“Unable to Display Full Message” Spam Emails

Outline:
Emails claim that due to an error, they are unable to show you the full message and suggest that you click a link to view the message. They include an “error code” that is supposedly related to the display problem described.




Analysis:
The emails are spam. The claim that an error is stopping you from viewing the full message is a simple social engineering tactic designed to trick you into visiting a spam website. The supposed mail error code included in the message is an attempt to add a technical element to the bogus error claim.

There are many variants of these emails. The wording and “error codes” vary considerably, but all suggest that you will need to click a link because some problem is stopping the message from being displayed correctly.

The links in the emails usually open fraudulent websites that have been built to emulate various high-profile news and media sites such as Forbes,  BBC, and CNN. These bogus sites try to sell you a range of decidedly dodgy products and services that you are best to stay well away from.

As usual, the best way of dealing with spam messages is to hit the “delete” key.

Last updated: December 6, 2016
First published: December 6, 2016
By Brett M. Christensen
About Hoax-Slayer

References
Spam? Delete, Delete, Delete!
Spam Reports