Spam mails: Someone released 1 element - what's the point?

Maybe you feel like me: In the last two weeks I have received countless emails with the following subject:

• Ingeborg Sauer shared 1 item
• Eckehard Schumacher shared 1 item
• Kunolf Groß shared 1 item

This list could go on indefinitely as the names look very generic.

It is interesting that the sender is always followed by "(via Google Drive)" - for example "Ingeborg Sauer (via Google Drive)". That already shows how the mails are sent, namely via a hack that apparently works via Google's cloud.

The purpose of Google Drive spam

When it comes to emails like this, I'm always interested in what people want to achieve with them. That's why I checked the email. The content of the email is:

Kunolf Groß shared 1 item

Kunolf Groß (xxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xx) shared the following:

🔥61398€ BONUS💳 Taking away the Super Dividend Now 33299736.pdf

[ open button ]

If you don't want to receive files from this person, block the sender in Drive

Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheater Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA

You're receiving this email because xxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xx has shared a file or folder with you in Google Drive.

Of course, the email addresses and names change with every email, but the button that opens the linked PDF is always there.

I just clicked on the PDF and opened it up. What then emerges is a very strange graphic that appears to contain a coupon code for a gambling site.

Below the graphic is an "Activate" button, which in turn contains a link to an online casino. Included in the link is a parameter called "affb_id" which indicates that the link is an affiliate link.

This means: If someone goes to the casino via this link and plays for money there, then the person who sent all these spam emails earns.

Conclusion: no acute danger

As annoying as these emails that come in via Google Drive are, at least there is currently no acute danger for the iPhone or Mac. Nevertheless, I would recommend deleting the emails directly and not clicking on the link.

A batch of such emails can go out at any time, which does not direct you to an online casino, but instead tries to plant malware on you. So you never know what's behind the link.

If you get strange emails that you can't classify, feel free to forward them to me. I'll take a look and maybe it's worth warning other users about.

Jen Kleinholz( Founder & Sir Apfelot )

Jens has been running the blog since 2012. He acts as Sir Apfelot for his readers and helps them with technical problems. In his spare time he rides electric unicycles, takes photos (preferably with the iPhone, of course), climbs around in the Hessian mountains or hikes with the family. His articles deal with Apple products, news from the world of drones or solutions to current bugs.