Huckleberries Online

Spam Alert

Posted by DFO

May 19, 2009 10:14 a.m. • 74 comments

I’m a little slow posting things today b/c I’ve been hit by a mega-spammer on the e-mail side. Dunno whether I or Huckleberries Online is the target of the spammer. Or collateral damage. But I know that Dan of the County has been hit by the same spammer, who sends out hundreds of e-mails in Spanish. Our techs are taking care of things on our end. Anyone else out there affected?

Question: Anyone out there know someone who might want to do harm to little old Huckleberries Online ;-)

74 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

Bent on May 19 at 10:10 a.m.
It’s not just you, DFO. A few of us at work got it too… I had about 8 spanish spam emails this morning. I think it’s illegal aliens invading the internet now. Where in the world will they ever stop!
hmoffsuite on May 19 at 10:13 a.m.
I suppose that the subject of that spam is ‘Hey’. Yep, I’m getting them also. Had about 20 today so far but fortunately my spam filter is catching most of them.
Cindy_H on May 19 at 10:17 a.m.
Hey, me too!
I just spent all morning deleting dozens of “Hey” emails.
My spam filter is apparently ot quite up to the task.
Grr…
danofthecommunity on May 19 at 10:21 a.m.
Wow you guys must have way better spam filters or I’m just way more popular. I had over 400! They were variations of the same theme. My first clue it had something to do with an HBO list is that the “To line” had names like Larry Spencer, Thom George, Sam Taylor, something with druid in it, and one called goptruth. The only common link I could think of was here.

Once I deleted them all they haven’t kept coming for now…use Norton 360.
Cabbage Boy on May 19 at 10:27 a.m.
DotC,
question, do you have a grandson playing on the AA Yankees Little League team? There is an English on their and I recall you talking about little league some time ago. Just curious. My son is on that team, and I recognized the name.
Jen on May 19 at 10:28 a.m.
Yep. Just deleted 61.
Bent on May 19 at 10:35 a.m.
I just checked my personal email and I had 549 “Hey” emails. DFO, I checked with our IT manager. He schecked it out and he thinks that someone may have breached HBO’s records and got our email addresses.

Only Staci and I were affected at work, and we have HBO in common.
JeanieSpokane on May 19 at 10:35 a.m.
We have such a great fire wall here at work - not a one in Spanish or starting with Hey!
mike_s on May 19 at 10:37 a.m.
Yeah, I got em too.
danofthecommunity on May 19 at 10:42 a.m.
CB, sorry I didn’t respond when you asked on an earlier post but nope, must be another English.
BethB on May 19 at 10:50 a.m.
I haven’t gotten any at all - maybe it goes back to an older list?
Lynne on May 19 at 10:52 a.m.
None here either
JeanC on May 19 at 10:52 a.m.
Haven’t gotten a one.

*sniff*

:D
toadman on May 19 at 10:52 a.m.
The only spam I ever get is spam directed at my lack of prowess in bed. I suspect this isn’t spam, however, but direct marketing…I blame my wife.
thomg57 on May 19 at 10:53 a.m.
DOTC called me this morning and warned me, I had 38 in my spam folder. Dave, if HBO was breached, will ryan be able to do something about it?

CB, the English boys on the Yankee (and Mets) Little League team are my neighbors, they are from the English Funeral Chapel branch of the English family tree (dotc’s cousins, I believe).
mike_s on May 19 at 10:57 a.m.
Interesting thing about this breach is that email addresses and names (from a S-R file?) have now been sent out to others. Folks aren’t quite as anonymous any longer.
DFO on May 19 at 11:00 a.m.
ThomG; it’s not HBO that’s being breached. It’s my newspaper e-mail. Looks like the spammer has hit on an old e-mail list. The techs are after it right now. Sorry for the inconvenience. Then, it doesn’t surprise me that Huckleberries occasionally gets attacked.
TALKJOC on May 19 at 11:03 a.m.
Got me too!. Wonder why. I don’t know this DFO guy. Why meeeeeeee!
Dennis on May 19 at 11:06 a.m.
Did you “Cooler” the wrong person DFO????

:-0
OrangeTV on May 19 at 11:12 a.m.
I got them too, about 100 emails with the title “hey:dear” and all in Spanish. Fortunately, Yahoo spam filter sent them directly into my spam folder where I never would have seen them if I hadn’t checked after reading this post. Can’t we somehow trace the IP or something? If it came from a local enemy, the list of ones with that much tech know-how isn’t that long…
Cabbage Boy on May 19 at 11:23 a.m.
Thanks TG and Dan. The grandpa that was watching didn’t quite look like what I knew DotC to look like. So I avoided going over and introducing myself.

Which brings me to a quandry. How does one introduce one’s self to another person you recognize from “the blog”? Should I just put a cabbage leaf on my head and go say hi?
lew2nl on May 19 at 11:49 a.m.
I just deteted 68 spams …. Next time I’ll block all the spammers instead of just deleting them.
danofthecommunity on May 19 at 11:51 a.m.
“The grandpa that was watching didn’t quite look like what I knew DotC to look like.”

So what did he look like…younger?…thinner?…or more of a GOP kind of look to him?
Ryan Pitts on May 19 at 12:11 p.m.
Just to follow up on Dave’s last comment - this is biggest reason why we don’t expose users’ email addresses anywhere on this site.
marmitetoasty on May 19 at 12:27 p.m.
I aint got no spam so no one must like me…….. the only spam I have are fritters…..

x
Me on May 19 at 12:27 p.m.
Cabbage - funny, because I saw Dan one day out and about and thought the same exact thing. I have met him previously, but thought about going up to him and saying “Hi - I’m Me” but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.
Token on May 19 at 12:38 p.m.
Goodness, I thought it was just me. I got over 300 of those “hey” emails from spanish sounding names in my personal email this morning. They all came from hotmail accounts, so I blocked the hotmail domain. We’ll see if that works. I just hope no one with a hotmail account ever tries to send me a legitimate email.
SmittyK on May 19 at 12:59 p.m.
This has been happening all day - I dont know if it is from Huckleberries, or if it is just sometrhing else in the wild. One thing to do would be to Hide everyones registered e-mail adress on their profile, that way Spammers wouldnt be able to harvest it by doing a text search on a website.

I know that My hotmail.com address got hit, but My Corporate, and Gmail addresses are ok.

However I think this is something bigger - as My Spam firewall has been going nuts today at the office

Total Day Hour

Blocked 441,653 2,099 159
Blocked: Virus 24 0 0
Rate Controlled 210 0 0
Quarantined 3,224 51 6
Allowed: Tagged 5,443 13 1
Allowed 58,831 336 33

Total Received 509,385 2,499 199

I have blocked 2100 Messages since Midnight - to 75 people
Sisyphus on May 19 at 1:09 p.m.
Nice avatar Kennedy.

Nothing here. But you know how I am.
toadman on May 19 at 1:14 p.m.
I’m the same…I rarely use my corporate account outside my corporate environment, and the only other address I use is gmail…no problems here.
DFO on May 19 at 1:22 p.m.
>One thing to do would be to Hide everyones registered e-mail adress on their profile, that way Spammers wouldnt be able to harvest it by doing a text search on a website — Smith-Kennedy.<

The spam attack is coming via my newspaper e-mail account, not the blog. Or our blogware.
tarynahecker on May 19 at 1:29 p.m.
Crap. I got ‘em too in my hotmail folder.

Thanks for not putting my business email in your address book Dave :)
spokelooneh on May 19 at 1:36 p.m.
Slammed.
Aliasjax on May 19 at 1:37 p.m.
I got over one hundred in the span of mere moments as I went to my server and set a filter aimed directly at this sender.
Ryan Pitts on May 19 at 1:41 p.m.
@Smith Kennedy - We don’t display users’ email addresses anywhere on this site, for precisely the reason you describe.
Ryan Pitts on May 19 at 1:56 p.m.
And even though my email address *is* displayed on this site (on my staff profile page, for instance), I’m not getting any of these emails. I don’t think the spammer harvested the addresses here.
Nick_Adams on May 19 at 2:31 p.m.
The account I use for registration at this site got about a dozen of the spam emails. Not too bad. It’s not my main account so it hasn’t been much of a problem, but I feel for you folks who are getting slammed.
Cis on May 19 at 2:57 p.m.
I got 70 this morning and 598 more this afternoon when I open up my hotmail account.
Dennis on May 19 at 3:01 p.m.
None for me so far……Whew!!!
Cindy_H on May 19 at 3:41 p.m.
I finished my morning with 600, but none since then.
Did I win?
Sisyphus on May 19 at 3:47 p.m.
“Did I win?”—you sure did. Just type in your email and we’ll send you the prize.
Dennis on May 19 at 3:59 p.m.
Sis,,,,, Now that’s just mean!

:-)
Cindy_H on May 19 at 4:05 p.m.
Okey dokey, Sis:
biteme@sweetpatootie.com

I’ll be waiting!
Dennis on May 19 at 4:11 p.m.
ROTFLMAO!!!
Cabbage Boy on May 19 at 4:22 p.m.
DotC wrote:
“So what did he look like…younger?…thinner?…or more of a GOP kind of look to him?”

larger I think. I haven’t seen a photo of you since the old HBO site was online I think. I kept glancing and thinking, could it be? But glad I didn’t ask, “don’t I know you from the blog?”
Sisyphus on May 19 at 4:22 p.m.
What a nice domain you have there. But its kinda big donchathink? ;-)
Dennis on May 19 at 4:29 p.m.
Sis,,,,, Now understand,,,, This is just my opinion,,,, But,,,,, you know this might be a good time to exit stage left…….. You know???
Dennis on May 19 at 4:30 p.m.
/Ducking for cover….
Cindy_H on May 19 at 4:34 p.m.
It’s not the size of the domain that matters; it’s the shape in which one maintains it. Mine is full and firm. Thank you for noticing.
Sisyphus on May 19 at 4:35 p.m.
I meant thirteen letters. What did you think I meant? ;-) And I always exit left.
Sisyphus on May 19 at 4:36 p.m.
Besides I’ve been a fan of Cindy’s domain since I got here.
toadman on May 19 at 4:44 p.m.
“But glad I didn’t ask, “don’t I know you from the blog?”” -CB

This begs the question, just how many HBO’ers (or others) would you recognize walking down the street?

Every time we go to CDA, I imagine someone is gonna stop me on the street, punch me, and say “THAT’S FOR BEING A FLAMING LIBERAL YOU COMMIE LITTLE TOAD MAN!!” But so far, no such luck.

;-)
Dennis on May 19 at 4:45 p.m.
Ooopppssss,,,, Here I go again,,,,,, Bad Brain!!!! Bad!!!!!!!

:-0
hmoffsuite on May 19 at 5:02 p.m.
Toad. I’ll be keeping my eye out for you. :~)
Bree on May 19 at 6:14 p.m.
I was hit too. Something like 256 emails they said “Dear”
Glad to at least know where it came from.
jt on May 19 at 6:15 p.m.
It took ‘em a while to make it to me. Just deleted six.

Subject line “Re: dear” but the bodies are in Italian, not Spanish.

Has this spam gone “Continental”? Maybe it’s just the Mediterranean temperatures we’ve had this past weekend. ;^)

All the best, JT
Kage_Mann on May 19 at 6:28 p.m.
I got hit this evening with 300 dears with mexican names.I’ve been following this throughout the day and thought I was going to beat this.I have to blame someone for this.Where’s Radar?
danofthecommunity on May 19 at 8:01 p.m.
CB, if it was another grandpa for an English kid (who would be my 1st cousin-twice removed I think) it would have either been my cousin Bruce or ironically former commissioner Gus Johnson.
Escapee on May 19 at 11:02 p.m.
I have two e-mail accounts and received 4 or 5 in each one. They all carried the subject line: “Hey!”
Lynne on May 20 at 7:56 a.m.
Guess they finally tracked me down … 80 of them in my inbox this morning.
JeanC on May 20 at 8:21 a.m.
Okay, I’ve been getting lots of spam with the subject line re:dear and the message in Italian. It all goes to my spam file (I love Google mail). Had LOTS yesterday morning, didn’t think it was part of what everyone else was getting, but it looks like it was. Just deleted the batch yesterday morning and not a thing until this morning when I had another batch to delete.
JeanC on May 20 at 8:43 a.m.
Looking over my spam folder, most of the names are Italian, except for one, מיכאל לוריא I’ve gotten lots of spam with Russian and Chinese alphabets before, but this is the first in Hebrew.

I love Google Translator.
Bent on May 20 at 9:13 a.m.
I just checked my private email and had 406 “dear” emails. It looks like our stellar IT guys blocked the spam at my work address
DFO on May 20 at 9:24 a.m.
@ Bent; I just forwarded your note to the techs. I also got deluged by hundreds of e-mails again today. And I have the usual blocks in place. I suspect others will have to deal with this problem today, too. Thanks for the heads up.
sibulsky on May 20 at 10:15 a.m.
I got about 90 yesterday afternoon
Token on May 20 at 10:27 a.m.
Another 300 or so emails this morning. Sigh.
Cabbage Boy on May 20 at 10:29 a.m.
I started getting them also. Interestingly enough some are from
“DO NOT OPEN - SOMEONE IS USING THIS FOR PLEASE DELETE WITHOUT OPENING”

Funny. Dave, any updates on how this happened? I know your email was “compromised”, but for those of us feeling a bit exposed, any details?

Did Ziggles return? Or was your email hacked, get a trojan or what?
Cabbage Boy on May 20 at 10:32 a.m.
Another one was addressed TO “levitra@cialis.com”

Why was this in your address book? :)
JeanieSpokane on May 20 at 10:49 a.m.
None. Anywhere. Not even to grow my unmentionable parts. I’m getting a complex.

And, Cindy, way too funny in the comeback with your “email”. I’m jealous.

Ok - I’m jealous, I’m unloved, I don’t get junk mail, nobody speaking Spanish or Italian cares about me, my life sucks.
Cabbage Boy on May 20 at 10:51 a.m.
Jeanie, by the looks of the addresses, you are much to young (in HBO years) to be included.

Wonder if a few of the old-timers are chuckling right now?
Kage_Mann on May 20 at 11:02 a.m.
Is this spam in our e-mails harmless? Ryan? Anyone?
jreighley on May 21 at 11:32 a.m.
Yah, I have tons. Gmail does a nice job of filtering them out for me, I didn’t even notice them til you made me look. Pretty darn harmless assuming you don’t click the links… Don’t know why you would that to do that anyway.
Ryan Pitts on May 21 at 12:30 p.m.
@Kage_Mann - If the spam you are getting is similar to the messages I’ve been looking at (i.e., it’s written in Italian, mentions sites like sjwffd .com or fangeez .com, and it comes from a Hotmail address) then no, there doesn’t appear to be anything dangerous in there.

That said, it’s never a good idea to click on links in spam email, and avoid opening them if at all possible. I know, this is common knowledge, but still bears repeating.
Ryan Pitts on May 21 at 12:31 p.m.
Any of you who are still receiving these spam messages, please let me know. I may have something you can try that appears to have blocked it in other places.

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D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.