Spammers' new trick

[Rob9874]

I keep up on the latest spam tricks, as my inbox gets many every day. I take key words from the subject line, and add it to my rule to delete. Spammers are aware that people are doing this, because they change the words slightly. Viagra becomes V1@gr@. I've blocked them all. However, now they're sending emails with no subject and no return address. How do you block that?

 

[XZeroII]

Quit going to p0rn sites and clicking on stupid stuff. I guarentee that if you follow my rules and create a new email address with a reputable provider that has good spam blocking at their end, you will get little to no spam.

Only 2 pieces of spam in close to 2 years for me.

 

[ElFenix]

get a better email client.

why does M$ have to change the name of everything... filter became "rule"... wtf!

 

[FeathersMcGraw]

Keyword filtering is a losing battle. Bayesian analysis is the way to go.

 

[Rob9874]

OK, you've done a good job of criticizing my email methods, but that wasn't my question. How do I "filter" blank subject lines?

And I don't visit porn sites. I am very dilligent against spam. I have a spam email account that I use for forums, sweepstakes, etc. It's usually full of spam. I have been very lucky with my main account, until recently. I use it for eBay, which is the only thing I can think of how they found me. It's only a few on that account, but annoying never the less.

 

[XZeroII]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
get a better email client.

why does M$ have to change the name of everything... filter became "rule"... wtf!

Because rule is a better term to describe it. You are setting rules for what you allow and what you reject. It seems more appropriate to me.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: XZeroII

Originally posted by: ElFenix
get a better email client.

why does M$ have to change the name of everything... filter became "rule"... wtf!

Because rule is a better term to describe it. You are setting rules for what you allow and what you reject. It seems more appropriate to me.

so you're not filtering? looks like a sieve to me.

 

[Skyclad1uhm1]

Originally posted by: XZeroII

Originally posted by: ElFenix
get a better email client.

why does M$ have to change the name of everything... filter became "rule"... wtf!

Because rule is a better term to describe it. You are setting rules for what you allow and what you reject. It seems more appropriate to me.

You are filtering based on rules. A filter is a set of rules, rule implies one single rule rather than a whole set of them.

 

[XZeroII]

Originally posted by: Skyclad1uhm1

Originally posted by: XZeroII

Originally posted by: ElFenix
get a better email client.

why does M$ have to change the name of everything... filter became "rule"... wtf!

Because rule is a better term to describe it. You are setting rules for what you allow and what you reject. It seems more appropriate to me.

You are filtering based on rules. A filter is a set of rules, rule implies one single rule rather than a whole set of them.

They use the word Rules, not just Rule. And yea, you are filtering using rules. But think of it as setting rules to determine if a message should be allowed in. If it violates a rule that you say, then it can not pass. It's personal preference, but I like the word rule better.

 

[brxndxn]

Originally posted by: XZeroII
Quit going to p0rn sites and clicking on stupid stuff. I guarentee that if you follow my rules and create a new email address with a reputable provider that has good spam blocking at their end, you will get little to no spam.

Only 2 pieces of spam in close to 2 years for me.

and 3 emails..

 

[Demon-Xanth]

I block any email that doesn't have a return address. I can't see why any valid email would come without one.

 

[Rob9874]

Originally posted by: brxndxn

Originally posted by: XZeroII
Quit going to p0rn sites and clicking on stupid stuff. I guarentee that if you follow my rules and create a new email address with a reputable provider that has good spam blocking at their end, you will get little to no spam.

Only 2 pieces of spam in close to 2 years for me.

and 3 emails..

 

[dabuddha]

Originally posted by: brxndxn

Originally posted by: XZeroII
Quit going to p0rn sites and clicking on stupid stuff. I guarentee that if you follow my rules and create a new email address with a reputable provider that has good spam blocking at their end, you will get little to no spam.

Only 2 pieces of spam in close to 2 years for me.

and 3 emails..

ZING!

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: FeathersMcGraw
Keyword filtering is a losing battle. Bayesian analysis is the way to go.

Just installed a Bayesian analizer (GFI Email Essentials) on my Exchange box yesterday. Going to give it a week and see how well it adapts.

 

[XZeroII]

Originally posted by: brxndxn

Originally posted by: XZeroII
Quit going to p0rn sites and clicking on stupid stuff. I guarentee that if you follow my rules and create a new email address with a reputable provider that has good spam blocking at their end, you will get little to no spam.

Only 2 pieces of spam in close to 2 years for me.

and 3 emails..

haha. Per day, you are correct.

 

[FeathersMcGraw]

Originally posted by: vi_edit

Just installed a Bayesian analizer (GFI Email Essentials) on my Exchange box yesterday. Going to give it a week and see how well it adapts.

The support in Mozilla is probably 90% accurate for me, but it hasn't flagged any ham as spam yet, which is the really important part.

 

[b4u]

Rules, filters ... what's the difference? The spam keeps coming in ...

I don't go to p0rn sites, I don't give my email address everywhere I go into ... I have one hotmail address to register services and receive confirmation codes and the like ... that's my trash-spam email ... and I receive less spam on that address than on my personal "private" one ...

The minute I activated my account, I start receiving spam (in 2-3 days). Even before I told about my address ... seems like someone scanned for emails and mine came on the list ... lucky me ... (NOT!).

 

[Demon-Xanth]

I have one account that started to get spam the same time my sister (on the same ISP) started to get spam. Someone pulled off a dictionary attack. Since then, it's been an up hill battle.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: XZeroII
Quit going to p0rn sites and clicking on stupid stuff. I guarentee that if you follow my rules and create a new email address with a reputable provider that has good spam blocking at their end, you will get little to no spam.

Only 2 pieces of spam in close to 2 years for me.

spammers harvest emails from WHOIS (by domain as well as listed contact information), newsgroups, blogs, hacking of insecure servers and even by blind-spamming ISPs with generated addresses to see which emails don't bounce.

A proper statement of your solution would be:
- create an email account with an address that is difficult to guess through auto-generation
- never use that address except for personal correspondence with family and friends who all run up-to-date AV and firewall software