My evil twin strikes again

Based on the high volume of bounces, undeliverables, returned-because-of-viruses, etc. in my home e-mail inbox over the last week, evidently someone is spoofing my primary address. In other words, e-mail is going out addressed from me, using my e-mail address, but not really from me. It’s technically not that difficult to do, and is akin to someone sending out junk mail (you know, the paper kind) with the return address label picked at random from a phone book.

In other words, there are any number of people getting e-mail from me offering to increase (or decrease) the sizes of various things on their body, to provide them with prescription-free pharmaceuticals, and to describing various hot stock (or video) picks.

Swell.

The biggest danger from spoofing is being blacklisted — having ISPs or services that they turn to decide that “this address (or even this domain) is being used for unscrupulous purposes, so we’ll simply block all mail from it.” While most blacklist operators dig a bit deeper than just e-mail addresses (given the increasing prevalence of spoofing), not all of them do, so there is a real danger there. And, alas, there’s not much I can do about it, unless I discover that I’ve been blacklisted and can then appeal to whatever powers that are.

Harrumph.

Anyway, an object lesson. Don’t just assume the return addresses (and/or names) on those spams you receive are actually the folks involved. They probably aren’t, in fact, and by using your e-mail client to block them from ever again darkening your virtual door, you may be shutting out someone who will need to contact you some day in the future.

Like me. See, I’ve got these extra Rolex watches …