On Sat, 27 Apr 2019 20:54:40 -0700 "Fi Shing" <phishing@storey.xxx> wrote:
The twitter example is not advertising a product or service. It is conveying information about a product/service that the person has already hired. If twitter sends unsolicited emails to someone when they have not requested that service, or have indicated they no longer want the service, then it is spam.
Does not matter if a spammer is advertising a product or a service or stalking/harassing or sending 5000 emails in error. So, what I am saying is the 'intent' of the sender is not relevant at all. What is relevant is that the recipient is receiving emails that they did not as for, does not want and is causing them costs - as recipients generally pay for the bandwidth to receive email. The point of the Twitter example is : Cyber criminal creates fake Twitter account using random victim email address. Random victim now starts receiving copious amounts of spam from Twitter. Do you agree? - and if not can you please explain with your own example? Practically, at the moment and afaik, for the past few months, Twitter is actually sending an initial email verification email...but, they never used to before. And, in the rest of my post below, everything else is fine? Thanks :) Andre
Spam & Spam Abuse Definitions From: "ac" <ac@main.me> Date: 4/27/19 4:22 am To: anti-abuse-wg@ripe.net
Hi,
From a recent rant in the WG, something of interest was posted;
opinions on the proper definition of spam. Mr. Andre's preferred definition appears to allow for "one time" invitations to be blasted to everyone in the universe. Nonetheless, in Mr. Andre's considered opinion, "Email Spam is not the same as Spam Abuse" and a "... one
In my opinion, the sending of a confirmation email, from say Twitter, to confirm that the actual email address does indeed exist and that their further communications will be solicited - as well as including links to remove/stop further communications:
Would be spam (it is still an unsolicited email) - but that single confirmation email is not abuse in itself.
Even though Twitter may send 1000's of these to 1000's of different email addresses...
I do not think that there is anyone, that works with actual spam abuse, in this WG that disagrees completely with my opinion above.
Also, I wanted to add another useful resource link for anyone that is still learning about email abuse:
https://www.ripe.net/publications/docs/ripe-409
What is frequently missed is that BULK EMAIL itself, is not the issue, but that the keyword is "unsolicited" - For example if you were to relay 1000 Invoices or 1000 status notifications or 1000 opted in mailing list recipients, this would/should not be considered spam or abuse.
Then, of course, imnsho UBE itself is outdated as the spammers use 'drip' systems by spinning out 10000's of emails from 10000's of ip's Which various RBL cater for by speedily listing and de-listing resources and then there are all the shiny new tech things, which probably needs a new thread:
Automated comment spam or AI based web form spam is a growing issue and is something that merits discussion and a watchful eye...
Andre