What can you do about bad email?

I have, from time-to-time, received really nasty emails for no reason and, like all of us, have received, unfortunately, too much junk mail. A good cyberfriend of mine received an email of a graphic sexual nature. She did not know what to do. Upset, she emailed me with the offensive email and asked for help.

 Although I cannot help everyone individually, I can communicate to as many people as possible procedures to help make the net a better place to be for themselves and others.

 Before you continue, please realize that this is not a normal problem. This only happens in rare occurrences. But, for those who experience it, it can be very upsetting, especially when you don't know who to turn or what to do.

 Junk mail is a more pervasive problem and very real, but is nowhere nearly as offensive as a harassing email of any sort.

 In the "real world" you can throw the junk mail away, write the junk mail sender and ask to be taken off the mailing list, or if nothing else works, you can file a complaint with your local police or the government. For sexual harassment, you can file a complaint with your company, local police or the government.

But, what can you do in cyberspace? What can you do about the unwanted email you receive?

Actually lots! Here is what you can do:

• Do not respond. It will only encourage more email.
• If it's just junk and you don't want to waste your time, delete it. To learn more about other actions you can do see Fight Spam on the Internet!.
• If the email is offensive or if you're tired of junk, forward the offensive mail to the senders ISP's contact:
1. Take the host domain name from the email return address: someone@somewherelse.com. This can be found in either the Reply-To or From fields shown in the example email below.
2. Forward the offensive mail with your complaint to postmaster@somewherelse.com,webmaster@somewherelse.com.
• If the sender attempted to give you an invalid address, the offensive mail can still be forwarded to the ISP:
1. Take a look at the mail headers, if you can, in your mail program or save and read it in a text/word processing program. You will see something like the example email below.
2. Take the host domain name from the "Received: from": mail.somewherelse.com. If you can't, for some reason, read the headers, use the host domain name you find in either the Reply-To or From fields.
3. Forward the offensive mail with your complaint to postmaster@somewherelse.com,webmaster@somewherelse.com.
• If the host domain name is a "vanity" or sub-domain and is controlling its own email addresses, the offensive mail can still be forwarded to the real ISP for resolution:
1. Take a look at the mail headers, if you can, in your mail program, or save and read it in a text/word processing program. You will see something like the example email below.
2. Take the host domain name from the "Received: from": mail.somewherelse.com. If you can't, for some reason, read the headers, use the host domain name you find in either the Reply-To or From fields.
3. Use the WhoIs function or just enter the host domain name (i. e., "somewherelse.com"): followed by a return.
4. When you type either "return" or "enter", you will see a report from the Internic.
5. From this form, copy the email address of the Technical Contact. You can also get his phone number here.
6. Forward the offensive mail with your complaint to the Technical Contact's email address.
• If you work for a corporation and receive unwanted and possibly offensive email, contact your network administrator immediately.
• If you have a technical problem with any of these instructions or need further help, please contact your ISP.

Why does this work?

 Most ISPs do not appreciate customers using their services for "no good" and do not wish to be known as being tolerant of this sort of behavior, especially since sexual harrasment and junk email are federal offenses and put the ISP at risk of being prosecuted, as well.

Considerations

• The net is no different than the "real world." There are lots of good people and some bad people.
• In the "real world," you walk down the street, get a "comment" or an unwanted solicitation and you are face-to-face with the individual. At least on the "net," you can locate the individual and report him without being face-to-face.
• You can get an anonymous email address through Hotmail or hide behind a form fill outs but that will not stop the slight possibility of receiving unwanted emails. You send email to others and post to news groups, etc. don't you?
• You can go totally insular and not correspond with anyone and feel protected like the US did prior to WW II. It didn't work then, it probably will not work now.
• If you understand how the net works, you can get even and stay safe.
• By reporting these undesirable emails, you are helping to self-police the net and making it a better place for everyone.

Text of a unwelcomed letter

Received: from [1.1.1.1] by mail.somewherelse.com
 with ESMTP (ABC Mail Server 1.1.1); Mon, 13 Jan 1997 18:29:43 -0500
Message-Id: <v03010d11af0075aea550@[1.1.1.1]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 18:29:34 -0500
To: you@yourplace.com
From: someone <someone@somewherelse.com>
Reply-To: someone@somewherelse.com
Subject: unwelcomed letter

unwelcomed letter.

someone

Internic Response

SOMEWHERELSE (SOMEWHERELSE-DOM)
   Some Street
   Some Town, Some State, Some Zip

   Domain Name: somewherelse.com

   Administrative Contact:
      One, Some  (SOXXXX) someone@somewherelse.com
      555-555-5555
   Billing Contact:
      One, Some  (SOXXXX) someone@somewherelse2.com
      555-555-5555
   Technical Contact, Zone Contact:
      One, Some  (SOXXXX) someone@somewherelse3.com
      555-555-5555

Example Complaint

 Dear Sir,

 The following was received by [me/husband/parent/friend] and [I/we] didn't know what to do! [I/we] consider this [unsolicited junk/harassment/whatever].

 [I am/we are] forwarding it to your attention as I am sure that you will want to take the appropriate actions against your client and keep your good name as much as [I/we] do.

 Using unsolicited email advertisements is unprofessional and violates the intent of US Code, Title 47, Chapter 5, Subchapter II, which prohibits unsolicited fax advertisements.

By US Code Title 47, Sec.227(a)(2)(B), a computer/modem/printer meets the definition of a telephone fax machine. By Sec.227(b) (1)(C), it is unlawful to send any unsolicited advertisement to such equipment. By Sec.227(b)(3)(C), a violation of the afore- mentioned Section is punishable by action to recover actual monetary loss, or $500, whichever is greater, for each violation.

Sexual harassment is a violation of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and Title I of the Civil Rights Act of 1991.

 Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

[Signature]

Consider adding a PS if the problem is very extreme:

 PS [I/we] feel VERY strongly about this and will follow-up if appropriate action is not taken, and a formal police report is filed under [sexual misconduct or whatever the problem is].