Your Invoice Is Attached

[fiction-factory]

In my spam box I have for some time been getting half a dozen emails a day saying my invoice/job offer /latest statement /refund notice/voicemail message/fax message is attached. I obviously delete them and don't even open them (as I see a preview of the first few words) .
Why do spammers send these? I assume the attachment contains some sort of malware but what is the objective of the spammer? Would the malware help them access my hard drive or emails? Is it just to cause mischief /disruption?

[TheChair]

//I assume the attachment contains some sort of malware but what is the objective of the spammer?//
The attachment might contain malware, but could equally contain a form to fill in or a link to a website as a phishing attempt - i.e. an attempt to get you to reveal sensitive info.

// Would the malware help them access my hard drive or emails?//
If there is malware, it might do any number of things - install a key-logger, or the crypto virus, or a variant, in order to blackmail you, or simply install a bot so that your machine can be used as part of a network for other nefarious purposes.

//Is it just to cause mischief /disruption?//
Rarely: most modern malware is about making money.

[EDDIE51]

My email has an option to automatically delete all emails from a particular sender. So if I get any spam I just set it to auto delete all emails from the same sender. It helps a lot.

[fiction-factory]

Thanks both.
The sender's email address changes every time- I can get the same invoice email from several totally different addresses eddie so that wouldn't work for me.
I thought it may be keyloggers but surely loads of people must click on such attachments at some stage (else the senders wouldn't bother) l loads of PCs will have been affected.
Thanks. Got to go to work now.

[woofgang]

they only have to have one person in thousands to click on the attachement to make it worth their while!

[TheChair]

//loads of PCs will have been affected. //
Back in 2014 it was estimated that 32 percent of the world's computers were infected by some kind of malware. I doubt if that figure has changed much.

[Peter Pedant]

The idea is to say that you need an electronic refund

and so if you were to give your bank details to them they would be more than ready to do it that afternoon .....

I only do paper banking ( been cloned ) and unfortunately like a lot of olds, I have therefore to pay a premium .....

[fiction-factory]

Thanks PP. So it can be an attempt to persuade me to hand over details or as The Chair says an attempt to infect me with malware to either install keyloggers or use my PC as a bot. If the statistics on malware are right (35%) then millions of UK computers could be affected by keyloggers which could cause serious damage to millions of bank accounts.
I would like to be able to open some of these attachments and possibly play along but it's too much of a risk