Just had what could be (to some people) a VERY scary threatening email.

[classic33]

I get these regularly. Delete it and do not give it a second thought.

Some people might, and that's what the senders of these are hoping for, I'd say.
Even if one person pays them, they've made a profit.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I get these regularly. Delete it and do not give it a second thought.

No, do give it a second thought. Spend a bit of time pondering how untrustworthy emails are and how suspicious you should be of them.

Email was invented when the internet was a simpler, safer place. The worst that was likely to happen was some mischievous nerdy computer students played a merry jape on you. Now it's the domain of spammers, scammers, phishers, bots and worse. It's a cesspit. Attempts to retro fit decent security onto email have been made but it's all a bit late now.

 

[markemark]

No, do give it a second thought. Spend a bit of time pondering how untrustworthy emails are and how suspicious you should be of them.

Email was invented when the internet was a simpler, safer place. The worst that was likely to happen was some mischievous nerdy computer students played a merry jape on you. Now it's the domain of spammers, scammers, phishers, bots and worse. It's a cesspit. Attempts to retro fit decent security onto email have been made but it's all a bit late now.

If I pondered that every time I got a dodgy email I'd be wasting part of my day. Granted I have many email addresses and have SPAM settings on moderate to not miss certain important ones...but I see plenty of dodgy ones and just delete and they're forgotten by the time my finger lifts.
But ponder away if that suits you.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

No, do give it a second thought. Spend a bit of time pondering how untrustworthy emails are and how suspicious you should be of them.

Email was invented when the internet was a simpler, safer place. The worst that was likely to happen was some mischievous nerdy computer students played a merry jape on you. Now it's the domain of spammers, scammers, phishers, bots and worse. It's a cesspit. Attempts to retro fit decent security onto email have been made but it's all a bit late now.

When I was a programmer I had to write a replacement for the email system on one of our main systems


I was shocked at how easy it was - once I had disabled the supplied system I just wrote a simple program based on the right IP Address and port number and suddenly all emails send to that system went through my program

worst thing was that when you send an email things like who is sending it and where it comes from is just data
absolutely no protection or anything

My boss refused to believe that it was so simple and open
called me some name (we got on well - so I didn;t have to go to HR!!)

and in the next minute he got an email from his boss
his boss's boss
the CEO of the company
and the President of the USA

all telling him he was a prat


he believed me after that - but it showed how simple and trusting the Internet was in the early days

 

[Dogtrousers]

When I was a programmer I had to write a replacement for the email system on one of our main systems


I was shocked at how easy it was - once I had disabled the supplied system I just wrote a simple program based on the right IP Address and port number and suddenly all emails send to that system went through my program

worst thing was that when you send an email things like who is sending it and where it comes from is just data
absolutely no protection or anything

My boss refused to believe that it was so simple and open
called me some name (we got on well - so I didn;t have to go to HR!!)

and in the next minute he got an email from his boss
his boss's boss
the CEO of the company
and the President of the USA

all telling him he was a prat


he believed me after that - but it showed how simple and trusting the Internet was in the early days

They've cobbled some bits on to it so it's not quite so easy and open, or at least you can still amend the data but at least some of your fakery should be detectable (SPF and DKIM if you want to read up about it and reminisce about your old job).