OT: Need a utility for returning email to sender with an error/address not found message

[t.cruise]

I used to have a freeware utility that would return any email back to the sender with the
usual error message that the recipient's address could not be found. The returned email
looked real, with no code revealing that the recipient had actually received the message,
and sent it back. Unfortunately I got a new system, and do not have that utility saved on
media. Does anyone know of a similar utility that I can use with Outlook Express email?

T.C.

 

[Richard Urban]

MailWasher will do that but it is not free.

--

Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I used to have a freeware utility that would return any email back to the sender with the
usual error message that the recipient's address could not be found. The returned email
looked real, with no code revealing that the recipient had actually received the message,
and sent it back. Unfortunately I got a new system, and do not have that utility saved on
media. Does anyone know of a similar utility that I can use with Outlook Express email?

T.C.

I'm sure the boys in the Outlook Express newsgroup know the answer.

 

[Singapore Computer Service]

Hello,

Mailwasher is free for the basic edition.
http://www.mailwasher.net

 

[Gordon]

I used to have a freeware utility that would return any email back to the
sender with the
usual error message that the recipient's address could not be found. The
returned email
looked real, with no code revealing that the recipient had actually
received the message,
and sent it back. Unfortunately I got a new system, and do not have that
utility saved on
media. Does anyone know of a similar utility that I can use with Outlook
Express email?

T.C.

If you are thinking of using this to combat spam, then DON'T. Most spam
messages have forged "from" headers, and so some unfortunate innocent will
get all your returned spam instead of the real culprits. again I say, DON'T
do this.

 

[Baloo]

I used to have a freeware utility that would return any email back to the
sender with the usual error message that the recipient's address could
not be found. The returned email looked real, with no code revealing that
the recipient had actually received the message, and sent it back.

What you're asking to do, by it's very nature, will not work except humans,
and not ones experienced at reading mail headers. Mail servers and anybody
experienced at reading email headers can tell the difference between a
bounce and a lookalike. Only try to fake a bounce if you know your target
will fall for it. Spammers won't fall for it.

You can count on spammers being able to distinguish between the real thing
and a fake based on the fact your mail server accepted the original message
(and didn't reject it on the spot with a 5xy Mailbox permanently
unavailable code at SMTP-time).

That is, even if the From: address on the message you're trying to bounce
even belongs to the spammer and isn't just an email address randomly picked
off the list of email addresses they're spamming. If not, you're going to
be sending a fake bounce to some random email address, that may or may not
exist, and if they do exist, they're getting flooded with bounces (both
real from mail servers with bad sanity checking, and fake from misguided
attempts at throwing off spammers) from the spammer's spew.

Unfortunately I got a new system, and do not have that
utility saved on media. Does anyone know of a similar utility that I can
use with Outlook Express email?

MailWasher can do it. For the sake of everybody who has ever had a spammer
spoof their email address (and once they have it, munging won't help you
ever again anyway: They already have your email address, and they're going
to sell it to the next guy on a nice big list), please don't use it to
create backscatter.

 

[Joe Wright]

I used to have a freeware utility that would return any email back to the sender with the
usual error message that the recipient's address could not be found. The returned email
looked real, with no code revealing that the recipient had actually received the message,
and sent it back. Unfortunately I got a new system, and do not have that utility saved on
media. Does anyone know of a similar utility that I can use with Outlook Express email?

T.C.

Stop SPAM! Create two mail rules in OE.

_First rule:_

A. In "Select the conditions for your rule" click "Where the from line
contains people", click "contains people", click Address Book, click
the first name, shift-click the last, click "From" button, click OK.

B. In "Select the actions for your rule", click "Stop processing more
rules". This will let everyone in your address book fall through to
your Inbox.

C. Name the rule "Pass".

_Second rule:_

A. In "Select the conditions for your rule" click "For all messages"

B. In "Select the actions for your rule", click "Delete it".

C. Name the rule "Delete".

You might want to set OE to delete the Deleted Items folder every time
you close OE. One disadvantage: You might have to close OE in a hurry
sometimes before you have a chance to check for missed messages.

Advantages:

1. No SPAM! No amount of filtering by sender or subject matter will
prevent spammers; they use a different subject and address ever few days.

2. Few Viruses! Only viruses from those who have your email address in
their address book.

Disadvantages:

1. You'll have to look in the Deleted Items folder for blocked email. If
you find a mail you actually want, just drag it into the Inbox till you
add that address to the Pass filter.

2. To add addresses to the filter, you'll have to edit it, click
"contains people", click "Address Book" again, and add any new
addresses. That can be an occasional nuisance, but otherwise you'll be
creating many mail rules for SPAM.

 

[NormanM]

in message

MailWasher will do that but it is not free.

A: MailWasher _is_ free.

B: A MailWasher bounce has a unique signature which can be used to
distinguish it from a genuine bounce. I have done this; used that
signature to identify the MailWasher bounces from the rest of the
"backscatter" to my email address, which was forged as a sender.

Furthermore, a MailWasher bounce forges your ISP's <MAILER-DAEMON@...>
email address. You _should_ check your ISP's AUP/TOS; most prohibit
impersonating an ISP official, and, technically speaking,
"MAILER-DAEMON" is an official.

Most spam is sent "From:" forged email addresses. Returning "bounces" to
those addresses only annoys uninvolved third parties. My policy is to
report such bounces to the responsible abuse department. If you are
using MailWasher to bounce spam, my notify could get your account a
"TOS" action by your provider. If you would like, I can dissect a
MailWasher bounce for you.

I do not recommend MailWasher because of the abusive nature of the
bounce. Even though the free edition now installs with the bounce
feature disabled, it has not been _removed_ from the program; until the
author of MailWasher completely removes the bounce feature, I consider
it to be an abusive application.

Please reconsider "bouncing" spam. It annoys uninvolved third parties,
and the spammer never checks for bounces anyway.

 

[Baloo]

A: MailWasher _is_ free.

Not quite, no. MailWasher is not free. This is what free means for
software: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_software
MailWasher might have a no-charge version, but that doesn't make it free.

I do not recommend MailWasher because of the abusive nature of the
bounce. Even though the free edition now installs with the bounce
feature disabled, it has not been _removed_ from the program; until the
author of MailWasher completely removes the bounce feature, I consider
it to be an abusive application.

I really have to wonder what MailWasher's authors believe the justification
is for such a gross misfeature. I'd like to believe they're not dumb
enough to think that technique actually works.

 

[Baloo]

B. In "Select the actions for your rule", click "Delete it".

I would have it go to a separate folder instead of deleting it, just to be
on the safe side. This lets you look back through to make sure there are
no false-positives before it all gets deleted one way or the other like the
Deleted Items folder eventually does. Last thing anybody wants is to lose
a real email over an accidentally-overzealous spam filter.

 

[Joe Wright]

I would have it go to a separate folder instead of deleting it, just to be
on the safe side. This lets you look back through to make sure there are
no false-positives before it all gets deleted one way or the other like the
Deleted Items folder eventually does. Last thing anybody wants is to lose
a real email over an accidentally-overzealous spam filter.

That option deletes to the Deleted Items folder. I mentioned that you
have to look in the Deleted Items folder each time you use OE, or a real
email could be lost.. The Delete option is best in my opinion because
you don't have to highlight a file and risk infection from there.. you
just close OE and the remaining files are removed.