[PLUG] Getting email that isn't addressed to me, it's really weird...

[Dave Clemans]

Michael C. Robinson wrote:
> I'm getting a lot of spam that isn't even addressed to me...  Anyone
> else experiencing this?  ...

There's no requirement in the current mail system that there be any 
relationship whatsoever between the visible header lines To:, Cc:, 
From:, etc. and the envelope info that actually has the destination.

Of the spam that gets past my first level blacklist filters, the 
proportion that doesn't have my email address in the To or CC lines has 
probably gone up the past few weeks;  though all for traditional spam, 
not the virus like msgs mentioned in this thread.

Another spam category that started (for me) in the last couple months is 
spam to you, that's forged like it came from you.  That further breaks 
down into two categories; msgs with just a mime separator and nothing 
else, and a complete spam msg.  From what I've seen on nanae, etc. the 
first category are probably probes the gangs use to try to guess whether 
their garbage will get through.

And (again at least for me) spam traffic has gone up considerably the 
last month or so.  Combining my blacklist logs and the garbage that gets 
past them to spamassassin, etc. I'm now running at 60-100 a week (plus 
whatever is caught by my isp).  Before that for many months it was more 
like 25-50 a week.

Sigh... eventually I may have to give up this public address; email 
addresses that are just your initials are too easy for the spammer gangs 
criminal dictionary attack, etc. tools to guess...

dgc