Spammers sent mail right from my domain!

[webmaster@rockhoundstation1.net]

This week I got a mass (and I mean a lot) of returned emails that I didn't send. Come to find out someone had gotten into my reciprocal links program and actuallly sent spam that registers back as sent from my domain rather than to the spammer's. This is extremely disturbing as it wasn't just regular spam, it was the identity theft type of spam (ebay account confirmation stuff).

I was able to contact my server and clarify which scri_pt was used - it was my reciprocal linker - and I have taken the program right off my site as fixing it might not work well as I found the scri_pt to be no longer supported.

Then I tried to contact ebay - what a farce. The only way I can find to contact them is to actually forward the spam and they don't want you to write any text, so I have no way to report that the problem was and that it has been fixed. I tried to use different topics on their contact form just to be able to get through to them at all and it's the same thing, it takes me to text questions, if I try to go on from there I just get a registration form.

The only way I can report this to spamcop is right here.

I am at a complete loss as to what to do and am just sick over our website and name being trashed like this.

If any admin reads this - ebay needs to know what happened.

[Merlyn]

rockhoundstation1.net' post='56297' date='May 8 2007, 05:02 PM']This week I got a mass (and I mean a lot) of returned emails that I didn't send. Come to find out someone had gotten into my reciprocal links program and actuallly sent spam that registers back as sent from my domain rather than to the spammer's. This is extremely disturbing as it wasn't just regular spam, it was the identity theft type of spam (ebay account confirmation stuff).

Sally, I assume that's your nme, you did not take the care that a reasonable person exercises under the circumstances to avoid harm to other persons or their property when you used this scri_pt on your site. If you are going to take the responsibility to run a website then you must do your homework and be capable of such tasks. The web is not a friendly place anymore. Spammers will take advantage of every opportunity to steal and abuse resources of others.

rockhoundstation1.net' post='56297' date='May 8 2007, 05:02 PM']I was able to contact my server and clarify which scri_pt was used - it was my reciprocal linker - and I have taken the program right off my site as fixing it might not work well as I found the scri_pt to be no longer supported.

That's good news.

rockhoundstation1.net' post='56297' date='May 8 2007, 05:02 PM']Then I tried to contact ebay - what a farce. The only way I can find to contact them is to actually forward the spam and they don't want you to write any text, so I have no way to report that the problem was and that it has been fixed. I tried to use different topics on their contact form just to be able to get through to them at all and it's the same thing, it takes me to text questions, if I try to go on from there I just get a registration form.

There are ways. I have repored many such items.

rockhoundstation1.net' post='56297' date='May 8 2007, 05:02 PM']The only way I can report this to spamcop is right here.

This is only a peer to peer forum so there is no reporting here.

rockhoundstation1.net' post='56297' date='May 8 2007, 05:02 PM']I am at a complete loss as to what to do and am just sick over our website and name being trashed like this.

As long as you learned from this it is not a total loss.

rockhoundstation1.net' post='56297' date='May 8 2007, 05:02 PM']If any admin reads this - ebay needs to know what happened.

They know it is happening millions of times a day.

Good luck.

[rconner]

This week I got a mass (and I mean a lot) of returned emails that I didn't send. Come to find out someone had gotten into my reciprocal links program and actuallly sent spam that registers back as sent from my domain rather than to the spammer's. This is extremely disturbing as it wasn't just regular spam, it was the identity theft type of spam (ebay account confirmation stuff).

You are tossing out quite a few balls here, let me see if I can catch a couple.

SpamCop is a service that allows people to block spam from their mailboxes, or to report the spam that they do receive. I'm not sure what you expect that SpamCop can do for you in this case, since you didn't receive any of these spams (just the bounces).

Saying that the mail "registered back to your domain" isn't telling the whole story. Do you simply mean that your domain name appeared in the from address of the spams (e.g., "From: Foob[at]rockhoundstation1.net"), or something else more involved? If the former, then you are the victim of a very common practice, the forgery of mail addresses by spammers, and there isn't all that much to be done about it. If you mean the latter, then you may have a problem that goes beyond what could be discussed here (particularly if, as it seems, insecure internet applications are involved).

Then I tried to contact ebay - what a farce.

Assume you mean you tried to report the phishing activities to them. I expect that eBay gets a lot of this kind of message, not surprising that they put up a lot of hoops for you to jump through.

The only way I can report this to spamcop is right here.

As Merlyn pointed out, you aren't reporting to SpamCop here, simply publishing a message to a board run by volunteer SpamCop users. Despite the name, SpamCop isn't the police, and can't do much to spammers. As I said, SpamCop is mainly a service for people who want to block spam from their own addresses or report spam that they do receive.

Sorry for your predicament; hopefully the measures you have taken will suffice and that this will have been an (ahem) "learning experience."

-- rick

[Miss Betsy]

I am not a server admin and don't know how to tell you to fix your server. You might be interested in a short list of how to have a secure server in this topic

If you are trying to remove yourself from blocklists, again, I can't help you. Spamcop is entirely automatic and your IP address is removed when spam has stopped being reported.

I also think it is not a good idea to use your email address as your user name. instructions on how to change

spam is such a headache for server admins and companies whose names are phished that, if the spam has stopped, they need to move on to more current problems.

As Merlyn said, the internet is not a country lane any more where it was relatively safe. You need to learn how to keep up with the latest developments and how to keep your server secure. If you don't have the time or talent, then you need to hire a professional. Admins on this forum will help you to some extent - particularly if you learn how to ask a question.

Is there anything else you want to know?

Miss Betsy