Cable Forum - View Single Post - Spam: Sending error messages and complaints

Theodoric · 01-04-2004, 14:06

I have McAfee SpamKiller which allows me to send fake error messages to the reply address and/or complaints to the abuse-reporting address at the spam's domain. May I put forward a few questions.

A) Fake error messages
1) Is it worthwhile doing this? When I used Mailwasher it had a facility for bouncing message but, in most cases, my Norton anti-virus software reported the address as false so the error message could not be sent.
2) Are the spammers wise to this technique and could you be shooting yourself in the foot by actually somehow confirming that your address is live?
3) Are these fake error messages related to the complaints that I have seen of people simply clogging up the system by sending them, or are we talking about automatic messages here?

B) Complaining to the source domain of the spam
1) Again, is it worthwhile doing this?
2) Am I being paranoiac in wondering whether there are such things as rogue domains that will take complaints as evidence of a live address?

01-04-2004, 14:06	#1
Theodoric Inactive Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: London Posts: 2,974	Spam: Sending error messages and complaints I have McAfee SpamKiller which allows me to send fake error messages to the reply address and/or complaints to the abuse-reporting address at the spam's domain. May I put forward a few questions. A) Fake error messages 1) Is it worthwhile doing this? When I used Mailwasher it had a facility for bouncing message but, in most cases, my Norton anti-virus software reported the address as false so the error message could not be sent. 2) Are the spammers wise to this technique and could you be shooting yourself in the foot by actually somehow confirming that your address is live? 3) Are these fake error messages related to the complaints that I have seen of people simply clogging up the system by sending them, or are we talking about automatic messages here? B) Complaining to the source domain of the spam 1) Again, is it worthwhile doing this? 2) Am I being paranoiac in wondering whether there are such things as rogue domains that will take complaints as evidence of a live address?