Email spamming?

**Banned: Tippy** · 11-05-2002, 05:48 AM

My account was deleted again, this is what my Host had to say:

"Webspun.com has been terminated; this is the 5th time it has taken the server down. 1000,s of emails (spam) are coming into that account and one the mailbox is full their server resources climb, today was the worse."

Anyone know how I can stop this spamming? I would really like to develop the domain but it always gets spammed then terminated.

Thanks,

Mike

**Ciqala** · 11-05-2002, 05:52 AM

I think you could request with your host to not have smtp/pop on your account so its only the webpage but of course you cant use any email address with @webspun.com

**WildCard** · 11-05-2002, 09:54 AM

What email address are the spams coming to? You could have it set to just return those emails to sender.

So, if someone is spamming your support@webspun.com box, you return those all to sender and make your new support box something like techsupport@webspun.com. Make the necessary changes to your webpage and tell all your customers of the change.

I get lots of spam and have filters take care of it - but I can't imagine getting that many spams. Are you spamming and what's coming back to you are returned mails complaining?

Or is your host just crappy? Their spelling was terrible, were they a crappy unlimited type host? Typically, places that offer unlimited Hosting services will cut the service of those that use more than the average amount of resources.

-WC-

**Banned: Tippy** · 11-05-2002, 10:07 AM

I am trying to get more info from my host but nothing so far. Its not an unlim. Hosting account. I dont have any emails setup, just the default email address (cpanel). I think that it catches all email addresses when one isnt setup. I am not 100% sure really how it works.

The domain was owned by someone else prior to me purchasing it so I guess this has something to do with the spam problem.

Thanks,

Mike

**WildCard** · 11-05-2002, 04:20 PM

Great idea. That should work nice, assuming his host takes him back. You'd think they would have suggested something like that. Maybe they don't know their control panel too well.

-WC-

**DotComster** · 11-05-2002, 06:03 PM

:fail: and "blackhole: is for spam recived on your site.

I never tried Ciqala's method - but it sounds good to me.

Spammer use holes in your site's security. The most likely problem is a script on your site - even one that you do not use. FormMail is the favorite spammer script, and lots of hosts still do not remove it from the default script directory.

**mole** · 11-06-2002, 07:52 AM

That's one of the problems with buying a used domain. Never know how much it has fallen into the hands of spam cds until you activate your POP.

The worst spam catchments are those bundled web-hosting POP accounts that allow catch-all email addresses for the domain.

First thing is to configure your account to allow only the recognition of only one or two specify aliases which you want to use eg tippy123@webspun.com.

That should bounce all the rest.

**Shiftlock** · 11-06-2002, 07:59 AM

Originally posted by mole
That should bounce all the rest.

Even email that bounces uses bandwidth on the server.

**Shiftlock** · 11-06-2002, 08:01 AM

.

**mole** · 11-06-2002, 08:33 AM

Well, then get a web-host that provides loads of bandwidth. Can't imagine though how 1,000 emails a day can wipe out your bandwidth quota. Must be a $10 a year Hosting deal.

**Banned: Tippy** · 11-06-2002, 08:46 AM

Its not a question of bandwidth, its the spamming.

Its not a $10 per year account niether.

Mike

**Shiftlock** · 11-06-2002, 08:55 AM

Sorry, I must be missing something. I thought there was a large amount of inbound spam, and once the box reached its quota, the mail bounced, that was causing a resource problem. No?

**WildCard** · 11-06-2002, 11:52 AM

I don't have specific data about it, but I would assume that it would use only a small amount of bandwidth and resources to refuse an email due to 'unknown user'.

I use catch-alls on many of my domains, but one of my domains was used previously and serveral email addresses receive heavy chinese spam. I have it setup to funnel all emails to my main pop account but to route the old chinese email addresses to /dev/null/. Solves the problem, and I haven't seen any unusual bandwidth spikes or extra processor capability used.

But at most that domain gets 50 spams a day. Not nearly the amount you get, if you are getting 1000's a day.

-WC-