Combating spam...

pgwenthold · 31st October 2003, 11:03 AM

So I got a spam email today, with a "Remove me" option. The Remove Me ends up being an email to send to the proper person (supposedly) to get you off the email list. I'll grant that.

But here's the problem: the email gets bounced because (get this) the mailbox is full.

Yeah, no doubt!

Where should I send an email to tell the administrator about it?

Should administrator@(the place).com work? Or admin@... Or what?

What if I get spam from one of the common net providers (AOL, yahoo, etc) that does not have an opt-out option? How can I fix it?

As much as I hate spam, I only really get mad when they do not provide an option to get you off the list (or don't take you off the list, when you do; BTW, who can I complain to when that happens? I have started recording all the places to which I unsubscribe so I know that they are actually doing it)

geni · 31st October 2003, 11:19 AM

Often clicking that Remove me box mearly tells the person sending you spam that the adress is live so they can sell it on for more and you end up with evern more spam.

MRC_Hans · 31st October 2003, 11:50 AM

Never, never, NEVER react to a spam mail. Never, never, NEVER click on a link in a spam mail. Use your spam filter, most ISPs provide a spam filter.

If you use Outlook, use the rule generator. Right click in the mail, select create rule, select mail from this address, select move to specified folder, select folder as deleted mails, click finish. Presto! Any further mail from that sender goes right into the waste basket.

They change the sender ID ever so often, so you will want to create rules that redirect any mails with "viagra" "Penis enlargement" etc. etc. etc. in the body text to the waste basket. Experiment.

Hans

FXT · 2nd November 2003, 10:59 AM

A lot of stuff you'd want to read about Spam:

http://paulgraham.com/antispam.html

And, as always, Google is your friend.

I have to agree, never ever respond to Spam, you'll only tell the spammer that your mail addy is valid.

Outlook rules are a way of dealing with the stuff, but consider Bayesian filtering, as well. (Also available as Outlook-addin.)

Those filters, after a period of suitable training, can achieve accuracy in the high 90s, WITHOUT false positives.

Your fight for "unsubscriptions" is useless, I'm afraid. The percentage of spammers, who actually respect such delisting, is minuscule.

SPAM is best filtered and ignored.

If you want to report some blatant misuse (though deciding on that without time-consuming study of mail headers, etc, would be almost impossible), try mailing abuse@whatever-domain-concerned.tld.

Once again, SPAM is best filtered and ignored.

FXT

2nd November 2003, 09:25 PM

My ISP has a spam eating 'bot between me and the incomming mail. Works great.

750 spam messages a month in that box that I don't get.

Even AOL's crummy and retarded service blocks SPAM on the back end.

Time to shop an ISP that does something about this.

The only down-side is occasionally a piece of legitimate mail gets stuck in the filter. I blame the spammers who made that filter necessary.

Mr Manifesto · 3rd November 2003, 04:27 AM

Here's a little stat which I read in the newspaper (no idea where their source was, but food for thought):

Number of spam-mails sent a year: 300 million
Number of purchases made as a result of spam: 300

garys_2k · 4th November 2003, 06:08 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by FXT
...consider Bayesian filtering, as well. (Also available as Outlook-addin.)

Those filters, after a period of suitable training, can achieve accuracy in the high 90s, WITHOUT false positives.

I use "Outclass" and it has been very good, after training. Get it here:

http://www.vargonsoft.com/Outclass/

31st October 2003, 11:03 AM	#1
pgwenthold Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 12,066	Combating spam... So I got a spam email today, with a "Remove me" option. The Remove Me ends up being an email to send to the proper person (supposedly) to get you off the email list. I'll grant that. But here's the problem: the email gets bounced because (get this) the mailbox is full. Yeah, no doubt! Where should I send an email to tell the administrator about it? Should administrator@(the place).com work? Or admin@... Or what? What if I get spam from one of the common net providers (AOL, yahoo, etc) that does not have an opt-out option? How can I fix it? As much as I hate spam, I only really get mad when they do not provide an option to get you off the list (or don't take you off the list, when you do; BTW, who can I complain to when that happens? I have started recording all the places to which I unsubscribe so I know that they are actually doing it)
	__________________ "Baseball is a philosophy. The primordial ooze that once ruled our world has been captured in perpetual motion. Baseball is the moment. Its ever changing patterns are hypnotizing yet invigorating. Baseball is an art form. Classic and at the same time...progressive. Baseball is pre-historic and post-modern. Baseball is here to stay." (Stolen from the side of a lava lamp box, and modified slightly)

31st October 2003, 11:50 AM	#3
MRC_Hans Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Whithin earshot of the North Sea Posts: 16,600	Never, never, NEVER react to a spam mail. Never, never, NEVER click on a link in a spam mail. Use your spam filter, most ISPs provide a spam filter. If you use Outlook, use the rule generator. Right click in the mail, select create rule, select mail from this address, select move to specified folder, select folder as deleted mails, click finish. Presto! Any further mail from that sender goes right into the waste basket. They change the sender ID ever so often, so you will want to create rules that redirect any mails with "viagra" "Penis enlargement" etc. etc. etc. in the body text to the waste basket. Experiment. Hans
	__________________ Don't. Just don't.

2nd November 2003, 09:25 PM	#5
evildave Guest Posts: n/a	My ISP has a spam eating 'bot between me and the incomming mail. Works great. 750 spam messages a month in that box that I don't get. Even AOL's crummy and retarded service blocks SPAM on the back end. Time to shop an ISP that does something about this. The only down-side is occasionally a piece of legitimate mail gets stuck in the filter. I blame the spammers who made that filter necessary.
evildave Guest Posts: n/a

4th November 2003, 06:08 AM	#7
garys_2k Muse Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 756	Quote: Originally posted by FXT ...consider Bayesian filtering, as well. (Also available as Outlook-addin.) Those filters, after a period of suitable training, can achieve accuracy in the high 90s, WITHOUT false positives. I use "Outclass" and it has been very good, after training. Get it here: http://www.vargonsoft.com/Outclass/
garys_2k Muse Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 756	__________________ - Gary

31st October 2003, 11:19 AM	#2
geni Anti-homeopathy illuminati member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: UK Posts: 26,557	Often clicking that Remove me box mearly tells the person sending you spam that the adress is live so they can sell it on for more and you end up with evern more spam.

2nd November 2003, 10:59 AM	#4
FXT New Blood Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Wien Posts: 17	A lot of stuff you'd want to read about Spam: http://paulgraham.com/antispam.html And, as always, Google is your friend. I have to agree, never ever respond to Spam, you'll only tell the spammer that your mail addy is valid. Outlook rules are a way of dealing with the stuff, but consider Bayesian filtering, as well. (Also available as Outlook-addin.) Those filters, after a period of suitable training, can achieve accuracy in the high 90s, WITHOUT false positives. Your fight for "unsubscriptions" is useless, I'm afraid. The percentage of spammers, who actually respect such delisting, is minuscule. SPAM is best filtered and ignored. If you want to report some blatant misuse (though deciding on that without time-consuming study of mail headers, etc, would be almost impossible), try mailing abuse@whatever-domain-concerned.tld. Once again, SPAM is best filtered and ignored. FXT

3rd November 2003, 04:27 AM	#6
Mr Manifesto Hierophant Walrus of the Secret Clique Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 4,824	Here's a little stat which I read in the newspaper (no idea where their source was, but food for thought): Number of spam-mails sent a year: 300 million Number of purchases made as a result of spam: 300