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Im at my Wits End!


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Posted

Hi -

This problem is so big and elaborate at this point that I don't know where to begin. I will try to summarize:

Someone is sending thousands of spam emails and spoofing our email addres onto them. So they look like they're coming from us.

The email actually links TO our site to buy products. The goal of the person is obvious, and they are succeeding.

Spamcop keeps sending warnings to our hosting provider saying WE are spamming people, so our provider (Interland) keeps taking our server offline and has now threatened to completely terminate our account.

Spamcop is NOT checking the headers on the emails nor the server its coming from. If they did, they would see they're being sent from all over the world. The fact that the email links to our site (part of the hackers obvious plan) is why we are being blamed.

I don't know what to do!

We obvoiusly cannot stop this person from spoofing our email address.

Is there any way that we can make it known to Spamcop that we are a victim of malicious activity and maybe they can stop sending warnings to Interland? I wont want to lose my entire server because of these jackass spammers who are trying to get us on block lists!

Posted

Hi, Kevin,

...Sorry to hear of the problems you are having. Yes, spammers have spoiled things for everyone!

...SpamCop does not work the way you are suggesting. I can tell you from many months of experience as a SpamCop reporting user that it does, indeed, check the Internet headers of the spam I submit to it. In fact, since my own employer's e-mail servers bounce the e-mail around among several different internal servers, it used to offer to report my employer's e-mail servers as the source of the spam (fortunately, SpamCop is sophisticated enough to have a way to correct that so that it no longer happens)!

...If you (or your provider) would post here (in this forum) the evidence of spam as having come from you (with information that could identify you appropriately disguised -- please identify where the "disguising" has been done), we users may be able to give you more clues as to what to do. Alternatively, a more private and secure place to submit such evidence (although one which may take longer to result in a reply) would be to send to e-mail address deputies<at>spamcop.net.

...Good luck!

Posted

I have noticed spammers have began putting my server name in the headers, yet parsing the header with spamcop points to sites in China and Brazil, based on the IP of spam's origin.

What may happen is that your system is set to bounce spam and spammers report the bounces, which may expalin you being listed...

I may be wrong on that, but as Steve pointed out, the e-mail address itself does not factor into the spamcop's listing.

Posted

The reason spamcop is filing complaints is not because the header info points to us. In fact it doesn't. Apparently spamcop is taking issue with the fact that the email itself has a link to our site telling people to come buy things from us.

The problem isn't stopping the guy. We can't stop him. The problem is Interland is repeatedly shutting down OUR server and has threatened to terminate our account if we don't stop the emails.

We can't stop the emails! I've asked interland to have a more open mind about this and cut us some slack because we can't control this but they refuse. They feel that if complaints keep coming, eventually Interland will get blacklisted, so they'd rather just terminate my account than deal with that.

So I've tried contacting spamcop and having them open communication with Interland, but I doubt this is going to do me much good. I wish Interland wasn't being so incredibly Fcking unfair to me about this.

Thoughts?

Posted
The reason spamcop is filing complaints is not because the header info points to us.  In fact it doesn't.  Apparently spamcop is taking issue with the fact that the email itself has a link to our site telling people to come buy things from us.

The problem isn't stopping the guy.  We can't stop him.  The problem is Interland is repeatedly shutting down OUR server and has threatened to terminate our account if we don't stop the emails.

We can't stop the emails!  I've asked interland to have a more open mind about this and cut us some slack because we can't control this but they refuse.  They feel that if complaints keep coming, eventually Interland will get blacklisted, so they'd rather just terminate my account than deal with that.

So I've tried contacting spamcop and having them open communication with Interland, but I doubt this is going to do me much good.  I wish Interland wasn't being so incredibly Fcking unfair to me about this.

Thoughts?

Kevin

13659[/snapback]

...From your description, you are being identified as a "Spamvertiser." SpamCop sends a different type of report to Spamvertiser sources than it does to the admin/abuse desk of the source of the spam. IIUC, SpamCop does not put Spamvertiser sources in its blocklist. More information is available on the SpamCop FAQ: Introduction - What is this thing? How does it work? and SpamCop FAQ: My web site got terminated/threatened because of SpamCop, but I did not send the spam. What's the big idea?.

...Yep, you need a more sensible provider. When you say good-bye to Interland, please thank them for me for trying to be so diligent about fighting spam. :) <g>

Posted
The reason spamcop is filing complaints is not because the header info points to us.  In fact it doesn't.  Apparently spamcop is taking issue with the fact that the email itself has a link to our site telling people to come buy things from us.

The problem isn't stopping the guy.  We can't stop him.  The problem is Interland is repeatedly shutting down OUR server and has threatened to terminate our account if we don't stop the emails.

We can't stop the emails!  I've asked interland to have a more open mind about this and cut us some slack because we can't control this but they refuse.  They feel that if complaints keep coming, eventually Interland will get blacklisted, so they'd rather just terminate my account than deal with that.

So I've tried contacting spamcop and having them open communication with Interland, but I doubt this is going to do me much good.  I wish Interland wasn't being so incredibly Fcking unfair to me about this.

Thoughts?

Kevin

13659[/snapback]

I think you're being 'Joe-jobbed'. Google around for that and see what others did when they got it, too. I think you might want to put a notice on your website saying that. Or voluntarily take it down til the storm blows over, I don't think they last too long. Or switch hosts, or do some kind of redirect. If you can find the perp you can try to sue or call Johnny Law on 'em.

Posted

The suggestion of putting a disclaimer on your website is also good for those who do follow the link either to buy whatever the spam advertised or to give you whatfor for spamming.

And to google 'joejob' is also a good idea - It is usually malicious - say from a competitor. IIRC, however, spammers have started putting a bunch of links in their spam to confuse filters that filter on particular web sites. I think you can also file as an "Innocent Bystander" with Spamcop.

Have you seen the SpamCop reports? If you have a server, there is a possibility that it is infected or some other problem. Since you used 'email address' I am not quite sure that you understand all about headers. If you are infected, the spam coming from your server may look as though it comes from all around the world, but it is really coming from your IP address.

A sample would make it easier to understand exactly what is going on.

Miss Betsy

Posted

You have a number of things working against you. First of all, Interland has a a history of sorts, setting up mis-configured servers, and thus they and SpamCop have had a number of issues in the past, due to so many users reporting themselves due to the mis-configurations .. and as there are/were enough Interland users reporting, there have been a number of listings of their servers. So one can guess why they seem to be so sensitive ....

On the other hand, as stated before, spammers have done lots of damage to concepts, thoughts, and opinions. For example, you're attempts to explain that you aren't directly connected with the spam has been used in the past by some pretty outrageous folks .... the clam that they weren't involved, but turns out that there was that affiliate thing going on, and referrals was the name of the game ....

Interland has various options upon receiving a complaint about your spamvertised site, one of which is to set the "innocent bystander" flag, which will normally stop the reporting of the site via the SpamCop system. If one was to give them credence in their investigation, perhaps it's not that obvious that you may not be directly connected. Or, as has been conjectured, you're dealing with more incompetence. One does note that you've not volunteered the actual site info for anyone here to take a look see and try to factor that into any response. Even the Deputies are going to have a hard time answering your query if you don't provide some data, some of the alleged spam would certainly be helpful also ....

Posted

Hi, Wazoo,

...Why is this in the SpamCop Email forum -- is that where the OP put it or did you move it here? I don't see that it has anything to do with Email -- could you please move it to a more appropriate forum? "Help" springs to mind although you might prefer the Lounge 'cause it doesn't have to do with the reporting system, per se. ty

Posted

If you want assistance then either post the headers of the email being sent or at least the name of your site so this can be researched.

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