• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Sigining Someone Up For Spam.

A few days ago I put some furniture I'm trying to sell on Craigslist. Specifically, a couch set. Just to be funny and cute, I said "if I don't sell these couches, then I plan on torching the f***ers for a 4th of July bar-b-que".

So I get a reply to my ad in my inbox today and it's someone that said "watch your language" and nothing else. I've been having a bad day as it is and this kind of pissed me off. I don't know if they were just kidding or trying to be anal about my choice of words, but I decided on some revenge for the needless comment.

They were using an AOL email and it appeared that it was probably their real email address. Trolling Craigslist with your real email is probably stupid but I may have done something dumber.

To get my revenge, I went to Google and typed in "free porn newsletter" and got a few sites to sign up for. All three I signed up for said they were sending verification emails so I figured they might not get a ton of spam, but at least they'd get a couple offensive verification type emails. I was able to dig up two of the three I signed them up to and the response emails didn't say anything like "someone signed up for free porn from IP addres XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX". But I don't know about the third.

I didn't stop there though. I went into a couple newsgroups and posted the person's email address figuring that a Usenet address harvester would get ahold of it and then they'd really get some spam.

Well a few hours later I get another email from the person that said to watch my language that said "You are reported for harassment. You signed me up to a porn site. Remove my email or you will be reported for harassment."

I laughed at first but then I kind of got worried an looked it up. It appears that someone in Maryland (which isn't my home state BTW) back in 05 got arrested and convicted after signing his boss up for spam.

Should I be worried? I responded back to the person from my throw away email address and said I didn't know what they were talking about and to leave me alone. I said that they have already sent me two emails that I didn't want and perhaps I should report them.

I didn't use a proxy or anything when signing them up and I guess if they really wanted to track me down they could contact the owners of Craigslist and find out who I am from my original posting of the furiniture ad (which I have now removed out of fear).

I was just trying to piss them off like they pissed me off. I'm worried they're gonna come lock me up or something. Any advice or comforting words are appreciated.

Thanks.

We are "offering" you protective detention for the next two weeks from here, Matt Foley, to cut down on your chances to hurt yourself (and others) with your own low-life stupidity.

Matt Foley Bot
Senior AT "Matt Foley" Moderator



 
Well a few hours later I get another email from the person that said to watch my language that said "You are reported for harassment. You signed me up to a porn site. Remove my email or you will be reported for harassment."

How the hell did he figure you out? Wow...
 
Originally posted by: TuxDave
Well a few hours later I get another email from the person that said to watch my language that said "You are reported for harassment. You signed me up to a porn site. Remove my email or you will be reported for harassment."

How the hell did he figure you out? Wow...

Are you being serious or is that sarcasm aimed at my potential supidity? I'm freakin out over here. Checking my email every 5 seconds to see if they reply back and looking out my shades for the cops. When I was younger I got into some trouble and they came to my house in the middle of the night while I was sleeping and took me away. That kind of thing makes you paranoid for life.

 
Jeeze, I didn't think everyone was gonna side with the troll that goes around mouthing off to people for no reason. Thanks for all the support.
 
Originally posted by: Pez D Spencer
Originally posted by: TuxDave
Well a few hours later I get another email from the person that said to watch my language that said "You are reported for harassment. You signed me up to a porn site. Remove my email or you will be reported for harassment."

How the hell did he figure you out? Wow...

Are you being serious or is that sarcasm aimed at my potential supidity? I'm freakin out over here. Checking my email every 5 seconds to see if they reply back and looking out my shades for the cops. When I was younger I got into some trouble and they came to my house in the middle of the night while I was sleeping and took me away. That kind of thing makes you paranoid for life.

No I'm being real If my main email suddenly got signed up for porn I wouldn't know who to point fingers at...

(although I'd probably be pretty safe with blaming everyone in this thread)
 
Originally posted by: Pez D Spencer
Jeeze, I didn't think everyone was gonna side with the troll that goes around mouthing off to people for no reason. Thanks for all the support.

i hope you fiawad
 
Originally posted by: Pez D Spencer
Jeeze, I didn't think everyone was gonna side with the troll that goes around mouthing off to people for no reason. Thanks for all the support.

"Mouthing off"? He told you to watch your language. Just like someone on the street might tell you to watch your language if you're swearing. You can say 'fuck you' in return if you'd like, no one is stopping you, but your response of signing him up for all that crap is completely unwarranted, and I hope you do get in trouble for it one way or another. My guess is you're either 11 years old, or a complete douche.
 
Originally posted by: Deeko
Originally posted by: Pez D Spencer
Jeeze, I didn't think everyone was gonna side with the troll that goes around mouthing off to people for no reason. Thanks for all the support.

"Mouthing off"? He told you to watch your language. Just like someone on the street might tell you to watch your language if you're swearing. You can say 'fuck you' in return if you'd like, no one is stopping you, but your response of signing him up for all that crap is completely unwarranted, and I hope you do get in trouble for it one way or another. My guess is you're either 11 years old, or a complete douche.

Maybe he is both 😛
 
The Federal Obscenity Laws prohibit the use of computers to transmit obscene material (18 USC 1462 and 1465). Pornographic spam can also be reported to the Federal Trade Commission.
 
Judging from the crap I get in my inbox, car dealerships do basically zero e-mail address validation before spamming you with service appointment reminders and customer surveys.

Headhunters are even worse. Post a resume with an e-mail address on a job site, and you'll get an inbox full of spam for crappy job offers filled with unsubscribe links that do not always work.

Use that information for what you will. I just wish that you could "tune" GMail to block this stuff better.
 
Last edited:
Judging from the crap I get in my inbox, car dealerships do basically zero e-mail address validation before spamming you with service appointment reminders and customer surveys.

Headhunters are even worse. Post a resume with an e-mail address on a job site, and you'll get an inbox full of spam for crappy job offers filled with unsubscribe links that do not always work.

Use that information for what you will. I just wish that you could "tune" GMail to block this stuff better.
Everybody and their brother wants you to "fill out a survey" if you buy anything from them, it's getting as annoying as spam. Most just send one survey request, but I've had 1 or 2 that apparently ain't going to stop until you fill it out. Trust me, they don't want me to fill one out when they have bugged me about it.

I get very few true spam emails in my Gmail inbox, as the spam filter catches 90%+ of them. I'm assuming that when you flag a spam message it missed as spam, it should tune the filter, after all Google pays close attention to everything else you do.
 
Back
Top