AOL MEMBERS TAKE NOTE!

It appears that some SPAMMERS have decided to try and use QRZ as a way to send out their usual trash.

As a result, we have disabled three features on our system until a better solution can be found. #These features are:

- Invite a Friend to this Forum
- Send XX8XXX an email
- Email this topic

This will stop the activity for now. #The "SEND MSG" button at the bottom of each article still works because it does not use email to deliver the content. #This is also known as the "Private Messenger" or PM function.

If you're posting something for sale and want to be contacted by email or phone then please be sure to mention it in your article!

--------------------------------------

We the Editors of QRZ.COM have been getting 30 - 50 emails a week from AOL users that are getting down right nasty that they have not received their passwords or Links. #We have even been accused of not replying to them at all!

AOL Users, it is AOL, not QRZ. #AOL has placed spam filters on their incoming Email. #If you have not gone into your SPAM CONTROL on AOL and allowed QRZ.COM to pass your Filter, you will NOT receive any email from us.

Log on to AOL and go to SPAM CONTROL. #Wild card QRZ as allowable. (ex #*.qrz.com) #By doing so, you will get email from QRZ.COM.

QRZ has no other way of sending you your password or log on information if you have us turned off!

On another note - Any attempts to take a Forum discussion that is not code / no code related and turn it into such will result in your posting being removed. #This is NOT a QRZ stance against or for code, it is a QRZ stance to keep the subject matter on the subject of the discussion.

Thanks
QRZ

[ke4pjw]

This could be why you are spam blocked at AOL. Someone is using QRZ to act as a spam relay.

(Please note my real email address is altered to fool the spambots)

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To: terry@mindstate.spammenot.com
From: sese_seto1@hotmail.com
X-Mailer: ikonboard
X-Mailer-Info: http://www.ikonboard.com/
Subject: save our soul
X-Spam-Status: No, hits=2.5 required=9.0
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ke4pjw,

This email has been sent from guei via Ikonboard.

(http://www.qrz.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi)

-------------------------------------------------

MARTHA GUEI.
DAKAR-SENEGAL.

ON BEHALF OF MY FAMILY SAVE OUR SOUL.

DEAR,

PLEASE RESCUE OUR LIFE AND HELP US RECEIVE THIS MONEY IN YOUR COUNTRY.

THIS LETTER MAY PROBABLY COME TO YOU AS A SURPRISE SINCE YOU NEITHER KNOW US NOR HAVE HAD ANY PERSONAL OR BUSINESS CONTACT WITH US.

MY NAME IS MARTHA GUEI AND MY BROTHER IS CYPRAIN, FROM COTE DIVORE, SEEKING ASYLUM UNDER (UNCHR) AM 20 YEARS WHILE MY BROTHER CYPRAIN IS 27 YEARS OLD BY AGE, MY FATHER WAS THE FORMER MILITARY RESIDENT OF COTE DIVORE (GEN.ROBERT GUEI) WHO WAS MURDERED BY THE REBELS ON THE 19TH SEPT.2002 DURING A COUP ATTEMPT. AFTER THE TRAGIC INCIDENT, WE RAN TO DAKAR-SENEGAL FOR SAFETY. WEWERE INFORMED BY OUR AGED MOTHER, THAT OUR FATHER DEPOSITED MONEY (US8.2m) EIGHT MILLION TWO HUNDRED UNITED STATES DOLLARS, IN A SECUR
TY COMPANY AS A FAMILY TREASURE UNDISCLOSED TO THE SECURITY COMPANY WITH MY BROTHERS NAME AS NEXT OF KIN. OUR AGED MOTHER ADVISE US TO LOOK FOR A FOREIGNER WHO WILL ASSIST US FOR THE TRANSFER OF THE FUND AND EXPLAIN TO US THAT THE DOCUMENTS OF THE DEPOSIT OF THE SECURITY COMPANY IS WITH HER AND LATER HANDOVER EVERYTHING TO US.

THE BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP WE REQUEST FROM YOU IS THAT WE INTEND TO USE PART OF THIS MONEY FOR INVESTMENT PURPOSES OVERSEAS THROUGH YOURSELF PERSONALLY OR YOUR COMPANY AS OUR FOREIGN BUSINESS PARTNER AND A FRONT FOR TRANSFERING THE MONEY TO YOUR COUNTRY.

THE CONSIGNMENT WILL BE TRANSFER OUT TO YOUR DESTINATION IN ANY WAY CONVENIENT TO YOU.I AM GIVING YOU THIS OFFERS AS MENTIONED WITH EVERY CONFIDENCE ON YOUR CCEPTANCE TO ASSIST ME OR ADOPT ME AND MY BROTHER AS YOUR SON AND DAUGHER AND MANAGE THE MONEY FOR US. THIS TRANSACTION SHOULD NOT APPEAR MUCH A SURPRISE TO YOU.

I WILL LIKE YOU TO KEEP THIS AS A SECRET FOR ME BECAUSE OF SECURITY PURPOSE AND OF OUR PRESENT SITUATION AS REFUGEE AND FOR THE REBELS. I AM HOPING YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO CO-OPERATE WITH ME IN THIS PROPOSED BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP,PLEASE CONTACT US IMMEDIATLEY ON THE ABOVE EMAIL ADDRESS FOR THE MODALITIES OF THE TRANSACTION.

TILL IHEAR FROM YOU SOON.IF YOU ARE WILLING TO ASSIST ME YOU CAN RECH ME URGENT ON E MAIL(guei2121@myway.com) AND FRO URGENT DETILS CONCENING THE DEPOSITE OF THE FUND WILL BE GIVING TO YOU IMMEDIATELY.

BEST REGARDS.

MARTHA GUEI.

-------------------------------------------------

Please note, Ikonboard cannot be held responsible for the content of this email

[n5xxm]

same thing happened here, before i changed my call sign and logon info.... as well as my e-mail address.

[ke4pjw]

I now have three of these in my inbox. Fred, anyone technical @ QRZ, can you boot this spammers account?

[N4OKG]

http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif This is yet another reason to avoid AOL/MSN, et.al. and go with a local ISP where possible!

73, Al

[AB2QB]

I got the same E-mail....Well 2 #of them......dam spamers

[WD8OQX]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (N4OKG @ Oct. 07 2003,09:23)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif This is yet another reason to avoid AOL/MSN, et.al. and go with a local ISP where possible! #

73, Al[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
I have to agree. I have not had any experence with MSN but I have with AOL. In my opinion, it is nothing more than a virus. Ready to screw up any computer it is loaded on. If it doesn't get the computer it will mess up in other ways such as this. Take the advice of someone who has had to deal with these and get rid of it as noted in the quote. It will save everyone a lot of headaces.

[KG4JYD]

Yes I got one too.... here is the message with headers:

Subject:
save our soul
From:
sese_seto1@hotmail.com
Date:
Tue, 07 Oct 2003 08:52:59 -0700 (MST)
To:
SonicSpike@cfl.rr.com
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Email Generated by QRZ Message System

KG4JYD,

This email has been sent from guei via Ikonboard.

(http://www.qrz.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi)

-------------------------------------------------

MARTHA GUEI.
DAKAR-SENEGAL.

ON BEHALF OF MY FAMILY SAVE OUR SOUL.

DEAR,

PLEASE RESCUE OUR LIFE AND HELP US RECEIVE THIS MONEY IN YOUR COUNTRY.

THIS LETTER MAY PROBABLY COME TO YOU AS A SURPRISE SINCE YOU NEITHER KNOW US NOR HAVE HAD ANY PERSONAL OR BUSINESS CONTACT WITH US.

MY NAME IS MARTHA GUEI AND MY BROTHER IS CYPRAIN, FROM COTE DIVORE, SEEKING ASYLUM UNDER (UNCHR) AM 20 YEARS WHILE MY BROTHER CYPRAIN IS 27 YEARS OLD BY AGE, MY FATHER WAS THE FORMER MILITARY RESIDENT OF COTE DIVORE (GEN.ROBERT GUEI) WHO WAS MURDERED BY THE REBELS ON THE 19TH SEPT.2002 DURING A COUP ATTEMPT. AFTER THE TRAGIC INCIDENT, WE RAN TO DAKAR-SENEGAL FOR SAFETY. WEWERE INFORMED BY OUR AGED MOTHER, THAT OUR FATHER DEPOSITED MONEY (US8.2m) EIGHT MILLION TWO HUNDRED UNITED STATES DOLLARS, IN A SECURITY COMPANY AS A FAMILY TREASURE UNDISCLOSED TO THE SECURITY COMPANY WITH MY BROTHERS NAME AS NEXT OF KIN. OUR AGED MOTHER ADVISE US TO LOOK FOR A FOREIGNER WHO WILL ASSIST US FOR THE TRANSFER OF THE FUND AND EXPLAIN TO US THAT THE DOCUMENTS OF THE DEPOSIT OF THE SECURITY COMPANY IS WITH HER AND LATER HANDOVER EVERYTHING TO US.

THE BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP WE REQUEST FROM YOU IS THAT WE INTEND TO USE PART OF THIS MONEY FOR INVESTMENT PURPOSES OVERSEAS THROUGH YOURSELF PERSONALLY OR YOUR COMPANY AS OUR FOREIGN BUSINESS PARTNER AND A FRONT FOR TRANSFERING THE MONEY TO YOUR COUNTRY.

THE CONSIGNMENT WILL BE TRANSFER OUT TO YOUR DESTINATION IN ANY WAY CONVENIENT TO YOU.I AM GIVING YOU THIS OFFERS AS MENTIONED WITH EVERY CONFIDENCE ON YOUR CCEPTANCE TO ASSIST ME OR ADOPT ME AND MY BROTHER AS YOUR SON AND DAUGHER AND MANAGE THE MONEY FOR US. THIS TRANSACTION SHOULD NOT APPEAR MUCH A SURPRISE TO YOU.

I WILL LIKE YOU TO KEEP THIS AS A SECRET FOR ME BECAUSE OF SECURITY PURPOSE AND OF OUR PRESENT SITUATION AS REFUGEE AND FOR THE REBELS. I AM HOPING YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO CO-OPERATE WITH ME IN THIS PROPOSED BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP,PLEASE CONTACT US IMMEDIATLEY ON THE ABOVE EMAIL ADDRESS FOR THE MODALITIES OF THE TRANSACTION.

TILL IHEAR FROM YOU SOON.IF YOU ARE WILLING TO ASSIST ME YOU CAN RECH ME URGENT ON E MAIL(guei2121@myway.com) AND FRO URGENT DETILS CONCENING THE DEPOSITE OF THE FUND WILL BE GIVING TO YOU IMMEDIATELY.

BEST REGARDS.

MARTHA GUEI.

-------------------------------------------------

Please note, Ikonboard cannot be held responsible for the content of this email

[n9lya]

Thank you for posting and doing what you say on the final pharagraph of your original post... http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[n0zu]

http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
I am sure
glad that
I do not
have to
use AOL.
I was always
Told never to
USE AOL or you may
get charged for using it
now I see why

I don't have those
proublems with my
server.

you should just make a
yahoo, or hotmail account
just to get email from places
were you have passwords sent to #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[n3wjl]

I sent an e-mail back to the address in that SPAM saying I am willing to help. I wonder what kind of reply I'll get?

As for AOL, I remember when the Internet was just for school and the government, then AOL got on and it all went to heck very quickly. I Think it is kind of funny that the DOD is making the Internet 2.0 for government and colleges only.

[na4it]

What does "A O L" stand for:

America OFF Line.

I use an isp that is so much better than AOL it isn't even funny. Why in the world would someone want to run extra software just to hook up to the intenet. And for those of you who aren't so computer savy, the AOL software that automatically loads off their disc and is REQUIRED by them so you can get online "looks" at you to see where you surf, then gears their ads to better "reflect" what you like.

AOL software causes so many problems, if I work on a computer for someone, I tell them if they put AOL on it, DO NOT BRING IT BACK TO ME.

AOL has at times labeled ARRL and other ham sites as well as ham club mailing lists (legit lists) as spam. They are also widely known for labeling Christian and church related e-mails as spam.

Nuf said. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif

[KH2D]

I now have three of these in my inbox. Fred, anyone technical @ QRZ, can you boot this spammers account?

I doubt that spammer has an account.....

Looks like IkonBored been hacked http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif

73, Jim KH2D

[KH2D]

I sent an e-mail back to the address in that SPAM saying I am willing to help. I wonder what kind of reply I'll get?

Maybe you'll get invited to Africa and murdered, like some previous responders have.

http://www.techtv.com/cybercr....00.html (http://www.techtv.com/cybercrime/internetfraud/story/0,23008,3396766,00.html)

73, Jim KH2D

[ke4zhn]

AOL, what a joke of an isp! They charge the same if not more then everyone else to access the internet, then force you to run their lousy software which is nothing more then a "trojan horse" which enables them to literally control your machine by bombarding you with ads, and crap you dont want! #They can also track your every move online with their built in "backdoors". Then on top of all that they force you to use a noncompatible email format that wont even work with microsoft stuff for certain attachments and or links sent to you which probably 90% of all internet users run. Their software also clashes and causes more troubles then its worth, and yet you cant log onto their network without it. Well, maybe you can but thats hacking which is illegal! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif # You even are forced to use the aol built in browser, unless your willing to go through a bunch of crap to make internet explorer work with aol. This is possible, but not without reconfiguring alot of stuff on your machine. Takes alot of gall to charge someone for a service, then force them to use garbage software to use what they already pay for! Its no wonder their customers are leaving them in droves searching for a more user friendly isp. They also dont tell you that their crummy software eats up about 500 megs of disk space or more that could be used for your own data rather then their trojan scumware ad crap software! To think, people actually pay for the privledge of being bombed with spam and ads! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif Even with their so called spam blocking email protection, they bomb you with their own brand of ad propaganda at every turn! Got to pay for all those expensive TV commercials somehow I guess. While I cant blame those who fell for their advertising campaigns and false misleading BS they spew on TV all the time, Id advise anyone using AOL to dump them ASAP and get a regular isp who doesnt force you to use crap just to get online. Everything you need to access the internet is already built into any windows platform, all you need is an isp and an account. No need for cumbersome, disk wasting trash to get online. You can even do much better with Juno even though they too force you to run a small program to access their network, its not 500 megs worth of spam generating garbage and for a dial up works just as well for about 1/2 the price. You can also use your own browser and your own email program with Juno, something thats not easily done with AOL. # #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[N7VQM]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (N4OKG @ Oct. 07 2003,09:23)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">This is yet another reason to avoid AOL/MSN, et.al. and go with a local ISP where possible! #[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
The problem noted in this thread could happen with ANY ISP that has a spam filtering measure.

We want to thank all those who provided help and headers in locating "save our soul". #He has been locked out and his IP banned.

As a computer user, engineer, programer... I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there will always be someone who will find a scam and a way to get around firewalls, IP blocks and spam filters.

Follow old and tried rules. #Never open a file from someone you do not know. #If you know them, run it through a virus scan. Microsoft NEVER sends out emails with attachments for upgrades. If it says PATCH. delete it. #If it sounds too good to be true, it's a scam. #Nothing is Free anymore.

[WA9SVD]

HOTMAIL is a service of Microsoft. (Read into THAT what you will!) But the SPAM comes in many forms and guises (and I'm glad this isn't trashing Earthlink, for a chang.e)

One way to fight this is to MAKE SURE you display ALL headers, cut and paste into a new e-mail, and send the message about "unsolicited advertising/e-mail" to: "abuse@wherever.???" from wence it came. That means, of it came from "AOL.com" you send it back to them; if it was from "MSN.com" you send it there. You will never hear about the resolution (other than a form letter thanking you for your submission) but if the ISP's get enough of these complaints, they WILL try to crack down on the spammers.
The only time I would NOT do this is with an unknown ISP. "Two-bit" or offshore ISP's may not care about complaints or limit SPAM; indeed, they may actually be the source, or in close association with the SPAMmer.
Unfortunately, banning an entire ISP is hardly a desirable solution to cure SPAM; if it's a little ISP it may have little consequence, but such a tactic of banning ARRL.net, Earthlink.net AOL.com, or others because a user of that ISP sent e-mail is worse than throwing out the "baby with the bath water."

[kg4uxr]

Do you all relize that this sort of e-mail offering all sorts of money gains is old Hat?
Back i the UK we used to get these sort of offers and needs for help over the fax machine on a daily basis.
I think any one who replys to these requests for help is very gulible. send them strate to file 13 thats the trash bin if you like.
as to the AOL point i agree with every comment made i used Aol for a short time and discoverd when i installed a fire wall on my pc i could never get on line.
To the editors of QRZ i say keep up the good work and who knows one day you may offer a ISP. that gives local service no matter wher you live unlike AOL.
Well thats my 2 cent's worth.
73's
Dave
ex pate of the UK. living in North Carolina.

[KD5ZEW]

Isn't AOL's big selling point their spam and pop-up blocking?
OK i'm not here to bash AOL but to point out that due to hte fact spam is more often than not sent with a spoofed e-mail address and IP the person's adress at the top of that e-mail is most likely NOT the one sending it. As for QRZ.com you can use a simple method employed by many stes like this to keep spam bots from acquiring account in the case that they are sending from here. a PICTURE with a WORD on it is presented at hte registration screen and the user must read the PICTURE and type the word into a input box. This should then be hashed or encypted so that the spambots can't make a work around. if the picture and the typed word don't match then the user does not get access. if it is a user doing the spamming logs should be able to track it. also if there is a problem with spamming you can simply limit hte numer of out going e-mials from an account each day/hour/set time period and if someone truly needs to send more solicited e-mail then the filter permits they will have to e-mail the sysop and have the restriction lifted and a close eye kept on them. If these measures are not enough the QRZ.com staff is more than welcome to contact me via e-mail for more help. i'm sure someone who maintains the site has experiance with this sort of matter but in case they don't i offer my services free of charge.

[kd5oij]

Gentlemen, these emails are of great interest to the Secret Service, and the FBI and as such should be reported the them ASAP. They are not Spam, they are an international fraud scam...... 73's Dave

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (n3wjl @ Oct. 07 2003,13:03)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I sent an e-mail back to the address in that SPAM saying I am willing to help. I wonder what kind of reply I'll get?

As for AOL, I remember when the Internet was just for school and the government, then AOL got on and it all went to heck very quickly. I Think it is kind of funny that the DOD is making the Internet 2.0 for government and colleges only.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif [B]A friend of mine replied with an offer to help also. It was a riot and he wound up being told to go to some freight company on the docks in NYC at 3 a.m., etc. etc. When he ended the scam they had a fit!! He used hotmil or dome other email acct. to lure them and turned them over to the feds.
Another note about scams...since the "DO NOT CALL" list is now in place ...be on watchout!! If you enter these online giveaways and the contesting co. says you are required to give them your phone number to be notified when/if you have won you may as well have taken your # off the list. Since you now have given them consent ,or anyone they sell your #, to bother you again.

[KH2D]

It appears that some SPAMMERS have decided to try and use QRZ as a way to send out their usual trash.

Judging by the mail in my trash can, I don't think they "decided to try". I think they "did".

But that's what spammers and hackers do. Welcome to the wonderful world of server/domain ownership.

Now you need to explain to the kids that since QRZ.com had a security hole that allowed IkonBored to be used as a platform for sending SPAM, AOL was perfectly justified in doing what they did.

Once the kids understand that, we can get back to the normal business at hand - arguing about Morris Code and Echolink........

73, Jim KH2D

[WD8OQX]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (KH2D @ Oct. 08 2003,03:55)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">It appears that some SPAMMERS have decided to try and use QRZ as a way to send out their usual trash.

Judging by the mail in my trash can, I don't think they "decided to try". I think they "did".

But that's what spammers and hackers do. Welcome to the wonderful world of server/domain ownership.

Now you need to explain to the kids that since QRZ.com had a security hole that allowed IkonBored to be used as a platform for sending SPAM, AOL was perfectly justified in doing what they did.

Once the kids understand that, we can get back to the normal business at hand - arguing about Morris Code and Echolink........

73, Jim KH2D[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
I had to deal with this kind of issue myself and I can tell you that when you open things up to do forwarding these things can happen. (even without you knowing it for a while) It is either take the chance or lock all the doors. (is that what you want?)

As for my prior posts - I still stand by them and say GET RID OF IT/THEM. Fix just one of the problems AO(hell) can cause & you'll understand why.

BTW: I also want to make it clear that this affects more that just your own computer - it can cascade to everyone. Been there.

[WA9SVD]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (kd5oij @ Oct. 08 2003,02:43)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Gentlemen, these emails are of great interest to the Secret Service, and the FBI and as such should be reported the them ASAP. They are not Spam, they are an international fraud scam...... 73's Dave[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
================================================

Unfortunately, I'm sure several Federal Agencies are aware, inclusing the U.S. Postal Service. But unless the SCAM originates in the U.S. there is little that can do.

And it's pointless to sent the dozen or so SPAM/SCAM messages I've gotten about "aiding and abbetting" some "poor widow" from Nigeria (or Sierra Leone, or Zaire, or Namibia or anywhere else) to somehow illegally and surreptiously funnel millions of dollars from his/her country to myself and back. There have been at least thousands (probably closer to millions) of these scam messages sent over the past two months, and since they originate overseas, there isn't a lot the U.S. agencies can do. (Of course, if someone actually believes the scam, and tries to obtain the $millions from a U.S. bank, only to find it's a fraudulent deal, the FBI will be glad to assist in the prosecution and recovery of the money. MORAL: You can't scam a SCAMMER!)

[k5ofc]

I don't understand the anti-spam measures mentioned at the beginning of this thread. I checked my own listing and some others, and the email addresses are clearly displayed. Clicking on the link opens a new message addressed to that person, just waiting for the spam to be added.

[K3XR]

go to frontpage magazine.com about half way down the left column type in aol in the search block and read the results
dan,k3xr

[KH2D]

I don't understand the anti-spam measures mentioned at the beginning of this thread.

I don't know for sure, QRZ.com's admin will have to do the official explaination, but it looks like the SPAM in this discussion was generated using Ikonbored (the forum software that runs this forum). Apparently somebody figured out how to use it to generate SPAM, so by removing the features being used to do that, the problem is temporarily fixed. Since a lot of people who use QRZ.com (me included) got the Nigerian Dum Dum email, the spammer probably harvested a bunch of email addresses from this site also.

As far as looking up yourself in the callbook here, and seeing your email address is concerned, that's another hazard of the sign-up-to-use-it scenario. Well known fact that robots harvest email addresses from web pages, so when you sign up for something that's going to display your email address for the world to see, you should use a throw away email address. Yahoo!, Hotmail, whatever. Much easier to toss a Hotmail address and get a new one than it is to change the one you use thru your ISP.

73, Jim KH2D



**EDITOR'S NOTE**

The SPAMMER actually JOINED QRZ and used posted messages to forward his spam to.

It is your choice if you want your email address on your BIO Page. #We at QRZ do NOT put it there. You, the members do. #You have the option to add your email or delete it. #If you no longer want it posted on your Call Sign page (Bio Page), go to your Call Sign Page and edit it.

The email you used to register is not available to anyone unless you place it on your Call Sign Page. #We do not give it out. #You can register with one email address and post a different one on your Call Sign Page.

[KH2D]

The SPAMMER actually JOINED QRZ and used posted messages to forward his spam to.

Gee, that musta been a realy bored, dumb spammer http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

73, Jim KH2D

[KH2D]

The email you used to register is not available to anyone unless you place it on your Call Sign Page. #We do not give it out. #You can register with one email address and post a different one on your Call Sign Page.

That's good news. How about the 242,083 email addresses on the CD, is there a way to opt out of having one's email address included there ?

73, Jim KH2D

**EDITOR'S NOTE***

Again, the only Email addresses on the CD are Email addresses the members have placed on their Call Sign Pages. #We do not publish Email addresses. #The Members whose emails are on the CD opted to include them on their Call Sign Pages.

And, yes, all the major call sign CDs are ripe for spammers to harvest email addresses. For every saftey written into software, someone will defeat it. #Just look at MicroSoft's "secure" servers and the recording industries newest copy protection on CDs that was defeated by a grad student in one day. It is a sad fact of life that people like this get their kicks, and money from these actions.

[vk7bbw]

Hi,
AOL or MSN aren't the only ones soliciting spam all over the place. Originally, I put my email address on my page, then the spam began, and peaked at over 60 messages a day, from charities, to porn. It took some tracking down, but after some time, it was ascertained that my address was taken from my page here on qrz.com. Now I don't blame qrz for this, but the parasites are employed to cruise these pages, and gather email addresses. As soon as I took my address off my qrz page, and changed it at the same time, I now get no spam email at all. It's a bit sad that I cannot have my address here, without being harrassed, but it is the way of the world thesedays.
Cheers all from Tasmania.
Paul
VK7BBW

I changed my email address, on QRZ, to a junk account and dont get any spam there.....no filters, etc. When I had my isp here I got tons of the scam crap and still do.
It certainly is not the fault of QRZ they were hacked. As I said in an earlier post about telemarketing phone calls same deal here a list of name , address, and email addresses/phone #s. BTW on the telemarketing scam they are going to move theur operations offshore, via wire I assume,(SO NO LONGER COVERED BY U.S. LAW) and start the calls again. Don't think if you have an unlisted phone number here in the states it is unlisted EVERYWHERE! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif

[ka5s]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (vk7bbw @ Oct. 11 2003,00:54)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">qrz.com. Now I don't blame qrz for this, but the parasites are employed to cruise these pages, and gather email addresses. As soon as I took my address[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Another way of harvesting e-mail addresses recently showed up again on Yahoo Groups. #Yahoo Groups, as here, hides the posters e-mail addresses, so the harvester replies by e-mail to messages on the board and waits for answers. #The latest Yahoo Groups one claimed to be using an e-mail filter system called "Spaminator," which, unless the victim replied immediately, would prevent any future e-mail from being received.

Enough people believe these "replies" are actually related to their postings to make it worth the harvesters' time. Turning off the option to e-mail from a baord kills that little fraud.

Cortland

[Josuha]

IMHO #giving out your email address in 'Outlook', posting your email address online (use Hotmail etc.) is asking for problems..(unless you want to use a proxy..)
Further, most here post their callsigns giving people your addresses and other info...I know this site by 'custom' wants a callsign.
But clean out the brain gear people. Spammers, Telemarketeers and every nut who wants to, has your info with just a click.
Security starts with you. Not the site.
It's like waving a red flag saying. 'come and get me'..
Like it or not, this is 'computerland'.
Windoz brought out alot of good. On the other hand it brought out alot of people who will do whatever it takes to take your money.
Safeguard your info unless you 'know' who your talking to.

[WA9SVD]

Another possible way to thwart the 'bots that seek e-mail addresses: If you list your e-mail address here, or anywhere else, list it as:

" mycallsign.nospam@juno.com "
or wherever.

By now, MOST people will realize they should cut and paste the address (withour the "nospam.") if they wish to make a reply, etc. It will usually get bounced back to the sender as "no such person."

Of course, eventually the programs that harvest e-mail addresses will be designed to recognize this ploy, but for now it will work. It's a minor inconvenience, but it's better than getting all the garbage.

[k5ofc]

Perhaps a "blind" system of emailing a ham via QRZ could be used, like on eBay. An eBay robot forwards the mail, and the sender doesn't know your email address unless you reply. Of course you could still get spam messages that way, but they couldn't put your email address on a list unless you replied to one of the spam messages

[n8zux]

Well I use a ISP other than AOL, I get probably 1 or 2 CD disks from them a month, I have not figgured out yet If it makes a great coffee cup coaster, or a trash can item. # # I used a SPAM PAL program, it marks #*** SPAM *** and the ISP address, I just block it and delete it .

True Yahoo has spammers there as well Amateur posts, I have what filter I can use, at least replying to the provider such as #abuse@yahoo.com, abuse@msn.com, abuse@aol.com it's left to delete the spammers account true they will create a fictous name and some jumbled address, yet I have to fine tune what I want to reject out. #

The Nigerian scam is really a JOKE I wonder if someone has finally have a web site to vote on the most goofyiest con they dream up, its like vote on this weeks stupid spammail # http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif # I have not decide whats more stupid #Nigerian Scam or someone #begging for money on TV for some childrens group which has to pay the TV advertising bill and poor polly has no money for a bottle of milk. #

I would like to see the IRS do a Audit on those people !

[KD7WHQ]

My GF had me save a stack of them, so she could crochet trivets.
An appropriate usage for them, I might say http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

BTW, since I started clicking the unsub links in spam, I am now down to one or two a day, which is more than dealable.
And I unsub from each of those as well.

I'm still wanting to know when to expect the flood..

[G3YYD]

Spam is easily disposed of. I use a POP3 proxy called K9, which uses a Bayseian statistical approach. You have to train it by initially saying what is SPAM and what is not SPAm. It learns dead quick. It prefixes(or suffixs) the subject line with [SPAM] and I just set my Outlook client to delete all messages with [SPAM] in the subject field. its now 100% effective against spam and has not deleted wanted emails once trained. So look at www.keir.net/k9.html for more info.

I always use the same email address for all 'risky' emails/postimgs etc so if it ever gets too bad I can just not use it any more. Oh and never ever use AOL or hotmail or other popular accounts too obvious as spammers use brute force dictionaries to generate billions of email addresses on the popular email suppliers.

73 David

[wb4aej]

A couple of months back, my site was attacked by these slimebuckets. They were using a file called 'formmail.cgi' that was a freebie from Matt's Script Archives.

When my hosting provider notified me of this intrusion, I deleted formmail.cgi and replaced it with a formmail.cgi script of my own.

My hosting provider got a chuckle when they saw it. They said they thought the telemarketers would get a chuckle on it, too.

Check it out at http://www.mishmash.com/cgi-bin/formmail.cgi http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif If you like it, email me and I'll email you a copy of it.



Fred, WB4AEJ

[N2QWE]

Many email servers are Open Relays. Depending on your type of server application, there is a by each manufacturer.

But is more common with Microsoft emails servers specially Exchange Server.

Want to know more sand find out how to fix it, do a search in Google and look for Open Relay.

[KB1FUA]

I have AOL, and JUNO for ISP's. I have had no problems in the 2 years using AOL. If you take the time to sit down, and configure your account-and computer for what you intended it to do, it'll work just fine.
Granted...they all do have some problems, as life doesn't exist problem free, but I can do almost anything I want with AOL. There are a few exceptions like sensing Excel spreadsheets. But give me more time to sit and play on the computer, and I will be able to.
AOL, is fool proof, for those who take the time, to configure all those little niches.
73's
W. Dean Stoner
KB1FUA

[n4lew]

OK so after 5 pages of telling everyone that AOL sucks, (which is like taking 75 posts to explain to me that the sun comes up in the east), does QRZ plan to enable the mail service again?

n4lew

[m0ukr]

I notice some guys have offered the advice of sending the information (SMTP headers etc.) of spam email back to the originating ISP. This unfortunately will be in vane in many cases. This is because the spammer 'spoofs' the originating email address/domain name to one of their liking such as Micro$oft, AOL, Yahoo etc. to give the email more credibility.

When a spammer finds a mail server that is configured to act as an open relay they craft scripts that send the open relay commands via Telnet (SMTP commands can be sent via telnet e.g. telnet mail.mail.com:25) and use the RCPT command to set the originating email address to what ever they want (RCPT <SP> TO:<forward-path> <CRLF>(it's kind of backwards for SMTP.)) This is not true in all cases but this technique is an often used tool of the spammer.

I'm an IT Security Consultant currently working for one of the top 3 banks in the UK and one of the areas I sadly have to spend much of my time on is anti-spam related so I know what I'm talking about!!

My only advice is to give your email address only when absolutely necessary and when you can (such as registering freeware) give a false address. Use your main email account for communicating with your friends etc. and create a free account with Hotmail or something for anything else. This approach will help no end.

Keep your guard up!!

73 M0UKR Alex

[ac5wg]

I get a large amount of spam as a result of spammers using the QRZ.com database to send out their stuff. #I am not on AOL or MSN. #If anyone can figure out a way to stop it, please share with me the secret.

[KD7WHQ]

Unsub from each and every one...and keep at it.
Pay attention as to the page you go to from the link though. It looks like there are perhaps 15 of these services out there, not including the ones that will send you to a 404 - page not found. Some won't have a link, but if you visit the site, porn excluded, there is usually a link at the bottom.

I got tired of it a couple of weeks back and started unsubbing. I have not had a single email today that wasn't either from someone I knew, or something I opted in with as a result.
You don't get better than that, but it is a continuing process. You'll still get one or two, but keep at it, and it will stay at a managable level. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Now, to ride herd on the other two email accounts..

[w2wtf]

for those of you who have MSN or AOL, DUMP THEM!!! and get yourself a real ISP that disables spam and spammers as well as gives you real internet access rather than hold your hand internet access as well as doesen't collect infomation on you that you don't know about. #Try Earthlink, Juno or a local ISP. Also try using a program like mail washer pro (it doesen't seem to work with AOL) it blacklists spammers and bounces thier e-mails back to them. Also for those who would like to protect the enviroment boycott AOL/Time Warner for the incrediable amount of wast they generate with those useless CDs.


p.s. I hate all that wasted plastic from AOL in the form of CD but I do have to say they make good drink coasters....