There’s just something twisted about porn spam that uses Biblical quotes to distract filters.
Category: Spam
Another honest spammer
Found this in our mail server logs:
relay=OWNED.HACKED.BITE.ME [IP removed], reject=550 5.7.1 No mail accepted from known spam hosts or exploited systems
This was a connection we rejected because the sending IP was on the Spamhaus XBL list of exploited systems. (Everything from reject on is the error message we returned.) Apparently whoever wrote the spam tool decided to advertise that fact when sending mail.
Physical proof of spam?
The disclaimers spammers add to their missives are sometimes bizarre, ranging from excuses to nonsensical “word salad” to, in this example found in today’s spamtrap haul, legal threats.
WARNING: ANYONE REPORTING ALLEGED SPAM TO ANY PERSON OR PERSONS, WITH OUT PHYSICAL PROOF OF SUCH A CLAIM IS GUILTY OF BOTH FRAUD & A CIVIL CRIME AND WILL BE PURSUED AND PROSECUTED TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE READ:
http://www.ncsl.org/programs/lis/legislation/spamlaws02.htm
Physical proof? Of something which exists entirely in the virtual realm of bits and bytes? Do you have to submit your hard drive as evidence, or is a paper print-out sufficient? Continue reading
Honeypot Paydirt!
Whew! After 6 weeks, Project Honeypot has identified a spam harvester trolling one of the sites I signed up with them. Considering it only took 3 days for them to hit some of the local spamtraps I set up at the same time, I’m surprised. I’m especially surprised that it was found on the least trafficked site.
Mage Guild
This one threw me for a second until I realized I was only seeing the plain-text part:
Before you can purchase magical spells at the Mage Guild, you will have to find Orations by Poggio in the monastery of St. Gall A.D. 1416.
Once I noticed the message had HTML and a GIF image, I realized it was just another image-only spam with random words and random code.
But, hey, I liked the opening line!
On to step 8
Hmm, CNET reports that spammers are starting to route zombies’ mail through the ISP’s servers. (Hmm, that sounds familiar.) I don’t know about the “email meltdown” Linford warns against, but it will require a change in tactics. And so the escalation continues…
Spam claims a life
Remember Charles Booher, the spam victim who was arrested for making death threats to the sender? (Early reports were that the person on the other end of the phone was an innocent third-party, but that turns out to have been a smoke screen.)
Aunty Spam reports sad news: apparently Booher committed suicide last month, just a week before his court date.