# What is this spam?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-spam/339975>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 14, 2006, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-spam/339975 "2006-01-14T16:53:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2006, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-spam/339975/1 "2006-01-14T16:53:50Z")

</div>

Only the header, like this;

> [@](#):
>
> From: [osorevr@inbox.ru](mailto:osorevr@inbox.ru)  
> Date: January 14, 2006 3:47:25 AM PST

with \< and \> around the address.  
With no message. I mean, what’s the point? Does it put something on my computer? I get variations of the addy, and I always just delete them.  
I unclicked auto parse here so it wouldn’t be live.  
Peace,  
mangeorge

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2006, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-spam/339975/2 "2006-01-14T16:55:29Z")

</div>

I had a bunch of those last year. From what I gather, it’s just an attempt to capture live addresses for more intense spamming later on.

You open it, they will know.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Ty\_Cobb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ee59a6/32.png) [@Ty\_Cobb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ty_Cobb)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2006, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-spam/339975/3 "2006-01-14T17:28:18Z")

</div>

In my case, I assumed there was a picture that didn’t make it through the mail server’s filter.