Broadband Tech > Security > Security > Sudden increase in spam, why?

reply to Dude111

Re:  

And responding to spam, even if only to say "stop spamming me", just lets the senders know that the e-mail address is legitimate and that someone is reading it. That'll get you even more spam.
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Don't feed trolls--it only makes them grow!

And the dude's rantings fail to address the actual question, which is "why the recent increase?".

I too have noticed this in the last month, though I assumed (because it's showed up on one particular email address) that it was simply the case that someone I'd corresponded with had less-than-exemplary computer hygiene. I've been getting quotes for some work on my house recently, so the email address in question has been given to assorted new people.

I hardly ever get spam to my personal email addresses. That said I have noticed some spam in some forums I frequent that accept posts via email. My suspicion is that one or more members have been infected by malware turning their machines into "spam bots",
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Don't feed trolls--it only makes them grow!

I have semi-disposable addresses that I use for non-critical correspondence; the one I'm talking about was one such. It was created maybe a year ago, and had no spam at all until last month.

(But of course it only takes one nincompoop... which is why I have semi-disposable addresses. By the looks of things, this is one source, they have subject lines that look generated by one algorithm).