Finding a Pot of Gold at the End of an Internet Rainbow: Further Examination of Fraudulent Email Solicitation

The amount of Internet spam has grown exponentially over the last decade. While much of this unsolicited email is harmless advertising, a growing proportion of it is insidious in nature and fraudulent in intent. The current research assesses the nature of this type of criminal approach. Two email accounts captured a total of 476 unsolicited emails identified as suspect in intent over a three month period. The researchers analyzed the nature of the solicitation, the nature of the solicitor, and the information asked of the target. Initial findings suggest relationship-building social engineering methods are preferred over direct inquiry of sensitive information. A descriptive analysis is provided and policy implications are discussed. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]