Peter Kelly | 3 Jul 2007 10:23
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Re: Suugestion for forwarding spam reports


On Sat, 30 Jun 2007 17:51:48 -0400
Gerard <gerard@...> wrote:

> On Sat, 30 Jun 2007 03:14:51 -0000, "Peter 
Kelly" <epicurus@...> wrote:
> > I often repond to spam by forwarding them onto the originating 
> > server. To do this you need to copy/paste the full headers into 
the 
> > body of the new email.
> > 
> > It would be a good idea to offer the option of adding the 
original 
> > headers already pasted into the body of the forwarding email 
being 
> > composed. It would make reporting spam quicker. Maybe even a 
> > suggestion for the to header for a forwarding address (eg 
> > abuse@...).
> > 
> > For forwarding by pressing the forward arrow there are already 
the 
> > options of 
> > 
> > Forward
> > Redirect
> > Forward as attachment
> > 
> > Anew option would add
> > 
> > Forward with original headers
> 
> 
> Forwarding the message as an attachment , I assume you are referring
> to RFC-822 MIME encoded attachments, already includes the headers, 
etc.
> of the original message. I do not quite comprehend why you would 
want
> to include the original message's headers as part of the body text 
of
> a new message as well as forwarding the original message as an
> attachment. That would appear to be redundancy. What purpose does it
> serve? I know of no SPAM reporting agency that requires that format.
> 
> I am somewhat concerned with the statement, "forwarding them onto 
the originating 
> server" in your post. If you are attempting to send these allegedly
> SPAM messages back to what you assume to be the originating source,
> you are probably guilty of creating what is known as 'backscatter'.
> This sort of behavior will get you blacklisted eventually. The 
proper
> method is to us a combination of RSBL and other internal filters if
> you are running your own MTA, or else simply discard the messages
> entirely if not. I can virtually guarantee that you aren't running 
an
> MTA. You can forward them as an attachment to organizations such as
> 'SpamCop'; however, for the most part that simply serves as a rather
> useless finger exercise as well as a waste of bandwidth.
> 
> 
> -- 
> Gerard

Hi Gerard

I have just tried clicked "Forward As Attachment" just to view the
headers of this original email. I do not see them. When opening the
attachment in the compose window there are no headers. When looking at
the headers of the actual composed message there are only the headers 
of
pertaining to it. I have saved and attached the file to this reply 
before
discarding the forward composed test email.

As to the value of reporting spam I received a few spam emails a few
months after I changed my email address, partly to escape spam, and
started sending spam reports religiously. The spam soon stopped 
completely. I believe
there was only one spammer. I believe he found my scrambled email
address from a usenet posting and went to the trouble of unscrambling 
it.
I believe action was taken before he had the oppurtunity to onsell my
email address to other spammers. I received no more spam. 

Now, only a week ago I started receiving spam although not directly to
my address, but redirected through an address assigned by an 
organisation
I am connected with, and from there it automatically redirected to 
me. 

To date my email address is relatively clean and it is worth fighting 
to
keep it that way

This below is the ENTIRE contents of the forward attachment file 
example. No headers at in it. 
_____________________________________________________________________

On Sat, 30 Jun 2007 17:51:48 -0400
Gerard <gerard@...> wrote:

> On Sat, 30 Jun 2007 03:14:51 -0000, "Peter 
Kelly" <epicurus@...> wrote:
> > I often repond to spam by forwarding them onto the originating 
> > server. To do this you need to copy/paste the full headers into 
the 
> > body of the new email.
> > 
> > It would be a good idea to offer the option of adding the 
original 
> > headers already pasted into the body of the forwarding email 
being 
> > composed. It would make reporting spam quicker. Maybe even a 
> > suggestion for the to header for a forwarding address (eg 
> > abuse@...).
> > 
> > For forwarding by pressing the forward arrow there are already 
the 
> > options of 
> > 
> > Forward
> > Redirect
> > Forward as attachment
> > 
> > Anew option would add
> > 
> > Forward with original headers
> 
> 
> Forwarding the message as an attachment , I assume you are referring
> to RFC-822 MIME encoded attachments, already includes the headers, 
etc.
> of the original message. I do not quite comprehend why you would 
want
> to include the original message's headers as part of the body text 
of
> a new message as well as forwarding the original message as an
> attachment. That would appear to be redundancy. What purpose does it
> serve? I know of no SPAM reporting agency that requires that format.
> 
> I am somewhat concerned with the statement, "forwarding them onto 
the originating 
> server" in your post. If you are attempting to send these allegedly
> SPAM messages back to what you assume to be the originating source,
> you are probably guilty of creating what is known as 'backscatter'.
> This sort of behavior will get you blacklisted eventually. The 
proper
> method is to us a combination of RSBL and other internal filters if
> you are running your own MTA, or else simply discard the messages
> entirely if not. I can virtually guarantee that you aren't running 
an
> MTA. You can forward them as an attachment to organizations such as
> 'SpamCop'; however, for the most part that simply serves as a rather
> useless finger exercise as well as a waste of bandwidth.
> 
> 
> -- 
> Gerard

Hi Gerard

I have just tried clicked "Forward As Attachment" just to view the
headers of this original email. I do not see them. When opening the
attachment in the compose window there are no headers. When looking at
the headers of the actual composed message there are only the headers 
of
pertaining to it. I have saved and attached the file to this reply 
before
discarding the forward composed test email.

As to the value of reporting spam I received a few spam emails a few
months after I changed my email address, partly to escape spam, and
stated sending spam reports religiously. The spam stopped. I believe
there was only one spammer. I believe he found my scrabbled email
address from a usenet posting and went to the trouble of unscambling 
it.
I believe action was taken before he had the oppurtunity to onsell my
email address to other spammers.

Now, only a week ago I started receiving spam although not directly to
this address, but redirected through an address assigned by an 
organisation
I am connected from where it is automatically redirected. 

To date my email address is relatively clean and it is worth fighting 
to
keep it that way
_____________________________________________________________________

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