Getting your revenge on spammers.

[Sixth]

I’ve started to use http://www.spamcop.net. It’s very cheap; better than that, it’s entirely free if you want to report spam and be done with it.

If you’re able to dig up the full headers of the email you receive then you’re technically proficient enough to make use of spamcop. The system is great, it checks the IP addresses of the routers the email took until it detects a faked address it can’t see passed. It checks for open relays. It checks out the web addresses of sites promoted in the spam. It checks to see who’s hosting these web sites. Spamcop then collects all the right email addresses to report all this too. You can review the findings, check which people it’s going to email (deselect and select at will) and then send off the email … and know that it protects your own address.

I’m tempted to pay the pittance ($15 / two years) just to join up. I’ll not actually want to make use of the extra reports that would give me but I’m so chuffed with the service that I want to support the guy running it.

The best part… the very best part… is the cathartic feeling the process brings. You’re doing something. You’re doing something positive. You might very well help stop porn spam arriving in some kid’s mail account. I’ve actually looked forward to getting spam since joining up this evening. I’ve exacted revenge on a number of annoying spammers.

 

[Spinaroonie]

Apple's free mail application "Mail" will do even one better.

It sends back a mail that tells the spammer that your address doesn't exist. So the spammer won't sell your address to other spammers.

 

[Sixth]

Ah, but with Spamcop _you_ decide whether or not you want to press with the anti-spam. I put one email into the system, read the report and wondered/worried that it might have been a result of a so called "opt-in" emailing list I ended up in after sitting an IQ test off a link from these very forums. I unsubscribed their way and if they email again then *bang* they're reported.

I might argue that Mail will have to be very good otherwise it'll be clear that you're using Mail and the spammers will still continue to hit you - but I don't suppose they'll look that hard.

Mind you, SpamCop does check Monkeys.com records and just this minute I've been reading what a twat the chap who runs that site is.

 

[Spinaroonie]

Mail sends a server mail, so it's pretty accurate, and you can choose which ones you want to send it with.

Either way, it beats filters.

 

[Ukin]

I just use the delete key..it's so cheap!