posted on December 3, 2002 08:02:41 AM new
Last night I did a search for Adobe Photoshop on Ebay. This morning I get this:
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 2002 06:18:52 -0800
From: [email protected] | This is Spam | Add to Address Book
Subject: BLOWOUT SALE! - ADOBE PHOTOSHOP 7 FULL VERSION - JUST $39.95! - Compliments of Lovely Mailer
Adobe Photoshop 7 - FULL Version - NOT AN UPGRADE - NEW!
ONLY $39.95 - The best program for digital editing!
ORDER PHOTOSHOP 7 NOW FOR $39.95
Click Here
_____________________________________
Anyone know how a spamer gets my email address? Would they be affiliated with Ebay in some way or accessing Ebay computers? This has happened several times when I do an Ebay search
posted on December 3, 2002 08:52:07 AM new
There are so many ways for them to harvest email addy's.
Some are more direct then others, they have programs that sent out little bots that cruise the internet looking for addy's.
There is spam email that states click here if you want to be taken off their mailing list.
Once you do that, now they know that they have a real addy and you will get more spam.
A lot of company's sell their custumor lists to third parties.
Even the government does this. This is why your mail box gets so full of junk mail.
When you visit different sites you leave a trail they can pick up.
Right now its like the wild west, anything goes.
Till there are some laws to curb this, I think this will just keep getting worse.
As far as ebay goes, some do have a connection and others just slide in for the harvest.
posted on December 3, 2002 10:05:24 AM newBut you didn't answer Greengate's question.
Sure I did. This was the question.
Anyone know how a spamer gets my email address?
Is eBay selling raw search data?
Only ebay can answer that and I do not think they are going to tell us.
Would not surprise me at all. After all, its a cash flow for anyone that sells data.
posted on December 3, 2002 12:03:08 PM new
Some other program has probably installed some type of spy software on your computer without your knowledge. Several companies do this including gator which remembers your passwords, and I am wondering if Yahoo messenger doesn't as well.
Get a program that can check for spyware and you will be surprised what you find.
Some of these look for anything you have been "watching" and then sell your email address to the company selling this product.
I have this happen most often with my Yahoo email address but occassionally with my regular one as well.
posted on December 3, 2002 12:10:29 PM new
My concern here is not the usual email harvesting but that I did not do anything but "search" on ebay for photoshop software and never used my email address. Then in comes a obviously non legit spamer with the product which normally sells for $150 to $250. I'm sure this software is a knockoff but how did they discover I was searching for the product? Are they hacking the search data? I was not logged into Ebay so I left no trail other than my computer ID or the ISP address.
My Yahoo Store software gives me the trail of anyone who clicks onto my website but you would have to be working for Yahoo in order to return emails to each person that clicked on my web site.
So its either an insider or Ebay is going against their policy of sending spam. What happened to the "Privacy" issue?
posted on December 3, 2002 12:20:34 PM new
If you are worried about "spyware" go to cnet.com download ad aware software. I have used it faithfully for the last few years and I have been amazed to what is downloaded to my computer without even downloading a thing. Hope this helps
posted on December 3, 2002 12:26:04 PM new
Also someone might be able to respond to this. I have my computer set to not accept cookies without permission. I only allow one or two sights to store their cookies on my computer and I kick the rest off to avoid being tracked by marketing software. I also use a software package to block pop ups and have fire walls set up on my workstation. I no longer use Outlook express and only use Web email so that I don't get one of the constant virus infections via mail as my ISP also has firewalls.
I understand the email harvesting but this is just plain invasion of privacy. They hunted me down in my search and then spammed me....ugh.....
posted on December 3, 2002 03:21:43 PM new
I would say that either eBay did it or you have a browser bug that did it. I doubt that eBay would do it, the uproar would be huge. Or the subject matter of the spam may have been just a coincidence.
Spamers get addresses in a myriad of ways. One of the best is those "chain" emails that promise money if you send the email to a bunch of people.
SpyBot search and destroy is very good. Although Ad Aware DID find a couple that this one didn't, and SpyBot finds some that Ad Aware doesn't, so I use both. Just browsing Google will somehow let these people set cookies.
Spybot has an EXCELLENT forum if you want to go over there and ask the question about the email and ebay, they might can tell you more, they're more computer tech savy.
http://www.mailwasher.net/
Free. Great little program also. Blacklists and bounces email so it looks like you don't exsist.
www.kazaa.com for Adobe photoshop elemnents. But make sure you get the spybot and adaware for all the spy programs they load you up on.
[ edited by glassgrl on Dec 3, 2002 04:16 PM ]
posted on December 9, 2002 07:00:05 AM new
Hi all... i needed to bump this conversation up here in order to ask if any of you for suggestions of really good 1] spam killers and 2] pop up killers.
Granted i AM an AOL'er and their spam killer controls are cumbersome to set up and keep up with. also, I'm able to block any AOL pop ups with one of their preference settings, but i want one of those pop up killers that are all InternetExplorer related.
With a spam killer, my concern is making sure we still receive our important emails regarding our ebay transacting.
May I please hear from some of you that have successful programs in place that are easy to set up/use? [emphasis on 'easy' LOL] ...
posted on December 9, 2002 09:10:30 AM new
Being a very active, on line business, I seldom take the time to even view ads which come through any of our addresses.
But, I happened into this discussion, and thought I'd investigate some of the Spy Ware recommended.
I checked out both c.net and ZDnet, but when I totally read about the spy programs, I found that much of what they do, is already available for you to do yourself on your own computer. Elimination of history/cookies, etc. etc., I even checked out Alarm Zone, but really see no advantage in any of this type program.
It seems simply knowing how to use your own computer, plus a top of the line Utilitiy/Anti-Virus program, are basically all anyone needs PLUS A GOOD POP UP KILLER, which I use, called "Popup Ad Filter," and it does a fantastic job. Most good diagnostic programs like Norton Utilities, which we use along with Norton Anti-Virus, cleans up your machine on a regular basis.
On most new computers there is more hard drive than any average user will ever use. I have a 60 gig hard drive on the computer I am on at the moment, and even though we have 5 web sites, and I am active on eBay and another auction site, and store thousands of pictures, I haven't begun to intrude on the massive hard drive space in my computer.
A side note for Compaq userswe have used Compaqs for years, and have 5 at the moment, if you are running a Compaq, note that there are "special" instructions on how to use MacAfee Anti-Virus, with Compaq, that is because the MacAfee programs simply don't like Compaq computers - try Norton Utilities/Anti-Virus instead, it is VERY Compaq compatible.
