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These are some tricks spammers use to try and convince you they are legal (examples are taken from genuine emails we have received, this does not imply that any or all the senders are spammers, just that their emails maybe seen as such, or improved on, if they have any legal rights to make unsolicited email approaches)
We also include some legitimate mailers to whom you have (at some time) requested to be added to a mailing list such as an ezine or newsletter, where the sign off process is less than idea. Designed to keep you subscribed.
Examples suggest the sender has some LEGAL RIGHT to spam you!!!!!
Example 1 - Anti-SPAM Policy Disclaimer: Under Bill s.1618 Title III passed by the 105th U. S. Congress, mail cannot be considered Spam as long as we include contact information and a remove link for removal from our mailing list. If this e-mail is unsolicited, please accept our apologies and click on the following removal link:
mailto:pete@000link.com?subject=Remove-Exchange or reply back with REMOVE in the SUBJECT with this email address.
If this email came unrequested it is SPAM no matter how the spammer may try and justify it. Whilst the link is to a valid domain such a request may well just confirm your email as valid, which the firm can then use to send more spam. If the removal system is valid then it only works if the reply comes from the same email as used to send to.
To be legal the remove instruction should specifically include the email which the email was sent TO or a link to some file reference or other form of entry. In all cases a confirmation of removal should be made if indeed a clear sign of or opt-out feature exists.
Some such removal emails are invalid and just bounce, others do not generate any form of reply. Why should you take the time to ask to be removed, chances are this is a one-off email anyhow?
Example 2 -
If you no longer wish to receive our regular updates then please CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO REMOVE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION:
http://www.somedomain.com/unsubscribe.html?email=john.smith@somedomain.com
In the above spam emails are clearly sent BY the same company as is suggested is the email recipient. Clearly people who receive this email cannot unsubscribe as ALL EMAILS in the sign off link are the same. The suggestion is the recipient subscribed to this spam newsletter (selling car leasing) which they did NOT. Clicking the above link takes you to an unsubscribe box where you could replace your email with the one shown, but since all emails were sent TO "undisclosed recipients" we assume this is a way of collecting NEW emails for future spamming. If this example was an ethical company it would have a VALID email clearly shown as BOTH the recipient and sign off link, clicking the link would sign off the subscriber and email a confirmation as well as onscreen.
Example 3 -
Welcome to Inside Fine Living, which you asked to receive while visiting FineLiving.com, one of our sister sites or the HGTV Dream Home Giveaway. We protect your privacy. If you wish to unsubscribe, click here to remove your name. Enjoy and we hope to see you again!
The problem we have this one one is the email is sent to a NAME so we cannot be sure as to what email address is used on the list.
Trying to unsubscribe requires the user to enter a valid email address for that newsletter which they may not always be able to do.
The ideal is for either the recipients email to be shown in the "to" element of the email the sign of link is personalised specific to the recipients email "one of our sister sites" is somewhat vague - chances are you may not recall subscribing to this newsletter at all, although the statement implies you did.
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Can anyone send you unsolicited email which is NOT SPAM?
Unsolicited means that you did NOT ask for it, so as such there is nothing to stop people asking you if you are interested in their product or service BUT the fact you did NOT ask them first makes their approach SPAM. They may well approach you in the guise of respectability, saying as such " here, I know you did not ask me, but I think it is something you would be interested in" is an insult to you and a clear intrusion of your privacy.
In practice some Spam does succeed and people DO BUY from Spammers, thus making their efforts profitable and worthwhile. whilst spammers can make money they will continue and numbers grow. Some experts suggest it is more profitable to be a spammer than try and run a legitimate business!
Found at spam-solution.net
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