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Subject: Re: Email Fraud

Author: Don Dailey

Date: 13:01:32 01/23/99

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On January 23, 1999 at 11:42:11, KarinsDad wrote:

>On January 23, 1999 at 10:09:50, Don Dailey wrote:
>
>>On January 23, 1999 at 01:34:52, KarinsDad wrote:
>>
>>>On January 22, 1999 at 22:36:50, Don Dailey wrote:
>>>
>>>>On January 22, 1999 at 15:00:04, KarinsDad wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>On January 22, 1999 at 14:45:39, Dann Corbit wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>On January 22, 1999 at 08:08:07, Steffen Jakob wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>On January 22, 1999 at 02:15:59, Bruce Moreland wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>On January 21, 1999 at 15:16:37, Dann Corbit wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>[...]
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Fake email address in what sense?  You can't get a password without having a
>>>>>>>>real email address, since the password is sent to the email address.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>I think Dan meant those Email accounts which you can get free from several
>>>>>>>public services (e.g. gmx, bigfoot, ...).
>>>>>>That is one issue.  It would not be a problem if the services were not abused to
>>>>>>allow hanky-panky.  But they are sometimes.  Another is that people can get an
>>>>>>account, then delete the email account used to get access and continue to post.
>>>>>>I have had emails bounce before, trying to send an email to the originator of a
>>>>>>message.
>>>>>
>>>>>This problem is easier to resolve though.
>>>>>
>>>>>Once a month or so, have CCC send an Email to everyone. If an Email bounces, try
>>>>>it again a day later or so and if it still bounces, disable the account. You
>>>>>could even do this at random times so that people wouldn't know that it occurs
>>>>>at the end of the month, to get new Email and CCC accounts at the beginning of
>>>>>the month. If anyone accidentally got caught with a problem such as their ISP
>>>>>was down for a few days and couldn't get back in, they could always Email CCC
>>>>>that they cannot get back in and why their Email was disabled. I think the
>>>>>frequency of problems of this type is low enough that the solution would be
>>>>>fine.
>>>>>
>>>>>Some ISPs give out free accounts for 30 days or so, so you couldn't eliminate
>>>>>the problem completely. You could only attempt to minimize it.
>>>>>
>>>>>This solution could also be used to eventually clean up the server of obsolete
>>>>>accounts.
>>>>>
>>>>>You could also state right up front that the free Email accounts that are abused
>>>>>will invalidate that service for everyone (such as if someone uses hotmail.com
>>>>>to cause problems, all free hotmail.com accounts are busted). This may prevent a
>>>>>few non-paying Email contributors from getting access here, but for those of us
>>>>>who do pay an ISP (which is probably a high percentage), it would minimize these
>>>>>types of abuse problems here (such as Sean's 91+ accounts).
>>>>>
>>>>>Do these solutions seem reasonable?
>>>>>
>>>>>KarinsDad
>>>>
>>>>I think your idea is quite good.   I'm not sure I like the idea
>>>>about disabling a whol provider however since this could prevent
>>>>us from getting a good member and would prevent them from getting
>>>>the benefit of our group.
>>>>
>>>>- Don
>>>
>>>I don't like it either. It was an extreme measure for when someone overly
>>>abusive uses that provider. I figured that after the heat wore down, a few
>>>weeks, a month, whatever, the provider could be re-allowed. This would be
>>>unfortunate, but how do you stop the person who is abusive and just keeps going
>>>back to the same provider for free Email addresses as you ban him each time? At
>>>least if they try to get a fake Email (i.e. get a real one and drop it), then
>>>they may have to pay at least for a month of an ISP.
>>>
>>>KarinsDad
>>
>>Yes, it's one of those things that don't have an elegant solution so
>>what you suggest is as good as any.   One possibility is to alert any
>>potential member to the possibility that if they are from a given
>>provider they may have to use an alternative type of registration.
>>Instead of sending them a password, ICD sends them an email asking
>>them to call ICD to get their password.  ICD then gets a phone number
>>from them and calls them back to verify.   Yes, it's a little extra
>>procedure, but if you want to solve a problem a little extra procedure
>>will probably be required.   Even if ICD skipped the callback
>>verification part, it would be very effective I think.
>>
>>Most of
>>these types of cowards thrive on anonymity.
>
>Just like me! I thrive on anonymity. :)

Yes, but there can be many reasons one would want anonymity and
they are not all bad reasons.   I personally don't care who is
anonymous, as long as they are well behaved.


>Actually, your phone idea is good as well. At the moment, we do not appear to
>have such a problem with anonymous offenders (with the exception of me), so none
>of these extreme measures appear to be required. It's just a good idea to give
>suggestions when we think of them so that ICD can have a pool of ideas to work
>with.
>
>KarinsDad :)





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