[SpamCop-List] Re: Paul Johnson: PGP signature in spam

[Blammo]

On 17 Sep 2004 helge entered spamcop and left 
news:cife2e$kqk$2 at news.spamcop.net:

> WazoO wrote:
>> "helge" <masfjorden at spamcop.net> wrote in message
>> news:cif1qb$857$1 at news.spamcop.net...
>> 
>>>A PGP signature, AFAIK, is supposed to authenticate something, probably
>>>that the sender is who he claims to be.
>>>Would such a signature then help to track the spammer?
>> 
>> 
>> And just how stupid would your spammer have to be to try
>> to forge all other data then "sign" the spam????  Please ...
> snip
> 
> I admit my question was sort of rhetorical, but considering AlecWest's 
> recent "stupid spammer stories" not downright impossible. I don't adhere 
> to the "spammers are stupid" doctrine, but some of them certainly are 
> stupid. However, Graeme Leith' reply is clarifying.
> 
> helge

Spammers do what they do for three reasons:

1) They are stupid.
2) They are trying to fool or poison filters
3) They are trying to trick you into responding.

Reading any more into junk is giving them too much credit, see #1.

-- 
| Ric
|