Forum Moderators: phranque
I've seen this on three separate e-mail accounts (only one of mine) within the last couple of weeks. Take the following (widget-ified) e-mail headers from the original spam message:
from: matthew@WidgetsDomain.com
reply-to: matthew@WidgetsForSale.com
to: matthew@WidgetsManufactory.com
Sometimes similar envelope-to: headers are added as well.
Two significant facts are immediately obvious:
It looks like some spammer is sending messages with dynamically-generated headers using other addresses in the list that are similar to the recipient's address.
I can think of at least a couple big advantages spammers might see to this method. For one thing, the "From" display name normally shows up as the first name of the person receiving the message, prompting notice. And, the e-mail address the message appears to be from is apparently related to the recipient's own industry. Finally, the bounces get distributed over a much wider range of ISP's, possibly helping the spammer stay under the radar a lot better.
All of the messages I've seen like this (three or four so far) appear to be bayesian poisoning messages.
Has anyone else seen this, and what are the implications of these more advanced methods of spamming?
These guys will try anything for an open...
Do you only receive your emails in text format?
If so, you can at least cancel the image pull from their
email server ... (even if it is a 1x1 gif)...
I haven't accepted HTML email for years...yeah..makes life a bit more boring...but knocks down on the spam some..
I will watch my headers a bit more closely here...as several of my email addresses do see some activity...
Matt
"Hi, [last name first name], it's [cute girl name], remember me? I'm the short dark haired girl you met at [some business] last spring in [some city], you gave me your business card and said if I ever got anything going to give you a call. Well here, check out my web site."
Except, note that first and last name are swapped, screwing up the attempt at automated English. [some business] is actually a business I did some web work for yeeeeeaaaars ago, but I've never actually been there (it is a mountain lodge) and it's not in [some city], it's in a reserved section of forest only acessible by river, foot, or helicopter. [some business] and [some city] are separated by one very large mountain range and about 150 miles. :-)
But the amazing thing is how they threw several related items about me together in one email. So much talent, all gone to waste, I pity the foo's.
The only solution to the spam problem is when people stop buying from spammers. I think everyone who buys from spammers should be publicly spanked with a wet towel.
I was amused by the towel suggestion: check the UK 10 Downing Street petitions site (yes, a real UK government site) in a few days, and if they approve my petition I think you'll find something that you may want to sign! B^>
Rgds
Damon
As far as opening images not embedded in the email, my email client doesn't open them unless they're white listed or I tell it to.
On a related note, the only spam which I didn't mind getting and would have on occasion bought from (though I never did) where the ones for ink cartridges. Interestingly, those seem to be the only ones I never get anymore. If the amount of spam were to be reduced by an order of magnitude and to be for reasonable products (like ink cartridges), I'm sure most people wouldn't mind getting them.
