Pointless SPAM containing story snippet - Why?

Kevin Miller Kevin_Miller at ci.juneau.ak.us
Fri Sep 1 18:21:26 IST 2006


Rick Chadderdon wrote:
> I've gotten a few of those, too.  Since they're structured identically
> to most of the image spam I get (minus the image), my guess is that
> they're someone's broken attempt to send image spam.  Probably pointed
> their spam sending program at the wrong image folder or something. 
> The text portion of those messages might be an attempt to poison a
> Bayes database, although it might simply be an effort to avoid getting
> filtered for "not enough text" with an attached image.  I'm about an
> inch away from dropping all mail with inline images.  I'll train my
> users to zip 'em up first and have their families do the same.

I wouldn't want to disallow all image files, but might consider just
blocking gifs.  Wonder what percentage of valid emails use a gif - seems
that most users either send in jpg, tif or (sigh) bmp.  The gifs all
come in via the stock spam.  I suppose that some html newsletters and
such may have a gif in them, but usually they use remote links to keep
their costs down...

...Kevin
-- 
Kevin Miller                Registered Linux User No: 307357
CBJ MIS Dept.               Network Systems Admin., Mail Admin.
155 South Seward Street     ph: (907) 586-0242
Juneau, Alaska 99801        fax: (907 586-4500


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