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What about 'picture' spam?


snaller

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Usually the best thing to do is to add a comment such as "Graffic image with text advertising XXXX stock removed for reporting".

Since there is no spamvertised URL that is usable, having the graffic attached really doesn't make much difference.

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Lately I have been getting spam with an embedded graphic and garbage text. I know the garbage text is to throw off the spam filters but the graphic is what concerns me. Usually the graphic is just text promoting some pump and dump stock scam. That makes sense to me. You read the text imbedded in the graphic and the spammer hopes you'll go out and buy the stock.

Lately though, the graphic has been almost blank. It looks like someone created the graphic to be a text graphic but all it contains are several lines containing random periods, commas, dashes, slashes all sparsely spaced within the graphic.

There's no links to click. No embedded anchors within the HTML. It seems pointless. Why would somebody send out spam like this if there is nothing you can do with it to make them money?

Over the past two weeks I've been getting 3-4 of these per day. Any idea what gives?

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<snip>

Lately though, the graphic has been almost blank. It looks like someone created the graphic to be a text graphic but all it contains are several lines containing random periods, commas, dashes, slashes all sparsely spaced within the graphic.

There's no links to click. No embedded anchors within the HTML. It seems pointless. Why would somebody send out spam like this if there is nothing you can do with it to make them money?

<snip>

...Perhaps an instance of Spammer Rule # 3? :) <g>
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Lately I have been getting spam with an embedded graphic and garbage text. I know the garbage text is to throw off the spam filters but the graphic is what concerns me. Usually the graphic is just text promoting some pump and dump stock scam. That makes sense to me. You read the text imbedded in the graphic and the spammer hopes you'll go out and buy the stock.

Lately though, the graphic has been almost blank. It looks like someone created the graphic to be a text graphic but all it contains are several lines containing random periods, commas, dashes, slashes all sparsely spaced within the graphic.

There's no links to click. No embedded anchors within the HTML. It seems pointless. Why would somebody send out spam like this if there is nothing you can do with it to make them money?

Over the past two weeks I've been getting 3-4 of these per day. Any idea what gives?

First, you should probably modify your email reader NOT to view the graphics unless you authorize it (per message) as some of those links could be alerting the spammers they have a live email address which can be resold as "confirmed". This will likely lead to increased spam coming your way.

These types of actions are often followed by new spam fighters with the question: Why am I getting so much more spam since I started reporting.

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First, you should probably modify your email reader NOT to view the graphics unless you authorize it (per message) as some of those links could be alerting the spammers they have a live email address which can be resold as "confirmed". This will likely lead to increased spam coming your way.

These types of actions are often followed by new spam fighters with the question: Why am I getting so much more spam since I started reporting.

I've done this already. As I mentioned previously there are no HTML anchors or image links (except for local) in these emails.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I have started receiving "picture spam" too, and have been reporting it for the past few weeks. I am receiving .png files attached to the message. The image either includes a link to a website, or is one of those stock spams with no link.

I usually go to the spamcop reporting page, paste in the headers, and then manually type in the associated URL to the spamvertized website. Spamcop always reports theglobe.net as the associated domain. They apparently let spam go rampant, as all the websites I've reported are still online today.

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I usually go to the spamcop reporting page, paste in the headers, and then manually type in the associated URL to the spamvertized website. Spamcop always reports theglobe.net as the associated domain. They apparently let spam go rampant, as all the websites I've reported are still online today.

Just so you know, this is in violation of the Rules that you agreed to when registering your Reporting account.

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Just so you know, this is in violation of the Rules that you agreed to when registering your Reporting account.

and what's the purpose?

i mean of bypassing spamvertisment just because it's a picture? ...and says T-Yp-E and B-U-Y www.drifot.com?

i know this kind of spam works only with desperately seeking viagras and valiums, but then again, they are as massive as noone else. In the beginnning this type of spam was acompanied with clikable ref to (spam)(ad)vertised site, but then, when reports started to wash them out, they switched to just "picture".... and doubled their spew :)

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...bypassing spamvertisment just because it's a picture? ...
SpamCop relies on the integrity of reporters - introducing other tools and amending the content for SC reporting would undermine this or at least open the way for justifiable doubt about the legitimacy of reports. Manual reporting is the option for those not sticking with the "official" toolset.

Many have asked for pictures to be "read" and the links (if any) analyzed for official reports - that is old ground (touching on SC's primary focus and all that). But, whatever the frustration, it hasn't happened yet. Note also that not all of this stuff has links, we've started seeing stock pumping spam as gifs too and other "types" - and of course a certain amount of it is actually viral. SC does not exist to punish the wrongdoers, it exists to slow the tide by working in a particular way and in the context of operating with relative immunity/safety in the bosom the most litiginous society on the planet. Note also at least one widely publicized (at the time) attempt to sue a spam reporter some years back. He had "clean hands" so it failed (ironically enough actioned in Australia, not the USA).

At the end of the day, we have all agreed not to make material alterations to the spam we report via SC. And that particularly means we agree not to "help" the parser find things it cannot find unaided. Spammer lie. Spammers operate outside of and "around" the rules. If "we" want to emulate them in either regard we need to at least have the courage to be personally accountable, without hiding behind/dragging down SC or anyone else. If SC reporters can't stick to the rules, just how far might some of them be prepared to go in their quest for whatever it is that motivates them?

Not that I think for a moment that any of the previous posters is unprincipled or would wilfully endanger the operations of SC.

IMO

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At the end of the day, we have all agreed not to make material alterations to the spam we report via SC. And that particularly means we agree not to "help" the parser find things it cannot find unaided. Spammer lie. Spammers operate outside of and "around" the rules. If "we" want to emulate them in either regard we need to at least have the courage to be personally accountable, without hiding behind/dragging down SC or anyone else. If SC reporters can't stick to the rules, just how far might some of them be prepared to go in their quest for whatever it is that motivates them?

Yes, sure. And then we line up, samefashioned haircut, bandierra-rossa.... and march to(till) the-end-of-the-world hole...

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Yes, sure. And then we line up, samefashioned haircut, bandierra-rossa.... and march to(till) the-end-of-the-world hole...
Actually, I think it is great that people want to "get back" at those spamming scum. I don't use SC reporting at all from my work address - I just send heaps of manual, unmunged, reports at every opportunity, and I get some acknowledgements, even from the Japanese and Koreans. Keep on doing what you can - but I am saying SC is just one of the tools you can use, it is not the whole toolkit and never can be. I know you have issues with exposing yourself to the attention of the worst type spammers. That may be sensible in your situation, you know best. We each find our own ways.
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  • 1 month later...

What's best way to submit image spam. Spamcop does not seem able to process them. Are there any other spam reporting services that can handle analysis of these type of spam messages?

Moderator Edit: This 'new' Topic merged into one of the existing Discussions on the same subject ...

PM sent to advise of the action ...

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What's best way to submit image spam. Spamcop does not seem able to process them.

Spamcop is able to process them if you are getting the full headers and body as it sits on the server. Spamcop will only parse for the source, however, as that is their primary focus.

You can always use spamcop to determine reporting addresses for whatever you see in the body of those messages (I only see the graphic as an attachment in my primary mail application, SpamCop). you can then make manual reports to those addresses asking them to address the situation.

I do not know of anyone else that does what SpamCop does. That is not to say there are not others.

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You can always use spamcop to determine reporting addresses for whatever you see in the body of those messages (I only see the graphic as an attachment in my primary mail application, SpamCop). you can then make manual reports to those addresses asking them to address the situation.

Am I violating SC reporting rules if I include in the notes to my user defined recipients such as the FDA or the SEC a reference to the contents of the graphic? e.g. "Image contains reference to www.phakepills.com where several drugs are for sale" or "Image contains trading tips promoting XXXX.PK."

Technically this is information that my eyes saw rather than SC's parser--should these notes be sent manually?

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Am I violating SC reporting rules if I include in the notes to my user defined recipients such as the FDA or the SEC a reference to the contents of the graphic? e.g. "Image contains reference to www.phakepills.com where several drugs are for sale" or "Image contains trading tips promoting XXXX.PK."

Technically this is information that my eyes saw rather than SC's parser--should these notes be sent manually?

...In my opinion, no, that is not breaking the rules. There are rules against changing the headers or body of the spam you are submitting but, as far as I know, no rules about what you can enter into the notes fields.

...If you want to be safe, just review the reports SpamCop is offering to send, cancel those reports, and submit similar reports manually (removing any evidence from your manual reports that they have anything to do with SpamCop).

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Am I violating SC reporting rules if I include in the notes to my user defined recipients such as the FDA or the SEC a reference to the contents of the graphic? e.g. "Image contains reference to www.phakepills.com where several drugs are for sale" or "Image contains trading tips promoting XXXX.PK."

Technically this is information that my eyes saw rather than SC's parser--should these notes be sent manually?

I also believe you would be within the rules to do that.

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Hello,

And thanks to SpamCop, excellent service, this. Now, this is my first post here, so I hope I get this thing right.

A few weeks back, all of a sudden I started receiving spam promoting various stocks to jump in on. So far up to about 7 or 8 most days. I have reported every single on of them here.

However, when pasting in the content of these mails, the picture GIF, where the spam is, is left out. Only som nonsense text below.

Question 1: Would this stop any administrators from regarding these mails as true spam? As they are not able to se all these ridiculous stock-offers?

Question 2: What can I do to fix this problem when reporting to SpamCop?

I'm not an overly technical person, so please explain in somewhat understandable terms.

Thanks in advance.

Moderator Edit: moved out of the How to Use ... SpamCop Reporting Forum section, as it is not an instructional/tutorial type of post ... placed into the Reporting Help Forum Section, as it is a Reporting issue .. also then Merged it into an existing Topic/Discussion that addresses the same issue ... PM sent to advise of all this handling.

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Hi, Flexus!

...Please see Forum threads "What about 'picture' spam?" and "Reporting Pump and Dump Penny Stocks." There are also a number of other posts in the SpamCop forums on the same subject, so you might be able to find additional useful information by taking advantage of the "Search for" capability near the top of the pages ....

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  • 1 month later...

The admin lumped my last post into the image spam thread, and 20 messages into it I could find nothing helpful except a lot of bickering. So let me rephrase:

How does one report the companies that are the repeated sources of spam? Such as GDKI (Goldmark Industries, www.rxmarte.org, www.fastrx.org, www.rxcart.org - the last three of which are obviously the same source with rotating URLs. They happen to hide these sources as image spam. I'm getting tired of the same companies spamming me - one would think that knowing the URL of the source would help, or at least allow some underground group to hack into their servers and bring them down.

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