Web Hosting Talk : Other Forums : Web Hosting Lounge : Stop The Spam!!!!!!

[vito]

Spam is really starting to pi$$ me off. I don't know how I get onto these lists, but it's really getting out of hand. In the last 2-3 months the amount of spam I get is going up exponentially. I'm now getting something like 50-60 unsolicited emails per day.

Yet I never asked for emails about free hosting, credit cards, low interest loans, or penis enlargement. But that's the crap I'm getting. IT MAKES ME SOOOOOOO MAD!!!

Some of them will say that if I want to unsubscribe, I should send a blank email to a specific address they provide. But when they send me an email, it isn't always to an actual POP account of mine. For instance, if my address is info@mysite.com, and it's a catchall, they'll send to d@mysite.com. So in order to unsubscribe, I have to go to the trouble of creating a POP account d@mysite.com and then unsubscribe using that account. Then a week later I'll get email at w@mysite.com. REALLY PI$$ES ME OFF.

How do I find out the ISP or host of these lowlifes? I read about "headers" that you guys refer to all the time. How do I see that? And will it tell me what I need to know? I think it's time I start reporting these jerks and causing them some grief in return.

Any advice would be appreciated. My rising blood pressure could use the help...

Vito

[NexDog]

Well, I get about 2 spam emails a week to my personal Hostnexus email address. I get 50 a day to my Hotmail address that I don't really use.

[Lippy]

If I knew I'd tell ya, I myself am getting far to much spam. I even got one that said "to remove yourself from the list please send an email with remove as the subject" so I did this and I get a mail delivery demon.

[vito]

I'm starting to think that clicking on the "unsubscribe" link does not unsubscribe me, but rather confirms that it's an active address, and then adds me to MORE lists.

Bottom line: I need someone to tell me how to report these jackasses to their ISPs/hosts/whoever. Anything to try to shut them down (or at least make their life hell).

Not that I want this to be my life's work. I'm not interested in being the next Charles Bronson of the Internet. BTW, is the domain spamvigilante.com taken??

Vito

[tagalaxy.net]

vito is partially correct

Generally, when you click a link or send an email to unsubscribe, the people who sent you that spam will remove you from that specific spam list. IE, if you click the link in a "bob's penis enlargement" email, you will no longer get emails from "bob's penis enlargement".

However, they generally then use your (now confirmed as active) email address either for their other spam customers "jim's 19 year old high school pr0n" or "dave's free diplomas" or they sell it as a confirmed as active address to other spam companies.

Bottom line - DONT EVER click a link or send an email to unsubscribe to spam.

[vito]

Thanks, tagalaxy.net. I will remember that. In the meantime, though, how do I fight fire with fire? I want to go after these #%^*@?/$>\ clowns. How can I report them?

Vito

[bear]

Originally posted by vito
Thanks, tagalaxy.net. I will remember that. In the meantime, though, how do I fight fire with fire? I want to go after these #%^*@?/$>\ clowns. How can I report them?

I don't think it will make much difference, honestly. Most of these are faked email addresses, and sent from (or promoting) ISP's outside the US. Many could care less if you complain. You can spend hours every day tracking down and reporting these idiots, but the amount of junk mail will just increase anyway. There's always another spammer.

You said you get 50 or so a day? I had enabled the catch-all address for one of my domains for about 6 hours the other day. When I checked the webmail folder before re-enabling the block, there were 236 messages in there.

You can set up forwards for email addresses you want to get mail at (IE: info@, sales@, etc.). You should then set a forward for the default POP account to :fail: or :blackhole:. This will take mail that isn't addressed specifically to those other forwards and trash it.

I'm not saying you shouldn't report these if you want, but in the end it's like shovelling against the tide. You can't win.

[vito]

Good idea. I'll try the blackhole route. It'll at least eliminate the ones that are to directed to my actual addresses.

I wish I knew a way to set up an automated system whereby I could send them 1000 return emails for every one they send me...

Vito

[Darth]

I get about... 10 a day I block the address but it's no use

[mind21_98]

You could also try something like MailWasher (www.mailwasher.net) that lets you blacklist spammers and send specially crafted bounce messages to them. Most usually get the message after a while and remove you.

[Alex[nl]]

There are some tools that will remove spam from you inbox, but they are not 100% faul proof, hence they someties remove mail that was directed to you (because f.e. someone used to many "spam keywords" in his subject line) ...

[The Dude]

Well,

I've gottn spam in some of my accounts,and most of them,when you click the unsubscribe link,ITS INVALID!!! Theres no way to unsubscribe

The best thing to do is use the BLOCK FEATURE and block thier domain *@whatever.* Thats the best way to do it....

The Dude

We pay for interent servie and still we get bombarded with spam,i tihnk its crap!!

[vito]

Originally posted by mind21_98
You could also try something like MailWasher (www.mailwasher.net) that lets you blacklist spammers and send specially crafted bounce messages to them. Most usually get the message after a while and remove you.

Looks pretty good. I think I'll give it a try. Thanks for the link.

Vito

[Tropical Tundra]

You can also check out who sent the email @whatever.com do a WHOIS on that domain name to see who is hosting them and send an email to host letting them know one of their clients is spamming from their servers. A reputible host should shut them down or at least warn them. That will work until they move to the next. I agree with what others said don't ever click on the remove link since that just lets them know that they have an active email address and your email address will be sold as an active address to other spammers. I also keep a couple throw way accounts on hotmail and yahoo for spam. I only get 1 or 2 per week on my "real" email address which I only give out to family, friends and known associates. On my web sites or online I use the throw away emails. Yahoo has a pretty a good spam filter so I don't see most spam and if spam makes it to your inbox you can click a "This is spam" link to report them to yahoo. My 2cents!

[vito]

Originally posted by arpmn
...On my web sites or online I use the throw away emails. ...

Problem with that is it doesn't look very good if the contact email address on my business web site is a yahoo account...unless I misunderstood your point...

Vito