing but a scammers attempt to phish for Yahoo advertiser’s account names and passwords in order to hijack accounts and access personal or billing information that are on file in the account.  I would expect they have an equivalent phishing scheme set up for Google Adwords advertisers. 

I am glad my client forwarded me the message rather than responding.  The link included in the message (I’ve removed it below for safety reasons) takes the scam target to a website that looks like Yahoo but is NOT owned by Yahoo.  Be vary wary of links within emails particularly from large companies such as eBay, Paypal, Yahoo, and Google.  Always check that these direct to CompanyName.com, NOT something like company.anotherdomain.com. Your safest bet is to always use your EXISTING bookmarks or go to the company’s home page and find the login link from there. 

Here’s the scammer’s email.  Note the sense of urgency and the limited options given for response (”do not respond to this email”, no customer service phone number- just the phishing link)

Renew Your Account Now !

Dear Advertiser,   This is your official notification from Yahoo! Inc. that the service(s) listed below will be deactivated and deleted if not renewed immediately.    As the Primary Contact, you must renew the service(s) listed below or it will be deactivated and deleted.   Renew Now your Yahoo Sponsored Search services.

SERVICE: Yahoo Sponsored Search
EXPIRATION: April, 1 2008Thank you for using Yahoo Inc service.
We appreciate your business and the opportunity to serve you. Yahoo Inc. Sponsored Search Service*Note:Please do not reply this Customer Service e-mail.

ed. 4/14/08
As expected, I have seen my first example of the Google-version of this phishing technique. Here’s an example email below:

Dear Google AdWords Customer,

Your ads have stopped running because we were unable to process your billing information.

We will reactivate you account after you update your billing information.

In order to reactivate your account, please sign it to your account at
http://adwords.google.com/select/login  (<<< this URL did NOT link to page that is displayed, but a page meant to LOOK like Google’s login page), and update your billing information.
Once your account is reactivated and your billing information has been processed,
any your ads and campaigns can begin running immediately on Google.

Advertise your business on Google
No matter what your budget, you can display your ads on Google and our advertising network. Pay only if people click your ads.

———————————————————————————-
The Google AdWords Team

Today I received notification that Constant Contact is changing their policies and will no longer have unlimited trial usage for mail lists with under 50 subscribers (useful for some of the non-profits or clubs that I’ve worked with). Now any list from 0-500 subscribers is subject to the $15 per month rate.
Also changing recently is the Express Email Marketing service that we resell through our YNot Shop. This service once was extremely affordable- as low as $9.95 per year! - but now the lowest we are allowed to offer it is $3.99 per month.
With all these recent pricing changes, I thought I’d take the opportunity to resummarize some of the autoresponder and mail list services I’ve previously recommended (see May 26, 2006) with their current 2007 monthly and yearly rates.

Service	Lowest Monthly Rate	Lowest Annual Rate	Restrictions at this price
AWeber	$19.95	$179.40	10,000 subscribers/unlim list
Constant Contact	$15	$153.00	500 subscribers
Express Email Marketing	$3.99 $7.99	$43.00 $86.28	250 emails per month 500 emails per month
Email Aces	$8.95	$107.40	2500 subscribers/1 list
GetResponse	$17.95	$145.40	unlimited/unlimited list

For the smallest lists, Express Email Marketing still wins out as the economical choice, however for larger than 250 but less than 2500 subscribers/emails Email Aces jumps into play, with GetResponse being the best value for large list owners or business with needs for unlimited lists (both Express Email Marketing and Email Aces cheapest plans only allow for one single list).

Okay, having the same question come in from several different clients is a sign that I just need to add the answer here. 

Question: How do I Share files with clients/colleagues/prospects when it is too big or gets blocked from going through email?

Answer: By using one of the many File Sharing Services available on the web.

File Sharing Services are basically renting space to host files specifically- sometimes for backup purposes, sometimes for sharing and collaborating with teams, sometimes to just make a large file available to someone who cannot receive it through email, etc.

You are probably familiar with places that specialize in photo sharing so your friends and family can see your vacation pix, etc. That is just a basic use.

True filesharing sites are more secure. The one I sell through the YNot Shop lets you upload files to a secure location and then email them to your recipients (instead of emailing an attachment, it emails them a link to download the document).  Here’s the link to read more:
Online File Folder (as low as $5/year )

Other file sharing services allow you to set up several users that are allowed to share and view the same space with the option to set some accounts with upload abilities(you) and some with download abilities (your clients). If you’re not a YNot Web client, or prefer one of these other scenarios, here are some other providers off the top of my head:

XDrive (free - $10/month)
GoDaddy ($6/year, go to Email options to find File Folders there)

Now granted, this is not the only way to share files.  Most web hosts will let you set up passworded FTP sites or you could also set up a password protected directory on your web site that holds files and such for downloads.  You then give the password to only those people you want access.  However, I have found this method seems overly complicated for most my clients and the small expense of a third-party file sharing service is worth it for ease of use for both them and their intended file recipients.

Lately I have been receiving a huge amount of spam- not those normal levels of annoying amounts that get stuck in my spam filter anyway- but a noticable influx alot of which is getting through my spam filters with business-like topics such as “RE: Our meeting” and “Nice to meet you”.

So I started to investigate and fortunately for me, MOST this new spam is coming through one particular address.  See, I set up addresses just for this purpose- spam avoidance.  Not only can I change this address, I can set up “spam catchers” to discover who may have leaked my address to spammers.  Let me explain.

The address I am getting this huge new amount of spam is one I use for ‘art’ related services- stock photography, icons, images, etc. that I use in the course of my business.  I have used this address for three companies.  Suspiciously, I recently cancelled my membership with one of these companies… so I have my main suspect.  Often companies will sell or give your contact information to 3rd parties which is why you MUST read their privacy policies.

So to prove where these spam may have originated from (in case the two companies I continue to work with are not honoring their privacy policy), I just added two addresses- one for each of these companies and updated my profile with each.  My previous email address no longer exists and I will be instantly alleviated of the spam.  If either of my current art contacts sells or shares my address, I will know exactly who the problem-child is and end my business-relationship with them.

Forwarding email addresses are great for this purpose– check your domain registrar or web host. Most of them (including YNot Web) include Free Unlimited forwarding or “alias” email addresses. Try it out -especially when you are unsure of who you are dealing with on the internet.

Recently, I’ve been a victim of spam by several local businesses.? I am pretty sure these small local businesses are not really cognizant of the fact that they are, in fact, spamming.? Somehow these business got the email addresses from the local Chamber of Commerce and they must think its “okay”.? Its not okay- it is spam and most of them have been in violation of the FTC’s CAN-SPAM Act (U.S. law in effect since January 2004).

For those with “fuzzy” definitions of what spam is, here is a reality check.? The definition of spam:

spam noun?
electronic junk mail: an unsolicited, often commercial, message transmitted through the Internet as a mass mailing to a large number of recipients

to spam transitive and intransitive verb?
to send unwanted e-mail: to send an unsolicited e-mail message, often an advertisement, to many people

Are you a spammer?? When you send commercial or advertising?email are you following the CAN-SPAM legal requirements?? For more information on spam, and what you can do if you receive it, see the Federal Trade Commission’s website.