Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

[Josep Lluís Guallar Esteve <jlguallar AT maduixa.net>]

Hi,

A Diumenge 05 Agost 2001 21:53, vàreu escriure:
> I'm not well-versed in UCE, and something weird just happened.

> I have never given out my computer.org address to anyone until yesterday,
> when a friend over at Mindspring and my mom on AOL sent me mail.  This
> morning I get UCE on this account for the first time.  The headers indicate
> the UCE originated at excite.com.  The two legitimate e-mails did not pass
> through any third-party servers en route to me.

Have you reported it to http://spamcop.net  ?

It is a good way to make the spammers life a little less easy.

> So, is mail from computer.org, Mindspring, or AOL somehow being monitored
> by someone?  Or is this just a coincidence, and someone just randomly tried
> to send mail to a name which happened to be mine?

Usualy, is a combination of Both.

Check this info 
(http://www.cnet.com/software/0-3227887-8-5181225-3.html?tag=st.sw.3227887-8-5181225-1.txt.3227887-8-5181225-3):

"A word of precaution as you hunt down spam: If a junk mail message includes 
a file or document attachment, do not open the attachment. Spam is a prime 
way for malicious e-mailers to spread computer viruses (for example, macro 
viruses in DOC files). Also, make it a point to avoid clicking any obscure 
Web links in spam. Some spammers use Web sites with JavaScript to acquire 
sensitive information from your system. "

This means that some websites are specialized in extracting information for 
unsuspecting computers.  With JavaScript, Java, bad intentions, software 
flaws, AOL, Oulook .... you can build websites (chat sites, information 
sites...) that scan the obvious addressbooks filenams from your computer and 
then send them to a ftpserver, where they are dissected and sold by the pound.


Maybe you want to read this article:

http://www.cnet.com/software/0-3227888-8-6602372-1.html?tag=ld

> Secondly, what is the deal with the numbers (usually five digits) at the
> end of most UCE these days?

Mmmm, maybe just a way to look "professional" like having a "reference 
number".

> And finally, what filtering systems are folks using these days?  I'm
> getting tired of seeing this crap, but don't want to miss legitimate mail. 

Maybe you would like to hire the services of SpamCop.net , or use Perl 
scripts to filter your e-mail, or...

I do not have my real e-mail address  anywhere in my browsers. I do not use 
Outlook nor AOL. I do not wander in chats where you need an e-mail name, I do 
not click on banners... and I use Linux, where your files are somewhat 
protected and their location is not as obvious as in Windows.

> My mail comes through a POP account at RoadRunner; Mom uses AOL.  (She is
> pretty good at not replying to most of the UCE, but she is on a lot of
> mailing lists and frequents AOL Chat Rooms.)

I use POP too.

Remember: just opening an UCE e-mail can mean that you are actually 
sendingyour e-mail address and, maybe, your addressbook at well. So, I 
recommend to not to use Outlook at all (by default it opens all your e-mails, 
even if you do not open them, so they run any code in HTML messages), disable 
Java and JavaScript for your Mail and News programs, use text-only e-mail 
readers, and use SpamCop (at least the free version) to report any UCE that 
you get... this disminishes the UCE that you will eventualy get. Because you 
will get UCE in the end. Unless there are some laws that make them pay for 
UCE, like they do in California.


> ***diane


Salut,
Josep
-- 
Josep L. Guallar-Esteve
mailto:jlguallar AT maduixa.net