Barrie,
How can you tell that a message was sent back? I was skeptical of the
original statement about a message being sent back confirming email address
validity. The question that came to my mind was - how?
There is a notify/return receipt function that can be used on emails but
Eudora faithfully notifies you that the email has a return notification
requested and asks if its ok, later, or never (plus it leaves a copy of the
return receipt in your outbox if you give it the okay).
Some spam come with html links that have your email address or a number
embedded so they can tell your origin if you click on it. But you have to
click on it first. If you just move over it with your mouse, Eudora
displays the actual link so you can tell if it has a return code, a feature
missing in Outlook.
The reply to remove you from the list, though, is a sure way to let the
spammer know your email is legitimate, received, and read.
The point is that as far as I know, there is no secret way a spammer can
tell if their email was received and read without some other action by the
user after the email is opened. Its possible to embed some html code in an
email that is activated when the message is opened but anti-virus programs
are supposed to detect most of these and such functions should be turned
off by the email program anyway. (Eudora under Tools-Options-Viewing mail,
not sure where Outlook's settings are).
Perhaps if I'm wrong, someone can add more details. I get 50-70 spams daily
but a lot of it is because my email address is very public and highly
exposed on the Internet. A spam filter catches 90% of it before it gets to
my PC. I have been thinking about the ultimate spam buster - an email
program that sends back a spoofed majordomo email to the sender that says
something to the effect that the email address is no longer valid. That
would likely be the only way to get off the spam list.
David Councill
67 BGT
72 B
At 12:22 PM 4/12/2003 -0700, Barrie Robinson wrote:
>Someone on the list advised that one should not open spam messages while
>connected to the 'net because they send a message back confirming the
>validity of your address - then adding you to a spam list. So I did
>exactly that - and guess what? It does stop the confirmation and I
>suggest people disconnect before opening any messages !!!! Strange there
>is no warning by the email program (Eudora) that the message has initiated
>a return message !!!!
>
>Barrie
>
>Barrie Robinson
>barrier@bconnex.net
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