Originally posted by LePaul:
As for how the email address is divulged to these guys? Thank the folks at Network Solutions and others....if you own a domain (I have 12), your contact info (email, addres, etc) are all sold to spammers on a regular basis and the info is freely available just by doing a WHOIS on any domain.
I had the same problem with my AOL account I use for when I travel. All kinds of spam and junk, and they refused to stop it, so I forwarded it all to Steve Case, AOLs CEO. That got noticed, and I never had a spam message again 
Forwarded it to the CEO ! Nice job !
Like you say..
-always use AND update your virus scanner.
-like your mom said "you don't know where it's been" so don't open it unless you do.
Just because it came from a friend doesn't mean they sent it.
It could just be a virus using your friend's address book.
If you don't expect the file, don't open it. Check with who sent it.
Scan every damn file you get or download.
I got a patch from a commercial site and found that it was infected, so don't assume that legit files are O.K.
How to avoid Spam email....
Keep a few accounts.
One for trusted individuals.
One for other individuals
One for a junk account.
never put your main email address on any website. (THere are apps that search the net for any email address and add them to a database)
-Many free sites sell your email address.
-those FREE e-cards are a great way for companies to collect email addresses to sell
- don't reply to those "remove me from your list" emails. (most of these are just a way of testing which emnails are valid, by replying, your are letting them know the email address is valid and you get ADDED to a list NOT REMOVED.
-Join "
www.spamcop.net". A site dedicated to stopping spam. (includes tools to report spammers to their ISPs)
bottom line: if your email is on a inscure web page,or you sent it to a site, then some email database now has it, and it has been sold to spammers.
(think bbs sigs)
one way of avoiding this is
by posting your email as
blah@hotmail.com.nospam
as opposed to blah@hotmail.com
that way a human can figure out how to email you but a email bot cannot.
It is prefered to put the 'nospam' text as the last entry, otherwise an email server, or domain server will have to check if it's valid.
In this case there is no domain called nospam so the email doesn't even go to the .com domain at all
This obviously doesn't work for signup forms processed by machines, or boards like this one. The solution for that is to create a throw away account that you change every month, and use it for sites like the AH board.
BTW
I have been able to keep my main email account free from spam for 3 years and counting.
HBLAIR: Sorry to hear about it
that does really suck.
the only way to stop spam is never let them get your email address.
once they have it, the only option is to change it or put up with the spam.
Once you change it, be very wary of who you give it out to, or where you post it.
Good Luck
Snoopi
[This message has been edited by Snoopi (edited 03-23-2001).]
