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You are here: MacNN Forums > News > Tech News > Claim: Apple's iMessage accounts for 30 percent of all mobile spam

Claim: Apple's iMessage accounts for 30 percent of all mobile spam
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NewsPoster
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Aug 20, 2014, 01:34 PM
 
Over 30 percent of all mobile spam messages are now being sent through Apple's iMessage system, claims Tom Landesman, a security researcher at Cloudmark. Many of the messages are pushing fake luxury products, such as sunglasses and handbags. Landesman explains that spammers are -- or were -- taking advantage of several aspects of Apple's ecosystem. However, Apple has responded to the charge, and said that some countermeasures have been implemented.

The most fundamental is that iMessage is preloaded on every Mac, iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, and syncs across those devices. Through AppleScript, it becomes possible to make a Mac automate the process of spamming content to thousands of people on multiple platforms, particularly hitting people who have iMessage linked to an email account and not just a phone number.

The Messages Mac app also notifies people whether or not a number is registered with iMessage, so it becomes relatively easy to generate a verified list. Read notifications let spammers check whether an account is active.

An Apple spokeswoman says she doesn't have a comment on the matter, but the company has already adopted some countermeasures in the past year. Rate-limiting prevents spammers from overwhelming the network, and people can email Apple with a screenshot and a spammer's details to get them banned. The company can, however, be relatively slow to enact those bans, taking days.
( Last edited by NewsPoster; Aug 22, 2014 at 04:48 AM. )
     
pairof9s
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Aug 20, 2014, 01:47 PM
 
So you mean that offer of making $2,000-$3,000 a week working from home is bogus?!
     
bdmarsh
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Aug 20, 2014, 01:47 PM
 
Interesting.
I also find it interesting/lucky I haven't received any of this spam yet
     
msuper69
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Aug 20, 2014, 02:01 PM
 
@pairof9s +1
     
DrSkywalker
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Aug 20, 2014, 02:22 PM
 
I call shenanigans. I haven't received one yet. Could this be FUD from iOS competitors????
     
ZinkDifferent
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Aug 20, 2014, 04:07 PM
 
No, it's not shenanigans. I have received such iMessage spam several times. It's very real.

It's always for fake rayban sunglasses, and always from Chinese email addresses / AppleIDs. Not really a surprise.
     
Truthsayer
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Aug 20, 2014, 07:10 PM
 
I don't know about iMessage spam, but the spam filter in the Apple Mail app on my Mac is next to useless.
     
Marook
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Aug 21, 2014, 07:20 AM
 
On iMessage, I can block all the numbers/emails I like - instantly - why do you need Apple to do this??
At least on OS X 9.n & iOS 7+
Anyway, I haven't seen any of those messages yet... On Skype though, it's another matter.. !
Marook
At least - it's a reply...
     
Charles Martin
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Aug 21, 2014, 05:19 PM
 
I've seen a single spam message, and of course blocked it. Skype is waaaaay worse about this, but that's not the point. Hopefully Apple will continue to revise the system to make spam messages more difficult to send.
Charles Martin
MacNN Editor
     
   
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