SpamCop's Effectiveness

[HelloKiddo]

Just wondering. When I submit spam items to SpamCop, do they really contact the abusers or are the items just logged?

My submissions seem to have no effect on the volume of spam that I receive.

Also, why is my ISP (VZ) suddenly flagging my submissions as spam even though I have marked the email in my address book (Thunderbird) as acceptable?

Any response would be appreciated. -- ML

[turetzsr]

Hi, ML!

Just wondering. When I submit spam items to SpamCop, do they really contact the abusers or are the items just logged?

...As I have received replies from abuse desks to which SpamCop claims to have submitted reports on my behalf, I would say yes, they really contact the abuse desks.

My submissions seem to have no effect on the volume of spam that I receive.

...Could you please point us to whatever information you have that suggests it should? We need to fix it because SpamCop doesn't have any way to do that unless your provider is using the SpamCop blacklist (see paragraph under bullets, below).

...You may be interested in the very lengthy discussion at SpamCop Forum thread "Is it really doing any good?" which covers this ground in great (sometimes excrutiating) detail, with many interesting side-discussions.

...SpamCop reporting has two main purposes:

• To notify abuse desks on your behalf that spam is being sent through machines for which they are responsible.
  
• To add IP addresses that are spam sources to the SpamCop blacklist (SCBL).
  

If your provider is using the SCBL to block or filter or tag suspected spam, then you should see some impact from reporting (as long as you are not the only one reporting those spam sources). If not, you will see no direct, immediate affect but you will be helping the providers who are unknowingly permitting spam to be sent from their machines and those that are using the SCBL.

Also, why is my ISP (VZ) suddenly flagging my submissions as spam even though I have marked the email in my address book (Thunderbird) as acceptable?

Any response would be appreciated. -- ML

...Sorry, I don't think anyone here will be able to answer that question -- that would be best taken up with your provider.

[HelloKiddo]

Steve.

Thanks for the timely response. My ISP (VZ) has something called a "Whitelist" which I shall endeavor to see exactly what that entails.

If I can let them know that SpamCop responses are valid, then I will.

Sadly, in the meantime, perhaps many of the ISPs are probably flagging your responses as spam.

At this point in time, the spammers appear to be winning.

ML

[turetzsr]

Steve.

Thanks for the timely response.

<snip>

...My pleasure, glad I could help.

Sadly, in the meantime, perhaps many of the ISPs are probably flagging your responses as spam.

...This apparently isn't the case, as relatively few participants report this problem. Certainly my providers do not flag responses as spam. <g>

At this point in time, the spammers appear to be winning.

ML

...Depends on what "winning" means and how long-term you're thinking. I think we're doing what we are able to do to get in their way, which is to let providers know that their resources are being used to send spam and building a list of IP addresses that are spam sources so that they can be blocked, filtered, sorted or tagged. Perhaps one day the spammers will have conclusively lost, though things look bad right now. Remember that from the 1920s through the mid 1980s, Soviet Communism looked like a permanent part of life, too, but it's pretty much gone, now. <g>

[petzl]

Just wondering. When I submit spam items to SpamCop, do they really contact the abusers or are the items just logged?

My submissions seem to have no effect on the volume of spam that I receive.

Also, why is my ISP (VZ) suddenly flagging my submissions as spam even though I have marked the email in my address book (Thunderbird) as acceptable?

Any response would be appreciated. -- ML

If email is important to you it is not a good idea to accept an ISP's email address they are mostly useless and at best spam magnets. Your provider often giving out email addresses The main reason they force an email address on one is that it is considered that it traps you into staying

One is best to get a (US$30)spamcop email account and just use the spamcop address

Your SpamCop email will get and filter email from present email addresses. Best off though to just use these as legacy accounts allowing them to expire after time

SpamCop allows you to "Very Easily Report" spam and your best defence is attack. SpamCop not only blocks spammers in seconds, as they send spam ,not after spam is sent. SpamCop also tries to notify the abuse desk for the spam you receive, making the Internet more secure if ISP is reactive

SpamCop also as an option/choice allows copies of your reports to be sent to specific agencies which may well help charges be laid against spammers (all for US$30 per annum)

Facts are by signing up to a SpamCop email account your SpamCop repoting becomes even more effective