Spam

[cromercrabholiday]

I'm getting fed up with offers of:
- cheap software
- pharmaceuticals
- university degrees
- rolexes

etc.

So I started forwarding these messages to "abuse" at their IP. I ignored the given name on the message and picked up what seemed like a credible e-mail name from properties. However, Yahoo tells me that they forged the e-mail name. Anyone know how to find the true identity of these scumbags?

John

[Alan Knighting]

John,

I have no idea what the answer to your question might be but are the "enlarge anything" messages included in your etc.

Alan

[marcus]

Unfortunately, you will never find the true identity of these people so it's best not to get stressed about it. Even if you did, what would you do? Outlook seems better at identifying junk emails than Outlook Express, still not great though.

And I know what I'm talking about as I have 14 university degrees, along with 11 rolex watches, 41 copies of Windows XP, a bathroom cupboard with enough Viagra to last until I am 125, and 2 gites overflowing with various sex-aids and 'enlarger' products. All bought at very reasonable prices.

[mpprh]

Marcus ......... all bought at very reasonable prices ?

I hope you used the "pre authorised" cheap loan for all that stuff !

Peter

[oskar]

Is it really that much of a problem?

I get about a dozen each day. Total time time deleting them (without opening) - about 30 seconds.

[Patia]

Oh Oskar . . . looks as though we need a new 'Scores on the Doors' for Spam received.

I've finished deleting mine for today, but I must have had 60 at the very least. These included all of those mentioned above . . . plus yes, they keep inviting me to enlarge bits that I just don't have . . . !

Patia

[Emdee]

We seem to be inundated with Sexploit SPAM, not sure why, but I can only assume that the kids have strayed into somewhere accidentally. Which is impossible to stop without blocking everything they see.

Charming

[janskov]

When I can find the energy for it, I use spamcop.net to report the most annoying ones.
They send reports to whoever they can find related to the spammer - and they are quite good in identifying the origin of the mail.

[Alan Knighting]

I have had e-mail addresses almost since e-mail began. My e-mail addresses have always been openly published. I get 3 or 4 unsolicited e-mails a day. Why would that be, I wonder.

Alan

[janskov]

Alan - if you find out why - please tell.
I have had my email published since 2001 and I currently get between 50 and 80 spam mails every day.

[Alan Knighting]

Alan - if you find out why - please tell.
I have had my email published since 2001 and I currently get between 50 and 80 spam mails every day.

I have absolutely no idea but you are obviously a lot more popular than I am. Being on Wanadoo I sometimes have more problem getting messages out rather than in.

Alan

[marcus]

I attribute my success at attracting large numbers of spam emails to a couple of things.

First, having websites, where I recklessly publish my email address. Yes, I know, I should hide it, but haven't yet.

I do get emails to the address published on the website but also to, for example, marketing@bastide-vacancesdotcom which are automatically forwarded to me despite never having been used or setup as an email address. This is because my hosting is setup to forward all emails addressed to our website to be forwarded to me. Yes, I know, I should change it, but haven't yet.

A final possibility has just come to light. I am registered with Skype although I've never used it yet. Yesterday my daughter told me someone was trying to add me to their Syype directory, but they had spelt my name wrong. This morning I received a spam email with the same misspelling. So I wonder if Skype is somehow being used to gather contact information...

Th spam doesn't really bother me, only takes a moment to delete it, but it is disheartening when a message flashes up 'you have 4 emails' only to find that Outlook puts them all straight in the junk-mail folder, and I've received nothing 'real'. Bit like seeing the postman stop and put letters in the letterbox, then finding only publicity for supermarkets when I go to get it. Except that then needs to be taken to the recycling depot, rather than just deleted...

Alan, yes I just received a 'failed message' from Wanadoo re a response to a booking enquiry I sent a week ago. I hadn't noticed it was a ntl address (I usually remember to check nowadays), so hadn't sent it via an alternative email address. That is WAY more irritating, time wasting and potentially costly.

[Alan Knighting]

Marcus,

There was a major security breach discovered in the Skype system recently. I don't know if it had anything to do with you getting any Skype related spam. Fortunately Skype is a responsible outfit, unlike some major companies one could mention, and they patched the breach very quickly.

I think it is totally irresponsible of NTL, and others, to wage their war against Wanadoo in this way. I don't believe it has anything to do with spam, that's just an excuse. I think it has much more to do with them wanting to knock out a major competitor. I don't know, or care, who is winning but I do know it is the users who are the losers. They should stop - now!

Alan

[vrooje]

But if Wanadoo would just make their smtp servers require either a username/password or an internal IP address, wouldn't that pretty much fix the problem (or at least significantly improve the situation)? If they can remove the justification for other companies blacklisting them, and they won't do it, I'd say the blame still rests on their shoulders.

[Alan Knighting]

Brooke,

I still think the real underlying reason is a commercial one but if doing what you suggest would remove the excuse then why the hell don't they do it?

I suspect that ntl want to force Wanadoo customers into abandoning Wanadoo. In the long run I might have to but ntl is now, because of the behaviour, the last supplier I would consider moving to. I think I would move to - Webmail.

In the meantime it is the users who are suffering.

Alan