Is your PC sending Viagra spam? Home users could be sending out 'spam'without knowing

Reuters ^ | Dec. 3, 2003 | Reuters

[FairOpinion]

Experts say home users with broadband services could be sending out 'spam' e-mails without knowing.

LONDON (Reuters) - Security experts have identified what they suspect to be the biggest culprit behind that seemingly unceasing torrent of e-mail spam messages and computer virus outbreaks.

[FairOpinion]

A word to the wise...

[TheBattman]

I have noticed more and more of these spam messages originating from legitimate ISPs - according to SpamCop.

Stupid Windows/Microsoft related exploits.

And yes, I heard about the MacOS X root exploit. Still a very different problem.

[South40]

[RLK]

I'm getting about 20 viagra messages a day.

[freebilly]

The companies that enlist the aid of spam advertising should be the ones penalized.

Any business that knowingly employs spam as a marketing tool should be hit with a class action lawsuit. In one day I get over 300 spam messages, many from the same company. I'm sure some attorneys out there have figured out how to go after the money these guys are making....

[FairOpinion]

"I'm getting about 20 viagra messages a day."

===

And just imagine, you may be sending out hundreds. ;)

[FairOpinion]

I don't mind the advertising from identifiable companies, I could read or delete them, same as junk mail, or block their address.

But the spam coming from all kinds of weird addresses, just to disguise where it's really coming from, is what should be made illegal.

I think companies, which break into people's computers and use them to send spam, should be charged with unlawful breaking and entering, vandalism, theft and a few other charges.

[Bogey78O]

Keep a router log and check it often.

I caught a worm on my parents computer that way.

[Steel and Fire and Stone]

I'm getting about 20 viagra messages a day.

Heck, I've gotten so many "penis enlargement" spam-mails over the past year that I've started having insecure feelings about .... um... er.. some things in life. I mean .. who knew? who told 'em??

SFS

[ladyinred]

I always laugh when I get enlargement ads in my email. I really don't need their product, honestly I don't!

[ex-Texan]

Has anyone tried the new Avant Browser? A friend downloaded it and says it is really great. Any Freeper feedback?

Avant Browser

[Age of Reason]

The real problem with spam is that there must be jerks out there who actually buy stuff from spammers.

So the way to stop spam would be to get people to stop buying the products spam is selling.

One way to to this would be to somehow send out spams advertising a penis elargement machine.

Then when someone attempts to buy the penis elarging machine, that person's name and other info is posted to an online wall of shame . . .

As someone who wanted to buy a penis enlargement machine.

Heh, heh.

[Lancey Howard]

I'm not the most knowledgable guy when it comes to computers, but I do subscribe to the McAfee ("firewall" and anti-virus) and Spy Sweeper programs. I don't really know if they do anything, but the first time I ran Spy Sweeper, it knocked (I believe) years of crap off my computer. Do you have any opinion about these programs?

Regards,
LH

[ETERNAL WARMING]

No, but everytime I come on FR I get a pop up ad. Anyone else? What do I do about it? It's always a different ad.

[The Westerner]

My computer was hijacked last month. My e-mail account started spamming other users of my ISP with ads for a weight reduction product (fortunately innocent sounding.) Now I have a router and Zone Alarm. Hope that helps.

[First_Salute]

Bump.

[First_Salute]

Bump.

[bonesmccoy]

How did you rid your system of the infestation?

How is Zone Alarm?

[GulliverSwift]

That sounds like a good plan but sounds a little too much like Al Franken.

(both sending and receiving)

[weegee]

I think that some of these mailing lists SENDING the emails are just slapping false origin information on the emails using the same addresses that RECEIVE the spams.

There was that big virus that hit this summer and it was the only time that I got emails to my system from other servers saying (falsely) that I was sending out a virus. I was never infected and had never originated those emails.

I do not get such messages anymore and I never received one prior to that virus.

I DO get emails from spammers (with phoney addresses) that contain VIRUS attachments. I never get infected because I never see those emails; my ISP deletes them before they reach me and I just get the "sender" information and the subject line of the email. I can't contact them to be dropped or to warn them of their virus. I must get 3 of those messages a day at least.

I do agree that "virus" legislation could sweep up innocent internet users. Certainly the more accountable SPAMmers are made, the more they will shrug off the responsibility and blame it on others.

Also consider this a problem when the UN and federal government discusses taxing every email "you" send.