Spam. Any suggestions how to stop it?

[MikeJ]

Recruitment companies are the bane of my life. I hate them. They're lying, ignorant scum. No offence to any reading this, but that's my experience.

I've had two "happy new year, here's someone you may be interested in" emails today, from different companies. I've previously asked both not to contact me several times and they've ignored me. I've also contacted their ISPs (BT and Plusnet) on the abuse@.... email addresses, and that's not got me anywhere.

I've now contacted both the ISPs via Twitter to see if that gives me any joy. Would OFCOM take any action here, as the ISPs are not upholding their conditions of contract? I wonder if the press may take some interest? I've kept the email records of where I've complained.

As an aside, I had a similar issue several years ago, and finally got Virgin involved and have not received any mail from that particular one since. I'd really love to have one of these companies cut off permanently.

 

[MikeJ]

For clarity, I don't want to block them. I want them to stop sending it in the first place. I want companies to do what they're legally required to do.

 

[zigojacko]

For clarity, I don't want to block them. I want them to stop sending it in the first place. I want companies to do what they're legally required to do.

Ah, was just about to reply when I saw this follow up...

I was going to suggest just blacklisting their email addresses so that emails from them never end up in your inbox but if this isn't what you're after, then unfortunately I don't think there is an answer. This problem is too large for anyone to have come up with a solution with so much spam and unsolicited email in circulation online.

 

[MikeJ]

I know there's not much you can do with machines that have been zombied, or where emails are spoofed, but these are companies not following EU law over spam, and ISPs that are not upholding their own T&Cs. That's what I find really annoying.

 

[zigojacko]

Yes I agree, it's a pain in the ass and is something I experience every week. Companies just continue sending you crap because they know there is nothing that can be done about it.

You could of course submit their email addresses to receive spam, trashy offers, generic marketing guff etc so that they can see how it feels

 

[ThE_SeeKeR]

im presuming you've confirmed the sender by checking out the full header code in the email? sometimes the sender is spoofed to look like the originating agency but is actually a third party affiliated to them

as for stopping them sending, if you know the ip / server location where they are coming from you can contact the provider of that server hosting company directly and they are obligated to warn their client / shut down mailing capabilities if they dont listen

 

[Nuno]

There are three certainties in life: Death, Taxes & Spam.

 

[MikeJ]

im presuming you've confirmed the sender by checking out the full header code in the email? sometimes the sender is spoofed to look like the originating agency but is actually a third party affiliated to them

as for stopping them sending, if you know the ip / server location where they are coming from you can contact the provider of that server hosting company directly and they are obligated to warn their client / shut down mailing capabilities if they dont listen

Yes, checked the IP addresses for both, previously contacted the ISPs via the abuse@ address. Nothing happens. Well, I guess they may have issued warnings and not told me, but I'm still getting the spam.

 

[ServWise]

Don't even both with trying to stop them in any legal way, it just is not worth your time, just blacklist them and let that be the end of it, your time is far too important. One thing you can do is get a spamcop account and the spamcop thunderbird plugin (you do use thunderbird right!) you can submit spam to them with a couple of clicks, likely wont do anything but it does feel good.

 

[cjd]

Report it to ICO here:

https://ico.org.uk/concerns/marketing/spam-emails/y

 

[MikeJ]

Ah, that's interesting thanks! If the Twitter approach doesn't work, I'll go that route.

 

[FSIvan]

I have one word for you Gmail.

 

[MikeJ]

I have three words for you.

Read the post.

 

[MikeJ]

Now been on to BT, via a live chat from a link sent via Twitter....

• Natalie Hendry: Hi, my name is Natalie Hendry. I am reviewing your question.
• Natalie Hendry: Hi Mike, I'm sorry but there is nothing we can do if the sender will not remove you from the mailing list as it's outwith our control. You might be able to set up rules on your mailbox to block them, but that would be something you or someone would need to know how to do.
• Mike Jefferies: No, it's against your terms and conditions. Users aren't allowed to send unsoclited mail through your system. They're one of your customers.
• Natalie Hendry: Do you have the email address of the sender?
• Mike Jefferies: Yes, and their IP address.
• Mike Jefferies: 81.134.xx.xx (edited)
• Mike Jefferies: [email protected] (edited)
• Natalie Hendry: Can you give it to me so I can have a quick look here please and at least see if it's on our system, although I'll not be able to share any of their account information with you.
• Natalie Hendry: Thanks, 2 ticks.
• Mike Jefferies: I've asked them several times to stop, and previously reported them to [email protected]
• Mike Jefferies: Clearly no action was taken then, either.
• Natalie Hendry: That email address is looked after by 123 REG Mike, if you pop the domain dexternicholas.com into a WHOIS over on http://www.ping.eu it will give you the details.
• I've also checked the IP address and the line itself is looked after by BT Global Services (BT Net) rather than us here at BT Retail so there really is nothing I'd be able to do to help out. The number for BT Net is 0808 100 2440 in case you wanted to talk with them about that IP address.
• Natalie Hendry: Is there anything else I can help with?
• Mike Jefferies: Not really, thanks for that.

So that's not much help. Annoyingly, that particular spammer only sends to info@.... and the link from CJD won't take action against spammers that send to an unnamed account.

I guess I could change my name to Info, but I think that's probably a bit much.

 

[Kixo]

what ServWise said, just don't waste your time, sadly you are 100% correct they shouldn't be doing it, but sadly you could spend your whole life fighting them and it will take them a few seconds to do it again, personally i say fight fire with fire, leave them a bad review on google or one of the other directory sites, bet they remove you then!