Yeah it is easy enough to spoof an SMTP address. Usually in the message
headers there is enough information to make a valid attempt at the address
or the Gateway though (of course if it went through a gateway that allow
relaying you just nailed the wrong person). I just got a spam from an e-mail
address : "uniqueproduct" just now (that's all in the originator address --
no '@' or right-hand side). The message header says shows it came from the
gateway : (nwb1.nwb.co.jp [210.164.95.2]) -- see below. I telneted to port
25 and it accepted a message to "uniqueproduct". Who knows where it actually
went though.

I am very surprised there has not been more (any?) lawsuits in the U.S.
claiming loss productivity / downtime from mass spammers. The laws are
probably slippery and lack precedent.

Curtis.


Spam Message Header:

Received: from nwb1.nwb.co.jp (nwb1.nwb.co.jp [210.164.95.2])
by in3.magma.ca (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id WAA18194
for <[email protected]>; Mon, 18 Dec 2000 22:47:32 -0500 (EST)
Received: from [210.162.95.82] ([63.15.28.127]) by nwb1.nwb.co.jp
         (Post.Office MTA v3.1.2J release 205-101-J ID# 0-0U10L2S100)
         with SMTP id AAC272; Tue, 19 Dec 2000 12:31:36 +0900
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
To: <Undisclosed.Recipients>
From: uniqueproduct
Subject: CHECK OUT THE HOTTEST PRODUCT SINCE THE PET ROCK
Date: Mon, 18 Dec 2000 21:30:03 -0600
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/html;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
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-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]On
Behalf Of Hugo Haas
Sent: Monday, December 18, 2000 10:38 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Spam filters


On Mon, Dec 18, 2000, Curtis Johnstone wrote:
> I would like to write a "double spam" anti-spam filter. In addition to
> filtering rubbish, once the filter (or user) has found a 'spammer'
> (via the originator e-mail address), any messages received from the
> spammer triggers 100 messages (filter configurable) back to that
> originator address. Even if the originator's mailbox has magically
> disappeared, hopefully it would cause pain for the ISP's that allow
> spammers to work.

Hmmm... I am not sure that it is a good idea, especially because
spammers almost often use a fake email address. However, I thought that
there was a law which was forcing them to use a valid one, or at least
provide a way to write them back.

I always wondered if it was possible to sue spammers - I am in the US,
so why not?

If I say : "My email address is [email protected]. You may use this
address only if you are my parents or cousins. Any other person using it
without my approval will be prosecuted.", what value does it have?

--
Hugo Haas <[email protected]> - http://larve.net/people/hugo/
- I know you feel bad about the juice incident, but I'm sure you can
make up for it somehow. - That's it! Somehow! -- Homer Jay