Category: Spam

If you still use a Shentel email address, you should know that there’s a problem with Mail2World’s spam filter right now. Some (but not all) Shentel.net email inboxes are getting a lot more junk email than is normal. After talking with Shentel tech support, I can’t say that I know what the problem is. I don’t know when it will be fixed. I can’t say with certainty that Mail2World is anything more than 3 children in a trenchcoat. But what I can do is teach you how to cope with Shentel/Mailworld’s 2024 Spam Problem in this blog post.

What NOT to Do

First of all, don’t call Shentel expecting a quick fix. This problem is out of their hands, because Remember: Shentel doesn’t manage their email addresses anymore. They offshored their Shentel.net addresses to a company called Mail2World. And that company is really hard to get a hold of. But Shentel assures me that M2W knows about the problem and is working on it…

Next, do NOT unsubscribe from any spam! Clicking on unsubscribe (or any other links) in an unwanted message is asking for trouble. If you click on links in spam, you could attract more spam or lead your computer to a malicious website or download.

While you’re at it, don’t bother trying to use Block Sender on spam. It can’t hurt, but it isn’t likely to help. Block Sender is typically useful only for someone who always uses the same email address. Like that annoying relative who always forwards tacky joke emails to everyone he knows. Or the neighborhood Tupperware salesperson. Or a mentally questionable ex-boyfriend. Block those people to keep your inbox stress-free, but spammers change their email on every message they send. Blocking a spammer won’t work!

What to Do

Your best tool against spam coming to your Shentel inbox is the Mark as Spam function. This is not easy to find! Let me run through some steps on how to find this:

• Visit the Shentel Webmail site and sign in with your email credentials
• Identify any spam messages in your inbox, and check the box(es) to the left of each one
• Above and to the right of your inbox email, click More and then click Mark as Spam

Using this feature removes the spam from the inbox and also sends a message back to Mail2World (and their anti-spam vendor) that these types of messages are spam. It should eventually help them block more spam, which benefits everyone.

Other Problems with Shentel Spam

The Shentel Spam Filter is misfiring in other ways, right now.

Some users are reporting that good email is winding up in the Spam folder. If you feel you are missing any expected message, you’ll want to check your Spam folder. As described above, it is best if you visit the Shentel Webmail page, and then click the Spam folder in the left-hand column. If you find a trustworthy message in Spam, check the box next to it, click the More menu and then click Not Spam.

Also, you may begin seeing some other cryptic emails in your Inbox or Spam folder like these:

I don’t think these messages are spam or harmful in nature. They may be intended for Mail2World and their anti-spam software team, but are being misdelivered to us end-users. Don’t worry about them, and just delete them if you feel any kind of way about them.

Taking It to the Next Level

If we wait this out long enough, the hope is that Mail2World will figure things out, kick their spam filter into gear, and things will go back to … normal. A normal amount of spam, reliable email coming and going, etc.

But what if that doesn’t happen? What if this problem persists for much longer, or how about if new problems emerge as this one resolves? Mail2World doesn’t have the best track record and I am not prepared to assure you of their capabilities.

If you can’t abide anymore, then your next option would be to create a new email address. Gmail, Outlook.com, ProtonMail and a variety of other email offerings exist. You can create a new address with them at the drop of a hat, and for free.

I realize that concept is intimidating. Switching your email address, in some ways, is more of a labor than changing your mailing address. Not only are you faced with notifying all of your friends and family, but you must reach out to companies with the new email info. And then you get to log into all of your important websites, one by one, to convince each to update your email info.

But consider this: Changing your email address doesn’t have to be accomplished all in one weekend. You can create a new address and migrate things over to it at your pace. You can check two email addresses for as long as you want. Maybe you decide to keep and maintain both addresses?

Also, some email users create a new email address and forward their Shentel mail into it. This is a safeguard against people who “don’t get the memo” about your new address. And it can help with spam! For example, let’s say that you create a new Gmail, and route your Shentel mail into it. All inbound Shentel mail passes through their subpar junk filter, and then gets bounced over to Google. Then Gmail runs it all through their superlative spam filter, and the worthwhile messages arrive in your new Googly inbox.

For some, it’s easy to spot spam in your inbox. But for others, it can be a real challenge. Spammers use a variety of tactics to make their email look tempting, believable and worthy of attention. But much like a spoiled brat or a passive-aggressive boss, we don’t want to encourage a spammer any more than we have to. The following common characteristics will help you recognize spam, so that you can react correctly when it arrives:

Mismatched Sender Email Addresses

When you get an email that you’re not sure about, consider the sender’s address. Many spammers use Gmail/Outlook/Yahoo addresses, because they are quick & easy to create. Other spammers use whatever email address they please, because they’ve spoofed it to look like a trusted domain name. In any case, looking at the email address from which the message came is your first clue to spam.

For example, if you have a curious email about your Norton subscription, but it came from GregoireBandersnatch@harvard.edu, that should immediately tell you that you have spam. A legit email from Norton would likely have Norton.com in the address.

Also imagine: You’re looking at a message from HelloFresh, and it seems to have been sent by Hell0Fr3shMark3t1ng@gmail.com. Wouldn’t the real HelloFresh send their marketing messages from an address ending in “HelloFresh.com”?

Gobbledygook Email Address

While you’re checking the sender email address, any kind of gobbledygook you see there is another tip-off. If the message came from d4H3f9a2fb1@serenitynow.com, you can probably consider that as spam.

Homoglyphs

Even though this may be new vocabulary to you, you probably already know what this is from past spam. A homoglyph is a character or symbol that is very similar in appearance to another. Homoglyphs can be used in humorous or creative ways, such as in l33tspeak or slangy texting, but spammers use it a lot in their subject lines and message bodies. Homoglyphic substitution helps their email get past some spam filters, while preserving the overall meaning for their recipients.

Șó aṇỿtɨmе yóu sее an еmaɨ| mеssagе that |óóks |ɨke thɨs sеṇtеṇçе, knów that ɨt ɨs spam and trеat ɨt as suçh.

Spelling and Grammar

Some spam employs flawless English, while other spam does not. If that message from WholeFoods is horribly written, or that offer from Wal*Mart misspelled the word “coupon”, beware! A big company surely has an editor on staff to review any mass communications, and would almost never broadcast anything so unprofessional.

Incidentally, I should remind you that spammers intentionally send spam with misspellings and poor grammar. They’re not ignorant. They do this as a tactic to target their audience and get responses from the people who are more likely to fall for their scams.

Outlandish Claims

“Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.” Please do not believe or react too quickly in response to any email making outlandish claims or promises. I assure you that:

• The Grand Vizier of Mazumba Province is not going to bequeath $10M to you
• You are not going to get rich quick by investing in a secret Bitcoin opportunity
• Secret Shoppers are not being hired in your zip code and you will not make $100k in your first year
• That payout from a casino or lottery (that you’ve never heard of) is not going to make you rich

These emails persist, because they can sweep people up in their hopeful emotions and take advantage of our trusting nature. Don’t fall for it. Practice critical thinking skills and research things without haste, without responding to such spam.

Urgency

Is an email urging you to Act Now Before Time Runs Out? Is their special offer only good for another 15 minutes, and the message even shows an animated clock, counting down? Or is there a veiled threat of bad things coming, if you don’t act in a timely manner?

In any case, if an unexpected message is conveying a sense of urgency, that’s a big red flag. Legitimate offers won’t push or rush you into any decision. Hurrying you to decide something is a tactic meant to compromise your judgment.

Nearly Empty Messages

Some spam plays their game in the other direction: Their message shows up blank or mostly vacant of any real text. What little there is in the message is a lure.

Sometimes, the spam contains only a single sentence or phrase. It’s usually vague but just interesting enough to entice you. And it will be a weblink; you will instinctively know that you could click it to learn more. Don’t click it! It’s a trap!

Other times, the spam will have absolutely no text in the body. there will be only a single large image, and your email program may ask you if you want to Display Images? This, also, is a trap. Never ask your email app to display images from any unknown sender.

Anyone tricked by these messages will confirm to the sender that they’ve read the email and interacted with it. That leads to more spam and scams in their inboxes. Also, clicking links could expose them to malware downloads, phishing websites and worse.

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This post should end with a recap on what you should do, and not do, with spam.

• Just delete it, OR
• Mark it as Spam/Junk mail (if your email offers you such an option)
• Feel free to open and read any potential spam message, BUT
• Do NOT reply to spam, do NOT call any phone numbers shown in spam
• Do NOT click any links inside of spam, do NOT open any attachments
• Do NOT unsubscribe from spam. Any unsubscribe options, even when offered by Google, can result in your receiving MORE spam.

Some good news on the horizon: Google is adding AI to their spam filtering software. They claim this will make them more successful at blocking homoglyph abuse and other sneaky spam. And if Google is deploying this new technology, I bet Microsoft and other big tech firms will follow suit.