General Discussions

**Learning Newbie** · 12-20-2007, 01:22 PM

I was reading one of my blogs and read about email spam. Here's the part that got me

I especially find the “we found your mail address through our own efforts on the web search” part amusing…considering that Peter Patera’s email address has never been published anywhere. Spammers’ lies are funny!

So how does an email address that's never been published anywhere get spammed? I mean, they can't just be making up to addresses at random, can they? Wouldn't the ROI be too low? Even if it wasn't just lhpegajhioaegh@yahoo.com and they used a dictionary attack plus numbers, wouldn't that be a waste?

I know it's already about 1 in 1 million spam emails that actually reach anybody so it seems like the cartels can't make it even harder on themselves.

**blue-dreamer** · 12-20-2007, 02:29 PM

It could have come from a zombie PC - one that's been infected with a trojan (whatever) that sends out spam - one possibility is that the user might have your addy in their address book? I'm grabbing a straws here but you never know!

**jamestl2** · 12-20-2007, 02:37 PM

http://www.newcreations.net/webmaster/spam.html

**vangogh** · 12-20-2007, 11:40 PM

This wouldn't necessarily work for Peter's email, but someone could get it from the whois information on a site. If the email has ever been used to sign up for anything it's on a list somehwhere that might have been sold.

Spammers do randomly try emails. With the ROI you have to remember that the cost of sending an email is extremely low. A spammer will have the entire system automated to further lower the costs.

It wouldn't be that hard to run a program that say reads first names from a file and appends @msn.com or @yahoo.com etc. Another level up would be to have a script read through the dictionary or works of literature to piece words together and try them as well.

The key to it all is that everything is automated so the 'I' part of ROI approaches $0 as close as possible.

**ADAM Web Design** · 12-21-2007, 01:56 AM

Peter's never signed up for anything. As someone who knows Peter very well, I can verify this.

Basically, the two answers in Peter's case are "it's in the address book of a spammer" or what Steven laid out. Having seen the latter in action, I'd believe that's the far more likely scenario. As Steven pointed out, a powerful enough mail server could go through millions of email addresses for just pennies a glass, so the R0I (not a typo) would be next to nothing.

**Cryxellis** · 12-21-2007, 06:46 AM

Well I think through classified ads, there are sites
that let the others saw the contact of that certain
ads.

**Tone** · 12-21-2007, 07:23 PM

Had a lot of spam through an old email address from when i used to sell on ebay regularly and i mean approx 1,000 per week some of them are full of spelling mistakes and are just funny dont think they will get many clicks.

**vangogh** · 12-21-2007, 07:49 PM

Adam I had a feeling Peter had never signed up for anything. I bet he can't even get a credit card.

Is his email something that wouldn't be too hard to find through a dictionary attack?