At 15:48 8/30/99 , John Hudson wrote:
[snip]
>Is anyone else on the list receiving these unsolicited messages? Shown
[snip]
Obviously the entire list was hit by a "bot" and we *all* are receiving
this garbage. Having fought SPAM in the past a couple of observations:
1. I looked at the *complete* header on the original "someone added you to
our list" message. It was obviously sent to accrue "bounces" from bogus
email addresses so they could be purged . . . which is why the delay
between this first message and then the advertising.
2. The most effective method of passively shutting it off is faking a mail
bounce which I have just done to *both* the original "you're on the list"
and to the advertising one just received.
Here is a site with a *free* tool to fake a bounced message back. Sorry,
only works on Intel (or AMD or Cyrix) "Window boxes." Apple stuff isn't
supported (nor is DEC or Sparcstations, or that ancient PDP-7 running Unix
in the basement). Some instructions first:
a. You *must* be able to display the entire header so you can copy it
*and* the message text into the tool. Most mailers default to an
abbreviated header. To do this in Eudora, open the message and hit the
"Blah blah blah" button. In Netscape Messenger use the menu command "View
/ Headers / All" to turn on the complete header. In other mailers there
*should* be commands to do this (sorry, for all other mailers the best I
can do is recommend RTFM: Read The Fabulous Manual).
b. You need to put your email address into the box labeled for it.
c. You need to put the SMTP server IP address into the box labeled "Your
email server" which for most of us hooked up to a generic ISP will be
simple. If you're on AOL (maybe Compu$erve also) this *may* not work; I
don't know. Example: if your email address is:
luser@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
then your SMTP server address (what your mailer sends mail to) is:
smtp.spammagnet.com
In Eudora you can verify this under "Tools / Options / Sending Mail" in the
"SMTP server" box. In Netscape it can be verified with "Edit / Preferences
/ Mail & Newsgroups / Mail Servers" in the "outgoing mail" box. If you're
using something else, sorry, RTFM.
d. If your mailer shows a "return path" field in the full headers (Eudora
does), use this for the spammer's address. If it doesn't show one
(Netscape does not) use the "from" field in the full headers. Don't bother
with the address in the "reply-to" field if there is one. The sender can
define whatever they want to (including bogus stuff) in that field!
e. READ THE README FILE THAT IT COMES WITH!
f. Here's the URL:
http://ay.cjb.net/bsm
Note that on the left side there is also a "forum" selection. You can go
there and read up on others' questions about "Bounce Spam Mail." The FAQ
is more about his site than it is about "BSM."
"More at 11:00" about the *exact* source of this junk.
(I have not yet begun to fight!)
GL
-- John
a.k.a. Captain Blood (of the Steaming Packets)
Four Spammers cast adrift without food or water
One ISP keelhauled
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