Reducing Spam Associated with Posting to Newsgroups

Posted: 10-14-2003, 11:29 PM

Microsoft Communities Team [MSFT]

Guest
Posts: n/a

Due to a recent increase in spam sent to posters in newsgroups, Microsoft advises that newsgroup participants should consider avoiding posting to newsgroups using their real email address. Microsoft is also committed to continuing to address the issue of spam from a technological perspective.

To help avoid receiving unwanted messages (spam) in your regular e-mail account, you may not want to include your regular e-mail address when you post a question or reply to a post in a discussion group. Instead you may want to do one of the following:

* Use a modified e-mail address: Use a different version of your e-mail address that others will understand, but that spam tools can't automatically pick up. For example, if your actual e-mail address is "emailname@account.com", consider using a modified e-mail address such as: "emailnameaccount.com.invalid", emailname@REMOVE_CAPS_AND_INVALIDaccount.com.invalid, or emailname@account.com.NO_SPAM. In this case, the spam tools will send mail to an invalid e-mail address, and others will know to exclude the "(removethis)" when they send you e-mail. When you post a question or reply to a discussion group, just enter your modified e-mail address in the appropriate box.

* Use a secondary e-mail account: Set up or use an e-mail account, such as a Hotmail account, that is separate from your primary account for posting to discussion groups. When you post a question or reply to a discussion group, use your Hotmail account as your e-mail address.

If you have feedback or questions about this, please post a reply in the newsgroup, or contact us at http://register.microsoft.com/contac...in=communities

Thanks!
Microsoft Communities Team

Responses to "Reducing Spam Associated with Posting to Newsgroups"

Charles Swenson

Guest
Posts: n/a

Re: Reducing Spam Associated with Posting to Newsgroups

Posted: 10-15-2003, 02:27 AM

That may stop future spam , what do we do about the material that is already
coming in. I'm getting about 50 instances of the security update fake now
and it seems to be increasing.

"Microsoft Communities Team [MSFT]" <MSTEAM@online.microsoft.com> wrote in
message news:%234zZUKqkDHA.988@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...

> Due to a recent increase in spam sent to posters in newsgroups, Microsoft

advises that newsgroup participants should consider avoiding posting to
newsgroups using their real email address. Microsoft is also committed to
continuing to address the issue of spam from a technological perspective.

>
> To help avoid receiving unwanted messages (spam) in your regular e-mail

account, you may not want to include your regular e-mail address when you
post a question or reply to a post in a discussion group. Instead you may
want to do one of the following:

>
> * Use a modified e-mail address: Use a different version of your e-mail

address that others will understand, but that spam tools can't automatically
pick up. For example, if your actual e-mail address is
"emailname@account.com", consider using a modified e-mail address such as:
"emailnameaccount.com.invalid",
emailname@REMOVE_CAPS_AND_INVALIDaccount.com.invalid, or
emailname@account.com.NO_SPAM. In this case, the spam tools will send mail
to an invalid e-mail address, and others will know to exclude the
"(removethis)" when they send you e-mail. When you post a question or reply
to a discussion group, just enter your modified e-mail address in the
appropriate box.

>
> * Use a secondary e-mail account: Set up or use an e-mail account, such as

a Hotmail account, that is separate from your primary account for posting to
discussion groups. When you post a question or reply to a discussion group,
use your Hotmail account as your e-mail address.

>
> If you have feedback or questions about this, please post a reply in the

newsgroup, or contact us at
http://register.microsoft.com/contac...in=communities

>
> Thanks!
> Microsoft Communities Team
>

Dan Sontup

Guest
Posts: n/a

Re: Reducing Spam Associated with Posting to Newsgroups

Posted: 10-15-2003, 03:45 PM

Charles Swenson wrote:

>
> That may stop future spam , what do we do about the material that is

already

> coming in. I'm getting about 50 instances of the security update fake now
> and it seems to be increasing.

That would be my question also. Perhaps Micro$oft can also answer this
development in my own case. I've just changed my e-mail address, staying
with the same ISP, but upgrading to their latest program, installed on my
new laptop, with a new OS, Windows XP. Within one day of resubscribing to my
old newsgroups, I started getting the fake security updates that had been
flooding my inbox under my old e-mail address. I am now receiving a whole
slew of these annoying messages, usually between 143kb and 156kb, which
slows things down considerably. This morning, for example, out of 21
messages in my inbox, 15 of them were the fake security updates, under a
variety of senders.

I understand this is the SWEN virus (NEWS spelled backwards). It's my
further understanding that although I don't have the virus on my computer,
the virus did infect one or more users who had my correct e-mail address in
their address books (from opening an attachment) and then sent my address to
a database or group of databases from which all these fake security updates
are sent out over and over again.

It also occurs to me that even if I follow the MS Communities Team recent
advisory to use a disgused NOSPAM e-mail address when posting to newsgroups,
it won't stop someone from adding my real e-mail address to their address
book, thus perpetuating the potential for further invasion from the SWEN
virus.

I would think that, since the virus is attacking by usng Microsoft as a
springboard, MS would use its vast technology (plus a small portion of Bill
Gates' billions) to track down these databases and put them out of business.

Or, is this too much to hope for?

Dan

Maureen Goldman

Guest
Posts: n/a

Re: Reducing Spam Associated with Posting to Newsgroups

Posted: 10-15-2003, 04:53 PM

>"Dan Sontup" <eq451@earthlink.net> wrote:

>Perhaps Micro$oft can also answer this
>development in my own case. I've just changed my e-mail address, staying
>with the same ISP, but upgrading to their latest program, installed on my
>new laptop, with a new OS, Windows XP. Within one day of resubscribing to my
>old newsgroups, I started getting the fake security updates that had been
>flooding my inbox under my old e-mail address. I am now receiving a whole
>slew of these annoying messages, usually between 143kb and 156kb, which
>slows things down considerably. This morning, for example, out of 21
>messages in my inbox, 15 of them were the fake security updates, under a
>variety of senders.

Are the SWEN postings addressed to a specific email address, or might
you be receiving them because you still have the same account number
with your ISP? (My ISP took care of them, bless its heart.)

Dan Sontup

Guest
Posts: n/a

Re: Reducing Spam Associated with Posting to Newsgroups

Posted: 10-15-2003, 06:51 PM

Maureen Goldman wrote:

> Are the SWEN postings addressed to a specific email address, or might
> you be receiving them because you still have the same account number
> with your ISP? (My ISP took care of them, bless its heart.)

I'm not sure. I've checked on my old computer and am still getting a slew of
these SWEN postings, despite the fact that my former e-mail address was
supposed to have been deactivated. Thanks for the heads up. I'll contact my
ISP and see if they can do anything about it. As far as I know, I still have
the same account number. Up to now, all they've suggested is gong to the
webmail site for the ISP and deleting the SWEN postings on the server before
they get to the inbox. This works, but it still takes time.

Dan

Gordon Burgess-Parker

Guest
Posts: n/a

Re: Reducing Spam Associated with Posting to Newsgroups

Posted: 10-15-2003, 09:14 PM

Dan Sontup wrote:

> Charles Swenson wrote:
>
> That would be my question also. Perhaps Micro$oft can also answer this
> development in my own case. I've just changed my e-mail address,
> staying with the same ISP, but upgrading to their latest program,
> installed on my new laptop, with a new OS, Windows XP. Within one day
> of resubscribing to my old newsgroups, I started getting the fake
> security updates that had been flooding my inbox under my old e-mail
> address. I am now receiving a whole slew of these annoying messages,
> usually between 143kb and 156kb, which slows things down
> considerably. This morning, for example, out of 21 messages in my
> inbox, 15 of them were the fake security updates, under a variety of
> senders.

And if that is your new address in the headers of this posting, that is why
you are getting them.

read these:
http://members.aol.com/emailfaq/mungfaq.html
http://www.mailmsg.com/SPAM_munging.htm

Charles Swenson

Guest
Posts: n/a

Re: Reducing Spam Associated with Posting to Newsgroups

Posted: 10-15-2003, 10:00 PM

That is a fake address , but I am still getting the fake messages and they
are multipling .

"Gordon Burgess-Parker" <me9@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:%23yDBqj1kDHA.976@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...

> Dan Sontup wrote:
> > Charles Swenson wrote:
> >
> > That would be my question also. Perhaps Micro$oft can also answer this
> > development in my own case. I've just changed my e-mail address,
> > staying with the same ISP, but upgrading to their latest program,
> > installed on my new laptop, with a new OS, Windows XP. Within one day
> > of resubscribing to my old newsgroups, I started getting the fake
> > security updates that had been flooding my inbox under my old e-mail
> > address. I am now receiving a whole slew of these annoying messages,
> > usually between 143kb and 156kb, which slows things down
> > considerably. This morning, for example, out of 21 messages in my
> > inbox, 15 of them were the fake security updates, under a variety of
> > senders.
>
> And if that is your new address in the headers of this posting, that is

why

> you are getting them.
>
> read these:
> http://members.aol.com/emailfaq/mungfaq.html
> http://www.mailmsg.com/SPAM_munging.htm
>
>

Gordon Burgess-Parker

Guest
Posts: n/a

Re: Reducing Spam Associated with Posting to Newsgroups

Posted: 10-15-2003, 11:19 PM

Charles Swenson wrote:

> That is a fake address , but I am still getting the fake messages and
> they are multipling .
>
>
>
> "Gordon Burgess-Parker" <me9@privacy.net> wrote in message
> news:%23yDBqj1kDHA.976@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
>> Dan Sontup wrote:
>>> Charles Swenson wrote:
>>>
>>> That would be my question also. Perhaps Micro$oft can also answer
>>> this development in my own case. I've just changed my e-mail
>>> address, staying with the same ISP, but upgrading to their latest
>>> program, installed on my new laptop, with a new OS, Windows XP.
>>> Within one day of resubscribing to my old newsgroups, I started
>>> getting the fake security updates that had been flooding my inbox
>>> under my old e-mail address. I am now receiving a whole slew of
>>> these annoying messages, usually between 143kb and 156kb, which
>>> slows things down considerably. This morning, for example, out of
>>> 21 messages in my inbox, 15 of them were the fake security updates,
>>> under a variety of senders.
>>
>> And if that is your new address in the headers of this posting, that
>> is why you are getting them.
>>
>> read these:
>> http://members.aol.com/emailfaq/mungfaq.html
>> http://www.mailmsg.com/SPAM_munging.htm

They will eventually diminish - the first day I had about 150. Now, two
weeks later I'm getting maybe 10?

LinkBack

Thread Tools

Display Modes

« can't close browsers | Duplication of files »

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads You may post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts BB code is On Smilies are On [IMG] code is On HTML code is Off Trackbacks are On Pingbacks are On Refbacks are On

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Reducing Spam Associated with Posting to Newsgroups	Microsoft Communities Team [MSFT]	Windows XP Work Remotely	0	10-14-2003 11:29 PM
Reducing Spam Associated with Posting to Newsgroups	Microsoft Communities Team [MSFT]	Windows XP Video	0	10-14-2003 11:29 PM
Reducing Spam Associated with Posting to Newsgroups	Microsoft Communities Team [MSFT]	Windows XP Help & Support	0	10-14-2003 11:29 PM
Reducing Spam Associated with Posting to Newsgroups	Microsoft Communities Team [MSFT]	Windows XP Embedded	0	10-14-2003 11:29 PM
Reducing Spam Associated with Posting to Newsgroups	Microsoft Communities Team [MSFT]	Windows XP Hardware	0	10-14-2003 11:29 PM

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90