why am i getting sent spam/virus emails?

niall · 02-01-2007, 10:01 AM

I can tell they are "bad" from the titles of the emails. Is it normal enough? I seem to be getting more than i used to, for a while i got none at all. My hijack this log seems clean from what i can see, and i've got Zone Alarm Free firewall, anti-virus and anti-spyware software. Can getting these emails be unrelated to whether or not you have viruses? Unless i do have viruses of course. Thanks.

stirling · 02-01-2007, 11:23 AM

Spam by definition is just unwanted email, you can still get it even if your machine is totally clean. Though of course one route to getting your email address in the first place is via malware.

How do they get your email address?

This is worth a read, not least cos I think it's a novel approach to understanding the problem
http://www.philb.com/spamex.htm

niall · 02-01-2007, 03:21 PM

thanks. it's not the amount of spam that's an issue, it's just that it suddenly increased the last month or two. When I google my email address, i get one result-a post i made on an independent music review site i made ages ago, maybe even two years ago. In any forums I post in my email is set to private etc, i think it is anyway.

By the way, the spam emails i tend to get at the moment are finance related and also the emails from certain people (probably the ones where they ask for money, i dont open them).

ejames82 · 02-01-2007, 10:30 PM

don't give out your email address, and have your hijackthis log examined by an expert if you're not one. Ed James

stirling · 02-02-2007, 02:39 AM

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong but I'd have thought googling your email address is probably not a great idea. All those little biddy search bots are going to be wizzing round the planet carrying your email address with them - just the thing you want to avoid.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ejames82

don't give out your email address

Ever wondered why your inbox is always empty?

plus how did you register with TSF?

**Kalim** · 02-02-2007, 05:09 AM

If the email address is written out on a website, the "spambot" software will trawl on it and pick it up to add-on the lists. USENET, alt. and yahoo/google groups is the most known area for this to happen actively. Some spam is generated through attacks on mail servers and the absolute brute force method is when spam software sends spam to every possible combination of letters at a domain or common words.

Replying to unknown email addresses, all dating, financial, marketing, jobs, health, pornographic site etc membership or request will obviously get you nothing but spam.

I have email addresses that I use online, only to register and fill out forms and they receive endless spam- like 800 total a day. The ones I've never registered anywhere online with receive none whatsoever and all accounts are more than 4 years old.

The link above should explain most aspects of spam more than anyone can in a post.

ejames82 · 02-02-2007, 07:58 AM

to post on this site, requires that you give them your email address. as you well know, there are jetable addresses that can be tried. i don't know if a jetable address will work on this site, because i didn't try it. this site, and a few others that i researched, have my real email address. you're right, if you don't give it out, your inbox will be empty, and mine for the most part, is.

niall · 02-02-2007, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stirling

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong but I'd have thought googling your email address is probably not a great idea. All those little biddy search bots are going to be wizzing round the planet carrying your email address with them - just the thing you want to avoid.

can anyone else verify this? damn bots.

**Kalim** · 02-02-2007, 10:09 AM

Well I am unaware of this being a risky action till now, because no one can pry on your system searches (unless compromised of course) but maybe stirling or someone else knows better on this.

AFAIK I haven't yet heard of this before and can't find a reason for it being a bad idea. Your browser usage history is not given out to others under normal circumstances, so they wouldn't have a clue of what you search for or not. Searching for an email would be likened to searching for anything online basically IMO. I'll wait till stirling's take on this before being definitive.

It is a fact though that if your email is in directories, forums, newsgroups, webpages then they will be picked up. There are PHP scripts and ways to make them appear and yet miss the bots, but they are morphing to superior deviousness day by day and its too risky IMO to leave an address.

You really have no idea how much I hate spam.

stirling · 02-02-2007, 10:40 AM

Sorry guys, at the moment I havn't anything to corroborate this. That's why I offered it openly and hesitantly - see if anyone else knew anything.
If I need one, my defence in court will be that at least I didn't state it as fact when it was just something I'd heard.

02-01-2007, 10:01 AM	#1 (permalink)
niall Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 188 OS: Vista	why am i getting sent spam/virus emails? I can tell they are "bad" from the titles of the emails. Is it normal enough? I seem to be getting more than i used to, for a while i got none at all. My hijack this log seems clean from what i can see, and i've got Zone Alarm Free firewall, anti-virus and anti-spyware software. Can getting these emails be unrelated to whether or not you have viruses? Unless i do have viruses of course. Thanks.

02-01-2007, 11:23 AM	#2 (permalink)
stirling Registered User Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 139 OS: xp	Spam by definition is just unwanted email, you can still get it even if your machine is totally clean. Though of course one route to getting your email address in the first place is via malware. How do they get your email address? This is worth a read, not least cos I think it's a novel approach to understanding the problem http://www.philb.com/spamex.htm __________________ Bang head on keyboard to continue...

02-01-2007, 03:21 PM	#3 (permalink)
niall Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 188 OS: Vista	thanks. it's not the amount of spam that's an issue, it's just that it suddenly increased the last month or two. When I google my email address, i get one result-a post i made on an independent music review site i made ages ago, maybe even two years ago. In any forums I post in my email is set to private etc, i think it is anyway. By the way, the spam emails i tend to get at the moment are finance related and also the emails from certain people (probably the ones where they ask for money, i dont open them). Last edited by niall; 02-01-2007 at 03:25 PM.

02-02-2007, 10:40 AM	#10 (permalink)
stirling Registered User Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 139 OS: xp	Sorry guys, at the moment I havn't anything to corroborate this. That's why I offered it openly and hesitantly - see if anyone else knew anything. If I need one, my defence in court will be that at least I didn't state it as fact when it was just something I'd heard. __________________ Bang head on keyboard to continue...

02-01-2007, 10:30 PM	#4 (permalink)
ejames82 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 396 OS: XP	don't give out your email address, and have your hijackthis log examined by an expert if you're not one. Ed James

02-02-2007, 05:09 AM	#6 (permalink)
Kalim Roaming To Help Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 5,642 OS: Many	If the email address is written out on a website, the "spambot" software will trawl on it and pick it up to add-on the lists. USENET, alt. and yahoo/google groups is the most known area for this to happen actively. Some spam is generated through attacks on mail servers and the absolute brute force method is when spam software sends spam to every possible combination of letters at a domain or common words. Replying to unknown email addresses, all dating, financial, marketing, jobs, health, pornographic site etc membership or request will obviously get you nothing but spam. I have email addresses that I use online, only to register and fill out forms and they receive endless spam- like 800 total a day. The ones I've never registered anywhere online with receive none whatsoever and all accounts are more than 4 years old. The link above should explain most aspects of spam more than anyone can in a post.

02-02-2007, 07:58 AM	#7 (permalink)
ejames82 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 396 OS: XP	to post on this site, requires that you give them your email address. as you well know, there are jetable addresses that can be tried. i don't know if a jetable address will work on this site, because i didn't try it. this site, and a few others that i researched, have my real email address. you're right, if you don't give it out, your inbox will be empty, and mine for the most part, is.

02-02-2007, 10:09 AM	#9 (permalink)
Kalim Roaming To Help Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 5,642 OS: Many	Well I am unaware of this being a risky action till now, because no one can pry on your system searches (unless compromised of course) but maybe stirling or someone else knows better on this. AFAIK I haven't yet heard of this before and can't find a reason for it being a bad idea. Your browser usage history is not given out to others under normal circumstances, so they wouldn't have a clue of what you search for or not. Searching for an email would be likened to searching for anything online basically IMO. I'll wait till stirling's take on this before being definitive. It is a fact though that if your email is in directories, forums, newsgroups, webpages then they will be picked up. There are PHP scripts and ways to make them appear and yet miss the bots, but they are morphing to superior deviousness day by day and its too risky IMO to leave an address. You really have no idea how much I hate spam.