Spam (not SPAM®) Q&A/FAQ

DISCLAIMER: The answers to the following questions are my opinion based partially on research, but mostly on my experiences, knowledge and logic. They are not meant to be authoritative. Search/Google for "spam -hormel" (should ignore results with the word "hormel" in them), "junk mail" or "junk email" (either of these with quotes to search for the phrase) and see the thousands of pages out there. Many of them are MUCH more authoritative.

Please, though, DO NOT follow anybody's advice to try and make the culprits' servers crash. It will not only affect the spammer, but, most likely, legitimate emailers. Besides, if you do this, it can and will be considered as a "denial of service" attack, and those are against the law, even if those denied are strictly spammers ("... innocent until proven guilty ..." and "... even the guilty have rights ...", you know?).

Table of Contents

1. What IS Spam?
2. Why is Spam included in this Section?
3. Should I click the "unsubscribe"?
4. Why do spammers send pictures, rather than just describe the item in question, and link to it
5. Why do some of these spam emails have extra characters in certain words, or "weird looking" characters off to the side?
6. Why was I getting tons of spam from certain people, and now I'm not?
7. Aren't the offers of free products (plasma TV, X-Box, gift cards, cars, clothes, etc.) valid?
8. Where Can I Find Out More?
    

What IS Spam?

Spam is NOT SPAM® Luncheon Meats Off Site New Window

Technically, spam emails can be considered "unsolicited email". Therefore, almost ALL email from family and friends COULD be considered "spam". HOWEVER, most people don't mind getting those, and prefer something like the following definition:

In reality, Spam is "direct-mail advertising/marketing" to your email inbox, at least that's what many spammers will say. The problem is that there are so many people trying to and actually making money doing it. And there are many unscrupulous spam businesses out there...

NOTE: There are actually legitimate companies that deal in direct advertising to your email address. These emails will normally be based on your having "opted-in" to receive them when you signed up to join a site. See "Should I click the "unsubscribe"?"

"Spam" (all lower- or upper-lower case... all caps is a registered trademark of Hormel Foods) is more than pervasive. Originally, it was just idiots on message boards and IMs throwing stuff out there to advertise and/or "get a rise" out of people, and it usually worked. Now it occurs everywhere: Blogs, Forums, Message Boards, Instant Messaging, etc. AND especially in Email.

It clogs the Internet's "super-highway" with emails very few people want or need. It takes up bandwidth and disk space on servers and end-user computers. It's caused most businesses to devote resources, and in some cases, become major experts in the field, attempting to fight it. It can send viruses to your inbox (sometimes without even the spammers realizing it - All it takes is to "hit" a server/computer infected with the right type of virus between the spammers' outbox and your inbox, and VIOLA! (Wah-LAH) - Click on it, you have a virus!). And sometimes the links you're given send you to or are actually executable files (programs) that immediately load trojan horse viruses on your computer.

For all of those reasons and more, Spam costs YOU money. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and companies and organizations who do business on the Internet spend millions of dollars to try to prevent Spam. They don't "eat" those losses, people; they pass them on to the end-user (YOU). There's the costs of catching them, prosecuting them, jailing (and therefore, housing and feeding them), etc. which all adds to your TAXES. So there should be plenty of incentive to HELP STOP SPAM (not the luncheon meats, though I know people... )

It can be difficult to trace spam back to its original source, because many spammers will create counterfeit headers for the email, making it appear to come from somewhere else. And VERY few people (except techies) see or even know these "full headers" exist. And even fewer know how to read them. (See the SpamCop link, in the "Where Can I Find Out More" question.)

NOTE: For those who missed these on the Scams, Shams & More Flim-Flams Home page, read the WiredNews.com article, "A Brief History of SPAM, and Spam" Off Site New Window and the Wikipedia entry for " spam (food)" Off Site New Window for more.

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Why is Spam included in this Section?

Because most Spammers pretty much "skirt the law" by buying and selling your email address (to be sure, in a list along with thousands of other email addresses). Here's how spammers skirt the law: When a person clicks the "unsubscribe", they MAY BE literally unsubscribed from that list and put on a "do not send" list FOR THAT EMAILING. Spammers can then SELL THEIR "do not send" list to another spammer (after all, now that they got responses from them, they know the email addresses ARE valid and monitored, right?) They could also move you to another list, that SEEMS to come from another source. (Servers can have multiple domains. Each domain can have multiple users. And each user can have multiple email accounts. If Fred gets a request from someone to unsubscribe them from his list, he can simply use another of his email addresses or give/sell it to Anna. If the DOMAIN - the part after the "@" in an email address, say "example1.com" - is requested to unsubscribe someone, the address can be passed on to ANOTHER domain (say, "example2.net", and so on.) There are literally MILLIONS of domains out there in Internet-land, and all it takes is a single-letter change to create a new one.

NOTE: Each domain may also have multiple sub-domains. In other words, besides the main name of the site (say orangefrogproductions.com), there can be hundreds or thousands of sub-domains (like lyao.orangefrogproductions.com - NOT a Spammer!). It's always possible that the main domain owner has no clue what goes on in the sub-domains. They SHOULD, but ... Therefore, a sub-domain could be "unsubscribed" and the email addresses passed off/sold to another subdomain.

Spammers will also "spoof" the headers of an email. What does this mean? They basically tell their server to put false information into those email headers that most people DO NOT SEE or even know about, making them difficult to track down. Then, if the user or domain IS found and shut-down, they can simply move their operations to another username or domain.

All of this, to my mind, constitutes FRAUD, especially the "false" unsubscribes; the costs in money, time, energy and security; etc.

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Should I click the "unsubscribe"?

Good question. While I have, and still do at times, I wouldn't recommend it, and here's why.

If you reply or enter your email address on an "unsubscribe" page, you have now "validated" that the email address is "live", "working", and that you still monitor it. As noted above, they can remove you from one list and either put you on another or sell your validated email address and information to another spammer.

If no responses are ever generated from an email address, at some point, most people (even spammers) will consider it abandoned, and stop using it. (see NOTE in the "Why was I getting tons of spam from certain people, and now I'm not?" question, below). HOWEVER, being that it's a "shady" business, anyway, I have little doubt they simply sell even these addresses to other spammers.

NOTE: Legitimate companies send email newsletters and offers. They WILL actually remove you from their "send" mailing lists. BE AWARE that you MAY NOT be removed from their system completely. They DO want to know your demographics (age range, location, interests) so they can "target" you in their other advertising (media, such as TV, Radio and Print Ads). If you unsubscribe from these, most of the time, it WILL work. The problem is that many of the spammers' emails look a lot like legitimate companies'.

Be sure to read the privacy policy and terms information on ANY site which asks for your email address. If there's ANYTHING in there about them giving/selling your information to "affiliates", BE CAREFUL! (Many have opt-in check-boxes for newsletters and "offers from affiliates" and sometimes, they're "checked" for you. In these cases, the newsletter may be safe, while the affiliates ... questionable.) While the company itself may be legitimate, once an affiliate gets your email address, it's now THEIR privacy policy and terms you must deal with. If THEY give/sell it to another "affiliate", it's THEIR ... you get the idea? At some point, a spammer or unscrupulous mailing list administrator will probably get the email address, and sell it to (other) spammers.

At one time, I hit the "unsubscribe" or sent the "unsubscribe email" to 15-20 emails a day. I pleaded, begged and threatened, asking them to remove me from that and any other email list they control on which my address was found. Of course, it didn't work at all. When I stopped, it took a while, but many of the spam emails just "faded away". Now, when I do it, it's to companies I've tried to verify are real and legitimate, and what seems to occur is a stop on that one, and sometimes, a "slowdown" of spam to my email box. But then, sometimes, emails that look almost exactly the same appearing from different email names, domains and looks, start coming in, at the same or higher level of occurrence. This is where I get my opinion that spammers just sell or "pass off" your information to other spammers, one way or the other.

And, there are even more insidious reasons NOT to hit that "unsubscribe" link. Check out the article "New Reason to Avoid 'Unsubscribe' Links" at MSNBC Off Site New Window. While written in 2004, it should give you pause.

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Why do spammers send pictures, rather than just describe the item in question, and link to it?

Because a lot of anti-spam programs/blockers/filters (business, home and third-party) search emails for keywords. If all the information is contain in a picture, it cannot be searched. BE AWARE: Those companies who set filters (businesses and commercial products for business and home use) will sometimes "trap out" emails you WANT and NEED to receive, based on keywords and other criteria (such as text-to-image-size ratio).

NOTE: Images will (or should) only work in HTML- and/or MIME-based emails. If your email client will only receive text, or you have set your email to only receive text, you should never see a picture or "fancy" email, except as an attachment you have to open. Many of the spam email analyzed on the Spam with Pictures Examples and Analysis page are HTML email using images and invisible content. See my analysis for more.

Many will simply reject, outright, an email that contains only images without accompanying text. This is why you will see emails with advertising in pictures, and random phrases and words below them. The more sophisticated, though, have learned to "hide" this part of the email.

As I said, sometimes the filters will "trap out" emails you WANT, because there's no or not enough accompanying text. For example:

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Why do some of these spam emails have extra characters in certain words, or "weird looking" characters off to the side?

This is to defeat the filtering of certain words.

For example, many email administrators (or home users) will filter out emails with certain words in them. The "Seven Words You Can't Say on Television" (George Carlin) and many of those words and phrases added to that list are among them. (Sh*t, P*ss, C*nt, F*ck, C*cks*cker, Motherf*cker, T*ts and more.) In businesses, they are filtered because of the diversity involved in hiring employees. Some people are ultra-conservative, therefore, the simple use of a word is an anathema to them - it hurts their "sensibilities". Many of the words are also used in sexual references, and companies can and have been sued, simply because someone saw the word on someone's computer screen, thereby creating a "hostile atmosphere". (Ridiculous, as far as I'm concerned, but that's the way the world works, now!)

A way around these filters is to change one or more of the letters in a word to a character, making the word still-recognizable to the reader, but not to the filters, most of which are extremely "literal", meaning only words that EXACTLY MATCH will be "filtered out". And, we don't want filters that will delete "real" emails simply because of misspellings. Note the way I described the "Seven Words..." above. While asterisks are commonplace, and these words MAY be filtered out, other characters (or letters other than those that "make" the word) are "fair game". (For example: 5hit, Pi55, Cvnt, Fvck, C0ck5ucker, M0therfvcker, and t1ts... See what I mean?)

I, personally, have a list of words I filter directly to my email trash-can. I have received too many non-spam emails with the words in them to totally ignore them, so they are left as "unread" until I can look through them (quickly). Some clients and places of business put suspected spam in a recipients "junk email" folder or a folder the admin checks, where he can reject or "pass-on" the emails. However, I have also had emails and my joke-letter refused by certain places because they contained certain words - in other words, they were "bounced" before the recipient had the chance to say "I don't want these" - therefore, the intended recipient never even sees the email and doesn't know it was sent to them.

Changing the words to defeat the filters MAY allow the email through to the recipient. (See examples on the Text Spam Examples and Analysis page.)

As for those emails that look like simple text with what appear to be filtered words on the left and "odd" characters to the right, they do this by using the HTML <div> tag and the float property.

<DIV>Hi<BR>
<BR>M<DIV STYLE =3D "=20
MARGIN: 0px;
FLOAT
:
RIGHT"> ap </DIV>eridia<BR>
VALlU<DIV STYLE =3D "=20
MARGIN: 0px;
FLOAT
:
RIGHT"> db </DIV>M fro<DIV STYLE =3D "=20
MARGIN: 0px;
FLOAT
:
RIGHT"> ou </DIV>m onl<DIV STYLE =3D "=20
MARGIN: 0px;
FLOAT
:
RIGHT"> md </DIV>y $<DIV STYLE =3D "=20
MARGIN: 0px;
FLOAT
:
RIGHT"> xx </DIV> 1,2<DIV STYLE =3D "=20
MARGIN: 0px;
FLOAT
:
RIGHT"> ob </DIV>1<BR>
C<DIV STYLE =3D "=20
MARGIN: 0px;
FLOAT
:
RIGHT"> bk </DIV>lALlS f<DIV STYLE =3D "=20
MARGIN: 0px;
FLOAT
:
RIGHT"> pw </DIV>rom on<DIV STYLE =3D "=20
MARGIN: 0px;
FLOAT
:
RIGHT"> ul </DIV>ly $<DIV STYLE =3D "=20
MARGIN: 0px;
FLOAT
:
RIGHT"> uw </DIV> 3,7<DIV STYLE =3D "=20
MARGIN: 0px;
FLOAT
:
RIGHT"> zk </DIV>5

<DIV>Hi<BR><BR>
M<DIV STYLE="MARGIN:0px;FLOAT:RIGHT">ap</DIV>eridia<BR>
VALlU<DIV STYLE="MARGIN:0px; FLOAT:RIGHT">db</DIV>M 
 fro<DIV STYLE="MARGIN:0px; FLOAT:RIGHT">ou</DIV>m 
 onl<DIV STYLE="MARGIN:0px; FLOAT:RIGHT">md</DIV>y 
 $<DIV STYLE="MARGIN:0px; FLOAT:RIGHT">xx</DIV> 
 1,2<DIV STYLE="MARGIN:0px; FLOAT:RIGHT">ob</DIV>1<BR>
C<DIV STYLE="MARGIN:0px; FLOAT:RIGHT">bk</DIV>lALlS 
 f<DIV STYLE="MARGIN:0px; FLOAT:RIGHT">pw</DIV>rom 
 on<DIV STYLE="MARGIN:0px; FLOAT:RIGHT">ul</DIV>ly 
 <DIV STYLE="MARGIN:0px; FLOAT:RIGHT">uw</DIV> 
 3,7<DIV STYLE="MARGIN:0px; FLOAT:RIGHT">zk</DIV>5</DIV>

It's a lotta FUGLY (ask your teen!) HTML code for a couple of lines of a spam "ad", but it DOES deceive the filters!

I have to admit that I use the character substitution in my joke-letter. I don't do so specifically to "defeat the filters" but because some people (not the ones on my list, but people who may see them on their screen and for people to whom they may forward them) MIGHT or DO find the actual words offensive. In this case, it gives everyone a chance to know the word that's there without actually ... "spelling it out". (Hmmm... With all the jokes about some of the meds listed, I may have to start substituting characters for them, too...)

HOWEVER, what about the person who DOES have prescriptions for some of the medicines listed in those type of email. Many pharmacy services will now send reminders that prescriptions are up for renewal. Because the medicine names are "filtered", they will never receive these reminders... and this is thanks to the spammers. (These filters would never have been created for those words if the spammers hadn't used them so many times.)

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Why was I getting tons of spam from certain people, and now I'm not?

In some cases, when a spammer (or his/her clients) receive no responses from an email address (especially "throw-away" email domains like Hotmail, MSN, Yahoo, Gmail and many others) for a specified time-frame or a certain number of emails your address may actually be removed from their list.

NOTE: When I get "bounces" from a personal mailing list, I do not normally remove the name for a few mailings, because sometimes, the reason for the "bounce" has to do with problems with the server or that the recipient's email inbox is full (they haven't read their email for some time, and most email servers don't allow unlimited space - you know... They may be on vacation or sick or their computer's "in the shop"...) After A FEW bounces, I remove their address. I don't doubt that many spammers have a "count" of how many emails they've sent without response.

It DOES cost bandwidth for those sending from a non-throw-away account, but being sent from a "spammer company's" own server(s) means the bandwidth they are using most is NOT theirs, except for the initial thrust into cyberspace.

And, they may have simply dropped that mailing list (selling it to someone else) and started with a new one.

Don't be surprised, though, if anywhere from a very short time or even months from now, you receive a blank email (probably checking for "bounces"), an email asking if your email address is still working, or from a very appealing website. If you reply "yes" or click-through to visit the site, you may be inundated again. Also, don't be surprised if another spammer begins. As noted above, all they have to do is switch users, domains and/or servers, or sell your address to another.

And, remember, you MAY STILL be getting spam from the same people - under a different name, email address, domain, whatever.

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Aren't the offers of free products (plasma TV, X-Box, gift cards, cars, clothes, etc.) valid?

They may be. Don't get me wrong. I've thought SERIOUSLY of clicking on them.

HOWEVER, YOU WILL NOT GET SOMETHING FOR NOTHING, unless you actually enter a REAL lottery (see my information on Foreign Lottery Scams) or sweepstakes (like Publisher's Clearing House) and WIN. Even then, if it's over a certain amount, it must be reported as income, and it will THEN cost you tax money.

As you will see in the analysis of some spam emails I've received (see links beside the header) and in many other cases, you will be required to complete surveys (uh... I'm sure more than one), join some club, buy a certain dollars-worth of items, or something else.

And remember:

1. when you "click through", in most cases, you are validating that your email address still works;
2. surveys will give you "points" or money (sometimes "Monopoly Money" or money stored in their "bank" for you) for each survey you complete. It will (normally) take some time to get enough points or "build up your monetary account" for your "free" TV, $500 shopping card, etc.
3. the dollar amount you may be required to purchase MIGHT be for much MORE than the certificate.

And, as with all advertising, all claims need to be taken with a healthy DOSE of salt. (A "grain of salt" isn't enough in most cases!)

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Where Can I Find Out More?

Onsite:

• Examples & Analysis(with pictures)
• Examples & Analysis (text only Spam)

Off-Site:

For more information, see:

• Wikipedia's entry on Electronic Spam Off Site New Window
• Wikipedia's entry on Direct Marketing Off Site New Window
• Wikipedia's entry on Email Marketing (stopping spam) Off Site New Window
• Wikipedia's entry on Stopping Email Abuse Off Site New Window
• Forbes.com - "Stop Spam Now" - John C. Dvorak Off Site New Window
   
• FTC - SPAM - Home Page
• Anatomy of an Email Message
• Tracking the source of email spam
• Reading Email Headers
• Internet mail message header format
• Variable envelope return path: (Verp) Information From Answers.com

A few of the better links I found:

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