Unsolicited E-mail

Hi, I've been getting unsolicited e-mails from; From: "Apostle Tomson" <tomsonajayejesu@yahoo.com>. There are links at the bottom of the e-mail to unsubscribe. Has anyone heard of this
guy before?, and do you think it would be okay use the link to get rid of the e-mail. I have it on my blocked senders list, but it sends it to my deleted box, so, essentially it's still there.
Any suggestions? wpdmc.

 

Don't unsubscribe on any spam-email, because you will tell them that your email-address is a valid one and can be sold to other spammers and you will get even more spam-emails.
Ignore and delete your spam-emails, none of them are worth to read.
I use Thunderbird and my trash box is empty after closing Thunderbird.

 

Thanks, I remember that now that you said it. That they can validate an e-mail address by a response of one kind or another. Thanks Again. wpdmc.

 

Don't ignore spam, send it to SpamCop - this is a service that analyses the email headers to find the real origin (which is virtually never the return address) and sends an abuse report to the ISP concerned as well as the ISP of any website linked to in the spam.

In addition, SpamCop maintains blocklists based on submissions so sending your spam to them helps improve the accuracy and effectiveness of such blocklists.

 

I'm sure that enough other and more qualified people than me, report their spam-emails to SpamCop world-wide.
If people, like me, don't report these spam-emails, it won't make a difference and even when I would do this, my reported spam-emails are most probably already reported by other users.

Whatever SpamCop does, they don't seem to succeed in decreasing my number of spam-emails and that's what bothering me.
I would like to see some visual RESULTS of their work, which means lesser spam-emails in my inbox and that never happened.
Maybe they improve the detection rate of spam-emails, but that's not the same as making them disappear and that would make me alot happier.
My guess is that SpamCop has more an administrative function (maintain blocklists, statistics, etc.), but without real action.

 

I don't know either way. I've never heard of spamcop.
But i guess it would'nt hurt to give them a couple of the unwanted addresses to see what happens. wpdmc.

 

Sorry, but I don't spend anymore time on spam-emails than absolutely necessary.

My ISP offers an anti-spam service, but I can't use that either. It has false positives which means I can lose good emails. So I better do it myself with Thunderbird. When I put my time in something I like to see results.

 

From Spamcop;

ErikAlbert as you can see from the quote it is not only administrative what they do, your ISP maybe using their blocklist.
It maybe be not effective enough but at least it is an effort to reduce this menace. I wouldn't like to see what would happen to the E-mail traffic without such organisations.

greetings
Lamehand

 

Hi, You mention Thunderbird. I'm not familiar with it, can you tell me what it is and what it does? wpdmc.

 

Lamehand,
I don't have a problem with these organizations. For each problem there is somewhere an organization to fix that problem.
Blocklists are blacklists and all blacklists have the same basic problems : incomplete and false positives.

I solved my spam-problem years ago with 2 rules :
1. I control all emails myself.
2. I ignore and delete all spam-emails.
No infections, no money theft, no identity theft, no other problems.
Simple, effective and since I use Thunderbird also fast.

I only have to keep a good eye on my ISP, who changes my anti-spam setting from OFF to ON without my approval. This happens when I didn't download my emails for a long time. You can't even trust the good guys, even when you pay them.

 

Thunderbird is an email-software, like MS Outlook Express/200x, only better, safer and faster with an anti-spam feature.
The anti-spam could be better, but is good enough for me.
You can improve the anti-spam with your own filters, but I'm too lazy.

Mozilla Thunderbird
http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird/
Mozilla Thunderbird Extensions
https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/?application=thunderbird

 

First of all, most spam is sent via a large number of hijacked PCs rather than a few open relays - that means that even if someone else has received (and reported) the same spam as yourself, it is still likely to have come from another computer, so a report is still worthwhile to ensure that more zombies go on the blacklist.

First of all, is your ISP using the SpamCop blocklist? If not, then you should be asking them why, since this is the only way that SpamCop can reduce your spam burden. SpamCop certainly does have an impact - to the extent that some Russian spammers have been trying to flood it with Joe Job spams but this is discussed in more detail at the SpamCop forum thread Is it really doing any good? My experience has been that it does for all but the real hard-core spammers (the pharmaceutical spam with sites hosted by China Telecom) and for those, there is always SpamVampire.

 

Paranoid2000,
I believe everything you have said, but it doesn't improve my personal solution for spam-emails. Security is not my job, it's a hobby and I can't spend time on every detail, especially when I have already a good solution.

I admit, it's not the best solution for everybody and the whole world, but I can't handle all problems and I have to take care of myself first, before I can help other people. Since I'm not an expert, my help is as good as worthless.
I'm only telling members, how a newbie like me with very poor knowledge solved his spam-problem.
My solution won't be a bestseller, because many people love to read their spam-emails for several reasons and curiosity is certainly one of them.
Unfortunately sometimes they have to pay for their curiosity.

 

Asked my isp about spam.

Thank you for your email.

This issue is caused by a dictionary attack, sometimes combined with usage
of the BCC field to conceal the true extent of the amount of recipients.

There are numberous ways that SPAM can arrive to your email address, for
example your email address can be harvested from :
- Online marketing
- IRQ, Kazaa, P2P sharing applications.
- posted email address to news groups or forums.
- a dictionary attack

A dictionary attack is where a spammer uses a list of common names or
words to generate a mailing list of email addresses at any given domain,
such as the dodo.com.au domain. As an example, a dictionary attack on the
letter 'j' would send emails to jason@dodo.com.au, jasonreid@dodo.com.au,
john@dodo.com.au etc.

The BCC field is a field used to conceal addresses of recipients. As an
example, if i wanted to send this email to both you, and my personal
address for followup later, i would put your email address in the 'To:'
field, and my personal email address into the 'BCC:' field.

 

Dictionary attacks are an issue only your ISP can deal with - not posting your address anywhere public (e.g. on a web page or Usenet) is the only thing that individuals can do to avoid spam (beware of signing web-site guestbooks!). However using a SpamGourmet account is far and away the best method of controlling who can send you email - my protected "real" address has never received any spam with this and it allows you to identify (and subsequently block) anyone who gives your address to spammers.

 

Iv been using Bluefrog http://members.bluesecurity.com/cwa/help_spam_reporting.htm which covers hotmail. Gmail. Yahoo . In the two weeks that Iv loaded it up for Gmail all spam has ceased. Not one spam mail. Its really amazing and its free. A very well organised community. I notice that Firetrust now have incorporated it into Mailwashers latest release. I use it with Firefox . im unsure if it works with IE . All spam disapered after 3 days.
Operating system: Windows 2000/XP/2003

 

The only reason, why I receive 50-100 spam-emails a day is due to my newbie time in the past.
I was a free lotto player during 1 year and my only email-address is registered in about 50 free lotto player databases and some of these databases have been sold by dishonest free lotto owners to spammers.
A second email-address would have been smarter for this activity, but I was a newbie and it's too late now. I don't really want a second email-address either, because spam isn't a problem for me anymore.

 

Which is it? I would consider 50-100 spam emails a day a problem. You have to deal with them in some way - even if it's checking the bulk folder in Thunderbird to make sure nothing was misrouted. Getting rid of all email addresses you have used in the past and starting over in a smart way makes more sense, imo.

It takes zero "qualifications" to report to SpamCop.

Good thing everybody doesn't think like you, huh?
Sometimes community involvement directly impacts you.

Do you not see how ridiculous that comment is? How do you know the work of SpamCop hasn't kept inboxes to 50 spams a day versus 500 a day? Are you saying until ALL SPAM is eliminated will you believe that they "do any good?" Short-sighted, EricAlbert.

Oh. You would need to be paid to contribute your information to SpamCop? EricAlbert, your reasoning is so confusing. Security is a hobby for 95% of those here at Wilders. What difference does that make? You seem to have plenty of time to indulge your hobby by gracing this site with wrong-headed advice on a regular basis. I, frankly, don't see that it just being a hobby means a thing.

EricAlbert, It's not a "personal" thing with you that so many have problems with multitudes of your posts. It's your reasoning, rationale, and poor advice that is given with such authority. Lately, the "I'm a newbie" thing from you is getting old. I will remind you (and others) that as early as July of 1994 you were at another security board talking about the benefits of ShadowUser and writing how you were getting ready to use that program. We are now less than 90 days from the TWO YEAR anniversary of those postings. You are not a newbie. You are at least a couple of years into security education and learning. However, you have spent most of that time insisting you are right about this and that and that and this (when you haven't even truly tried most of your theories on a real computer...ala ShadowUser).

It's getting old.

----securityx----

 

securityx,
Oh it's you again. Thanks for your comments. Spam problem has been solved years ago. Case closed. Now I only have to wait for DA's comments.

 

Me again? Whatever. This is how you always dismiss critics of your postings.

You did not address one thing I wrote in my post. Oh, you did say your spam problem was solved, "years ago." If your "solution" is to simply delete spam emails, then yes, I suppose you've solved your problem. Most here don't consider receiving 50-100 spam emails per day into our inboxes, which then requires review (for misrouted "real" mail), and then deletion, a "solution." I guess if you're happy with that "solution" I suppose that's all that matters. Most of us, want the massive bombardment of our inboxes to stop and look for solutions to STOP it, rather than ignore it.

It's obvious you would rather not discuss your "newbie" claim and the fact you've been posting in security forums for TWO YEARS. Why is that, EricAlbert? It cuts to credibility in a community such as Wilders. You have chosen to NEVER offer an explanation for this. That is, of course, your right; however your credibility wanes each time you choose to make remarks like, "Oh, you again," rather than address the issues that are raised. They are real, on-topic and legitimate. Yet, you choose to ignore obvious questions your own posts seem to raise day after day after day.

----securityx----

 

ErikAlbert;
In order to reduce those 50 to 100 spam-mails every day without having to sorting them out in Thunderbird, you could use K9.This is a selflearning statistical filter wich you can put in front of Thunderbird like a proxy.

It is a free program and in my experience very effective, more effective than the filter used in Thunderbird.

Link; http://www.keir.net/k9.html

I use this setup myself (Thunderbird/K9) and when unwanted e-mail comes in K9 tags it and Thunderbird will redirect it to the junkfolder.

regards
Lamehand

 

Maybe so, but when I started using the computer I didn't know anything about security.
I used my email address to subscribe, buy software and register to forums.
Of course this email address still exists and receives a lot of spam, which don't bother me at all anymore.
I don't want to eliminate this address, because it still receives legitimate mail too from many sources.

I know, but still I don't report anything to them. My choice not do so, besides I don't have the time, nor the desire to report those spammers.

I understand that SpamCop does a good job, but IMO it's a lost battle.
Take one spammer down and one minute later there's another who shows up.
This battle can only be won if the users start to educate themselves and this problem is addressed globally, although I doubt they will.

I don't remember anymore how many times I had to remove an email address from a post or PM a member to remove an email address from its signature.

So in short I do understand ErikAlbert's reasoning a little bit more, although I don't agree always with everything he writes down.

 

securityx,
Eldar understands me. I don't want to get rid of my email-address, because my ISP gave it to me years ago, my family, my friends and companies know it and it's alot easier for me to have only ONE email-address.

The spam-emails due to my sins in the past, don't bother me anymore because Thunderbird removes them in a few seconds. So I don't need to change my email-address. I don't complain about my spam-emails, I only explained how I got them. I don't like to spend my time on reporting spams to SpamCop, because it doesn't make them disappear.

Security is a hobby for me and that means that I have only 0-3 hours a day to do it and that's why it takes much longer for me to learn all that security stuff, than somebody who has a job in security.
English isn't my first language, so I have to translate what I read and that makes me also slower.
I don't work on computers at work, I work with users all day long to do my job. Only my home computer is the reason why I'm here.

I can't level with Paranoid2000 and I never will. He knows alot more than me, sometimes I follow his advices, sometimes I don't understand him (too technical) and sometimes I don't listen.
I have to understand what I'm doing on my home computer, otherwise my computer plays with me.

I'm against security softwares, based on blacklists. So what, does that bother you ? As far as I know most members have a different security setup and criticize eachother all the time. That's very good, except when it becomes too personal, because that's boring and I don't learn anything from these personal comments on me or any other member.

Why are you always talking about "ShadowUser and me", I have a longer list than just SU.
SU was the beginning, meanwhile I learned about DeepFreeze, FD-ISR, Rollback, ... and I still didn't make up my mind.
I'm not one of those, who buy software too quickly and regret it later.
I'm patient and I like to be prepared.

And yes, due to circumstances and several other events, my new computer and me aren't ready yet to start any testing and all these troubles are caused by other people in my environment.
I don't blame them, it's only very annoying for me. I've bad luck lately and I don't have to explain myself about what happened. That's too personal.

Concerning spam, I solved that problem very well and I don't need another solution or advice anymore.
I'm working on a new security setup and Thunderbird, Firefox was a part of it.
Image backup, snapshots, encryption, virtual protection will be a part of it too and I'm still thinking about the rest. I'm not in a hurry, the malwares won't disappear.

My wife doesn't like me spending so much time on my computer, so she enjoys reading posts and PM's, that criticize my posts and personality and Wilders is always right for her, not me.
That's her little revenge on me and I love it.

 

All the more reason to use a service like SpamGourmet for future transactions. Spammers constantly change tactics to try to avoid filters so you cannot assume that what "works" for you now will continue to do so indefinitely.

Just as a counterexample, I have found SpamCop to be effective in dealing with "new" spammers. The real hard core will ignore SpamCop (and can be recognised by their use of hijacked PCs for sending spam and mainly Chinese ISPs for hosted websites) but regular use of SpamVampire has greatly reduced this (I now only receive a few spams per week of this nature).

While true in theory, there are only a couple of hundred spammers that are responsible for the majority of the spam (detailed in SpamHaus: Register of Known Spam Operations). If you cause them "enough" grief (and SpamCop should be seen as the first step) then they will take steps to remove you from their lists (though I have been getting more Joe Job spam recently).

 

Here is an indication of how much pain some counter-measures can cause a hard-core spammer:

SpamHaus: Transcript of Alex Polyakov's "let me in peace to do my crime" pleading call.