Junk Mail - better?

Dreambiz · 10 Jul 2010, 04:28 AM

Hi,

I think I've been noticing a decrease in the number of junk emails that I've been receiving. Anyone else noticing this? Is Runbox eliminating more before it even hits us?

Geir · 10 Jul 2010, 03:14 PM

Yes -- thanks for noticing!

During the past few weeks we have started rejecting the most obvious spam before it reaches the user-level spam filters. This makes life easier for you, us, and almost all our servers, since around half of all incoming email (with very high spam scores) is rejected back to the sending server.

No email is lost as a result of this -- in the very unlikely event that legitimate email is rejected, the sender will receive a notification that the message has to be reworded and resent.

More about this can be read in our News section.

- Geir

Dreambiz · 10 Jul 2010, 06:29 PM

Thanks, Geir, this definitely makes my life a little easier!

adam1991 · 11 Jul 2010, 09:43 AM

Wow. I had heard about this effort awhile back, and was definitely experiencing less junk mail--yet I came to this forum to mention that over the past week or two, the spam that makes its way to my inbox had gotten much, MUCH worse.

After seeing the fruits of your efforts, I'd say now It's back to being every bit as bad as it was six months ago, if not worse. For example, I just dumped 8 spams from one of my alias folders--that was out of 9 total emails in that folder from just a few hours ago. And those were really just two spams, but four copies of each sent at different times.

Has something happened that might have triggered this sudden onslaught? I just got used to things being better. :-)

Thanks.

kservik · 12 Jul 2010, 09:22 AM

Without knowing your Runbox-username, then one out of two things has most likely happend:

1. You Whitelisted the alias while reporting a message as "Not spam".
2. You might be getting a lot of rx-meds spam? If so, I am working on a fix for that. We will make custom SA-rules for it.

If its neither of these two options, then please tell. It would be great if you have some header information of common spam messages that got through.

Kim

adam1991 · 13 Jul 2010, 10:20 AM

yeah, a lot of rx-med spams.

And a bunch others, but probably the bulk of the "what's this? I thought they made spam filters better" issues result from rx-med.

I finally took to creating my own filter for Google Pharmacy; did you fix that one on the back end yet?

ericd · 21 Sep 2010, 02:26 AM

I came to the forums to complain about these spam messages today, the subject lines are so very obvious. Why does our spam filter not know that these messages are mass mailings of spam? Aren't the subject lines scanned?

tomhab · 21 Sep 2010, 07:12 PM

They all get filtered from my inbox. Whitelist problems?

ericd · 23 Sep 2010, 01:05 AM

Most of them go to my trash folder, which means that they are not whitelisted, but my question is why are they allowed onto the mail server at all? These are not messages that anyone could confuse with a legitimate email.

artN · 30 Sep 2010, 04:56 PM

I noted also increased number of spam, before it was very rare to see spam in my inbox, everything was filtered and went to trash but past few days or week I am getting into inbox typical spams promoting viagra etc.,, today 6 from 8 messages were spam. Did not do anything with any filter etc. Trying to teach filter each timer with no success.

richardmbartram · 2 Oct 2010, 12:38 AM

A massive increase in spam for me. Messages which have in their title or subject the words viagra or pfizer should not be getting through ( and they dont make it past the filters of my macmail ). Need to up your game runbox people please.

Richard

hajonez · 2 Oct 2010, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richardmbartram

A massive increase in spam for me. Messages which have in their title or subject the words viagra or pfizer should not be getting through ( and they dont make it past the filters of my macmail ). Need to up your game runbox people please.

I understand what you are saying, Richard, but I honestly don't think Spam filtering is quite as simple as this. I'm sure I've received joke emails from friends in the past with Viagra in the subject and though I wouldn't have been distraught if these had been deleted at the server level, I think it would have been less than ideal.

There's also the possibility that some might legitimately make enquiries about viagra to a reputable online chemist shop. Replies to such emails should not be automatically deleted simply because they contain the word viagra.

I know the above scenarios are not commonplace but I suppose I am playing devil's advocate here to argue that server-based filtering is a delicate balance that ought to to be conservative rather than aggressive. This, I believe, is how Runbox's filtering is set up and I am very glad of this. Their use of SpamAssassin, DSpam and a range of other anti spam technologies seems to ensure that almost all Spam my account receives is appropriately classified and filtered.

- Henry

richardmbartram · 4 Oct 2010, 09:10 PM

Hi Henry I take your point . Runbox does filter 9 out of 10 at least. It mysifies me that spam must actually work for people to keep sending it. Funny old world.

Richard

10 Jul 2010, 04:28 AM	#1
Dreambiz Essential Contributor Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 329	Junk Mail - better? Hi, I think I've been noticing a decrease in the number of junk emails that I've been receiving. Anyone else noticing this? Is Runbox eliminating more before it even hits us?

10 Jul 2010, 03:14 PM	#2
Geir The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Oslo, Norway Posts: 2,938 Representative of: Runbox.com	Upgraded spam filter Yes -- thanks for noticing! During the past few weeks we have started rejecting the most obvious spam before it reaches the user-level spam filters. This makes life easier for you, us, and almost all our servers, since around half of all incoming email (with very high spam scores) is rejected back to the sending server. No email is lost as a result of this -- in the very unlikely event that legitimate email is rejected, the sender will receive a notification that the message has to be reworded and resent. More about this can be read in our News section. - Geir

21 Sep 2010, 02:26 AM	#7
ericd Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Houston TX Posts: 20	Spam for RX meds, sex aids and replica watches I came to the forums to complain about these spam messages today, the subject lines are so very obvious. Why does our spam filter not know that these messages are mass mailings of spam? Aren't the subject lines scanned?

23 Sep 2010, 01:05 AM	#9
ericd Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Houston TX Posts: 20	Spam for RX meds, sex aids and replica watches Most of them go to my trash folder, which means that they are not whitelisted, but my question is why are they allowed onto the mail server at all? These are not messages that anyone could confuse with a legitimate email.

30 Sep 2010, 04:56 PM	#10
artN Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 40	more spam I noted also increased number of spam, before it was very rare to see spam in my inbox, everything was filtered and went to trash but past few days or week I am getting into inbox typical spams promoting viagra etc.,, today 6 from 8 messages were spam. Did not do anything with any filter etc. Trying to teach filter each timer with no success.

10 Jul 2010, 06:29 PM	#3
Dreambiz Essential Contributor Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 329	Thanks, Geir, this definitely makes my life a little easier!

11 Jul 2010, 09:43 AM	#4
adam1991 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 104	Wow. I had heard about this effort awhile back, and was definitely experiencing less junk mail--yet I came to this forum to mention that over the past week or two, the spam that makes its way to my inbox had gotten much, MUCH worse. After seeing the fruits of your efforts, I'd say now It's back to being every bit as bad as it was six months ago, if not worse. For example, I just dumped 8 spams from one of my alias folders--that was out of 9 total emails in that folder from just a few hours ago. And those were really just two spams, but four copies of each sent at different times. Has something happened that might have triggered this sudden onslaught? I just got used to things being better. :-) Thanks.

12 Jul 2010, 09:22 AM	#5
kservik Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Oslo, Norway Posts: 555 Representative of: Runbox.com	Without knowing your Runbox-username, then one out of two things has most likely happend: 1. You Whitelisted the alias while reporting a message as "Not spam". 2. You might be getting a lot of rx-meds spam? If so, I am working on a fix for that. We will make custom SA-rules for it. If its neither of these two options, then please tell. It would be great if you have some header information of common spam messages that got through. Kim

13 Jul 2010, 10:20 AM	#6
adam1991 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 104	yeah, a lot of rx-med spams. And a bunch others, but probably the bulk of the "what's this? I thought they made spam filters better" issues result from rx-med. I finally took to creating my own filter for Google Pharmacy; did you fix that one on the back end yet?

21 Sep 2010, 07:12 PM	#8
tomhab Essential Contributor Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 236	They all get filtered from my inbox. Whitelist problems?

2 Oct 2010, 12:38 AM	#11
richardmbartram Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 11	A massive increase in spam for me. Messages which have in their title or subject the words viagra or pfizer should not be getting through ( and they dont make it past the filters of my macmail ). Need to up your game runbox people please. Richard

4 Oct 2010, 09:10 PM	#13
richardmbartram Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 11	Hi Henry I take your point . Runbox does filter 9 out of 10 at least. It mysifies me that spam must actually work for people to keep sending it. Funny old world. Richard