Spammer

[evanson]

I started receiving a message, purportedly from a friend of mine who'd killed himself last year.

When I opened the message (well, you'd be curious wouldn't you?) it opened up a Canadian site from some prick selling Viagara, of which, I assure you, I am not interested.

Since then I've been receiving at least 10 messages a day, from the same site.

I've installed Avast, Zone Alarm and run Spybot daily, but they're still coming in every day.

Below is the link to this <deleted>'s site. How can I stop these unpleasant and frankly upsetting spams? And is anyone else getting the same? I always delete to Spam, but doesn't work on the gmail filter.

//url removed//

Edited September 7, 2010 by Tywais
Removed URL

[garyh]

Are you able to report it to Google, normally there anti spam works well.

[Tywais]

If you are using a client application such as Thunderbird, Outlook Express etc. you should be able to set a message filter that will automatically delete or move to junk based on address, content or other criteria. If webmail check options to see if those filters are available.

//edit - I removed the link in the OP, no need to give the spammer anymore traffic.

//edit2 - just saw the OP mentioned Gmail filter. Check a fixed criteria that is consistent such as subject, From or content and try that.

From Gmail help -

1. Click the drop-down menu next to Reply.

2. Select Filter messages like this.

3. Enter your filter criteria in the appropriate field(s).

[ManInSurat]

As already said, don't confuse malware/viruses/spyware - which actually infect your unit - for spam, which is sent from a mail address to yours.

Although you haven't said which MSP (mail service provider) you are using Tywais is absolutely right about Gmail's filtering - it does work and I believe all other free MSPs (Yahoo, Hotmail, AOL etc) also have similar manageability.

A word of advice here when choosing to filter mail coming in, instead of blocking the whole mail address that is sending you spam, choose to block the domain - if it happens to be a domain that is not one you'd ever need to receive mail from. The domain is the part after the @ sign. So if it's a domain you'd never need to receive mail from e.g. viagra(at)sellingviagra.com then block the domain. Beware that you don't block something important - like Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail et al.

If you're using a Windows based mail client, the same rules apply, you can choose to filter out unwanted mail addresses/domains etc.

Unfortunately the nature of the spamming universe is such that these spammers mostly use free MSPs and as such they have access to thousands, if not millions of other mail addresses to send you spam from. Alternatively they can just as easily buy new hosting, get a new domain and start sending you spam from that domain.

It's the fact they have the data of your personal email account which is the bad thing here. As long as they have this they can still get to you for life - it's horrible I know.

A very good piece of advice for you is when filling out forms anywhere on the internet for forum registrations, free offers, or any site that you think could use your information in a way you might not like - use a separate email address. I have a specific mail account I use for registrations to sites that I suspect will send me spam.

Even better than this - visit Yopmail.com - they provide disposable mail accounts that allow you to receive incoming mail to any address you create on the spot - eg ThaiVisa(at)yopmail.com - you don't have to set the account up yourself - any address exists and they have about 15 domains - it's very very very useful for weeding out spam.

If you really are p*ssed off and really want to try and get your own back, then I would suggest reporting the spammer to Spamhaus.org with all the data you can collect on the person sending you the spam. They actually name and shame the most influential spammers in the business today - you'd be amazed at where some of these people come from - some are just your average Joe and others are hardened criminals who have turned from pimping/extortion/human trafficking/drugs to spam. It's actually a very interesting site. Somewhat futile in it's general nature to kill spam (even more so with the advent of the new IPv6 ranges coming on the market soon), but interesting never-the-less.

On a statistical note, it is now reported that approx. 89% of all mail messages sent on a daily worldwide basis are now spam.

Here is a very very important video I suggest you all watch if you're interested in matters of this nature -

Edit: Sorry I just noticed you did mention which MSP you were using - my bad. All the rest of what I said still applies!

Edited September 7, 2010 by ManInSurat

[steelepulse]

Mailwasher is a good tool. Gmail does a good job of filtering also if you want an internet based email client.

[garyh]

Mailwasher is a good tool. Gmail does a good job of filtering also if you want an internet based email client.

Gmail also has pop mail and works with any email software so it is not just web mail, I have never used it that way I always receive my mail through Outlook.

[evanson]

As already said, don't confuse malware/viruses/spyware - which actually infect your unit - for spam, which is sent from a mail address to yours.

Although you haven't said which MSP (mail service provider) you are using Tywais is absolutely right about Gmail's filtering - it does work and I believe all other free MSPs (Yahoo, Hotmail, AOL etc) also have similar manageability.

A word of advice here when choosing to filter mail coming in, instead of blocking the whole mail address that is sending you spam, choose to block the domain - if it happens to be a domain that is not one you'd ever need to receive mail from. The domain is the part after the @ sign. So if it's a domain you'd never need to receive mail from e.g. viagra(at)sellingviagra.com then block the domain. Beware that you don't block something important - like Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail et al.

If you're using a Windows based mail client, the same rules apply, you can choose to filter out unwanted mail addresses/domains etc.

Unfortunately the nature of the spamming universe is such that these spammers mostly use free MSPs and as such they have access to thousands, if not millions of other mail addresses to send you spam from. Alternatively they can just as easily buy new hosting, get a new domain and start sending you spam from that domain.

It's the fact they have the data of your personal email account which is the bad thing here. As long as they have this they can still get to you for life - it's horrible I know.

A very good piece of advice for you is when filling out forms anywhere on the internet for forum registrations, free offers, or any site that you think could use your information in a way you might not like - use a separate email address. I have a specific mail account I use for registrations to sites that I suspect will send me spam.

Even better than this - visit Yopmail.com - they provide disposable mail accounts that allow you to receive incoming mail to any address you create on the spot - eg ThaiVisa(at)yopmail.com - you don't have to set the account up yourself - any address exists and they have about 15 domains - it's very very very useful for weeding out spam.

If you really are p*ssed off and really want to try and get your own back, then I would suggest reporting the spammer to Spamhaus.org with all the data you can collect on the person sending you the spam. They actually name and shame the most influential spammers in the business today - you'd be amazed at where some of these people come from - some are just your average Joe and others are hardened criminals who have turned from pimping/extortion/human trafficking/drugs to spam. It's actually a very interesting site. Somewhat futile in it's general nature to kill spam (even more so with the advent of the new IPv6 ranges coming on the market soon), but interesting never-the-less.

On a statistical note, it is now reported that approx. 89% of all mail messages sent on a daily worldwide basis are now spam.

Here is a very very important video I suggest you all watch if you're interested in matters of this nature -

Edit: Sorry I just noticed you did mention which MSP you were using - my bad. All the rest of what I said still applies!

Thank you for this very comprehensive reply (and apologies to Tywise for posting the url), but having looked again at the domain names, each and every one of them is completely different?! albeit with the same name of my friend as the 'sender' for all. This is the only spam I get on this particular account - (for personal use only), and so I know Gmail's spam filter, in all other respects, to be a good one. So how did these many domains, using the same 'sender' get around it?!

These spammers should really get a life:angry:

Edited September 7, 2010 by evanson

[ManInSurat]

Thank you for this very comprehensive reply (and apologies to Tywise for posting the url), but having looked again at the domain names, each and every one of them is completely different?! albeit with the same name of my friend as the 'sender' for all. This is the only spam I get on this particular account - (for personal use only), and so I know Gmail's spam filter, in all other respects, to be a good one. So how did these many domains, using the same 'sender' get around it?!

These spammers should really get a life:angry:

You're more than welcome and I really do feel your pain.

What has happened is that you've either signed up somewhere suspect or what I actually think has happened - you've got an infected file on your unit that can harvest your mail data and see your contacts and use this to prey on your emotions, like with the desipcable "deceased friend" message. What a simply terrible thing to do to people!

A good thing to do now, for free, is to Google TrendMicro Housecall which is a free malware/anti-v/spyware checker that can do it over the internet so you don't have to download anything. It has a pretty comprehensive database of new trojans, worms etc. That way you can see if you have any infection. I do this about once a week.

We all like to sign up for things and sometimes we can't avoid getting infected. Technology has progressed to the extent that URLs alone can infect your unit if your security settings aren't up to scratch.

As I said before, once they have your personal information, they can send you mails from everywhere and you can't block all imcoming spam unless you block all imcoming mails!

It's a very sad side-effect for the general public, but being able to have access to FREE internet based mail clients means that there there will always be a small proportion that will use the service for their own nefarious means.

They can also create unlimited domains from which to "attack" you from. Until the hosting site kills their account that is. Some places Israel, China, India, also offer "bulletproof" domains and SMTP services for a large fee that will allow their spammers to get away with what they're doing with impunity. The only way this can be counteracted is by the free major MSPs learning of the SMTP data of these "bulletproof" companies and blocking them, which is hard to keep up with as you would imagine.

Of all the methods I have looked into; reporting to either Google or Spamhaus is probably the best option you have. Alright, you alone cannot change the world, but if enough people are there with you adding their signatures, Big Brother will eventually do something about it as it denigrates the overall service the more upstanding members of their usership receives.

We have ways and means to fight, but ultimately and very sadly, I think it's a losing battle - while FREE services are there to be used.

To try and help you in some way just to get these out of your inbox, if you notice a similar pattern forming in the mail address that is sending to your mail account - Gmail is intelligent enough for it to allow you to block portions of a mail address. Try and spot a pattern in the mail addresses they chose to use and try to block this. It may help.

What is worse is than in my spam mail account I have, there are messages that are from "me" meaning that the spammer has the techonology or knowhow available to them to be able to spoof the SMTP (simple mail transfer protocol) data and thus trick the MSPs into thinking the mail is coming from another point of origin. This REALLY gets up my nose.

Hope this helps and best of luck with trying to kill this bane on society.

Edited September 7, 2010 by ManInSurat

[MTH]

I’d say what has happened is that your now deceased friends email account has been hacked.

Spammers are now sending out messages to everyone in his address book and it will look like the messages originate from your friends account.

Looks like you’ve got plenty of advice on how to filter theses messages.

[ManInSurat]

I’d say what has happened is that your now deceased friends email account has been hacked.

Spammers are now sending out messages to everyone in his address book and it will look like the messages originate from your friends account.

Looks like you’ve got plenty of advice on how to filter theses messages.

Very good point MTH and one I overlooked. This is also a possibility. The fact that they are also sending from alternate domains makes me think they're either employing some form of SMTP spoofing or are just sending from other domains at their want and need.

Have you asked your friend if this has happened? Maybe he isn't actually aware if this is the case and you might be doing him/her a favour.

Edited September 7, 2010 by ManInSurat

[evanson]

I’d say what has happened is that your now deceased friends email account has been hacked.

Spammers are now sending out messages to everyone in his address book and it will look like the messages originate from your friends account.

Looks like you’ve got plenty of advice on how to filter theses messages.

Very good point MTH and one I overlooked. This is also a possibility. The fact that they are also sending from alternate domains makes me think they're either employing some form of SMTP spoofing or are just sending from other domains at their want and need.

Have you asked your friend if this has happened? Maybe he isn't actually aware if this is the case and you might be doing him/her a favour.

Difficult to ask him as (as mentioned in my original post) he's dead. But he was in the habit of forwarding 'funnies' received by his many other friends, and so MTH's theory very plausible.

Thanks everyone for your advice:)

[ManInSurat]

Oh I'm very sorry, I completely misunderstood that line in your OP.

I genuinely thought you meant that the mail had tried to tell you that your friend had passed on in an effort to get you to open it.

I apologies for coming across as crass, that really was not my intention! :jap:

Edited September 7, 2010 by ManInSurat

[sulasno]

//edit - I removed the link in the OP, no need to give the spammer anymore traffic.

instead of removing, the link would not it help to mask the link instead ?