Re: [cobalt-security] Slightly OT - spammers using my domain

[Eric Frisch <ericf@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Tue, 2003-11-04 at 11:34, CobSec wrote:
> Apologies if OT but can't find the answer in any archives.
> 
> I'm getting spam bounced back from the likes of AOL to my email account because spammers are setting the From and ReplyTo fields to my company's domain name (typically randomstring@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx).
> 
> Am I correct in thinking there is absolutely nothing I can do about this?
> 

I would not just sit back and watch as they destroy your image.  Read
the messages, they want to be paid somehow, go after the money end of
thing and not the source.  The source is probably a bunch or relays in
Asia or eastern Europe.  I had one of these guys use my domain and he
thought he could hide using a domain name proxy service, I got him shut
down within a couple days.  If they put phone numbers in the messages,
call them, you will always get an answering machine, leave them
messages.  The combination of myself and the police leaving messages for
some of these people have simply made them go away.  Contact ISPs, some
are pathetic, some are complicit, some are good.  If there is something
illegal involved then report the incident to the postal service or
police as applicable.  I firmly believe in making life difficult for
these people, they will then just pick another victim that doesn't
care.  If you let it continue they will keep abusing you, I have seen it
happen before to the tune of thousands of nondelivery reports per day. 
There is also some risk of ending up in a black hole server someplace
based on improperly validated complaints.

Eric

> TIA
> Mike
> Dimension Associates Ltd