Many Recent Spam Emails

[Jack W]

I have been getting many new Spam Emails recently ~ 4-6 per day  .  
   
Almost all are from xyz@aim.com where xyz varies all over the map.

The header usually is similar to "one (1) new private message" or
A new private message for you, and many other variations on the theme.

I am now deleting these from the Server before I download legit messages.
(This was a neat trick I learned on this here board! I love it!)

FWIW, Jack

[Gregg]

aim.com is AOL. I believe that's AOL Instant Messenger.

One of my web-based e-mail addresses is in their "family" of free e-mail accounts. I don't know all the "suffixes" they have, but mine is netscape.net

So, I suppose it is easy for a spammer to "hijack" an aim.com address.

[Xairbusdriver]

Or they are simply spoofing the return address. From what I've read/heard, it's hardly worth the time to find out where it actually comes from. And by the time you do, the SPAMmer will have moved on. The true source is probably a PC froedn who has not protected his address book/computer. Your address is in there and the SPAMmer has installed a little app that sends emails to everyone in there.

So, two solutions:
1. Keep deleting them
2. Get rid of any friend using a Windows PC

You might also try training your email app/anti-SPAM software by letting the messages come through and making sure you mark any not caught as "spam." As long as you don't actually download them, they will not do any harm. Especially if you have html turned off and don't respond to them. There is still no known virus for the Mac in the wild, although some have been devised.