The war against spammers

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remember — spamming is still a loser’s business

 ‘White Paper’ published [doc zip file]
 Ireland’s antispam Bill
 More on spam ...

        

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Page updated: Tuesday, 3 August, 2004 16:45

Filtering the dross of the Net
June 22, 2003
Much spam can be identified by the senders’ e-mail address format. The name of the sender is often repeated in the e-mail address but is immediately followed by random letters or a score mark and letters. The latest batch of spam deploys the use of multiple spaces after the From: header, for example:     From:       "DrossPerson" <drossperson@dross.com>, increasing the difficlty of filtering or blacklisting such mailings.

Other examples are:"Darcy Hager" darcy.hagerxv@miesto.sk; "Sharon Burks" <sburkslm@amhb.ab.ca>; "Jewel Ratliff" <jratliffbn@ifrance.com>; "Stanley Griffin" <stanleygriffin_wd@carleton.ca>; "Deloris Collier" <deloriscollier_el@hisword.com>; "Robert M. Kennedy" <rm.kennedyoo@msn.com>. Note the additional letters after the senders‘ names in the actual email address, enclosed within the <>.

It is a pathetic attempt to make the address appear genuine, and pathetic is the operative word. But then, spammers are pathetic people. Strange that the IPs are blatantly getting away with supporting spammers too. If some jerk kept banging on my front door trying to get me to buy something after being told not to call, I'd be likely to tickle his nose with a touch from a lump hammer. No joke. So why do IPs get away with constantly breaching privacy protocols and engaging in harassment, for that is what it is?

Spammers go to ridiculous extent to hide their true details. They send out obfuscated web addresses, they deliberately disguise the IP origin of their mail, sometimes fraudulently. They are afraid to show themselves. They cannot be open and true. They have no interest in normal polite business protocol. They are the trash of the Internet.

They get away with it because greedy IP services remain uncontrolled and operate at the same level as the trash dealers that they give space to.

Of particularly bad taste was the spam sent out just before 11 September, which used the subject line DO YOU REMEMBER 9/11--DID YOU CHANGE? then went on to promote real estate management sales.

As for the ISPs who send automated messages to complaints stating that such may be the only contact they would make due to the "high level of complaints received" — users would be advised to blacklist any such ISP for the following reasons:
1. If they receive such a high volume of complaints why are they not doing something about it?
2. Would you accept such a pathetic response to a complaint made anywhere else?

Now I know you are not supposed to blow your cool. I am not. But I expect when I raise a complaint of persistent harassment of my mailboxes, the one courteous thing would be a proper reply.

Yet worse are the people who continue to afford spammers the ability to operate and do so out of their own greed, whilst effectively ignoring any complaints sent to them. They are no different to the irritating salesperson who constantly knocks uninvited at your door despite being told not to.

I have taken the decision to publish the names of some of the worst spamming networks, after having tried without success to communicate with them in an effort to enlist their co-operation in ending the transmission of UCE from their servers to my mailboxes

Make your own mind up regarding who is running responsible services or otherwise. Check out the list of spamming IPs.

Some of the more prominently and continually offending networks include
shaidc.com
charter.net
verio.net
attbi.com
rr.com
charter.net
ns.chinanet.cn.net
genuity.com
cndata.com
sprint.net
online.sh.cn
china-netcom.com

In addition, IP ranges starting with the numbers listed below also accommodate persistent spammers.

4.
12.
24.
61.
66.
67.
68.
80.
200.
211.
216.
217.
218.
220.

The above have continued to send high volumes of spam on a daily basis despite having received continually raised complaints.

Further details relating to spam are available from this website by clicking here.

The Internet is an open forum. That does not and should not mean that it should be open to unchallenged abuse by unscrupulous sales techniques that do very little other than irritate all who receive their junk.

Anyone interested in communicating with this site in relation to spam, or who may have ideas regarding the same, should contact me

I would also like to hear of any ISP that refuses to acknowledge mail sent in relation to spam complaints. This refers to mail sent to ISP abuse departments and to which a reply is wanted other than the standard automated acknowledgement. It does not refer to forwarded copies of spam.

Ž

Whose responsibility?
Somebody has to take responsibility to close down persistent spammers. But who? If you or I were to send out postal letters on headed notepaper belonging to somebody else with the intention of making the recipient think the letter originates from that source, whereas it is actually promoting the sender’s own product or service, then you or I would be open to charges of fraud and deception.

Companies of course cannot possibly prevent someone else fraudulently using their identity before the act itself, unless they have advance knowledge. But what if somebody lodges a complaint that someone is fraudulently using the name of another company?

It is difficult for police to issue criminal proceedings unless deliberate deception with the intent of fraudulent gain or fraudulently obtaining a pecuniary advantage is intended. This is hardly the case with spam. Private prosecution absurdly places the cost of legal proceedings on the recipient of something they did not ask to receive and which might in fact be nuisance activity.

Spammers are forced to use temporary accounts as most responsible ISPs will quickly close down mail accounts known to send out mass mailings of spam. There are exceptions. Many ISPs refuse to take any really conclusive action against spammers, preferring to have their cake and eat it too.

In 2003 Ireland passed legislation outlawing spam It states that recipients will ‘be able to instruct senders of Spam to cease forwarding such messages’ though how such matters will be enforced is less clear. [see related news item]

How many times have you had a response from an ISP disclaiming all and any responsibility for forged use of their mail domain headers?

If you or I sent out hundreds of letters purporting to be from The White House or from Downing Street, it would not be cost effective is a common one excuse of those who might take action to prevent the same. Yet what did these people set up business as ISP operators for?

It was certainly not out of the benign goodness of their charitable hearts. They set up in business for one reason only, money and profits. And many are willing to eschew their responsibilities for the sake of their profits, regardless of the inconvenience this may bring to others.

Those who would follow such a course of disclaiming any responsibility or requirement to take action against fraudsters are just as guilty of incorrect conduct as those who forge identity details.

There is big money to me made through spam mail, that is without doubt. There will always be some responses to a round of bulk mailing that will outstrip the outlay costs and result in profit to the spammers. But would you be happy if your personal details were released by your bank, for instance, to any salesman who wished to have them?

I have evidence that some ISPs have released mailing details to spammers, garnished from their servers. This evidence has been gathered by contacting the ISP by e-mail with an e-mail address that has not been used elsewhere at any time. Lo and behold, within a few days of contacting the ISP using such an address, spam was then sent to that very same address. In some cases, the originating ISP of the spam was within the range assigned to the destination of my complaint. The offending ISPs are among those listed above.

Internationally agreed legislation based on agreed protocol is needed that impacts upon the providers of e-mail services that send out spam. They must also be compelled by law to reveal the identity of a spammer when requested to do so by the recipient of spam sent through their system.

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