Dealing with Spam

  • Thread starter Thread starter Blair
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Blair

Because I was receiving a large amount of Spam (I stupidly had my proper
email address in News groups) I decided to change my email address and in
the case of news groups I read that I should add the word "invalid" after my
email address.
For the last year I received no Spam at all until recently I have been
getting on or two messages about my bank account and my password sent to my
correct email address.
It looks as though someone has a system of deleting the word "invalid" and
getting my email address.
What I would like to know is how should I have disguised my email address to
avoid this?
Finally I noticed that in Outlook Express there is a facility of blocking
the sender, which I have used. Does this facility work?

Blair
 
It works, except the spammer uses a system to alter their
sending address, by-passing the simple block. You need a
proper mail scanning program that looks at the sender,
subject and even the content of the email and sorts it into
folders. Looks for "spam filters" on Google.


--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm



| Because I was receiving a large amount of Spam (I stupidly
had my proper
| email address in News groups) I decided to change my email
address and in
| the case of news groups I read that I should add the word
"invalid" after my
| email address.
| For the last year I received no Spam at all until recently
I have been
| getting on or two messages about my bank account and my
password sent to my
| correct email address.
| It looks as though someone has a system of deleting the
word "invalid" and
| getting my email address.
| What I would like to know is how should I have disguised
my email address to
| avoid this?
| Finally I noticed that in Outlook Express there is a
facility of blocking
| the sender, which I have used. Does this facility work?
|
| Blair
|
|
 
Because I was receiving a
large amount of Spam (I stupidly had my proper
email address in News groups) I decided to change my email address and in
the case of news groups I read that I should add the word "invalid" after
my
email address.
For the last year I received no Spam at all until recently I have been
getting on or two messages about my bank account and my password sent to
my
correct email address.
It looks as though someone has a system of deleting the word "invalid" and
getting my email address.
What I would like to know is how should I have disguised my email address
to
avoid this?
Finally I noticed that in Outlook Express there is a facility of blocking
the sender, which I have used. Does this facility work?

Blair
Click to expand...

Almost all of the common methods for disguising your e-mail address are
defeated simply. As they are "common" most e-mail address harvesting
software now know to remove these common disguises.
So the best thing is to not use any form of valid or disguised address at
all in your configuration of your newsgroup reader.


--

Regards,

Mike
--
Mike Brannigan [Microsoft]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights

Please note I cannot respond to e-mailed questions, please use these
newsgroups
 
Finally I noticed that in Outlook Express there is a facility of blocking
the sender, which I have used. Does this facility work?
Click to expand...

Not really because spammers change their address frequently - sometimes
several times an hour or more.

I find the following two rules work reasonably well...

Move spam to folder X "except with <your email address> in the recipients
address".

and perhaps...

Move spam to folder Y "unless from contact"
 
--
Blair Malcolm
Mike Brannigan said:
Because I was receiving a
large amount of Spam (I stupidly had my proper

Almost all of the common methods for disguising your e-mail address are
defeated simply. As they are "common" most e-mail address harvesting
software now know to remove these common disguises.
So the best thing is to not use any form of valid or disguised address at
all in your configuration of your newsgroup reader.


--

Regards,

Mike
--
Mike Brannigan [Microsoft]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights

Please note I cannot respond to e-mailed questions, please use these
newsgroups
Click to expand...
Thanks for your explanation but I don't understand how I could not use any
address when posting to a news group.
I always thought that it was necessary to have an address.
Blair
 
I used to have Mailwasher which did delete all the Spam but I found that I
had about 100 per day and Mailwasher had to deal with this but it took time
and I had to check to see if any of my legitimate mail was included.
I then changed my address, discontinued Mailwasher and had a year without
any Spam until recently.
I am concerned if I go back to Mailwasher I might get a lot more Spam
Blair
 
I just use a free yahoo account. They have a spam filter
that will stop a lot of the crap and eventually delete it.
Or you can always abandon it and get another.

gls858
 
Thanks for your explanation but I don't understand how I could not use any
address when posting to a news group.
I always thought that it was necessary to have an address.
Blair
Click to expand...

IN your newsgroup client just put in any old garbage. you may have to put an
@ symbol somewhere (e.g. (e-mail address removed)7334.sdjj) in it but
most newsreaders do not check for a well formed or valid address.

--

Regards,

Mike
--
Mike Brannigan [Microsoft]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights

Please note I cannot respond to e-mailed questions, please use these
newsgroups
 
I have 2 email accounts. One for bank and other restricted sites and one for
everyone else.
 
Thanks for your explanation but I don't understand how I could not use any
address when posting to a news group.
I always thought that it was necessary to have an address.
Click to expand...

It depends. Some news servers require a valid email address. These are
usually news servers that you subscribe to (paid subscription). However
even these are now offering alternatives for their customers so that they
can avoid the spam deluge that results when posting with a real address.
 
In
Thanks for your explanation but I don't understand how I could
not
use any address when posting to a news group.
I always thought that it was necessary to have an address.
Click to expand...


You have to have an address, but it doesn't have to be a valid
one. What he means is don't do something as simple as inserting
the word "invalid" or "nospam" in your address, because the
E-mail harvesters just remove words like that automatically.

So instead of disguising your address, calling yourself
(e-mail address removed), use a completely false one,
something like (e-mail address removed)
 
Ken Blake said:
In


You have to have an address, but it doesn't have to be a valid
one. What he means is don't do something as simple as inserting
the word "invalid" or "nospam" in your address, because the
E-mail harvesters just remove words like that automatically.

So instead of disguising your address, calling yourself
(e-mail address removed), use a completely false one,
something like (e-mail address removed)
Click to expand...
Thanks. Someone is suggesting that certain ISPs require you to have a proper
address with an addition for security. Would this apply to Wanadoo?
Blair
 
In
Thanks. Someone is suggesting that certain ISPs require you to
have a
proper address with an addition for security. Would this apply
to
Wanadoo?
Click to expand...


You're welcome. Sorry, I don't know anything about wanadoo's
requirements.
 
Thanks. Someone is suggesting that certain ISPs require you to have a proper
address with an addition for security. Would this apply to Wanadoo?
Click to expand...

Blair, if it is a requirement of your news service, it would be listed in
their FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) or in their Terms of Service. And
it would only apply using their servers.

The MS servers are free. You may use your ISP to go online but you are
interacting directly with the MS news servers when you subscribe to them.
Subscribing is a simple matter of setting them up in your news reader and
you are allowed to mung your address.
 
does your ISP have a "tagging" service where it tags the spam, to make it
easy for you to filter the junk?

My isp has a service where it tags messages with "[iispam]" so I just say in
my filters "With all messages containing [iispam] in Subject Line, Delete
it" I still get the spam but it's easier just to hit the delete key because
I know which is spam and which isn't.
 
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