Getting vigilent about scam spam?
Everybody is familiar with these kinds of letters, right?
[quote]Date: Wed, 11 Sep 2002 00:57:23 -0700 (PDT)
From: [email protected]
To: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Subject: hi randycat99
X-Reply-To: [email protected]
READ THIS E-MAIL TO THE END! - Follow what it says to the letter - and you will not worry about money
ever again, whether you keep your current job or not. Read on. It's true. Every word of it. It is legal. I
checked. Simply because you are selling something of value.
AS SEEN ON NATIONAL TV:
Make over half million dollars every 4 to 5 months from your home.
THANKS TO THE COMPUTER AGE AND THE INTERNET !
BE AN INTERNET MILLIONAIRE LIKE OTHERS WITHIN A YEAR!!!
Before you say ''Bull'', please read the following. This is the letter you have been hearing about on the...<hr></blockquote>
...or...
[quote]From: "Tao Savimbi" <[email protected]>
Reply-To: [email protected]
To: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Date: Fri, 13 Sep 2002 07:28:45 -0700
Subject: Urgent, From ANGOLA
This message contains confidential information and is intended only
for the individual email addressee named. If you are not the named
addressee, you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this-mail.
>From Tao,
This message may come as a surprise as we have not met, but I am
desperately in need of help. I got your contact email address from
a search I made on the Internet. I cannot contact any of my known
father's associates because of the on-going situation in my country
and the predicament facing my family.
I am the son of the late leader of the Movement for the Total
Independence of Angola (UNITA), Jonas Savimbi, who was killed in
a fierce gun battle with government troops loyal to Edwardo Dos Santos
on the 22nd of Febuary 2002.<hr></blockquote>
Lately, I've bothered to track down the associated service provider of the sender email address everytime I get an email like this. I locate a customer support address and forward the spam with the following request:
[quote]Please address the sender below. He is using your service for spamming activities.<hr></blockquote>
I have actually received word back numerous times saying the accounts have been summarily deleted. So I think I'm making a difference in the world. If everybody makes an effort to do the same when they get this kind of spam, perhaps we can put a real damper on the increased proliferation of such spam? What do you think?
It really doesn't take that long to fire-off an email to the respective customer support. All I do is look at the email address of the spammer. In there is the clue to the service provider. In the above examples, note "37.com" and ".ms". Do a Google search on the term and usually you find the service provider website (often a webpage offering a free email address- a sure giveaway you are on the right track). Go to the website, look around for a link to contact the webmaster or some sort of customer support (often clicking the "help" link will take you right there). Forward the spam with your own special request, and viola! <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" /> So does anybody think this is a good idea or bad idea?
[quote]Date: Wed, 11 Sep 2002 00:57:23 -0700 (PDT)
From: [email protected]
To: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Subject: hi randycat99
X-Reply-To: [email protected]
READ THIS E-MAIL TO THE END! - Follow what it says to the letter - and you will not worry about money
ever again, whether you keep your current job or not. Read on. It's true. Every word of it. It is legal. I
checked. Simply because you are selling something of value.
AS SEEN ON NATIONAL TV:
Make over half million dollars every 4 to 5 months from your home.
THANKS TO THE COMPUTER AGE AND THE INTERNET !
BE AN INTERNET MILLIONAIRE LIKE OTHERS WITHIN A YEAR!!!
Before you say ''Bull'', please read the following. This is the letter you have been hearing about on the...<hr></blockquote>
...or...
[quote]From: "Tao Savimbi" <[email protected]>
Reply-To: [email protected]
To: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Date: Fri, 13 Sep 2002 07:28:45 -0700
Subject: Urgent, From ANGOLA
This message contains confidential information and is intended only
for the individual email addressee named. If you are not the named
addressee, you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this-mail.
>From Tao,
This message may come as a surprise as we have not met, but I am
desperately in need of help. I got your contact email address from
a search I made on the Internet. I cannot contact any of my known
father's associates because of the on-going situation in my country
and the predicament facing my family.
I am the son of the late leader of the Movement for the Total
Independence of Angola (UNITA), Jonas Savimbi, who was killed in
a fierce gun battle with government troops loyal to Edwardo Dos Santos
on the 22nd of Febuary 2002.<hr></blockquote>
Lately, I've bothered to track down the associated service provider of the sender email address everytime I get an email like this. I locate a customer support address and forward the spam with the following request:
[quote]Please address the sender below. He is using your service for spamming activities.<hr></blockquote>
I have actually received word back numerous times saying the accounts have been summarily deleted. So I think I'm making a difference in the world. If everybody makes an effort to do the same when they get this kind of spam, perhaps we can put a real damper on the increased proliferation of such spam? What do you think?
It really doesn't take that long to fire-off an email to the respective customer support. All I do is look at the email address of the spammer. In there is the clue to the service provider. In the above examples, note "37.com" and ".ms". Do a Google search on the term and usually you find the service provider website (often a webpage offering a free email address- a sure giveaway you are on the right track). Go to the website, look around for a link to contact the webmaster or some sort of customer support (often clicking the "help" link will take you right there). Forward the spam with your own special request, and viola! <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" /> So does anybody think this is a good idea or bad idea?
Comments
<img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />
<strong>Perhaps it's a good idea, but lately I've been getting spam that has my address as the return address. And there's nothing I can do about that. If only I could filter my mail to send anything with a naked girl in it to the trash.
That one is easy. Set up a filter to send all the E-Mail sent from you to the trash.
I currently have 45 Message filters, and they catch 95% of all my spam. When I find a message that brakes through, I just set up a new filter.
<strong>
That one is easy. Set up a filter to send all the E-Mail sent from you to the trash.
I currently have 45 Message filters, and they catch 95% of all my spam. When I find a message that brakes through, I just set up a new filter.</strong><hr></blockquote>
But then if I cc or bcc to myself, it goes to the trash, and that's not desirable.
[quote]Originally posted by Randycat99:
<strong>If you are getting emails from your own address, isn't that an indication that you or somebody you know has an email virus? M$ Outlook involved?</strong><hr></blockquote>
No MS products are involved on my computer, thank you.
All it means is that the reply to address is changed before the email is sent. Easy to do.