Wharton Computing Student Support

Spam - Frequently Asked Questons

- What is spam?
- What can I do about spam?
- What shouldn't I do?
- What is Wharton doing to fight against spam?
- Where can I go for help?
- Did the spammer get my address from Penn?
- Did the spammer get my address from Wharton?
- Did the spammer get my address from a Wharton mailing list?
- How did the spammer get my address?
- How do I stop my entire mailing list from getting spammed?
- Why am I getting spam from Wharton and Penn email addresses?
- Phishing Email Scams
- I hate spam! Where can I get more information?

What's spam?

"Spam" is the term the Internet community has coined for unsolicited, commercial e-mail. It can also refer to an otherwise harmless, well-intentioned message that is broadcast to too many uninterested parties.

What can I do about spam?

There are several steps that you can take to help prevent spam from flooding your email account. These measures include:

• As long as advertising via web pages and e-mail continues to be beneficial to spammers, they will continue to use it. Help in the effort to stop spammers by not clicking on any of the links provided or purchasing anything offered in their advertisements. Do your best to file their e-mails as junk and report their spam messages to the appropriate authorities.
• If you're using Outlook to read your emails, you can use the Rules wizard to create a rule that will move or delete these kind of messages when they arrive.
• Sign up with a SPAM filtering service. Wharton is now offering a spam-filter service for current Wharton students. For information on how to participate in the Spam filter program, please see the Spam Service for Wharton Students website at: http://spike.wharton.upenn.edu/support/email/spamfilter.cfm
• Be careful where you post your e-mail address (newsgroups, etc.).
• Read the fine print when you're registering at a web site so that you know how your address might be used.
• Read the privacy policy thoroughly of an on-line company that you are considering doing business with. Make sure they are not going to sell your email address, give it to their partners or use it to send you advertisements.
• You can make your e-mail address private in the Penn directory by using PennInTouch.
• Do, if you're so inclined,trace the spam. If you've traced the mail and are sure you know the host address, send a polite message to the postmaster alerting them that one of their users is abusing their service and sending spam.
• If you engage in a lot of public Internet activities, you might even consider establishing an account with a free e-mail service (yahoo or hotmail, e.g.). Use that address when you post to newsgroups, visit chat rooms, or register your address somewhere. The free address might get spammed, but your Wharton address will be safely out of the melee.

What shouldn't I do?

• Don't respond to offers by spammers to delete you from their list if you reply and request it. Spammers often use software that generates lists of thousands of e-mail addresses. They don't know which addresses belong to real people and which don't. By replying, you are alerting them that they have reached a valid address. They may therefore keep you on the list or even sell your address to other spammers. (Exception: reputable companies or lists you've voluntarily subscribed to will often make the same offer, but will remove you if you request it).
• Don't mailbomb or flame the sending address. That address is usually forged.
• Don't mailbomb or flame what appears to be host of the offending address. Spammers often 'relay' their spam through innocent servers, disguising the true host of the spamming address.

What is Wharton doing to fight against spam?

Wharton is participating with a spam blocking service called Spamcop. The service relies on reports from users to block delivery of spam and virus messages. Servers reported to deliver spam messages get put on a list of known spammers, and mail from that server will not be delivered.
In addition to participating in the Spamcop service, Wharton has implemented a spam filter service that current students can sign up for. For more information see the Spam Service webpage.

Did the spammer get my address from Penn?

Because Penn e-mail addresses are publicly available in the Penn Directory, it is possible for someone to get your email address through that directory. However, it is designed to only permit a limited result set in order to cut down on the harvesting of large numbers of e-mail addresses. If you like, you can make your e-mail address private by using PennInTouch. Note that if you do make your address private, it will also be removed from the Wharton directory.

Did the spammer get my address from Wharton?

Probably not. Wharton considers e-mail addresses private and does not give them out. The Wharton directory is only available to the Wharton community, but if you like, you can make your e-mail address private by using PennInTouch. Note that if you do make your address private, it will be removed from the Penn Directory.

Did the spammer get my address from a Wharton mailing list?

Probably not. The membership of mailing lists (by default) can be queried only by members of each list. However, the owner of a list may open the list membership to queries by non-members.

How did the spammer get my address?

Your address could have been grabbed as you were passing through a website. It might have been picked up from a posting on a public newsgroup. If you did business with an online company, they might have sold your address. If you registered at a web site, they also might have sold your address. You might even have been unlucky enough to have your address randomly generated by spamming software.

How do I stop my entire mailing list from getting spammed?

There is no way to prevent someone from sending mail to your list. However, you can make the list moderated. This means that the owner of the list must approve a message before it gets sent to the list. Please check http://spike.wharton.upenn.edu/support/email/maillist.cfm for more information on mailing list options.

I got a spam from someone at Penn.

As spam becomes more popular, spammers are getting creative in their approaches. There are several tricky SPAM emails that forge sender information. This is done in order to trick you into thinking that you know or can trust the sender and will then be more opt to read the message.

However, if you feel that you did receive an unsolicited email from someone at Penn, you can report it to security@isc.upenn.edu. The University's "Policy on Acceptable Use of Electronic Resources" forbids spam. Note that this is the only case where the University can take any action against a sender of spam (unless the spam is clearly otherwise illegal).

Where can I go for help?

If you feel threatened or are concerned about the legality of a message you've received, you can contact Public Safety and you can also e-mail security@isc.upenn.edu.

• You can always Wharton Computing Student Support :
  • F35 Jon M. Huntsman Hall
  • 215/898-8600
• General information on computing security.

I hate spam! Where can I get more information?

• Phishing Email Scams
• Penn Computing's Spam Advisory