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How to Use SpamCop

Junctionbox > Support > Fighting Spam > How to Use SpamCop

Getting the right information to the right people is key to effective spam reporting.  SpamCop is a great web site that does all the dirty work for you.  It's a bit confusing at first but we'll help you through it.  Once set up, you'll become a David in the war against the spam Goliath.  Follow these steps:

Sign up.  Go to the SpamCop signup page and enter your e-mail address in the "Verify E-mail Address" field.   Click on the button.
In return you will get an e-mail message with the Subject:
SpamCop authorization code.    Read the message closely.  It will mention two e-mail addresses for reporting.  Put the one labeled "For more thorough reporting" into your address book under "SpamCop".  Now you are all set to report your first spam.

Getting the full header of the spam. The hardest part about reporting spam is getting the full headers of the spam message.  Popular mail programs such as Outlook, Netscape and Eudora only show you the common header info of To, From, CC, and Subject.  The full header contains much, much more info.  It contains all the routing information for the message.  Each mail server the message passed through adds a line to the header.  SpamCop needs this full header info in order to ferret out the responsible parties.  SpamCop has a web site to help you uncover the full headers using every mail program in existence.  The full header will look like this below.  Paste this info into your clipboard.

Return-Path: <opt-in@opt16.edirectnetwork.net>
Received: from opt16.edirectnetwork.net (opt16.edirectnetwork.net [64.9.104.99])
    by mail.junctionbox.net (8.11.2/8.11.2) with SMTP id fBA6dp815317
    for <caustin@junctionbox.net>; Sun, 9 Dec 2001 22:39:51 -0800 (PST)
Received: (qmail 28042 invoked by uid 500); 10 Dec 2001 06:07:43 -0000
Date: 10 Dec 2001 06:07:43 -0000
Message-ID: <20011210060743.28041.qmail@opt16.edirectnetwork.net>
To: caustin@junctionbox.net
From: ATT@opt16.edirectnetwork.net
Reply-To: opt-in@opt16.edirectnetwork.net
Subject: Worldcom or Suncom?? Free Cell Phone & Shipping
X-UIDL: 49ec189d0c30af67ab1dbad7c1a81406

Forwarding to SpamCop.  Once you have the full header info, highlight the spam message and select FORWARD.  Using cut-and-paste, put the full header into over the short header included in the forward.   Then select the SpamCop address from your address book and send it off.   Within a couple of minutes you'll receive a return message from the SpamCop AutoResponder containing a SpamCop Reporting URL.  Click on the URL.

SpamCop Reporting URL.  The reporting URL web page will contain a lot of technical information.  (If you're the techie type, feel free to poke around.)  Normally you just scroll down to the buttons at the bottom.   Click on the "Send Spam Report Now" button.   The indicated addresses will receive a full report allowing them to track down the spam source. 

You've done it!  You fired your first shot in your war against spam!