Advids Spam Email and What to Do About It

Friday, November 29 2019

First of all, if you receive these emails, please report them to Google as spam. Use SpamCop, submit the message via this form and/or forward the full message with all headers as detailed by Google:

If you identify a Gmail user who is violating these agreements, at your domain or another domain, you can report the abuse to Google by sending an email message to abuse@domain.com or postmaster@domain.com, where domain.com is the domain where the abuse occurs. Google monitors these addresses for every domain registered with G Suite.

I’d also appreciate copies of the original junk messages so I can keep the information in this post current. When you decide to email them to me, please do not forward but export them to files and tar/zip them up, then attach the resulting archive. My spam filter is sure to eat them otherwise.

For a long time now I periodically receive the same emails from an outfit calling itself Advids. They send unsolicited emails reading something like the following. [CAPS] denote values redacted by me. Also, I have removed all URLs. They have begun to link to Google searches instead of their URLs.

Hi [NAME],
My name is Jai and I’m Producer at Advids.
We are a Video Content creation solution that helps businesses create videos easily. I would like to invite you to checkout Advids.
Please review how you can easily produce quality videos to show or communicate more about Herr Bischoff.
Would love to share details about the cost and sample videos we have created in similar industry. I look forward to hear your thoughts and ideas on creating video content.
Thanks,
Jai
Director & Producer
Advids
Video Creation made easy
PH +1 650-515-3363
Fill Email To Unsubscribe

or more recently like this (provided to me):

Hi [NAME],
I’m Jai working as a Producer at Advids.
We can help you communicate etc with custom marketing videos. Do checkout similar video ad examples.
Would you be available to evaluate costs, timeline and content options?
Thanks,
Be Awesome
Jai || Director & Producer
PH +18664483073
Fill Email To Unsubscribe

Even more recently (also provided to me):

Hi [NAME],
[COMPANY_NAME] can create top quality explainers, video ads & video edits to reach new audiences with Advids.
Review our Design capabilities.
Video creation ranges from $1000 to $1800.
Can we chat & discuss more?
Be Awesome
Jai || Director & Producer
Advids
PH +18664483073
Fill email to unsubscribe

Also:

Hi [NAME],
Answer why , how it works and benefits for potential clients using explainers, & video ads easily with Advids.
Review our Design capabilities.
Video creation ranges from $1000 to $1800.
Can we chat & discuss more?
Be Awesome
Orko || Director & Producer
Advids
PH +18664483073
Fill email to unsubscribe

Also:

Hi [NAME],
I am Jai from Advids.
Using videos to drive awareness and engagement on these topics would be great.
Data center service provider Specialist integration Virtual server
Please review our Design capabilities video.
Video creation ranges from $1000 to $1800.
Can we discuss examples from your industry, execution and options?
Be Awesome
Jai || Director & Producer
PH +18664483073
Fill email to unsubscribe

And yet again:

Hi [NAME],
Jai here from Advids.
We design explainers and video ads to communicate company offerings & features in 60 seconds.
Sharing our Design capabilities.
60 seconds video costs $ 800 to $ 1200.
Can we chat and discuss more?
Be Awesome
Jai || Director & Producer
Advids
P.S. If you don’t want to hear from me again, please let me know.

Never ending:

Hi [NAME],
Jai here from Advids.
We design explainers and video ads to communicate company offerings & features in 60 seconds.
Sharing our Design capabilities.
Similar video production costs $ 800 to $ 1200.
Can we chat and discuss more?
Be Awesome
Jai || Director & Producer
Advids | 3000+ Businesses trust Advids for video content
P.S. If you don’t want to hear from me again, please let me know.

Also:

Hi [NAME],
[COMPANY] can produce explainers, video ads & video edits easily with Advids.
Review our Design capabilities.
Video creation ranges from $1000 to $1800.
Can we chat & discuss more?
Be Awesome
Orko || Director & Producer
Advids
PH +18664483073

Marketing funnels:

Hi [NAME],
[COMPANY] can add explainers, video ads & video edits to the marketing funnel with Advids.
Review our Design capabilities.
Video creation ranges from $1000 to $1800.
Can we chat & discuss more?
Be Awesome
Jai || Director & Producer
Advids
PH +18664483073

Even spammers appear to be affected by inflation and recently adjusted their pricing:

Hi [NAME],
Explain how it works and benefits using explainers & video ads easily with Advids.
Sharing our Design capabilities.
Video production costs $ 1000 to $ 2500.
Can we chat and discuss more?
Be Awesome
Jai || Director & Producer
Advids | 3000+ Businesses trust Advids for video content
P.S. If you don’t want to hear from me again, please let me know.

Most of the time the dude calls itself Jai, sometimes Orko. The reason the emails keep coming through is due to them using commercial Google infrastructure — and emails coming from Google servers are often implicitly trusted in a way that emails originating from other hosts are not. Annoyingly, they keep getting shut down but just pop right up again with another paid account. They also spam mailing lists and other venues.

Here are some of the email addresses used over time:

garg-jai@advids-content.com
gautamjai@advidcreative.net
i_orko@getadvids.net
jai-g@advidstudios.com
jai.a@advidsglobal.site
jai.c@advidsdesign.net
jai.d@advidagency.works
jai.d@advidscontent.net
jai.e@advidscontent.info
jai.e@advidsdesign.com
jai.g@advidsdigital.com
jai.gaonkar@advids-media.org
jai.gavaskar@advidsagency.org
jai.i@advidscreative.net
jai.l@advid-interactiv.design
jai.n@advidstudio.productions
jai.p@advidesign.agency
jai.q@advidsmediadesign.digital
jai.raj@advidslab.co
jai.raj@tryadvids.co
jai.rajput@theadvids.co
jai.s@advids-digital.company
jai.s@advidsdesign.com
jai.x@advidsagency.services
jai_e@advidsdigital.net
jai_g@advids-agency.com
jai_g@advidsagency.cc
jai_gahlot@advids-digital.company
jai_ghani@advidsconnect.com
jai_i@videoadvids.net
jai_j@advidesigns.com
jaig@advidsdigital.co
jaigadkari@advids-media.org
jaigandhi@advidsagency.org
jaighosh@advids-content.com
n.jai@advids-connect.com
orko-h@advids-content.com
orko.k@advidesigns.com
orko.p@advidsonline.net
orko.rai@advids-production.co
orko.rai@advidspixel.co
orko.raina@advidsconnect.net
orko_a@advidstudios.net
orko_r@advidsonline.org
orko_v@advidsmail.com
p-orko@advidsweb.studio
rajan.orko@advids-agency.org
rajatorko@advids-digital.company
v_jai@studioadvids.info

Some domains contained in the email body:

advid-interactiv.design
advidagency.works
advidcreative.net
advidesign.agency
advidesigns.com
advidesigns.net
advids-agency.com
advids-agency.org
advids-connect.com
advids-content.com
advids-digital.company
advids-media.org
advids-online.org
advids-production.co
advids.co
advids.io
advids.net
advids.style
advids2.com
advidsagency.cc
advidsagency.co
advidsagency.org
advidsagency.services
advidsconnect.com
advidsconnect.net
advidscontent.info
advidscontent.net
advidscreative.net
advidsdesign.com
advidsdesign.net
advidsdigital.cc
advidsdigital.co
advidsdigital.com
advidsdigital.net
advidsglobal.site
advidslab.co
advidsmail.com
advidsmediadesign.digital
advidsonline.com
advidsonline.net
advidsonline.org
advidspixel.co
advidstudio.productions
advidstudios.com
advidstudios.net
advidsweb.studio
afivids.net
easymaillist.info
emailmanager12.net
getadvids.net
getvisiztor.com
getvisiztor.net
goviewcliq.biz
litesight.net
mailclick.biz
pixeladvids.media
stikpad.biz
studioadvids.info
theadvids.co
tryadvids.co
uniads.org
videoadvids.net
websiteclickz.biz
websiteclickz.org

Since the single thing that used to not change were the name and the content of the email, I took some time to create proper SpamAssassin rules. Now it’s increasingly becoming a game of whack-a-mole. Feel free to add them to your setup if you’re plagued by the same junk.

uri ADVIDS_URLS /(advid.*|afivids|easymaillist|emailmanager12|getvisiztor|goviewcliq|litesight|mailclick|primevue|stikpad|uniads|vidsguru|websiteclickz)\.(biz|cc|co|com|company|design|info|net|org|productions|services|studio|works)/
describe ADVIDS_URLS URLs in use by Advids
score ADVIDS_URLS 5

body ADVIDS_BODY /Advids/i
describe ADVIDS_BODY The mere mention of Advids in the body text results in a
first, moderate strike
score ADVIDS_BODY 2

body ADVIDS_BODY_2 /My name is (Jai|Orko) and I\'m Producer at.*Advids/i
describe ADVIDS_BODY_2 Typical Advids unsolicited email body text
score ADVIDS_BODY_2 5

body ADVIDS_BODY_3 /(I’m|I am) Jai (working as a Producer at|from) Advids/i
describe ADVIDS_BODY_3 Typical Advids unsolicited email body text
score ADVIDS_BODY_3 5

body ADVIDS_BODY_4 /Be Awesome.*(Jai|Orko) \|\| Director & Producer/i
describe ADVIDS_BODY_4 Typical Advids unsolicited email body text
score ADVIDS_BODY_4 5

From time to time I may update the rules should they not prove to be effective enough.

Finally, here’s a list of further material that hardens the proof Advids is first and foremost a professional spam outfit.

Update July 2020: It’s now been eight months and not a single of those emails made it through. This post ranks #1 for the Google search terms “advids spam” and #6 for just “advids”. Either the filter is 100% effective or they removed me from their spam list once they found out.

Update September 2020: Caught one attempt from a new domain name, again on G Suite. Failed because the email address they tried to send to was retired years ago. Was also provided with a new body text for the current spam campaign. Updated the email addresses and domains to reflect that. At this point, it’s rather an indictment of Google’s priorities that this proven serial-spamming company is able to operate on their platform for as long as they have instead of being permanently denied access and possibly being litigated if they get caught again.

Update July 2022: As this page continues to be the most requested of my entire site, I surmise that this spamming operation is still in full swing. I have again updated the domain list. They are now also included, along other spammers, in one of my public domain blocklists. You may be interested in an overview of all lists as well.

Update #2 July 2022: Yet another affected individual provided me with more specimens of current Advids junk email campaigns. It’s quite obvious that they switch domains often and change email content around frequently, but one constant remains: they’re still using Google Workspace infrastructure to spam relentlessly. In fact, they use quite a bit of Google services, including Docs, YouTube and even maintain a decent Google search ranking. Once again I have adjusted the Spam Assassin rule set.

Update November 2022: The clowns from Advids still do not stop spamming me. There’s a new message body added and a new domain. I guess I need to tweak the junk filter again.

Update April 2023: Once again I’ve been contacted by yet another victim of their relentless spam campaigns. The pattern holds: constantly changing domain names and email addresses. They now avoid linking to their website but link to a Google search instead. No doubt this is an attempt at circumventing spam filters but has the unexpected upside of this blog post appearing directly besides their company information.

Update May 2023: Two other victims of the relentless Advids spam campaign provided me with email specimens and domain names. As always, I have updated the examples in this post and my public list of spam domains.