A question about incoming junk emails - Democratic Underground

BOSSHOG

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Thu Jun-28-07 12:24 PM
Original message

A question about incoming junk emails

I receive my share of junk emails and I've noticed recently that many of the "from" lines are names of people I email frequently. My sister in law, my niece, an old navy buddy. How does this occur? Is there anything I could do to prevent it? I keep my virus scanner updated.

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sandnsea

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Thu Jun-28-07 12:30 PM
Response to Original message

1. You too?

I've also had some times where I thought I noticed getting an email about chocolate, for instance, after I visited a chocolate site. I've checked my computer for spyware and what not, found nothing. But it sure does seem weird to me too.

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Blue Diadem

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Thu Jun-28-07 12:40 PM
Response to Reply #1

6. Me too. Weird, it's like they know what sites I've been too

I'm getting them at two different addresses that until 2-3 months ago never ever got spam/junk mail. I blocked one of the first ones and my next one was titled vindictive.

I also have run spyware checks, virus scans etc. and they've come up clean.

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TheTimmer

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Thu Jun-28-07 12:42 PM
Response to Reply #1

7. You'd be amazed

how much information is in the packets/headers your browser submits when connecting to a website.

You can see how much leakage you have by running ShieldsUp at the Gibson Research site: https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2

They don't install anything, and I've used Gibson services and products since DOS 2.2. The site is safe.

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patrice

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Thu Jun-28-07 12:30 PM
Response to Original message

2. I've never had much success with Outlook filters. nm

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TheTimmer

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Thu Jun-28-07 12:44 PM
Response to Reply #2

10. Don't bother

I use SpamPal. It's powerful, extremely configurable, and you can use the well-known blocklists (Spamhaus, Blackholes.us, etc) to help filter. http://www.spampal.org/

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havocmom

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Thu Jun-28-07 12:32 PM
Response to Original message

3. You don't think they monitor our emails for Homeland Security, do you?

All is business & marketing in America now. The more info they have about you (and sell) the more they can trick you.

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blogslut

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Thu Jun-28-07 12:37 PM
Response to Original message

4. Do you (or the folks that send you email) ever send out CC lists?

Edited on Thu Jun-28-07 12:38 PM by blogslut

You know, Aunt. Esther sends an email to the family and includes everyone's address in the courtesy copy line of the email? Not the BCC (blind courtesy copy) option. Could be a reason. Not sure why exactly. I get spam emails spoofed from "my" email address. That always freaks me out.

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BOSSHOG

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Thu Jun-28-07 12:40 PM
Response to Reply #4

5. Yes

I forgot to mention that. I get junk emails from my email address. Yesterday I emailed my niece and copied her mother and my wife at her work email. This morning I got a junk email from my "sister in law." Thats too wierd. I never open any of that crap and I can identify the legitimate ones I get from my bank. Its just the criminals honing their craft.

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blogslut

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Thu Jun-28-07 12:46 PM
Response to Reply #5

11. It's teh bots

Edited on Thu Jun-28-07 12:46 PM by blogslut

At this message board I moderate, we got this bot that registers, accepts a confirmation email and proceeds to post mass spam threads, on multiple, apparently different email/domain/IPs. And yeah, there is totally software that sniffs out new domain registrations, message boards and webpages for email addresses. Assholes.

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Bitwit1234

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Thu Jun-28-07 12:43 PM
Response to Original message

8. Some guy they just arrested

had done this. He took over people's computers unknown to them. Over a million he used the address book to send out spam. Five or six times a day I would get email from known people advertising stupid stock. After he was arrested it stopped. So he must have been in on that one. Maybe his co-horts are still going strong. The FBI is supposed to be in the process of notifying people whose computers were hijacked.

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txwhitedove

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Thu Jun-28-07 12:44 PM
Response to Original message

9. Yep, I've been getting strange e-mail like that. Like someone

is filtering through all your e-mail, gathering info and names. Wierd.

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Parche

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Thu Jun-28-07 01:04 PM
Response to Original message

12. JunkEmails

Dont worry about them Boss, its either 'Duke Cunningham' or 'Scooter Libby' trying to email you from their jail cell :rofl: :rofl: :silly: :crazy:

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