Basic Rules of SpamFighting

#1 - The From: address is almost *always* fake.
If you get a lump of spam from abuse@hotmail.com, then I can *guarantee* that it didn't come from there at all. All spammers forge the From: address - usually to hide, sometimes to punish innocent sites. If your e-mail address appears in the From: header of an e-mail, then you've been joe-jobbed. More on that later.
This means that replying to the message, bouncing the message, or sending a complaint to the administrator of the domain is useless. It's a waste of time.

But... But... How can I complain then?
You must learn to look beyond the headers you can see. You must learn to read the full headers. More on that later.

#2 - Never unsubscribe
You didn't subscribe to it, so don't unsubscribe. Most spammers either provide a fake 'unsubscribe' address, or the better ones make a list of everyone who asked to be unsubscribed and sell them to other spammers as 'Confirmed Addresses'. Unsubscribing from unsolicited mail is the easiest way to quadruple your spam volume in a few days.

#3 - What *is* spam?
Well, first, it's not SPAM®. SPAM® is a trademark of Hormel Foodstuffs, and they've been jolly decent about allowing people to say 'spam' without getting sued. SPAM® all in capitals is a compressed pork/ham luncheon meat I happen to rather like in a stiry-fry.
Spam (lower case, first letter capitalised as the start of a sentence) is Unsolicited Bulk E-mail. Now, if someone sends you a message you don't like, it's not spam. If someone sends you a commercial mailing you signed up for a while back but don't want any more, then it's not spam.
Don't worry about what's *IN* a message - spam is about conSent, not conTent. Did you give permission for a company to send you that e-mail? If the answer is 'no', and it's been sent to more than one person (who also didn't ask for it), *then* it's spam.

#4
Do *NOT*, I repeat do *NOT* bounce spams back. That is the *WORST* thing you can do, and software that allows you to do it should be banned as spamware itself.

Stop using any bounce features in your filter software NOW.

There are a number of things you can do as an end-user to help fight spam.

The first thing you need to be able to do is to view full headers. Depending on your mailreader, you might have to click 'Edit -> Message Source', 'View -> Headers -> All'... Check your documentation. A message with *complete* headers should look something like this one:


Quote:
From - Sat Jun 14 23:01:32 2003
X-UIDL: 1055575258.40440.erebus.uk.clara.net
X-Mozilla-Status: 0001
X-Mozilla-Status2: 00000000
X-Envelope-To: me@mydomain
X-claradeliver-Version: 4.21.1
X-Clara-Filter: xxXWDPgivz9Pw
Return-path:
Delivery-date: Sat, 14 Jun 2003 08:20:53 +0100
Received: from ultra17.uk2net.com ([212.4.208.117])
by erebus.uk.clara.net with esmtp (Exim 4.12)
id 19R5LJ-000AVj-00
for me@mydomain; Sat, 14 Jun 2003 08:20:53 +0100
Received: from [195.166.233.49] (helo=ommo.net)
by ultra17.uk2net.com with smtp (Exim 0.00)
id 19R5LD-0002xO-00
for usenet@mydomain; Sat, 14 Jun 2003 08:20:49 +0100
From: "MR ALEX ISO"
Reply-To: dr_alex1@indiatimes.com
To: usenet@mydomain
Date: Sat, 14 Jun 2003 09:20:57 +0200
Subject: VERY UGRENT
X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2919.7000
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Message-Id:
X-UIDL: 1055575258.40440.erebus.uk.clara.net
X-RCPT: myname
Status: U

I am Mr Alex Isu=2C Bank Manager of United Bank For
Africa =2C capetown Branch=2E I have urgent and very
confidential business proposition for you=2E On June 6
1998=2C a gold merchant=2Fcontractor with the
Randgold Exploration Company=2C Mr=2E Jim Smith made a
numbered time =28Fixed=29 deposited for
twelve calendar months=2C valued at US$25=2C000=2C000=2E00
=28Twenty-five Million Dollars=29 in my branch=2E
.

This is an actual spam sent to my mail account a while back. Let's take the headers one at a time.

From - Sat Jun 14 23:01:32 2003
Ignore this - it's a broken header that UK2 put in. You shouldn't see this in yours.

X-UIDL: 1055575258.40440.erebus.uk.clara.net
Anything with X at the start of it is an *optional* header. Sometimes there is useful information in these, but most of the time it's just bumf (and occasionally outright lies to throw you off the scent). You can ignore these.

Return-path:
It's almost certain that this message didn't come from IndiaTimes.com - ignore this.

Delivery-date: Sat, 14 Jun 2003 08:20:53 +0100
I think you can work this one out for yourself.

Received: from ultra17.uk2net.com ([212.4.208.117])
by erebus.uk.clara.net with esmtp (Exim 4.12)
id 19R5LJ-000AVj-00
for me@mydomain; Sat, 14 Jun 2003 08:20:53 +0100
Ah! Now, *this* is the important bit! The 'Recieved From' headers will *always* tell you where the message *really* came from. You read these headers from the top-down, *never* bottom-up - spammers often put fake Recieved lines below the genuine ones to trick you into complaining to the wrong admins.
This particular header is genuine - the message was sent to usenet@mydomain, received by UK2's SMTP server, and redirected to my SMTP server so it gets to my *real* address. So, knowing this is genuine, we move on to the next line down.

Received: from [195.166.233.49] (helo=ommo.net)
by ultra17.uk2net.com with smtp (Exim 0.00)
id 19R5LD-0002xO-00
for usenet@mydomain;
This is the last Received header. This is what we're looking for. But, how do we know where the message came from?

from [195.166.233.49] (helo=ommo.net)
HELO is the SMTP code for "My name is...", and should normally return the hostname of the sending server. In this case, it's claiming to be ommo.net. Put simply, it lies. The *real* server is between the square brackets - 195.166.233.49.

So, looking at the headers, we know that the spammer lied when he said he was posting from 'IndiaTimes.com'. We also know the server lied when it said it was 'ommo.net'. These are innocent people - do not complain to/about them.

So, I know the IP address of the original mailserver. What can I do?
First of all, find out who it is. You can do WHOIS lookups at places like RIPE, ARIN, and many others. The easiest way is to visit a site like SamSpade, where you can do useful things like rDNS and WHOIS from a website. Or even better, download SamSpade for Windows from the same site - a *very* useful bit of freeware for Spam Rangers.

Doing a DNS (Domain Name Server) lookup on 195.166.233.49 doesn't help - there is no reverse DNS set up. So, we do a WHOIS on it instead.


Quote:
07/18/03 20:48:40 whois 195.166.233.49@whois.ripe.net
whois -h whois.ripe.net 195.166.233.49 ...
% This is the RIPE Whois server.
% The objects are in RPSL format.
%
% Rights restricted by copyright.
% See http://www.ripe.net/ripencc/pub-ser.../copyright.html

inetnum: 195.166.224.0 - 195.166.255.255
netname: NG-LINKSERVE-971217
descr: Linkserve Nigeria Limited
descr: PROVIDER
country: NG
admin-c: TO219-RIPE
tech-c: TO219-RIPE
status: ALLOCATED PA
notify: tunde@linkserve.com.ng
mnt-by: RIPE-NCC-HM-MNT
changed: hostmaster@ripe.net

person: Tunde Ogedengbe
address: Linkserve
address: 22 Akin Adesola
address: FATB Plaza
address: Victoria Island
address: Lagos Nigeria
phone: +234 1 2623900
fax-no: +234 1 262 3906
e-mail: tunde@linkserve.com.ng
nic-hdl: TO219-RIPE
notify: tunde@linkserve.com.ng
changed: hostmaster@ripe.net 19971217
source: RIPE

So, our original ISP is Linkserve in Nigeria. Kinda fitting for a Nigerian 419 scam, isn't it?

From this, we get a bunch of abuse addresses we can use. Sending complaints to:
tunde@linkserve.com.ng
abuse@linkserve.com.ng
postmaster@linkserve.com.ng
with copies of the spam (including FULL HEADERS) *might* get something done.

Man, that's a lot of hassle. Isn't there something I can do without cutting into my free time?
Sure! Sites like SpamCop.net allow you to automatically parse mail headers. SpamCop will then send complaints to the relevant people on your behalf, and add the sending SMTP server to a blacklist (the SpamCop BlackList, or SCBL).

Another very useful thing to do is to post to NANAS - news.admin.net-abuse.sightings. First, search out all *innocent* e-mail addresses in the spam and remove them - replace them with an 'x' or the word 'munged'. This means that the bots that trawl USENET looking for addresses to spam won't find them. Then post the munged spam with full headers into NANAS, with the subject line identical to the spam but with [email] tagged on to the front.
A lot of automated systems trawl NANAS for spam samples, and admins often look there to see if anyone else has gotten similar spams. If you do nothing else, posting to NANAS will help. Just remember to remove your e-mail addresses!

LART
Short for Luser Attitude Readjustment Tool, as in "The spammer was sharply LARTed right away and lost his account."

A LART is an email that you send to alert a host/ISP/enduser to highlight the spam and hopefully get them to do something about it.

What makes a good LART?

Okay, here's a quickie guide to writing effective LARTs. First of all, remember that you're responding to a company who has the spammer as a customer, not the spammer themselves. This means that you keep the tone professional and the language clean.

It is a good idea to LART the following people:

Spam Source
Where the spam was sent from (SpamCop can help you find this).
Website Hosts
Where the spamvertised site is.
E-mail Dropboxes
If the mail asks for a reply on a free e-mail account like Hotmail, LART them.
Others
Sometimes a spam requires a heavier mallet. If they want you to ring a premium rate number, try ICSTIS (Google for it). If it's child (or child-like) pornography, try The IWF.

Some good example LARTs for you to use:


Quote:
Spam Source
I recently received a spam on my domain that appears to have originated on your network. The original message, with complete headers, is included below.

Please investigate this issue and take appropriate action according to your Acceptable Use Policy.

Thank you.

-- Insert Original Spam--

Quote:
Website Hosts
You are currently providing hosting for a spammer at the address $SPAMMED_DOMAIN. Included below this message is the spam in question with complete headers. Please investigate this issue and take appropriate action according to your Acceptable Use Policy.

Thank you.

-- Insert Original Spam--

Another good trick is to check the domain registration information - if the WHOIS data contains a false address, LART the registrar letting them know. They then have 15 days to contact the domain holder for updated information, or they have to null-route the domain.

With judicious use of cut 'n paste, reporting spam shouldn't take too long at all, and you'll get the nice warm feeling that comes from spanking spammers.

Rules of Giving ZAKAAT (ALMS)

1) Zakaat is obligatory on the free, adult sane Muslim when:
• He possesses the nisab with complete possession.
• A lunar year has passed over it.

2) Zakaat is not obligatory on the following:
• A child, nor an insane person, nor a mukatib.
• Anyone who has a due debt encompassing his money. But, if his money is more than the debt, he pays zakaat on the excess if it reaches nisab.

3) If one advance-pay the zakaat before the year has passed over it, and he possesses nisab, it is valid.

4) If wealth is destroyed after the obligation of zakaat has become due, it is waived.

5) Zakaat is due on the following:
• Gold
• Silver
• Cash
• Trade-goods
• freely-grazing livestock kept for milk, breeding or fattening: camels, cows, sheep and goats.
• Produce (excluding firewood, reeds and grass)
• Buried treasures and metals

6) Zakaat is not due on the following:
• Residential homes
• Body clothes
• Household furniture
• Riding-animals
• Slaves in service
• Weapons of use

7) Zakaat is only valid if offered with an intention coinciding with the payment, or coinciding with the setting-aside of the obligatory portion.

Zakaat on Silver
1) There is no charity obligatory on any silver less than 200 dirhams (200 dirhams corresponds to19.69 troy oz and 612.36g).

2) Then, if it is 200 dirhams, and a lunar year passes over it, 5 dirhams are due for it.

3) There is nothing due on the excess until it reaches 40 dirhams, and then 1 dirham is due for it.

4) Similarly for every 40 dirhams, there is 1 dirham due.

Zakaat on Gold
1) There is no zakaat obligatory on any gold less than 20 mithqal (20 mithqal corresponds to 2.81 troy oz and 87.48g).

2) Then, if it is 20 mithqal, and a lunar year passes over it, then half a mithqal is due for it.

3) Then, for every 4 mithqal, 2 qirat are due. There is no charity obligatory on any gold less than 4 mithqal according to Abu Hanifa.

4) There is zakaat due on raw gold and silver, as well as on jewellery and vessels made of them.

Zakaat on Goods
1) Zakaat is obligatory on trade goods, whatever they may be, if their value reaches the nisab of gold or silver; one assesses it based on whichever of the two is more beneficial for the poor and destitute.

2) If the nisab is complete at the two ends of the lunar year, then its dropping in between that does not waive the zakaat.

3) The value of goods is added to gold and silver. Similarly, gold is added to silver in value in order to reach the nisab, according to Abu Hanifa.


CATEGORIES OF ZAKAAT RECIPIENTS

Those Who May Receive Zakaat:
Allah, the Exalted, says, (which means), “Alms are only for the poor, the destitute, those who collect them, those whose hearts are to be reconciled, for [mukatib] slaves, debtors, and in the Path of Allah, and the wayfarer. It’s an [ordained] obligation from Allah. And Allah is all Knowing, and Wise” [Qur’an, 9:60].

These, then, are eight categories:
1) The Poor: the one who has the least of things.
2) The Destitute: the one who has nothing.
3) Al-Mu’allafa Quloobuhum: those who are still not sure of Islam yet and this money is given to them to soften their hearts towards Islam and muslims.
4) The [Zakaat] Worker: is paid by the imam in proportion to his work, if he worked.
5) Slaves: the mukatibun are assisted in freeing themselves.
6) The Debtor: the one on whom a debt is incumbent.
7) In the Path of Allah: are the stranded fighters.
8) The Wayfarer: the one who has money in his homeland, but is in a place in which he has nothing.

One may divide the Zakaat to each category, or he may restrict himself to one.

Causes Not Eligible for Receipt of Zakaat:
1) It is not permissible for one to give zakaat to a dhimmi.
2) Nor may a mosque be built with it.
3) Nor may a dead person be shrouded with it.
4) Nor may a slave be bought with it to free.
5) Nor may it be paid to a rich person.
6) Nor may it be paid to a Sayyid's (Hussainy's) & Shareef's (Hassani's) (descendants of the Prophet, sallallahu alahi wa aalihi).

Relationships Making One Ineligible to Receive Zakaat:
1) Nor the payer of zakaat pay it to his father, or his grandfather even if higher up in ascendancy.
2) Nor to his child, nor his child’s child, even if lower down in descendancy.
3) Nor to his wife. A woman may not pay her zakaat to her husband, according to Abu Hanifa. Abu Yusuf and Muhammad said: she may pay it to him.
4) One may not pay one’s zakaat to he one’s mukatib or slave, nor to the slave of a wealthy person, nor to the child of a wealthy person if he is a minor.
5) It may not be paid to Banu Hashim, and they are: the Household of `Ali, the Household of `Abbas, the Household of Ja`far, the Household of Harith ibn `Abd al-Muttalib; nor to their freed slaves.

NOTE: In Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith #1420 and #2907 and in Sahih Al-Muslim Hadith #1069. It is reported that Sayyiduna Hasan bin Ali once took a date from the dates of sadaqah and placed it in his mouth. At this Rasulullah sallallahu alahi wa aalihi said: "Kakh!Kakh! Spit it out! Don’t you know that we do not eat of charity?"

Miscellaneous Regulations:
Abu Hanifa and Muhammad said: If one pays zakaat to a man whom one thinks to be poor, and then it transpires that he is rich, or Hashimi, or an unbeliever, or if one paid it in darkness to a poor person, and then it transpired that he was his father or his son, then repeating it is not obligatory on him.

Abu Yusuf said: Repetition is obligatory on him. If one paid it to a person, and then he learned that he is his slave or mukatib, it is not valid according to the verdict of them all. It is not permissible to pay zakaat to anyone who possesses the nisab of whatever type of wealth it may be. It is permissible to pay it to anyone who possesses less than that, even if he is healthy and earning. It is disliked to transfer zakaat from one land to another; rather the Zakaat of each people should be distributed amongst them, unless a person transfers it to his relatives, or to a people who are more in need than the people of his land.


SADAQAT-AL FITR

1) Sadaqat al-Fitr is wajeb on the free Muslim, if he is in possession of the quantity of nisab in excess of his dwelling, clothing, furnishings, horse, weapons and service slaves.

2) He gives it out on behalf of himself, his minor children and his slaves.
• He does not pay it on behalf of his wife, nor his adult children, even if they are in his household.
• He does not give it out on behalf of his mukatib, nor his slaves who were acquired for trade.
• There is no fitrah due on either of the two masters of a slave co-owned between two partners.
• A Muslim master pays the fitrah on behalf of his unbelieving slave.

3) The obligation of the fitrah is attached to the rise of the dawn on the Day of Eid al- Fitr. So, whoever dies before that, his fitrah has not become wajeb. Whoever accepts Islam, or is born, after the rise of the dawn, his fitrah has not become wajeb.


Payment

The fitrah is as follows:
1) half a sa` of wheat, or
2) one sa` of dried dates or raisins or barley.

The sa` according to Abu Hanifa and Muhammad is 8 Iraqi ratl.

Abu Yusuf said: it is 51/3 ratl (1 sa` is a volume of 2.03 litres, and corresponds to approximately 3,149.28g. 1 sa` ~ 4 mudd; 1 mudd ~ 2 ratl; 1 ratl ~ 20 istar; 1 istar ~ 4½ mithqal {Radd al-Muhtar}).

It is recommended for people to give out the fitrah on the Day of Fitr before going out to the prayer place. If they advance-pay it before the Day of Fitr, it is valid. But, if they delayed it beyond the Day of Fitr, it is not waived, and it is still an obligation on them to give it out.

11 Rules Of Life

Rule One
Life is not fair; get used to it.

Rule Two
The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule Three
You will NOT make 40 thousand dollars a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice president with car phone, until you earn both.

Rule Four
If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss. He doesn't have tenure.

Rule Five
Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping; they called it opportunity.

Rule Six
If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule Seven
Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you are. So before you save the rainforest from the parasites of your parents' generation, try "delousing" the closet in your own room.

Rule Eight
Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools they have abolished failing grades; they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule Nine
Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.

Rule Ten
Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule Eleven
Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.