Spam

[AlbertLionheart]

I suppose like most of us I get hacked off by the constant references to my alleged personal inadequacies. I run various email accounts for the community and have to deal with around 150-200 of these messages a day. This wastes loads of time because I have to go through them even when filtered out to check for for false positives.
I also have access to a web based filter but I still have to check that too.
The email accounts that are shown on a web page generate the most, but I was wondering what makes some of these 'public' email addresses attract loads of spam but other equally public email addresses get none at all?
Any ideas anyone - I am keen to get rid of as much of this stuff as possible.

 

[Rik]

Had a friend that got more spam than anyone else i know. She was always signing up for free stuff on the net. That info may be useful to you!!

 

[AlbertLionheart]

Cheers Rik - that makes sense as she was putting her name about a bit. But why do some get none at all?

 

[Rik]

Her name is Sam so we call her Sam Spam. To the other extreme, ive signed up to very little and only get 1 or 2 spams a month. Its obviously down to how often a person gives their email addy out.

 

[AlbertLionheart]

One of the accounts which has never been used to send emails but is on a website gets about 30 a day. Another which is used for domestic & family stuff gets none at all. The one I use the most gets a few, but the one I use for the forum gets 2 a day max.

 

[Rik]

It must be down to how "visible" the addy is. Also i believe some companies sell contact details to advertisers and the ilk.

 

[AlbertLionheart]

Ah - that might explain some of the traffic as the same spam does not appear on all the email accounts.

 

[Rik]

A couple of years ago i was researching the component price difference between here (UK) and the US, one site in the us captured my addy even tho i didn't give it out and started sending loads of spam to me. I sent them an email and complained and they apologised and stopped it all. Perhaps worth a try if someone is getting lots from the same source?!?!

 

[AlbertLionheart]

Could be a source, but 90% of thse stuff is about viagra and the rest. If you reply to that all you have done is confirm your email address actually exists!

 

[Rik]

Hmmm, someone been to a lot of porn sites then?!?!

 

[AlbertLionheart]

An awful lot of it seems to come from people using The Bat. Is there something about this mail handler that allows spamming or makes it easier. I wonder.

Porn - I don't visit sites and the email accounts I look after are there to field enquiries about the community and have never been used for anything else.

 

[Rik]

Sorry, just seemed like a possibility, meant no offence.

 

[AlbertLionheart]

Absolutely non taken! I run my own little business providing computer support and while things are quiet in the summer I learn a lot from forums. This is the best I have come across. Porn related problems are something my clients have, not me!