Spam email reporting

Definitions

spam

bulk junk email

bulk

mass, huge quantity

junk

unsolicited commercial solicitations

email

electronic mail messages

unsolicited

not requested by the recipient

UBE

unsolicited bulk email

Warning

Before opening suspected spam, disable internet communication, via your firewall or by disconnecting, in case the spam attempts to report back to the sender that you received and opened their spam, thus revealing to them that your email address is active.  When I forward spam to report the abuse, I hope whoever receives it also does not allow the spam to communicate.

Reporting Spam

Some suggest reporting spam to whoever is responsible for the server where the email originally entered the Internet, usually to the email service provider (ESP) of the person sending the spam, and usually to "abuse@" at the ESP's domain.  That could be the domain of the originating email address.  But, the email header can be forged so that the address stated after "From:" is unrelated to who sent the spam.  And, if the ESP intended to send the spam, and you complain to them, then they will know your email address is active, and might add you to more spam lists.

When reporting spam, forward the spam include its complete extended header, often not displayed by default.  Some ask you to use the original subject line of the spam, possibly removing the "FW:" or "Fwd:" from the new subject line.  To avoid changing the spam, send the original spam as an attachment.

For more information

• spam.abuse.net and the Network Abuse Clearinghouse
• Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email
• SPAM-L FAQ
• SpamCon Foundation to reduce spam
• Email Spam directory on Oingo
• JunkEmail.Org, Junk Email Resource
• Limiting Unsolicited Bulk Email
• SpamNews
• How to Complain About Spam, by Phil Agre
• Spam: How to Fight it, Elsop's Anti-Spam Page, links
• Why spam is harmful, and what to do about it, IETF RFC 2635
• Death to Spam
• List-Etiquette.com, The List Member's Guide to E-mail List Guidelines, Rules, and Behavior
• spam definition
• Spam Laws
• CNET teaches self-defense against spam, product reviews
• Spam Recycling Center
• Overcome Email Overload
• Ban The Spam, by TRAC

Advice from email service providers (ESP)

Following are ESP web pages that state how to report to them any abuse of their services, such as spam sent to you by the ESP's customers.  Also included here, obtained from those pages, are reporting addresses, usually "abuse@" at their domain.

EarthLink.com: abuse@EarthLink.net

EarthLink.com/about/policies/use

help.mindspring.com/docs/004/spaminator

EarthLink.net: abuse@corp.EarthLink.net

help.EarthLink.net/internet/security/spam/prevent.html

EarthLink.net/home/tools/epa

EarthLink.net/about/press/fighting_spam

EarthLink.net/contact/#abuse

Hotmail: abuse@hotmail.com (Microsoft MSN .Net Passport)

hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/dasp/ua_info.asp?pg=contact_hotmail

hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/dasp/ua_info.asp?pg=faq#q11

Juno: abuse@juno.com

www.juno.com/privacy/spam.html

Lycos: abuse@lycos.com

http://help.lycos.com/LycosHelp/help/watchdog/htdocs/lycos_watchdog_1_help.htm

MSN: abuse@msn.com

help.msn.com/EN_US/data/hotmailv2_2.its51/$content$/ReprtSpam.htm

Pacific Bell: abuse@pacbell.net (SBC)

public.pacbell.net/contact.html

public.pacbell.net/faq/spam.html

Prodigy: abuse@prodigy.net (SBC)

help.prodigy.net/help/email/spam/faqs.html

SBC powered by Prodigy: abuse@sbcGlobal.net

support.sbcGlobal.net/legal/aup.shtml

Slingshot: abuse@slingshot.com

slingshot.com/legal_terms.asp

Verizon: abuse@verizon.net (Bell Atlantic, GTE)

www2.verizon.net/contact/spam.asp

www2.verizon.net/announcements/spam.asp

support.BellAtlantic.net/members/whats_new/antispam.html (Verizon customers only)

Yahoo (US): abuse@yahoo.com

help.yahoo.com/help/us/mail/spam

Yahoo (UK): uk-mail-abuse@yahoo-inc.com

help.yahoo.com/help/uk/mail/spam

Yahoo Inc: mail-abuse@yahoo-inc.com

Yahoo's email response to reported spam sent to abuse@yahoo.com