SpamCopWiki : MisdirectedBounce

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Misdirected Bounce


A misdirected bounce is an email Bounce Message* that is sent to a user whose name was forged into the headers of the email that provoked the bounce. It is also referred to as an "unsolicited bounce" since it is sent to a user who should not have received it.

When a SpamCop user receives an unsolicited bounce and reports it, SpamCop sends out notifications to the administrator responsible for the mailserver that sent the unsolicited bounce. The text of such a notification includes:

[ SpamCop V640 ]
This message is brief for your comfort.  Please use links below for details.
...
(IP address) appears to be sending unsolicited bounces, please see:
http://www.spamcop.net/fom-serve/cache/329.html


This problem is also referred to as backscatter*. When spammers send out spam in large numbers, even a small percentage of misdirected bounces can have a large impact on the innocent users who receive them. This is why misdirected or unsolicited bounces should be eliminated.

If your mailserver is sending "unsolicited bounces" it could get block-listed by SpamCop.


* External Links
Wikipedia:Bounce_message
Wikipedia:Backscatter_(e-mail)
SpamCop FAQ:Why are auto responders bad? (misdirected bounces)
SpamCop FAQ:How can I control unsolicited bounces?
spamlinks.net:prevent-secure-backscatter
dontbouncespam.org - Why you shouldn't bounce spam and viruses
 


CategorySpamCop
CategorySpamCopReporting
CategorySpamCopBlockingList
 Comments [Hide comments/form]
The intent of this page is to provide useful information to administrators who receive SpamCop notifications about "unsolicited bounces". This is a SPECIFIC page about this SPECIFIC problem. I don't feel that the pages that describe in general backscatter, blowback, etc. are useful to administrators who have received a SpamCop notification about this specific issue.
-- FuhrmanatoR (2007-08-12 10:35:48)
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