Spam has stopped being easy to spot. The old giveaway signs of dreadful spelling, awkward phrasing and obvious scams have largely disappeared. In their place are emails and texts that read as if they were written by a human, reference real things happening in your business, and push recipients into routine actions. Security researchers have started calling out a new breed of tooling that makes this possible; one name circulating in those circles (and highlighted by GBHackers) is SpamGPT – a packaged, AI-driven email attack toolkit that automates everything for spammers from message creation to campaign management.
This post explains what the toolkit does, where it came from, how it’s being used in the wild and, most importantly, the straightforward steps UK SMEs can take to reduce the risk.
What SpamGPT is, in plain English
SpamGPT is an email package for criminals. It bundles together automated message generation, delivery infrastructure, inbox testing and campaign analytics into a single product. In short: it’s email marketing for people with malicious intent.
It has removed the need for specialised skills and opened up spam tools for anyone to use. An effective phishing campaign used to need a writer, a delivery operator and some technical knowhow, a toolkit such as this brings those roles together in a simple-to-use package with a simple-to-navigate dashboard. The result is convincing, personalised phishing that can be launched at scale by low skilled operators.
For advice on safeguarding your business, see our cybersecurity services page.
Where SpamGPT came from
SpamGPT didn’t appear by accident. It follows a clear pattern we’ve seen in cybercrime over the last decade: complex attacks are commodified and sold as a service. Ransomware as a service, credential stuffing platforms and botnets have all followed similar paths – professional capabilities made accessible through subscription or one-off purchase models.
Distribution tends to happen through underground forums and closed marketplaces where buyers and sellers meet. Ads emphasise simplicity: ready-made templates that resemble real business emails, a drag and drop campaign builder, and tools to test whether messages are reaching inboxes or being dumped in spam. In effect, SpamGPT turns the whole phishing lifecycle into something that can be managed from a single control panel.
How the toolkit works
Think of SpamGPT style packages as three building blocks:
- Message generation
Creates tailored copy – subject lines, body text and sign-offs – that match the tone of different industries, roles and regions. It can produce messages that sound like invoices, HR notices, supplier queries or delivery updates. - Delivery and infrastructure tooling
This includes help for setting up sending mechanisms, advice (or services) to obtain high‑quality SMTP infrastructure, and automation to handle bounces and auto‑responses. The goal is obvious: make the messages appear legitimate and get them into the primary inbox. - Campaign orchestration and analytics
Dashboards let attackers schedule sends, run A/B tests on subject lines, and track opens and clicks. Some toolkits also offer inbox monitoring so attackers can refine campaigns based on real delivery behaviour.
Put together, these components automate what used to be labour‑intensive: crafting believable messages, delivering them reliably, and iterating to improve success rates.
Real incidents and illustrative examples
If this doesn’t sound worrying enough, here are some examples of how tools such as SpamGPT are currently being used by criminals.
High‑value executive impersonation fraud
There have been publicly reported cases where employees authorised large transfers after receiving communications they believed came from senior executives. Fabricated or highly convincing communications, sometimes including manipulated audio or video, played a central role. These incidents show how authoritative messages can trigger costly mistakes.
Parcel delivery smishing in the UK
Courier companies repeatedly warn of a rise in message‑based scams. Recipients receive texts or emails claiming there’s a delivery problem and are directed to a site that asks for card or login details. Authorities and industry teams have already taken down hundreds of fraudulent domains used in these campaigns.
Supplier invoice tampering
An accounts team receives an invoice that looks like it’s from a regular supplier: same tone, similar formatting and a familiar logo. The totals and PO number match a recent purchase, but the bank account details have been altered by a single digital toolkit such as SpamGPT makes producing hundreds of such convincing emails trivial.
Internal policy update credential harvest
Staff receive an email purporting to be from HR with a link to a “mandatory” internal policy update. The page prompts for corporate credentials to view the document. Once entered, the credentials are harvested. Why this is worse than old-school phishing
SpamGPT‑style toolkits change two key variables:
- Quality – messages are polished and contextually relevant, so they don’t trigger usual human alarms.
- Scale – automation lets attackers try many permutations rapidly, testing what gets past filters and what gets clicks.
Traditional “poor grammar = bad email” heuristics no longer work reliably. Nowadays, toolkits are designed to evade spam filters, which raises the stakes for defenders.
Practical steps UK SMEs can take now
There are things you can do to mitigate the risks. Here are some practical steps that you can take immediately.
- Treat email security as a business-critical topic
Make sure you have clear policies for handling requests about payments or account changes. Then, practice them by running regular role-play sessions with your team, walking through how you’d respond to a real-life scam attempt. - Publish and monitor email authentication records
SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are email security settings which greatly reduce the likelihood of domain spoofing. - Use multiple layers of email protection
Make sure links in emails are checked and scanned again when someone clicks them, so harmful websites get blocked before they open. - Verify high-value requests by phone or video
Bank‑detail changes or large transfers should be confirmed outside email. - Enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA)
Use strong second factors such as hardware keys or platform authenticators. - Train staff with realistic phishing simulations
Update exercises to reflect current threats, not outdated scenarios. - Backups and incident planning
Immutable backups and rehearsed recovery plans reduce downtime.
ERGOS can implement all of these measures for SMEs.
FAQs
1- Is SpamGPT a single tool or a collection?
It’s a type of toolkit — multiple products exist that bundle similar capabilities for phishing campaigns.
2- Can standard filters stop these attacks?
To some extent, many attacks still get through though. Part of the design of these tools is to test what does get through. Layered email security with link rewriting and time-of-click scanning improves defence.
3- What is the quickest way to reduce risk?
Enable MFA and verify all financial changes outside email.
4- Are SMEs prime targets?
Yes, lower security controls make SMEs attractive, especially with tools that lower the technical barriers for spammers.
5- How can we stay informed?
Subscribe to threat intel from reputable vendors, follow security blogs, and act quickly on mitigation advice. Follow ERGOS and our cybersecurity updates.
ERGOS thoughts
SpamGPT-style toolkits didn’t invent new attacks, but they did make proven scams faster, cheaper, and far more convincing. For UK SMEs, the response is simple: assume someone will get through, then limit the damage. Strong authentication, verification procedures, link protection, backups, and staff training will stop most attacks.
We can help you protect your teams, suppliers and customers, contact us here.