spam (nonedible email type)

Digifish · 11-30-2003, 10:00 AM

One way I take a look at the spam messages I get without the risk of opening them is to right mouse click on the message and go to Properties. You can see the senders address and if you go to details and open Message Source you can read the body. I think this is a fairly low risk way to do it. I never do this if it has attachments, those I avoid completely. Anybody know if this is a "safe" way to take a peek?

As side entertainment, sometimes under Message Source, they are these long lists of random words. Not sure what purpose they serve but they almost compose some weird techno poetry, ergo, here is one list on a message today....

autumnal teensy sproul clapeyron inordinate becloud bowditch jangle veritable charlottesville excisable chaperone appalachia amethystine gripe cream cerebellum september almond antebellum chou disquietude cloud applique admire cadaver pomade brace bondholder indistinct inimitable jackanapes clairvoyant ambitious

[ 11-30-2003, 11:02 AM: Message edited by: digifish ]

Jennie@ifish · 11-30-2003, 02:41 PM

Wow. What e mail program do YOU use?
You sure you didn't eat one of my cookies and get hallucinations?
:smile:
Jen

kayakfisher · 11-30-2003, 03:07 PM

Also if it says, Hi, or Hi Cutie...I am sure it is not for me!! I let my spouse have those if she likes... :smile:

M.

Silver Hilton · 11-30-2003, 06:43 PM

I have always assumed that if I just read the text in the preview pane of Outlook, I am safe, and that has thus far proven true. However, I also keep the ol' virus software up to date.

My understanding is that all of the script viruses are attached to a document of some sort, and that document has to be opened to activate the script. I just don't open attachments that I'm not expecting.

Pitch Pocket · 12-01-2003, 12:04 PM

If you click on the message, and pictures and text come up in the preview, you have downloaded the stuff from their spam site (bingo, we've got a live one!). They've also probably added a spyware cookie to your machine.

Right clicking on an email message does the same thing for me in Outlook Express. It automatically downloads the message. In Outlook express, you can click on tools, options, read, uncheck "Automatically download message when viewing in the preview pane" and you can delete spam without downloading it. You then have to download each message manually, but if you stop downloading their messages, you email address will come back as dead. Eventually (don't hold your breath), you might get dropped from their list.

Pitch Pocket · 12-02-2003, 08:44 AM

Ooops, correction necessary. Using tools, options, read etc. only stops messages from downloading in newsgroups, not email.

HeavyMetal BankFisherman · 12-02-2003, 04:31 PM

Spam is definately a drag. I setup some Spam filtering software for a client last night and between 1:00am and 8:00 am there were 481 e-mails that were caught. And this is a small 25 user network. Needless to say the client thought it was money well spent.

Always use good antivirus software. I like Symantec's Norton AntiVirus but there are others like Mcafee.

One thing you can do to cut down on spam is to use one of the many free e-mail accounts out there whenever you need to give out an e-mail address on-line. Regardless of the so called privacy policies sites post, many sell your e-mail address anyway. And never hit the unsubscribe unless it is from a mailing list that you subscribed to. Many of those e-mails are just fishing expeditions. Once you respond they know they got a live one. E-mail address that is.

I know this information has been posted here before. It was true then and it is true now.

Digifish · 12-02-2003, 06:12 PM

I do have a free e-mail account at Yahoo that I use indiscriminately, don't worry about who gets it and as a result it gets about 20 to 30 spams a day. My personal/business account varies but its usually between 5 to 10 a day. I don't have any spam blockers loaded so I might be able to cut down if I did that.

On a similar note...I downloaded a couple of different spyware and adware protection programs today. One is Spyhunter and it was $30. The other, SpyBot is free and I think it is just as good or better.

SpyBot-Search and Destroy

Amazing the junk it found on my machines. It was running in the background as programs, residing in my memory and had placed files to store gathered info. Never know who is watching what. :shocked:

lost_sailor · 12-02-2003, 06:38 PM

Using the "preview pane" in Outlook is technically opening the email. But not the attachment. I use the rules in Outlook to delete about 50% of the spam.

LazerFisher · 12-04-2003, 10:21 AM

You can use the "tools" menu from Outlook to "add sender to junk mail list". The problem here is that most professional spammers know this and so have a program that changes their username each day....

Silver Hilton · 12-04-2003, 12:26 PM

I have outlook set to prevent the downloading of pictures in the e-mail, which prevents the hitting of the servers. Not quite sure I could find the place to acheive that setting again, but it's in there somewhere.