SpamStopsHere, Inc., the industry leading provider of e-mail security and spam filtering solutions, announces the detection of a new spam tactic in which MP3 files are used to promote stocks.  

In the first multi-media spam, spammers have begun attaching MP3 files which are named after popular recording artists and songs. After a recipient has opened the attachment, an electronically enhanced voice delivers a message promoting a stock for a particular company. The message is designed to encourage the recipient to invest in a particular company. The spam perpetrators then sell their shares after the stock price has risen briefly. This is typically known as a “pump and dump” scam. 

To listen to an actual MP3 spam message, please use the following URL: http://www.spamstopshere.com/spam.mp3 

The majority of antispam solutions on the market have difficulty recognizing the actual content of e-mail attachments and spammers are taking advantage of that. While SpamStopsHere relies on URL reputation and other filtering methods to detect spam, it has also developed tools to instantly detect any new type of spam and quickly block it. Its 24/7 support staff used these tools to successfully block MP3 spam campaigns within two hours. SpamStopsHere was the first anti-spam provider, last year, to successfully block the then new image spam.  

“I believe that what we are seeing right now is just a test by spammers to determine the effectiveness of MP3 spam,” said Ted Green, President of SpamStopsHere. “I don’t believe that MP3 spam will be the wave of the future. It is unlikely that people will fall for an MP3 spam more than once or twice, whereas text and image spam is hard to ignore because it’s in the body of the e-mail. I don’t think that MP3 spam on iPods is feasible, but spammers certainly are looking to target the new Apple iPhone.”