Thread: SPAM. Advice wanted.

Like everyone else I receive spam. However, today I received an email claiming that I had opted into to a mailing list advertising cigars from:

www.thecigarfactory.com

What upsets me is the email appears to originate from me, and is addressed to me. Therefore, someone could (and is probably) sending emails to others, using my email address. I am therefore annoyed.

Please could some explain to me how they (could) have managed to do this? I have a web hosting service, which forwards emails directed to my .COM address to my ISP email address. Could it be the case that they have compromised the security of my web hosting company. Or can it be achieved more simply than that?

Anyone know who I could complain to about this?

Thanks for the reply.

It's not the fact that others have my email address that worries me. I am worried because this company is sending me mail which appears to originate from me.

OK, I've spoke to a friend of mine who knows something about email technology.

It appears that it is possible to send emails which could superficially appear to be from anyone. It just depends on whether your email client will let you do this. Therefore, it doesn't require any 'breach of security'.

I didn't know & it eases my initial concerns.

forging email addresses is quite easy to do...you just telnet into an SMTP server that'll allow you to, and give it a few commands...