Spam FAQs
Contents
What is spam?
Also known as UCE (unsolicited commercial mail), spam is unsolicited
e-mail. Often, spam will relate to dishonest get-rich-quick schemes,
bogus products, or invitations to pornography sites. Sometimes a spam
e-mail contains a virus as an attachment. For a more detailed explanation
on spam and why it should be stopped, see the article on spam "About
the problem" by CAUCE (the Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial
Email).
Can I stop spam?
Prevention is better than cure. Be careful about giving your e-mail
address when filling in forms online. You could also consider using
a separate e-mail address for some public activities such as chat rooms,
in order to protect your main address from spammers.
What can I do if I have been spammed?
Do not write back to the spammer. Often, spammers will try to
guess e-mail addresses. If they get a reply from you it simply confirms
that they have found a valid e-mail address. Although many spam mails
include a link for removal from their list, this is normally a trick.
If you wish to do something about spam you have received, then you
should report it to the spammer's ISP. Most ISPs realise it is bad for
their reputation to have this activity on their networks and should be
able to take action against the spammer.
How do I find the spammer's ISP?
You need to open up the e-mail header and find the spammer's IP address. For
information on how to do this, see: Tracking
spam
When you have the spammer's IP address, search the databases
of the Regional Internet Registries (RIRs). For information on how to
use the database, refer to: Using the RIPE database to trace an attack
How do I complain to the spammer's ISP?
You can forward a copy of the spam e-mail, being sure to include the
full header (although if the spam contained a virus you should not include
the attachment). Although spam can be extremely frustrating or offensive,
be polite when telling the network contact about spam coming from their
network. The network may be an intermediate party unaware that a spammer
is using their network to send messages. For help on how to formulate
a polite but firm complaint, see How
to complain to the spammer's provider
Should I retaliate by trying to spam the spammer?
The RIPE NCC strongly recommends that you do not try launch a counter
attack. In many cases spammers work by disguising their location or
hijacking the systems of others. By trying to spam them back, you may
simply do more damage to another innocent party. Depending on the
applicable laws, you may be committing a criminal offence or exposing
yourself to litigation.
For more information on other strategies that are counterproductive, see:
I want to know more about spam
For more detailed advice on how best to deal with spam, visit CAUCE.
More information
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