Re: [Asrg] Some data on the validity of MAIL FROM addresses

["Alan DeKok" <aland@freeradius.org>]

Vernon Schryver <vjs@calcite.rhyolite.com> wrote:
> >   Even worse, there is no proven connection between the spam and the
> > hotmail/yahoo account which is allegedly the sender.  The data are
> > entirely consistent with spammers using lists of verified email
> > addresses to forge 'From:' lines.
> 
> That would be make sense only if the number of hotmail/yahoo spam
> sender addresses were proportional to the number of hotmail/yahoo
> addresses among all targets of spam.

  I disagree.  You're assuming that the spammers will distribute the
'from' addresses evenly among email addresses they have.  I see no
reason why that's true.  I used to receive waves of bounces &
notifications about spam allegedly "from" my domain.  I did *not*
receive a steady trickly of such bounces.

>  Unless you think that most spam targets are at free providers, you
> must assume that spammers have some reason for prefering to send as
> if from free providers.

  Spammers do it, therefore they believe it's useful.  Our ignorance
as to *why* they believe it's useful isn't an argument disproving
their behaviour.

  Alan DeKok.
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