Date   : Tue, 24 Oct 2006 16:51:39
From   : "Ian Wolstenholme" <BBCMailingList@...>
Subject: Re: [OT] Spam Coming through mailing list

I've been getting these messages as well, but I don't think they
are coming through the mailing list as such, because they are addressed
to my e-mail address rather than the mailing list address and they
don't have "BBC Micro" inserted into the subject.

So I think what is happening is that either somebody or something
has joined the mailing list with the object of getting hold of the members'
e-mail addresses and using those addresses to send these messages,
or I wonder if they could have been picked up from the mailing list
archive.

I haven't checked but from memory I think the sender's address is
partially blanked out with dots on the archive listing, so it could be
that some computer or other has picked up all the partial addresses
from the archive and generated every combination of missing characters
until eventually some "valid" e-mail addresses are produced which are
then used to send the messages.  Just guessing, of course...

For what it's worth, I have noticed a massive increase in unwanted
messages arriving in my website "catch-all" mailbox in the last month.
I would say I am now getting about 500 a day whereas only a few weeks
ago I was only getting a couple of dozen a week.  Perhaps naively, I
advertise my e-mail address openly on my website and in fact I have
a lot of different e-mail addresses depending on the subject matter which
mainly go to the "catch-all" box.

I don't open them all (obviously) but I look at a few now and again and
unfortunately some of my e-mail addresses on the website have
connotations which seem to have been picked up as keywords for
certain "enhancing" products which these people are trying to sell us!
Such as references to the size of my Econet etc......

Best wishes,



Ian

----- Original Message -----
From:   Austin Pass
To: ,Colin <cwhill@...>, <bbc-micro@cloud9.co.uk>
Sent:   Tue, 24 Oct 2006 11:05:19 +0100
Subject: Re: [BBC-Micro] [OT] Spam Coming through mailing list

On 23/10/06 22:58, "Colin" <cwhill@...> wrote:

> I don't think this is coming via the list.
> It's easy (as I am sure you know) to use a fictitious email address without
> the owner knowing about it.
> I certainly haven't had any messages through like this (not from the list
> anyway).
> I think someone has just selected it as a way of sending you stuff (sounds
> like they may know you or, at least, be signed up on the list though,
> doesn't it) ?
> Don't think there is much anyone can do except to suggest you replace one on
> your filter if it becomes too much.
> Colin Hill

I'm getting it quite regularly as well.

Subjects a variation on V*IAGRA with the wildcard replaced with a variety of
vowels.  About 3 a day at the moment, all exactly as James describes.

-Austin.