Techsurvivors
Archives => 2003 => Topic started by: Mayo on April 08, 2003, 06:42:00 PM
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...When it is used in the subject header of spam!
Recently a few pieces of spam have slipped past my usually thorough spam filters, and I haven't taken the time to figure out why. Instead I made a quick filter to transfer messages that have the word "penis" in the subject header to my spam mailbox. Since much of my spam has to to with various schemes to enhance one's, uh...gear, so to speak, I figured that filtering that otherwise inocuous word would take care of the problem...
Wrong! The past couple of days I have noticed a number of spam messages where the letter "i" is replaced by the numeral "1" in a word or words in the subject header. Today I received one of those ubiquitous Norton Anti-Virus come-ons with "virus" spelled "v1rus." Simple but effective... Now I have to make some new filters to counter the tactic...
[ 04-08-2003, 07:45 PM: Message edited by: Mayo ]
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Yeah, I tried the 'filtering on oft-used words' methodology for awhile mice-elf, I was up to something on the order of a hundred filters, but I discovered that the Spammers are constantly developing ways around these filters, as your post illustrates.
Having recently switched to Outlook Express for my email client, I am now using its feature that allows me to filter on any email msgs whose sender is not in my Address Book - all such mail is moved into a separate folder I've named Check These, because occasionally I do get a legitimate msg from someone whose address is not already in my address book, such as when I do business for the first time with a web vendor and they send me a confirmation or acknowledgement, or when one of my friends changes their email address.
Somehow, having all my SPAM get put into this special folder where I expect it to be, makes it less annoying than when it used to show up in my In Box.
It's then just a brief perusal to distinguish the few legit msgs among the flood of Spam and a few clicks to delete the garbage forever.
- kbeartx
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The more generic filters I have seem to redirect the most spam; I have only added between 10-20 single-term filters over the years. Fortunately, 99% of the spam I receive goes to the Suspected Spam! mailbox and most redirected messages really are spam.
The filters have worked so well that I have been spoiled to the point where any messages that get through and into a mailbox surprise the heck out of me.
How do you handle mailing list messages when using the Address Book Filter Method?
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One word: SpamfirePro
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quote:
Originally posted by Mayo:
How do you handle mailing list messages when using the Address Book Filter Method?
If I want msgs from a particular Mailing List to be delivered to my Inbox (and not to my Check These folder), I add the From address (that is shown on the msgs from the mailing list) to my Address Book.
- kbeartx
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quote:
Originally posted by Gregg:
One word: SpamfirePro
OK, it's three words without the spaces.
Does not work fully with a firewall. The "non-pro" version is the best they can do for that situation right now, as far as I know.
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I guess I wouldn't mind getting those penile enlargement SPAMs too much if I didn't also get the breast enlargement ones. I mean what kind of guy do they think I am
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I checked-out Spamfire and POPMonitor, but it appears that neither will do the trick for me. My current filters catch most of the spam, and since I dropped an address that was getting the most spam I can now handle the number of messages I report via SpamCop.
Being on a cable connection, I don't see the value of screening e-mail on the server, and it just seems easier to download my e-mail, let the filters do their thing and quickly scan my Suspected Spam! mailboox before reporting and trashing the spam.
Plus, the above-method is free. I don't mind paying for software that significantly reduces my participation in the spam screening process, but neither program seems to offer an advantage over my current strategy.
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I don't know why but I've been getting more SPAM than ever lately. I'd say it started a couple of months ago.
I got that one with the 1 in penis too.
Jeez, you'd think they'd get the message after you don't reply!
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Gary, spam is up dramatically the past year or so, according to stories I have read.
You didn't happen to register a domain name did you? I have traced the huge increase in spam I receive to the publicly available WhoIs database. Terrific...
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Gary S, sometimes it's fun to be dyslexic, I read that you have an 1 inch Penis
Anyway.... I wish Mail could let you view mails on the server before you download them, that way don't have to wait for the stupid spams to download when you're on the road and are running on a modem. As it is now my one email address have about 100 spam emails every day (it's increasing without me doing ANYTHING). So when my modem connects at 33.6 (at many occasions) it would be nice to not have to d/l all those crappy mails and only get the ones I want. *sigh*
Apple, if you for some real scary reason reads this board: Please implement the possibility to view the mails on the mailserver (both .Mac and other POP accounts) before we d/l our emails! Thank you.
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100 spam messages a day??? That would drive me absolutely NUTS; I would take immediate action to correct that situation...
I think that PopMonitor does what you want...the ability to view, filter and delete e-mail on the server before downloading. Here's the link http://www.vechtwijk.nl/dev/popmonitor/
It looks like the developer hails from The Netherlands, so he is sort of from your neck of the woods...
[ 04-11-2003, 06:23 PM: Message edited by: Mayo ]
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Thanks Mayo! I've downloaded it and am now waiting for some spam to show up so I can give it a test and see... exciting!