Wrong addressed email - spam

IanS · 01-27-2007, 04:37 PM

This is probably the wrong place to post this query but, here goes.

How is it I can get email that is not sent to my proper address?
I've been told my address is in the BCC but it isn't, the mail is addressed to one person only.

The domain is right, but the name is wrong.
How is this done. Most of my spam comes from getting mail that isn't my name.

I notice most of these mails contain 'invisible' .gifs with links - but that's another matter...

Not looking for a solution to this! Just an explanation as to how I get 'em.
Cheers,
IanS

**Kalim** · 01-28-2007, 09:08 AM

Spam is issued for exactly this purpose - tricking you into opening it. It happens everywhere, and with around 16 personal email accounts I assure you I get around 900 spam emails a day with many like this. On the business side theres more.

Many of the ones addressed to wrong addresses or names are redirects and contain exe or this sort of attachments that are viruses and trojans actually. JavaScript or VBscript is also easily utilized to "attack" through an email.

I don't use the browser based webmail for this reason as I have plenty of protection setup on my system for this. Setting up spam filters (i.e. Spam Assassin) and software specializing in detecting or dealing with spam (i.e. MailWasher) is the best way out of this and it acts as a safety net before the email arrives in.

There are many ways to do that, CC and BCC are two. Bounces from addresses you've never heard of could arise due to a spammer placing your address as the "Return-path:" address in the spam aswel.

**Done_Fishin** · 01-28-2007, 09:43 AM

BCC means BLIND CARBON COPY or in another words it is sent out to one person in the "TO:" box but then a large number of names are put into the BCC: box. These names are NEVER shown to the recipient. NAmes that are shown are ONLY found oin the CC: (CARBON COPY) and the TO: boxes.
try it by just putting your own name in a BCC box with no names in any other box
it will come to you as sent to Undisclosed Recipients .. or something similar, that's why a name is frequently added in the TO: box, to fool you into opening the message

IanS · 01-28-2007, 02:04 PM

Thanks for your replies :)
I look after quite a few email addresses for writers who contribute to my online 'magazine'. (And there's a forum as well, but that's another matter!) Mostly I'm on top of the spam issue - insofar as you can be! - but I was confused about how these mails arrive.
The BBCs are not shown on the email itself but if you check the headers you can find all these details, like what the return path was.
That's the reason I asked: there seemed to be no obvious reason to have received these mails.
Never open these things normally! Not that silly :)

Cheers,
IanS

01-27-2007, 04:37 PM	#1 (permalink)
IanS Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: UK, London Posts: 60 OS: all sorts	Wrong addressed email - spam This is probably the wrong place to post this query but, here goes. How is it I can get email that is not sent to my proper address? I've been told my address is in the BCC but it isn't, the mail is addressed to one person only. The domain is right, but the name is wrong. How is this done. Most of my spam comes from getting mail that isn't my name. I notice most of these mails contain 'invisible' .gifs with links - but that's another matter... Not looking for a solution to this! Just an explanation as to how I get 'em. Cheers, IanS

01-28-2007, 09:43 AM	#3 (permalink)
Done_Fishin Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Brit living in Greece Posts: 7,526 OS: WinME, WinXP Pro SP3, Win7 Beta, Ubuntu 9.04 & Netbook Remix & CD2USB, Mepis 6.5, Fedora 10 My System	BCC means BLIND CARBON COPY or in another words it is sent out to one person in the "TO:" box but then a large number of names are put into the BCC: box. These names are NEVER shown to the recipient. NAmes that are shown are ONLY found oin the CC: (CARBON COPY) and the TO: boxes. try it by just putting your own name in a BCC box with no names in any other box it will come to you as sent to Undisclosed Recipients .. or something similar, that's why a name is frequently added in the TO: box, to fool you into opening the message __________________ . . I'm not old!! I'm age impaired .. D_F I DON'T PLAY GAMES How to mark your thread as solved HDD DIAG UTILS TSF's Photographer's Corner

01-28-2007, 09:08 AM	#2 (permalink)
Kalim Roaming To Help Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 5,642 OS: Many	Spam is issued for exactly this purpose - tricking you into opening it. It happens everywhere, and with around 16 personal email accounts I assure you I get around 900 spam emails a day with many like this. On the business side theres more. Many of the ones addressed to wrong addresses or names are redirects and contain exe or this sort of attachments that are viruses and trojans actually. JavaScript or VBscript is also easily utilized to "attack" through an email. I don't use the browser based webmail for this reason as I have plenty of protection setup on my system for this. Setting up spam filters (i.e. Spam Assassin) and software specializing in detecting or dealing with spam (i.e. MailWasher) is the best way out of this and it acts as a safety net before the email arrives in. There are many ways to do that, CC and BCC are two. Bounces from addresses you've never heard of could arise due to a spammer placing your address as the "Return-path:" address in the spam aswel.

01-28-2007, 02:04 PM	#4 (permalink)
IanS Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: UK, London Posts: 60 OS: all sorts	Thanks for your replies :) I look after quite a few email addresses for writers who contribute to my online 'magazine'. (And there's a forum as well, but that's another matter!) Mostly I'm on top of the spam issue - insofar as you can be! - but I was confused about how these mails arrive. The BBCs are not shown on the email itself but if you check the headers you can find all these details, like what the return path was. That's the reason I asked: there seemed to be no obvious reason to have received these mails. Never open these things normally! Not that silly :) Cheers, IanS