The nature of spam has less to do with its commercial content than with the fact that it is unsolicited and sent out in bulk. There are two categories of spam: unsolicited bulk email and unsolicited commercial email.



The top tricks of the spammer

Manipulating Text: This is one of the most commonly used spamming techniques. Spammers will manipulate the text in the email, to foil the anti-spam filters. They may, for example, deliberately misspell some words: "M0rtg4ge" for example. They may add characters or spaces to words in the email header, to make the email seem unique from other email. Like this: X_A_N_A_X Here's an example, . They may also insert random strings of text within the email.

Dictionary attacks: This is a technique used by the spammers to find email addresses that they can spam. It involves trying random combinations of common names and words, and using these to making up email addresses, e.g. JaneDoe@YourISP.com, JDoe@YourISP.com, JaneDoe1@YourISP.com. The spammer will then send out junk email to the different variations of these addresses in the hope that some of it will go through,

Email spoofing: Email spoofing involves the use of a fake email header that is written to make it look like someone other than the spammer sent the email. Very often, the spammer will make it look like the email came from a credible source such as your bank or yahoo, and try to get you to reply with personal information such as a password, social security number or credit card number. This technique is widely used because it is easy to do, and tends to catch the recipients off guard.

Mining message boards and chat rooms: When you post a message to a message board or chat room and leave your email address, automated programs called spambots will find your address and add it to the spammer's mailing list. Much like a listed phone number in the telephone directory, leaving your email at these types of websites makes it public information.

Spam is definitely irritating and maliciously destructive at worst. Buying the right anti-spam software will go a long way toward protecting you from the spammers of the world.