Ending Corporate SPAM

[ntsa]

Overview

I have been being bombareded by spam e-mail recently (and hasn't everybody?) by a marketing firm called I-Entry. Their unsubscribe feature of their 'Newsletters' *Cough*Cheap_Advertising*cough* doesn't work. I've tried the unsubscribe three times and ended up getting three times the amount of spam =[

So I figured I'd do a bit of digging and send someone a dirty letter! This may turn into a tutorial on how to get corporate spammers to take you off their mailing lists - and then again it might end up as a tutorial on how to get a corporate spammer to send you a nice email telling you to f'ck off. Only time will tell =]

Finding the Culprits

The whois information shown below was found using the NetCat application by Hobbit, which T€ÐØß1 wrote a first class tutorial on here:
http://www.antionline.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=231562


E:\WINNT>nslookup www.i-entry.com
Server: ns1.talk-101.com
Address: 195.8.181.10

Name: www.i-entry.com
Address: 161.58.178.209


E:\WINNT>nc whois.arin.net 43
161.58.178.209
Verio, Inc. (NET-VRIO-161-058)
8005 South Chester Street
Englewood, CO 80112
US

Netname: VRIO-161-058
Netblock: 161.58.0.0 - 161.58.255.255
Maintainer: VRIO

Coordinator:
Verio, Inc. (VIA4-ORG-ARIN) vipar@verio.net
303.645.1900

Domain System inverse mapping provided by:

NS0.VERIO.NET 129.250.15.61
NS1.VERIO.NET 204.91.99.140
NS2.VERIO.NET 129.250.31.190

********************************************
Reassignment information for this block is
available at rwhois.verio.net port 4321
********************************************

Record last updated on 26-Sep-2001.
Database last updated on 8-Jul-2002 20:01:39 EDT.

The ARIN Registration Services Host contains ONLY Internet
Network Information: Networks, ASN's, and related POC's.
Please use the whois server at rs.internic.net for DOMAIN related
Information and whois.nic.mil for NIPRNET Information.

E:\WINNT>nc rwhois.verio.net 4321
%rwhois V-1.5:0078b6:00 rwhois.verio.net (Vipar 0.1a. Comments to vipar@verio.ne
t)
161.58.178.209

network:Class-Name:network
network:Auth-Area:161.58.176.0/20
network:ID:NETBLK-AWH-161-058-178-209.127.0.0.1/32
network:Handle:NETBLK-AWH-161-058-178-209
network:Network-Name:AWH-161-058-178-209
network:IP-Network:161.58.178.209/32
network:In-Addr-Server;I:NS931-HST.127.0.0.1/32
network:In-Addr-Server;I:NS1829-HST.127.0.0.1/32
network:In-Addr-Server;I:NS4208-HST.127.0.0.1/32
network:IP-Network-Block:161.58.178.209 - 161.58.178.209
network:Org-Name:IHoldings.com, Inc
network:Street-Address:9032 NW 12th Street
network:City:Miami
network:State:FL
network:Postal-Code:33172
network:Country-Code:US
network:Tech-Contact;I:AWHIA4407-VRIO.127.0.0.1/32
network:Created:2001-10-30 12:18:49+00
network:Updated:2001-10-30 12:18:49+00

network:Class-Name:network
network:Auth-Area:161.58.176.0/20
network:ID:NETBLK-W061-161-058-176.127.0.0.1/32
network:Handle:NETBLK-W061-161-058-176
network:Network-Name:W061-161-058-176
network:IP-Network:161.58.176.0/20
network:In-Addr-Server;I:NS931-HST.127.0.0.1/32
network:In-Addr-Server;I:NS1829-HST.127.0.0.1/32
network:In-Addr-Server;I:NS4208-HST.127.0.0.1/32
network:IP-Network-Block:161.58.176.0 - 161.58.191.255
network:Org-Name:Verio Advanced Hosting - Dulles
network:Street-Address:22451 Shaw Rd
network:City:Sterling
network:State:VA
network:Postal-Code:20166
network:Country-Code:US
network:Tech-Contact;I:IA17312-VRIO.127.0.0.1/32
network:Created:2001-03-28 23:26:30+00
network:Updated:2001-03-28 23:26:30+00

%ok


Provoking a reaction

I found an email address on their excuse for a website - I feel a nasty letter is in order :)


Hi --

I have unsubscribed from all of your mailing lists three times (each time waiting the stated three days) and am still receiving unsolicited and unwanted spam email from yourselves to this email address.

If this does not cease immediately I will be left with no option but to contact MAPS (the Mail Abuse Prevention System - see: http://mail-abuse.org/) and have your IP addresses (161.58.176.0/20) added to RBL (Real Time Black Hole List) list that they maintain. This will block outbound mail relay from your network to any network using the MAPS System.

I will also be forced to contact your service providers, VERIO, to inform them of your activates, because they too will be reported to MAPS unless they prove that their position to spammers is neither friendly nor neutral (normally by discontinuing the service of the spamming network).

Hopefully in the last two paragraphs I have my proved my ability to trace your servers and company information and make such a report. I also hope I have convinced you of my sincerity in this matter. I fervently hope that such a report will not be necessary.


How much of the above I'd get away with, or even be bothered to actually do, is debatable. But hopefully that will provoke a response. I'll keep you all posted as to how this progresses and if I get any response :)

[KorpDeath]

Go get 'em, cowboy! I've done the same, now I'm down to just 3 or 4 spam messages a day.

[Leviatan]

Get Spamcop.net
my ISP has hired them and integrated their reporting system in all customers webbased e-mail,
now the amount of spam has reduced a lot since and the people responsible are getting tracked down.

[nebulus200]

Usually, you can always defualt an email to root or to postmaster....This is pretty good way to unsubscribe because many spammers nowadays only allow you to unsubscribe from that one particular email (which is worthless); however, most email systems, if not all, will have a root or a postmaster and more often than not, that is the sysadmin :)


I usually send an email siting the formal U.S. Code (I am pretty sure E.U. has similar laws):



TITLE 47--TELEGRAPHS, TELEPHONES, AND RADIOTELEGRAPHS
CHAPTER 5--WIRE OR RADIO COMMUNICATION
SUBCHAPTER II--COMMON CARRIERS
Sec. 227. Restrictions on use of telephone equipment

* (a) Definitions
As used in this section-- * * *
* (2)
* The term ``telephone facsimile machine'' means equipment which has the capacity (A) to transcribe text or images, or both, from paper into an electronic signal and to transmit that signal over a regular telephone line, or (B) to transcribe text or images (or both) from an electronic signal received over a regular telephone line onto paper. * * * (4)
The term ``unsolicited advertisement'' means any material advertising the commercial availability or quality of any property, goods, or services which is transmitted to any person without that person's prior express invitation or permission.
* (b) Restrictions on use of automated telephone equipment
* (1)
Prohibitions
It shall be unlawful for any person within the United States -- to use any telephone facsimile machine, computer, or other device to send an unsolicited advertisement to a telephone facsimile machine; * * *
* (c) to use any telephone facsimile machine, computer, or other device to send an unsolicited advertisement to a telephone facsimile machine; * * *
* (3)
Private right of action
A person or entity may, if otherwise permitted by the laws or rules of court of a State, bring in an appropriate court of that State--
* (A)
* an action based on a violation of this subsection or the regulations prescribed under this subsection to enjoin such violation, (B)
* an action to recover for actual monetary loss from such a violation, or to receive $500 in damages for each such violation, whichever is greater, or (C)
both such actions. If the court finds that the defendant willfully or knowingly violated this subsection or the regulations prescribed under this subsection, the court may, in its discretion, increase the amount of the award to an amount equal to not more than 3 times the amount available under subparagraph (B) of this paragraph. * * *
* (e) Effect on State law
* (1)
State law not preempted
Except for the standards prescribed under subsection (d) of this section and subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, nothing in this section or in the regulations prescribed under this section shall preempt any State law that imposes more restrictive intrastate requirements or regulations on, or which prohibits--
* (A)
the use of telephone facsimile machines or other electronic devices to send unsolicited advertisements; * * *



Basically, you can tell them to stop and that if they don't you will charge them a $500 dollar consulting fee per email after the warning. That in and of itself has usually been enough to have them pull me off of their list. Furthermore, I usually threaten them with a few phone calls to the FBI, a CERT, or other of the many task forces out there. Most people would rather quickly remove you than be reported...

Thanks for the post, always nice to see different ways of handling things :)

Neb

[Leviatan]

Nebulus, good suggestion, but most of the time it won't do any good.
People keep using mail relays etc. and most of the time provide a Url to some site instead of a working return addres
Spamcop is a much easier way and it's free too

[Hadoob024]

Also, I was under the impression that "unsubscribing" from spam emails just verifies for them that they have a "live" email address. But I agree with the other suggestion of finding their IP address and then cutting them off at the source, the ISP.

[Bohogg]

Thanks guys........I registered at Spamcop and copied the spam law for later use....Much appreciation!!

[khakisrule]

Did they reply to it yet ntsa? When and if they do let us know by posting their reply please. It'll be interesting to hear.

[pawn2king]

Hadoob024 is right. When you reply to their mails you are just letting them know that there is someone checking that account...hence increased mailings because your email goes onto a "Confirmed alive" list. Maybe just ignoring the emails and filtering out mailings based upon the domain name so you don't have to see them might be more effective.

Also another good point someone made somewhere (can't remember exactly where) is that the reason companies send out junk mail is because it actually works sometimes. Therefore, if you receive a junk mail for something, don't buy the product, especially from the company that sent you the junk mail. I mean if everyone just never bought anything from companies that used junk mail advertising, then they would have to stop using these sales tactics. Saving 30 cents on an ink cartridge probably isn't worth the hassel of having your email filled to capacity with junk...

[InsaneData]

It's strange! I never get any type of spam at all! I have in the past.. but I have basicly eliminated it. Once and a while I'll get like one, but that's it.

[ntsa]

Still no reply - But I have had no new spam email from them in over a week =]

I think we can safely say - "jobs a good 'un"

[hot_ice]

I just hope someone out there finds a solution that blocks all SPAM, if such an idea or concept is actually possible. It's so friggen annoying, I remember one day I was just really in a bad mood, checked the old email and got like 15 SPAM ones. It got me all pi**ed off and I just replied to about 5 of em telling em to F**K OFF. I should have been use to it, I mean I get about 8 everyday, but I dunno, for some reason just got fired up.

I probably acheived absolutely nothing, but it made me feel better...kind of like them stress balls. :)

Greg

[zepherin]

A neat trick my schools admin uses is he puts the year after his nick and every year he just ditches his last nick and uses a new one. He said most of his friends are smart enough to figure it out.

[Palemoon]

I have 3 accounts, I have for years let hotmail get all my spam and even though I opted out when MS opted me in get about 30 emails a day there all spam, yahoo is better at it's spam filter and again a change by them opted me in I opted out there I get an average of 5 spams, one more web account used for out here and then my home account where the only mail is from family and friends I know in real life @ work real time black hole list takes care of spam.

[TechnologyBudda]

I do that as well. It works if you don't use that address at all except for spam.