Please tell me you're getting these spams too

Factual Questions
1

They’re always from different addresses and domains and have different names associated with them. But the form is always similar; the names are like:

Vocational T. Firefights
Emcee M. Bushels
Charter H. Mulder

The subject lines change. In the body of the email there are always 3 images.

The proffered items run the gamut from the sexual to the financial.

I’ve been getting them about twice a day for over a month now. I always forward them to Earthlink’s “Spaminator,” but so far that doesn’t seem to be helping.

I’m so vexed by this that last night I created a spreadsheet and compiled what I know about this category of spam, to see if there’s a pattern. The Excel spreadsheet is right here.

I come to this forum with two GQs:

  1. Is anyone else seeing these?

  2. Why is it (apparently) impossible for Earthlink to build an algorithm to fight these? Granted, the text and (undoubtedly spoofed) addresses are always different, but there’s a clear pattern to the names, if nothing else, and the images in the message bodies are usually the same over and over.

Thanks for any help.

2

Yes, I’ve started getting a ton of them (about 10 per day) at my work address which was previously spam-free.

I’d love to find the (deleted pit-worthy word that rhymes with “sucker”) that got me on their list.

3

yep. i get a ton of them, but only on my work account.

I have gotten emails from the following people:

Pantheism F. Mohair
Swordfishes D. Washable
Whacky U. Prepared
Tinsel K. Primitively
Spoonerisms M. Dynamic
Rum E. Congresswoman
Frowny I. Peephole

4

It started Thursday or Friday, but I’ve been getting about 1 an hour. Normally the Easter bunny gives out eggs & candy on Easter. That damn rabbit gave me spam. :frowning:

5

I think I’ve gotten a Vocational T. Firefights one, too, or some combination of names that included those. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you specifics, since I delete them all on sight.

6

Yep, and also on a previously spam-free address. Been happening for about a month now. In the past few days, I’ve been contacted by:

Masseur G. Belaboring
Prepared U. Reverberates
Blackguards C. Click
Pussiest C. Gawks
Conventing D. Cynic
Emancipation H. Partings

7

They are an attempt to get thru the spam filters with names randomly generated from a list. To a human, they look bogus, but to a filter, which has all the intelligence of apple pie, they look pretty normal. Much like the spam that prefaces the actual junk ads with a random list of words taken from a dictionary. The filters figure this is legitimate because the number of words related to selling something is relatively small.

8

Somebody has a lot of imagination. I got these just in the last 24 hours:

Knot E. Delegation
Balalaika T. Fritter
They O. Portentously
Wannamaker A. Assiduous
Refuelled I. Saher
Thoughts J. Characteristic
Decadence H. Recuperate
Colons L. Gawkier
Anglers F. Denaturing
Manley O. Datelining
Pantries T. Marlins
Girth H. Treatise
Frisking P. Subpoenaing
Milliseconds Q. Speed
Matches L. Bassoon
Enrolled V. Briquets

I don’t know what they are trying to sell or do other than pass thru a filter. My email program treats the body as unrenderable, which is just fine with me.

It may have been a computer program, not a friend. All the addresses on mine are generated or created ones that don’t exist at my domain and have never been used. I imagine they were tried once and didn’t get bounced, so they went into a “not invalid” list. Sooner or later, no matter how obscure you make your email address, a bot will generate it.