Off Topic: Spam Explosion

[Lee Michaels]

Has anyone else experienced a spam explosion in the last week?

I used to have a very good spam filter but it did not transfer over to this computer. I need to do somehing. I have gone from about ten spams a day to over 150. And the number seems to increase each day too.

I am considering installing Mailwasher Pro. I talked to a couple people who swear by it.

Any other suggestions or ideas??

Also, is there any particular reason for this particular spam explosion? It doesn't appear to be a money thing. Most of the messages are absolute nonsense.

[notbob]

Your ISP sucks!

It's now reached the competitive point where most reputable ISPs do all the spam filtering necessary. I'm with Qwest/Microsoft DSL. Haven't seen a single spam in over two years and I don't run any anti-spam software on my linux box.

nb

[Lee Michaels]

That would be Comcast.

And I don't have any alternatices where I am either.

[Robatoy]

Then kwitchurbitchin.

[Chris Friesen]

Nope...but my email host does spam filtering themselves.

The main downside of Mailwasher is that it doesn't integrate with your email client, so you have to run Mailwasher first to scan your mail (optionally reading it as well, to be fair), then tell it to download the "clean" ones to your normal email client. It does have the ability to benefit from a server-based database of messages that other users have flagged as spam.

In general the ISP or email host server has the ability to do a much better filtering job than you can since they can compare the email coming in for many different addresses. Is changing email addresses (or forwarding your existing email to a different address) an option?

For the technologically skilled, SpamAssassin is supposed to be quite good.

Chris

[krw]

Sure you do. You can get your email service from just about anyone. It'll cost you a few bux, but you aren't locked into your ISP. I don't use mine. Well, not the same AT&T company, anyway.

[HeyBub]

There is no rule that says the company supplying connectivity has to be your ISP. Pick up the 'phone.

Comcast supplies my pipe, but Earthlink is my ISP.

Earthlink also uses Giganews as a news server at no charge to me.

[Lew Hodgett]

------------------------------ Have noticed a modest increase the last few days to maybe 10-12/day.

Most are coming in from China.

At 150/day, sounds like a Comcast problem.

SFWIW, I run OE6 and find the "Block Sender" command does a good job.

Recently have been getting spam from " [e-mail]".

Tried writing a rule to block "*@126.com" but it doesn't work.

Guess I don't know how to write filters.

HTH

Lew

[notbob]

LOL!

No doubt. AFter yrs of their crap, I don't miss 'em.

nb

[Lobby Dosser]

I didn't either, but it looks like Verizon will be gone and I'll be crawling back with my tail between my legs.

Oh My :()

[Jack Stein]

You have Comcast, do you have your spam filter turned on in your email account?

[DanG]

I have had very good success with Spamhilator. This is a freeware spam killer.