Re: Come On, Sell Me Something

1

If you play it backwards, it says:

MY NAME IS MRS. MARIAM ABACHA THE WIFE OF THE LATE AND FORMER HEAD OF STATE OF NIGERIA GENERAL SANNI ABACHA.

Really. Try it.


Posted by: apostropher | Link to this comment | 06-25-04 3:04 PM
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2

I've gotten these as well, my spam filter sometimes catches them based on the server they're coming from rather than the content, but sometimes lets them through. I suspect they're an attempt to confuse spam filters so that in the future they let through advertising spam.


Posted by: SP | Link to this comment | 06-25-04 3:07 PM
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3

retal tnemom a iloccorb tnod tsuj i reffoc siht tirem ton noisutnoc tespu siht elttil tsaisuhtne tnorf eht hguorht etarebiled

Shit, you're right.


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 06-25-04 3:17 PM
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4

That's how you say it in Nigerian.


Posted by: apostropher | Link to this comment | 06-25-04 3:18 PM
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5

It's poetry, man, poetry.


Posted by: freakgirl | Link to this comment | 06-25-04 5:27 PM
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6

it's done to foil a spam-detection technique known as "bayesian filtering." A paper on Bayesian filtering can be found here: http://www.process.com/precisemail/bayesian_filtering.htm


Posted by: Chad Robinson | Link to this comment | 06-25-04 6:31 PM
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7

Also, did it come with a picture? Some spam contains a thingie that when you open the e-mail it "calls" a website that brings up a picture/image (the image isn't contained in the e-mail itself, but gets placed there when you open the e-mail). The random English is there to make filters think it's a real message, which is why it doesn't contain words like "enlarge", "mortgage", etc.

The call to the website when you open the e-mail lets the spammer know that they've found a valid e-mail address. They can then send more spam and/or sell the address to other spammers.


Posted by: Mitch Mills | Link to this comment | 06-25-04 9:42 PM
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That's the thing, Mitch, no picture, no hidden URL, nada. So I also don't see what good it does to foil the filter if the message has no substantive content...


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 06-25-04 11:49 PM
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9

'That's how you say it in Nigerian.'

bullshit, 'retal tnemom' is Nigerian for Rectal Thermometer.


Posted by: bryan | Link to this comment | 06-27-04 2:19 AM
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10

I thought it was Bush's State of the Union speech, especially that part about broccoli.


Posted by: Spliff | Link to this comment | 06-27-04 6:44 AM
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