Spam That Plays on Your Ego

"Earlier this year, I sent a notification email to you recognizing that Inboxer Inc had been selected for the 2009 Best of Concord Award in the Computer Integrated Systems Design category," began the email that I received this morning.  It further said that, "Each year, the US Commerce Association (USCA) identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success."

Sounds good.  It is exciting to win recognition from an organization that sounds so much like the Commerce Department.  And that is what they want you to believe.

A quick Google search found an article from the Better Business Bureau:

"Recent emails notifying businesses that they have won prestigious awards from a national association appear to be part of a widespread scheme designed to get companies to pay for “vanity” awards and plaques."

It is clever spam because it does not look like spam to your spam filter.  It mentions your business, the town that you are in, and a little about your line of business.  It even got past the InBoxer Anti-Spam Filter, which is rare.  It is also clever because it passes the human "smell test" for spam.  The message appeals to your vanity, sounds legitimate, and does not ask you to spend too much.  But, it seems to always make sense to do a quick Google search on any company before responding to their offer.