From Jerry Pasker, received 8/11/01, 5:12 pm -0600 (GMT): > This is semi-on-topic......... > > I've noticed that I've been getting some very strange email lately. Ones > that aren't obviously spam, but are just odd, and designed to elicit a > reply. I've done some searching to see if these are indeed real spammer > tactics, but so far, I've turned up nothing. My gut feeling is that this > is a big thing... bulk verification of email addresses, disguised as simple > and innocent mis-addressed email. One line e-mails like "Hey, Jim, this is > Pat, let me know if you got my last email" or "JPASKER, THE TREES ARE ALL > DOWN -GEORGE" My thoughts are that they're obviously designed to > convince the user to reply, so the spammer can verify an email address is > live.
They're actually designed just to verify that the address is deliverable (doesn't bounce). I imagine all the ones that don't bounce are good for addition to the "100 Million Opportunity Seekers" CDROMs. Best thing you can do is try to get some Spamtraps onto those CDROMS (to spoil any of your real addresses that are already on there), by inventing yourself 2 or 3 addresses at your domain - spread evenly from A-Z ([EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED]) and then define those addresses as Spamtraps in the router: <*[EMAIL PROTECTED]> = spamtrap Then place a few of those around your site where crawlers can find them but customers can't, or use those addresses as your Reply-To and post a few 'just testing' messages to alt.business.multi-level, alt.business.home.pc, alt.business.import-export, alt.sex.escorts, hk.biz.general, etc. -- Steve Linford Ultradesign Xtreme Network http://www.uxn.com ############################################################# This message is sent to you because you are subscribed to the mailing list <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. To unsubscribe, E-mail to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To switch to the DIGEST mode, E-mail to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To switch to the INDEX mode, E-mail to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Send administrative queries to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
