Frequently Asked Questions

Spam is not merely annoying: it is also a serious drain on the resources of ISPs, other organizations, and Internet users. Sending Spam mail may seem like a cheap and convenient way to amplify marketing efforts, yet honest businesses rarely employ this questionable marketing tool. Firstly, nobody wishes to receive unsolicited junk mail. Secondly, it is considered both an annoyance and an intrusion of privacy. Thirdly, each sent e-mail message contributes to Internet traffic and uses up bandwidth. An e-mail message does not reach its recipient instantaneously; instead, it is relayed by any number of systems en route until it reaches its final destination. Spam mail is often sent out in thousands or hundreds of thousands of copies, to huge numbers of unwitting recipients. This large load of messages often causes network problems and congestion, meaning that third parties as well as message recipients are suffering because some inconsiderate person or company has pumped half a million copies of a message through the Internet. Unfortunately, there are many such worthless members of society. It was reported that unwanted bulk e-mail now accounts for 45% of overall e-mail traffic worldwide.

For more information on Spam, refer to the links in the answers to one of the questions for some excellent reviews of the problem.

This is a difficult issue. Spammers rarely use their regular e-mail addresses for the following reasons, among others:

• Their Internet Service Providers will realise they are Spamming, and will take steps to prevent future Spam (for example, by deleting Spammer's e-mail accounts)


• Spammers could become the victims of mail-bombing, as thousands of irate Spam recipients strike back with messages of their own

• They relay Spam messages off the mail server of an innocent third party, in which case even more damage is incurred by the on-line population in general. This technique requires an "open relay". They use the "drop box" strategy. This consists of sending mail out from an account that allows Spam, but putting another address in the "Reply to:" message header, so that anyone replying to the message is actually sending mail to an account that did not originate the Spam. Many Spammers want to send out ads or sales info and do not expect a reply. By drop boxing they are forging their e-mail addresses and relieving themselves of accountability. Recipients of Spam should always check the full message headers to determine the origin of the Spam.


• Spoofing. This fairly complex technique makes a message appear as if it is coming from an address that did not originate the message.

Appropriate e-mail marketing requires marketers to obtain the permission of consumers before sending them marketing messages, to target their messages to those who have expressed an interest in a particular product or service, and to provide recipients with genuine contact information and genuine opportunity of having their names removed from future mailings.

The spammer can acquire e-mail addresses through a variety of means. These may include harvesting them from websites, purchasing them from third parties who compile such information, or simply using "dictionary attacks" - using software to try out all possible combinations of letters, common names and words in e-mail addresses. An e-mail spammer can buy a list of e-mail addresses from a list broker, who compiles it by harvesting addresses from Internet websites. If your e-mail address appears in a newsgroup posting, on a website, in a chat room, or in an online services membership directory, it may find its way onto these lists.

The act of sending unsolicited bulk electronic messages is not illegal in Singapore. However, if the e-mail causes degradation to the performance of computer system, the sender may be prosecuted under Section 7 of the Computer Misuse Act for unauthorised obstruction of use of computer.

The option of enacting new laws to make Spam illegal in Singapore is being studied. To enact a law is a serious step and a costly exercise. This should only be done so when the Singapore government is reasonably certain that there is no viable alternative, and that the law can be enforced to achieve its intended purpose. Based on experience in other countries so far however, anti-spam laws have not been effective in reducing spam

The most important thing is to examine your full message headers to determine where the message really came from. The "From:" header that is commonly shown in basic message header displays can be easily faked! It is harder to fake the complete message header, which can provide useful information about the message.

Spoofing and drop boxing are usually beyond our absolute control and responsibility. We will do the utmost to prevent Spam, but we ask the recipients of junk mail to understand that very often we are not the originator of such messages, but one of the victims! The solutions to spoofing and drop boxing are complex and involve co-operation between a number of Web sites and ISPs. Refer to the links below for more information.

http://www.cauce.org -- the Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email (CAUCE), one of the valiant organizations dedicated to fighting Spam. Includes information on Spam and how to prevent it. Lend your support to this worthy cause or one like it!

www.mail-abuse.org -- Mail Abuse Prevention System, a non-profit organization whose mission is to defend the Internet against Spammers. Take a look at their Realtime Blackhole List (RBL) information

www.efuse.com/Grow/postage_due.html -- Spam and the damage it causes

www.tincher.to/antispam.htm -- Comprehensive links and information on Spam

www.efuse.com/Grow/direct_email_marketing_.html -- Direct e-mail marketing tips

www.mail-abuse.org/rbl/manage.html -- Ethical management of mailing lists

www.cauce.org/about/resources.shtml -- Various resources on the Internet to help in the fight against Spam

It is extremely important to identify the origin of a message. A useful technique in doing this is the correct analysis of the message headers contained in every e-mail message, which provide useful information on the message's origin and path. A little training is required to read message headers, but the links below should furnish the necessary information in a matter of minutes:

http://combat.uxn.com/tracing.html -- Tracing Spam and reading message headers-- Who do I complain to?

http://www.angelfire.com/pop/cram/spam/SMTP.htm -- reading message headers

http://netdemon.net/tutorials/whois.txt -- WHOIS, one of the most useful tools for tracking down a Spammer's location

http://samspade.org/ -- several useful tools available here

http://chickenboner.com/antispam/ -- how to analyze a spam message, what to do about it, and several useful links

http://www.spamfree.org/resources/header_reading.html -- Free resources from the Forum for Responsible and Ethical Email

http://home.att.net/~marjie1/ -- Dedicated to those with little or no experience in fighting against Internet Abuse

http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/~af380/boilerplates.links.html -- Offers boilerplates for categories of Spam, so you don't have to write a whole new message every time you report abuse to an ISP or Web site.