How to stop spams?

[Slarti]

while I set about trying to stop them using my own approaches.

Which was?


Slarti

[XFool]

while I set about trying to stop them using my own approaches.

Which was?

A variety of ad hoc things, depending on the nature of the email, who from, spam or scam etc. It's some while ago now but I'll try to remember.

I NEVER responded to a spam email itself (obviously) and NEVER clicked on 'Cancel if you do not want to receive' etc (obviously).

If it was a fraudulent phishing email using a genuine company as a front - one even went as far as having the genuine company referred on a link at the bottom of the email, "Which you can check to see we are genuine."! - I went independently to the genuine company site, many are only too aware of false emails and have a scam email reporting link on site allowing you to send them the scam email.

If it was simply spams I looked at the company/domain being used as originator, found the owners of the domain (ICANN, whois etc) and contacted the domain administrators directly to report the problem. Some on TMF dismissed this as "Email origins can be forged." My theory: "Who cares?" Some originator addresses will be genuine and, where they aren't, a responsible domain organisation will not want to see their domain being faked, it isn't going to be good for their reputation. They are the experts, let them do the job, hopefully they have notices of other such emails to help them.

Where I kept getting advertising spam via an apparently genuine company - I seem to remember finding an email address from the lists on that original mishap with a genuine email (which I had kept!) - I assumed somebody was possibly moonlighting in a genuine company, using the company IT in an unauthorised manner, or the company IT had been hacked or they were genuinely annoying. Either way I found the company website and emailed them directly to complain.

Last, but not least, and not usually seen as spam as such, I politely but firmly asked people who sent me 'fun' chain emails not to do so, explaining to then why. However innocent their, or even the originator's, reasons for these emails might be it was obvious to me they could be farmed for collection of live email addresses by spammers, or to be sold on. Generally the people who sent me a copy had not the slightest idea of this possibility.

Apart from the last, AFAIK I never received, any acknowledgement from any agents concerned. Nevertheless, for whatever reason, over time all the spam dried up and normal service was resumed.

[Infrasonic]

http://www.tylervigen.com/spurious-correlations

[XFool]

http://www.tylervigen.com/spurious-correlations

OK.

Do get get spam? I don't.

[Infrasonic]

http://www.tylervigen.com/spurious-correlations

OK.

Do get get spam? I don't.

I've got loads of email addresses, some I've had a very long time.

With the exception of my main Outlook.com aggregator address (which I've had since 1998 when it was Hotmail) none of my other addresses get spam from unauthorised third parties.
That's Gmail, Outlook.com, Yahoo, AOL, domain mail et al. Multiple accounts with all of them.
Spam folders remain empty.
(That includes a couple of older webmail addresses that used to get spammed a lot, and then it gradually dried up, with zero intervention from me other than the basic security features being on as I've already discussed.)

The only commonality with those addresses is they don't get used much for sending or receiving large volumes of email, most are backup mirrors (POP3 /IMAP) to my domains or main aggregator accounts.

So if we are going to accept anecdotal non-falsifiable evidence as 'proof' then mine rather puts the cat amongst the pigeons vis a vis your theory XFool.

[XFool]

Oh dear! What is it about 'Computer Help' BB's? I think I kinda know, it seems to go with the territory...
Which is why I generally learned to try very hard to keep off the TMF equivalent.

So if we are going to accept anecdotal non-falsifiable evidence as 'proof' then mine rather puts the cat amongst the pigeons vis a vis your theory XFool.

Yes. And, as I also didn't claim a 'proof' of any of the following:

China is the capitol of Dublin
The Earth is really flat, not round
The circumference of a circle is 4 times its radius
etc

You have plenty of scope in proving(sic) how mistaken I was in my 'proof' of these as well!

If you READ what I posted you may just have seen the following. I have helpfully emphasised the relevant text:

Nevertheless, for whatever reason, over time all the spam dried up and normal service was resumed.

The real question, to which there may be many different answers, is why do some people get a lot of spam and others get none? People who get spam want to stop it, so did I. If I had listened to people like you on TMF (I didn't!) would I still be receiving spam, or would I be receiving no spam? I don't know. Do you? But I do know I am not receiving spam.

Anyway, if you reckon you know so much about emails and spam, why aren't you offerering advice and the benefit of your experience to those who are suffering from spam to try and stop it at source?

Anyway. As this is a 'Computer Help' BB - I'm outta here!...

[Infrasonic]

Anyway. As this is a 'Computer Help' BB - I'm outta here!...

Probably for the best...

[XFool]

What do you know? I've (finally!) received an apparently genuine spam email - no need for me to feel left out anymore.
(Can't seem to remember the last one...)

Albeit not to my current email address, but via my ancient BT owned Talk21 email address.

From: "BT" <postmaster@gkh-c.net>

"UPS Parcel delivery failed*

Track your parcel

Registered customer xxxxxxxxxx

Status: In transit
Sorry but our driver couldn't deliver your parcel due incorect address.Please reschedule your parcel for delivery. - SP!

Confirm your phone number and delivery information

Thanks,
The Online account team"

[XFool]

...Interesting. The BT Email system correctly identified it as spam and dumped in the spam folder. Its copy was relayed on to my current email address - where I had to spot it myself. Wonder how long I will have to wait for another one?

Anyway, it prompted me to log in to my Talk21 email account for tidying up and keeping it going.

[CliffEdge]

Oh dear! What is it about 'Computer Help' BB's? I think I kinda know, it seems to go with the territory...
Which is why I generally learned to try very hard to keep off the TMF equivalent.

So if we are going to accept anecdotal non-falsifiable evidence as 'proof' then mine rather puts the cat amongst the pigeons vis a vis your theory XFool.

Yes. And, as I also didn't claim a 'proof' of any of the following:

China is the capitol of Dublin
The Earth is really flat, not round
The circumference of a circle is 4 times its radius
etc

You have plenty of scope in proving(sic) how mistaken I was in my 'proof' of these as well!

If you READ what I posted you may just have seen the following. I have helpfully emphasised the relevant text:

Nevertheless, for whatever reason, over time all the spam dried up and normal service was resumed.

The real question, to which there may be many different answers, is why do some people get a lot of spam and others get none? People who get spam want to stop it, so did I. If I had listened to people like you on TMF (I didn't!) would I still be receiving spam, or would I be receiving no spam? I don't know. Do you? But I do know I am not receiving spam.

Anyway, if you reckon you know so much about emails and spam, why aren't you offerering advice and the benefit of your experience to those who are suffering from spam to try and stop it at source?

Anyway. As this is a 'Computer Help' BB - I'm outta here!...

The Flat Earth Society now has members all around the globe. The old ones are the best but I've probably got it wrong.