Message-Id: <mailto:199509062013.PAA28079@library.wustl.edu> Date: Wed, 6 Sep 1995 13:08:37 -0700 From: Henry K Mattoon <mailto:hkm@CRL.COM> Subject: Re: Recent SPAMMING To: Multiple recipients of list IMAGELIB
Angela,No, as far as I know there is no way to determine the actual address. The person's obviously a computer hacker, since as you point out his e-mail address is not formatted correctly for COMPUSERVE. There are various strategies people like this use to change their e-mail address.
A popular one right now is "AOLHELL" (named for another commercial provider) that allows you to post with any e-mail address you specify. It's used on the 'net a lot to post illegal copies of copyrighted software, program cracks, hacks, etc. with minimal chance of being traced. Especially USENET "ALT" groups with "Warez," "Cracks," or "Hacks" in their name. So, for example, I could very easily post this response with an e-mail address of: mailto:nobody@nowhere.com. Doesn't exist, extremely hard or probably nearly impossible to track.
Note that this strategy is completely different from a user setting up an "anonymous" account with service providers that allows this. Those accounts _can_ be traced and cancelled. (Though full disclosure of information by service providers to authorities is, I think, still an unclear legal issue.)
Sorry, but I don't think there's much we can do. Sending a complaint to COMPUSERVE if the account is invalid won't help, unfortunately. But, if the account _does_ appear valid, then I'm all for replying directly, with a cc to the sys admin. Chances are good the account's already been closed, due to the perpetrator's advanced and uncontrollable Spamming disease, but I know I feel better, anyway. Plus, the few times I've helped shut a maniac down, I do feel a _whole_ lot better!
Henry _________________________________________________________________ [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [ ------+-------------+------------+-------------+--------------+--- | Henry K. | National | The | |
| Mattoon | Moving | American | 213.856.7702 | voice
| | Image | Film | 467.4578 | fax
| mailto:hkm@crl.com | Database | Institute | 962.6519 | bbs
__|_____________|____________|_____________|______________|_______ ] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [
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On Wed, 6 Sep 1995 mailto:BINDA@BINAH.CC.BRANDEIS.EDU wrote:
> I tried sending his junk mail back to mailto:gsamson@compuserve.com, but received a
> message from the postmaster that it was undeliverable - compuserve addresses
> are made up of numeric digits, not letters. I've tried responding to spammers
> before. The addresses are always bogus. Isn't there some way to find out
> where a message comes from?
>
> Angela Binda
> Brandeis University
> mailto:binda@binah.cc.brandeis.edu
>