New SPAM

[Visitor]

Is anyone getting a lot of spam again, this time with the body contaning an image rather than text, so spam filters cannot read the body?

Im getting 5 a day now, with rubbish return addresses, just as soon as I add one email address, there are new ones next time.

QEGY news and share news or something...

Why isnt ntl filters blocking ?

Ive sent lots to @abuse but no help

[AntiSilence]

Yep, sure am. The image has some strange lines in it that seem to move before the image appears.

[Visitor]

I thought we had seen the last of these when NTL told us they now filter SPAM

[Paul K]

No spam filters are 100% and people are always looking for ways around the filtering. As fast as domains and keywords are filtered out Spammers adjust their tactics and get around the filters.

[Stephen]

I am getting at least 5 a day. Outlook manages to recognise them as spam. It also blocks the image and there is usually a load of text hidden underneath.

Below is an example of the text outlook found in one I got just now.

Primitive standards adaptation carnival of gallery concept caught or zeitgeist poststar Wars America in Kong Nintendos of reworked version failing in Popeye its big arcades introduced Mario Poly Play Germanys venture into is huge hit!
Device Stem or cells offer of hope finding cure diabetes a Notes or island.
Binge drinkers Collapse not my fault says is sea Containers boss Iraq Battle militias is.
Obituaries Profiles Pandora images Sport Cricket Football European Coca of Cola Scotland General am Golf Motor Racing Rugby League Union Tennis of Olympics am Leading Articles Letters Columnists al Yasmin Bruce Anderson Joan.

Regime allowed or because deer hunting much favoured party bosses runs is February is great a Pong Ataris match classic tested bar a Grass Valley. You am thought bad is getting bitterer Labour whips of turned me pariah Short.
Computer size of small family car with graphics resembling little more than series lines and dots a it in bears only passing is.
Financial Directory is Invest Save Loans or Credit Pensions Insurance tax Jobs Travel.
Arcades introduced Mario of Poly of Play Germanys venture into huge hit am consumer or masses simulated in deerhunts.
Programmes developer said internet may have is allowing in thousands players of play together one or time.

[Visitor]

Yes the text is suppose to make it look like a good email to you

[TheNorm]

Originally Posted by DarthYoda

...Below is an example of the text outlook found in one I got just now.

What is the point of this kind of spam? They're not selling drugs or shares, or inviting you to view dubious websites.

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by TheNorm

What is the point of this kind of spam? They're not selling drugs or shares, or inviting you to view dubious websites.

The email is usually in the form of a jpeg with the text advertising the drugs or whatever, but if outlook thinks its spam and blocks the picture then the text is what you end up seeing.

[AntiSilence]

You can always tell Outlook or whatever you use to block all images in emails, but then you have the problem of not being able to see real emails that have images in them

[Womble]

I must say, the level of spam has increased over the last couple of days. My wife is even getting it sent to an unused account!!! (and no you wouldn't guess the name!) Has ntl been breached???

[simbr]

Originally Posted by AntiSilence

You can always tell Outlook or whatever you use to block all images in emails, but then you have the problem of not being able to see real emails that have images in them

This is why I use Outlook rather than Outlook Express - you can (at least in the version I have at home) set it to not show images and not show HTML but enable them on an email-by-email basis (in Outlook Express the otpion is global)

With this sort of spam, the content is in am image so filters cannot scan it and the random text is there to avoid pattern based filters (since random text has no pattern).

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by simbr

This is why I use Outlook rather than Outlook Express - you can (at least in the version I have at home) set it to not show images and not show HTML but enable them on an email-by-email basis (in Outlook Express the otpion is global)

With this sort of spam, the content is in am image so filters cannot scan it and the random text is there to avoid pattern based filters (since random text has no pattern).

Thunderbird goes (imo) one better than that. By default it shows Images (but not HTML IIRC) in emails for anyone in your contact book, but not for anyone else.

---------- Post added at 09:30 ---------- Previous post was at 09:27 ----------

Originally Posted by TheNorm

What is the point of this kind of spam? They're not selling drugs or shares, or inviting you to view dubious websites.

Generally, that text is set to be the same colour as the background, so the user won't see it. I think they do it so that the email client doesn't just see one image and immediately assume it is spam.

It doesn't matter that most email clients will block this out. They only need one or two people to buy the particular product (and inevitably, some people are gullible enough to) and the spammer is in profit.

[AntiSilence]

Originally Posted by Stuart C

Thunderbird goes (imo) one better than that. By default it shows Images (but not HTML IIRC) in emails for anyone in your contact book, but not for anyone else.

Yep, I'm using Thunderbird too Didn't have that enabled but will certainly turn that on now.

[Jules]

I have had endless spam over the last couple of weeks I have blocked more addys in the last few weeks than I have in all the years I have been with NTL!

[AndrewJ]

I'm getting hammered by this spam aswell, I use Outlook Express 2003 and have managed to get most of it blocked into the junk mail folder.