At 12:54 02/02/2004 Monday, Ahern, Shannon wrote:
 >I know that the spam-generating viruses going around can fake mail from
 >any accounts, so when I see that stuff, I know it isn't real. But how on
 >earth can anything make my listserv ping or probe a non-subscribed
 >account and then send me a report of the results? I am baffled. This
 >person is not a subscriber - how can they be monitored?
 >
 >Here's one of the reports:

 >  1 01/30 01/30 [log in to unmask]
 >                Last error: SMTP; 550 5.1.1 unknown or illegal alias:
 >                            [log in to unmask]

something generated a "bounce" report perhaps sending to a bogus to: that
made it appear that it came from the owner-listname.

QED


I have a bunch of bounces from FIRSTNAME@SOME_ISP that aren't subscribed.

Now if you start to see bounce counts for most distributions from an
address, then that is worth pursuing as a subscriber system which is
redirecting or rewriting.

/Pete