|
Index - eMail CRM freeware | Useful Sites | Sun Tzu Art of War | eMail Marketing Tips | Art of eMail CRM | eMail Broadcast FAQ |
|
|
Back to:
eMail Bolts & Nuts FAQ's
|
Need help finding something? Try Google... |
|
|
This is an actual case study of a spam that I received today and tracked to the source. It is intended as a lesson in spam-tracking for the uninitiated or the beginner in spam-tracking. It shows that with patience, all things are possible. This is the spam I got: >Received: from mail.tds.net (unverified [204.246.1.2]) by mail.comp-sol.com >Safeguards against rape....Don’t let it happen to you, worse yet |
|
|
Normally, this is the most innocuous type of spam. It purports to sell a report, but it is not MLM, a pyramid scheme, or a chain letter. The sender appears not to have hijacked a mail server to send the spam. The return address could even be legitimate, for all I know. Therefore, it is not illegal on its face. Sending spam itself is legal, so it would appear that no laws were broken, except that I was unhappy over having gotten the spam in the first place. So, I sent a letter of complaint to the postmaster at TDS.NET, letting them know that they are harboring a spammer. If they don't permit spamming, they may well terminate the begger. If I never get spam from him again, that should be the end of it, right? Wrong. I also did a little checking. Curious sort, am I. I used DejaNews to check out the city of Medford, WI (that's where I'm supposed to send the money for the report to, right)? Here is what I got back:
>1. 97/10/05 028 [email] (UCE) Your Home news.admin.net-abus
"Nasty Mama"
>Subject: [email] Pyramid Scheme from newnorth.net (Your Free Report) [snip] - VERY excellent information from Todd Lawson on what a pyramid scheme is, and why it is illegal. For a copy of his report, take a look at it. Use DejaNews and search for Todd Lawson.] >Return-Path: webbs321@newnorth.net Whups, not from TDS.NET, but from NEWNORTH.NET, which is another local ISP in rural Wisconsin. Ok, so maybe this guy got bounced based on Todd's complaint. Notice the similarity in user names, though (webbs vs. webbs321). [snip rest of headers] >Free Report [snip much pyramid stuff, we've all seen it.]
>This program has remained successful [Well, not only does our unknown spammer send illegal pyramid schemes, but he is also a liar, as I will also show!] [snip - more pyramid stuff]
>HERE IS THE LIST OF NAMES TO SEND TO: [But wait - here is the man who sent me the UCE! ^^^^^^^ ]
>5. Scott Webster, 939 High Street #102, Rib Lake, WI 54470, USA >Mail $1.00 to each of the 5 names listed above. SEND CASH ONLY
[snip - more pyramid scheme]
Ok, so now we know that webbs@TDS.NET sends UCE and pyramid scheme UCE. We could stop there and just mail a copy of this pyramid scheme to: And we'd be done with it. But I'm just a curious guy, so I took the very last step in identifying this spammer. I called the US Post Office in Medford, WI at (715) 748-3981. Remember, if the holder of a US Post Office Box lists their PO Box as being used for business, the information is open to the public. If they check off the little box that says that they are NOT doing business with the public, then you can't get the info, but then they are committing perjury (PO Box applications are legal documents). It seems our spammer DID want to be just a little bit honest though, because the post office told me who he is (drum roll, please): Scott's Affordable Services Oh gee. Seems like Mister Scott Webster from our pyramid scheme above and Affordable Services from the same list are indeed the same person. On top of that, I would venture a guess to say that webbs and webbs321 both mean Scott Webster, huh?
So, same person all the way around. He just could not restrain himself from cheating on his very own pyramid scheme, the one he warns people NOT to cheat on. Shame, shame, Mr. Webster.
Best Regards, Bill Mattocks, CIIU
Notes:
Need help finding something? Try Google... |
|
|
Back to: eMail Bolts & Nuts FAQ's Any feed-back or suggestions? Please drop us a note
Support | Purchase | Product
Info | Quick Tour |
Art of eMail CRM |
|
|