In a message dated 9/13/99 12:54:53 PM, DCame3260@aol.com wrote: <<I am on AOL and I have never received any junk porn or casino mail. I do a lot or research and belong to several mail lists I do not use chat rooms nor do I send my E-mail address to anyone other that the lists or someone I know. Maybe I'm just lucky?? Dean >> I think you are just lucky. I have used AOL for about 5 years now, and junk mail always seems to be a problem. I have gone as far as the other subscriber said, and typed in actually emails to keep them from emailing me (in the area where you can block mail) and no matter what they find a way through. AOL has been combatting this for years. There was a court case they won some time last year to help them cut down on all the junk mail. Many times it looks like it is coming from within AOL and it isn't. It will have a return address of AOL, but you know as well as I do there are alot of tricks out there people can use to do what they want. I doubt it came from belonging to the lists because I was getting the junk way before I got into genealogy. I recently bought a house (moved in two weeks ago) and magically I am getting all kinds of homeowner junk mail now!!! I never gave out my email....and I am baffled as to how they know I bought a house. I have another email address with my local provider that I rarely get junk mail on, but I'd hate to use that since everyone knows me by this nickname. I think I would confuse them if I went to the other. I hope no one decides to unsubscribe because of all of this. I have been on this list for quite awhile now, and although I haven't been able to help anyone yet, I enjoy reading the stories. And so far everyone has gotten along great :-) Lisa N.E. PA

AOL is Not the only server that gets porn. I have never used AOL and I get it at rate of at lease one or two a day. Mimi wrote: > Enough of this, please... AOL is the ONLY internet provider who > has this happen to them, so just CHANGE providers. Why is this > happening only to AOL subscribers? When enough people get upset & > discontinue service, maybe AOL will wake up and DO something about > it. It is not happening with any other provider that I know of. > I personally had this happen to me, & my 8 year old granddaughter > opened my e-mail- since the only e-mail was from relatives at that > time. (I surely didn't expect what we saw!!) I was just sick. I > STILL am over that. AOL told me that people are not only sending > out porno, but are hired only to get your credit card information > so they can sell the number to others. > Maybe all you AOL people should write in & complain - better yet > discontinue AOL & find a safer provider! > > ==== GEN-UNSOLVED-MYSTERIES Mailing List ==== > To contact the owner use, dwburgess@worldnet.att.net

Enough of this, please... AOL is the ONLY internet provider who has this happen to them, so just CHANGE providers. Why is this happening only to AOL subscribers? When enough people get upset & discontinue service, maybe AOL will wake up and DO something about it. It is not happening with any other provider that I know of. I personally had this happen to me, & my 8 year old granddaughter opened my e-mail- since the only e-mail was from relatives at that time. (I surely didn't expect what we saw!!) I was just sick. I STILL am over that. AOL told me that people are not only sending out porno, but are hired only to get your credit card information so they can sell the number to others. Maybe all you AOL people should write in & complain - better yet discontinue AOL & find a safer provider!

Dear List Members, As a room host in a Christian chat room on the internet i've learned something i would like to pass along to you cencerning some of these e-mails. we'll have an individual come in the room and ask who's on webtv or AOL etc...and people will answer as to what internet provider they use...and presto the person will have your e-mail addy....your nick @ what ever server you're using... and then the next day i see complaints about people getting undesired messages... so be very careful about infor you give out in these chat rooms.. lorna r maxwell i bid you peace @~~~<~~~<~~

Nope Dan, I, too, am an aol user and do exactly as you do with the same results - no spam and no porn. I belong to several gen. related mailing lists and do a lot of research. It's a relief after reading all the emails here..............Jane

The mystery behind AOL receiving Spam from other AOL Users are all the CD's that have FREE Hours. These spamers sign on for free, Send Spam, then the accounts are Closed. The accounts get closed as soon as we forward enough mail to Tosmail1. Sometimes keywords from Profiles are the triggers. I just Delete based on Subject line and if I open, I forward to AOL. I've tried several different Email Accounts besides AOL and it still happens, it's just like the mail I received today, 3 letters (bills) and 4 Spam (tossed in Circular file). Oh, Well...... Tricia

I am on AOL and I have never received any junk porn or casino mail. I do a lot or research and belong to several mail lists. I do not use chat rooms nor do I send my E-mail address to anyone other that the lists or someone I know. Maybe I'm just lucky?? Dean

Well I have AOL and have thought about using these wonderful mail controls the supposedly have to keep you from receiving junk e-mail. When I went to find out how to do it I realized that you have to either accept mail from addresses you type in or reject e-mail from almost everywhere. Since I am on several mailing lists, an e-mail loop of about 40 people, get several other newletters via e-mail and I am a college student that has to have e-mail access to my professors, blocking junk e-mail would be a very difficult task. Typing in all the addresses of people that I want to receive e-mail from would be tedious and time consuming. Instead, I just delete all mail from addresses I don't recognize. Deirdre Zehner

Hi list I find this letter from AOL interesting. I eliminated all (except AOL senders) porn/gambling spam by deleting it w/out opening it. Apparently some robot figured out that I was not interested. However, I am receiving at least 5 to 10 letters a day from AOL spammers. Sometimes I have received 5 or 6 copies of the same thing right in a row. So, if it is so easy for AOL to take care of it (per him), why can't it stop or at least slow down? I send them off to TOSEmail1, but they still keep coming. You can't filter out the name of the sender because the sender just changes their address. AOL explained this to me at one time. I find this AOL member situation about this AOL spam VERY discouraging! Jeannie :) Publisher of The Jericho Wall Genealogy Newsletter In a message dated 9/13/1999 12:08:54 AM Pacific Daylight Time, CMitchOCBU@aol.com writes: << --part1_b5e723f2.250dfc83_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Please note the response I got from AOL, everyone. Cassandra Mitchell Southern California --part1_b5e723f2.250dfc83_boundary Content-Type: message/rfc822 Content-Disposition: inline Return-path: Tosemail5@aol.com From: Tosemail5@aol.com Full-name: Tosemail5 Message-ID: <2e3b3a3b.250dfad8@aol.com> Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1999 02:59:36 EDT Subject: Re: Terms Of Service To: CMitchOCBU@aol.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: AOL 3.0 16-bit for Windows sub 38 Dear Member, Thank you for your letter concerning "spam" or "junk" email. While America Online can easily take action against other AOL members who engage in this type of activity, it is much more difficult to take action against spam emailers on other servers who target AOL members. We understand the annoying nature of this type of mail, and are working on many fronts to put an end to all types of junk mail. We're taking junk e-mailers to court. We've already launched lawsuits against notorious junk e-mail companies for using deceptive practices to send unwanted e-mail to AOL members. We'll keep up the legal pressure in the future. Please be assured America Online does not condone this type of mail, or approve or assist in any way in its distribution. Your screen name can be collected for these types of mailing lists through a variety of methods: capturing screen names in chat rooms, on bulletin boards, from the Usenet, on Web pages, and through random searches of our Member Directory if you have created a profile for your screen name. America Online's <A HREF="aol://4344:1204.mailcnt.9376642.525891810">MAIL CONTROLS</A> will allow you to protect yourself from unsolicited junk mail. At keyword <A HREF="aol://4344:1204.mailcnt.9376642.525891810">MAIL CONTROLS</A> you may block all Internet mail, receive Internet mail only from the email addresses you specify, block entire domains, or choose from several other options which are listed for you. If you have children who are receiving offensive spam mail from the Internet, we suggest you choose the option to "Allow mail from AOL Members and addresses listed. " List in the box only the Internet addresses of friends and family whom you wish to allow to send mail to your children. As most spam mail is sent from the Internet, this will allow only approved Internet addresses to send mail to your children's mailboxes. You may also wish to explore AOL's <A HREF="aol://4344:1580.prntcon.12263709.564517913">PARENTAL CONTROLS</A>. Please keep in mind that the "headers" and the "from" and "to" information on the Internet mail you receive can be manipulated to look as if the mail originated from AOL, from a legitimate site on the Internet, or even as though your screen name sent the mail to itself. If "@aol.com" appears after your screen name on the mail you receive, it was sent via the Internet, most likely with manipulated headers. Because many junk e-mail senders make use of innocent Internet sites with misconfigured mail software, it is not always possible to determine the actual site from which the junk e-mail originated. The original site (or site that was hijacked by the junk e-mailer) is contained in the "Received:" headers, located at the bottom of the mail you received. These lines read like postmarks, in reverse order from the most recent recipient (AOL) to the original sender. In most cases the first domain listed in the last Received line is where the mail came from If this sounds confusing, don't worry -- it often is! AOL's friendly Postmaster staff can help you find the origination site if you're having problems. You can either send mail to screen name: <A HREF="mailto:postmaster">Postmaster</A> or visit their online area at keyword: <A HREF="aol://1722:Postmaster">Postmaster</A> for help. Also keep in mind that some Internet e-mailers may "blind carbon copy" (BCC) your email address so it appears as though the mail you received was intended for someone else's address. If the junk mail you have received is from another AOL member, please forward that mail directly to the screen name: TOSEmail1. If you determine it was sent from the Internet, please forward the mail directly to the screen name: TOSSpam. While we welcome any suggestions or comments you may have concerning junk mail at TOSGeneral, in the future please forward junk mail only to the boxes specified above. Forwarding or "carbon copying" spam mail to other Terms of Service mailboxes results in slower response times to the mail appropriate for those boxes. At keyword <A HREF="aol://4344:1204.junkmail.9384291.560734573">JUNK MAIL</A> you will find the latest tips on battling junk mail, as well as updates on America Online's efforts against this Internet-wide problem. Please note, this screen name cannot accept replies. Therefore, if you have any comments or questions please go to Keyword: <A HREF="aol://4344:1732.TOSques.13704160.580831466">TOS Questions</A>. Regards, Rome Community Action Team America Online, Inc. >>

Listees: I have just returned from a 2 week 'adventure' from Cape Hatteras and driving up and down the east coast with Hurricane Dennis right behind us. So, I just read the thread about getting messages from the porn sites. Well, right before I left for vacation, I came upon a wesite that addresses just this issue and I am going to seriously check into what they have to offer. And that is---a porn-free internet service provider. The url is www.bible.com. Anybody that is sickened by this behavior should check out this site. I would not drop any list that I am on and am enjoying just because of these parasites. They know all kinds of ways of hacking into internet information. And if they can't use one way, they will find another. It seems if the public will not use service providers that have porn, it would have to cut into thier profits and perhaps it cut down on the pornography on the net. Thanks, Bobbi PS Even though I haven't gotten enough facts to present my mystery, yet, I am enjoying this list and others stories.

--part1_b5e723f2.250dfc83_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Please note the response I got from AOL, everyone. Cassandra Mitchell Southern California --part1_b5e723f2.250dfc83_boundary Content-Type: message/rfc822 Content-Disposition: inline Return-path: Tosemail5@aol.com From: Tosemail5@aol.com Full-name: Tosemail5 Message-ID: <2e3b3a3b.250dfad8@aol.com> Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1999 02:59:36 EDT Subject: Re: Terms Of Service To: CMitchOCBU@aol.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: AOL 3.0 16-bit for Windows sub 38 Dear Member, Thank you for your letter concerning "spam" or "junk" email. While America Online can easily take action against other AOL members who engage in this type of activity, it is much more difficult to take action against spam emailers on other servers who target AOL members. We understand the annoying nature of this type of mail, and are working on many fronts to put an end to all types of junk mail. We're taking junk e-mailers to court. We've already launched lawsuits against notorious junk e-mail companies for using deceptive practices to send unwanted e-mail to AOL members. We'll keep up the legal pressure in the future. Please be assured America Online does not condone this type of mail, or approve or assist in any way in its distribution. Your screen name can be collected for these types of mailing lists through a variety of methods: capturing screen names in chat rooms, on bulletin boards, from the Usenet, on Web pages, and through random searches of our Member Directory if you have created a profile for your screen name. America Online's <A HREF="aol://4344:1204.mailcnt.9376642.525891810">MAIL CONTROLS</A> will allow you to protect yourself from unsolicited junk mail. At keyword <A HREF="aol://4344:1204.mailcnt.9376642.525891810">MAIL CONTROLS</A> you may block all Internet mail, receive Internet mail only from the email addresses you specify, block entire domains, or choose from several other options which are listed for you. If you have children who are receiving offensive spam mail from the Internet, we suggest you choose the option to "Allow mail from AOL Members and addresses listed. " List in the box only the Internet addresses of friends and family whom you wish to allow to send mail to your children. As most spam mail is sent from the Internet, this will allow only approved Internet addresses to send mail to your children's mailboxes. You may also wish to explore AOL's <A HREF="aol://4344:1580.prntcon.12263709.564517913">PARENTAL CONTROLS</A>. Please keep in mind that the "headers" and the "from" and "to" information on the Internet mail you receive can be manipulated to look as if the mail originated from AOL, from a legitimate site on the Internet, or even as though your screen name sent the mail to itself. If "@aol.com" appears after your screen name on the mail you receive, it was sent via the Internet, most likely with manipulated headers. Because many junk e-mail senders make use of innocent Internet sites with misconfigured mail software, it is not always possible to determine the actual site from which the junk e-mail originated. The original site (or site that was hijacked by the junk e-mailer) is contained in the "Received:" headers, located at the bottom of the mail you received. These lines read like postmarks, in reverse order from the most recent recipient (AOL) to the original sender. In most cases the first domain listed in the last Received line is where the mail came from. If this sounds confusing, don't worry -- it often is! AOL's friendly Postmaster staff can help you find the origination site if you're having problems. You can either send mail to screen name: <A HREF="mailto:postmaster">Postmaster</A> or visit their online area at keyword: <A HREF="aol://1722:Postmaster">Postmaster</A> for help. Also keep in mind that some Internet e-mailers may "blind carbon copy" (BCC) your email address so it appears as though the mail you received was intended for someone else's address. If the junk mail you have received is from another AOL member, please forward that mail directly to the screen name: TOSEmail1. If you determine it was sent from the Internet, please forward the mail directly to the screen name: TOSSpam. While we welcome any suggestions or comments you may have concerning junk mail at TOSGeneral, in the future please forward junk mail only to the boxes specified above. Forwarding or "carbon copying" spam mail to other Terms of Service mailboxes results in slower response times to the mail appropriate for those boxes. At keyword <A HREF="aol://4344:1204.junkmail.9384291.560734573">JUNK MAIL</A> you will find the latest tips on battling junk mail, as well as updates on America Online's efforts against this Internet-wide problem. Please note, this screen name cannot accept replies. Therefore, if you have any comments or questions please go to Keyword: <A HREF="aol://4344:1732.TOSques.13704160.580831466">TOS Questions</A>. Regards, Rome Community Action Team America Online, Inc. --part1_b5e723f2.250dfc83_boundary--

This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------C0370C537D6D4249D8A01AF7 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Good Morning! I have AOL Instant Messager and ICQ. People can monitor who is online with both programs. Occasionally I do get porn stuff sent via ICQ as well as sent to my e-mail address. Since I've learned how to use the filter capability of each software, that has cut down on my aggravation TREMENDOUSLY! Pat McCoy =========================================== Martha Guthrie wrote: > Your porn is not coming from this list. It's coming from people who monitor > AOL. If you enjoy this list please do not unsub because I can tell you that > this happens on other lists and it's always an AOL member. > > I have an AOL account and I notice that every time I'm online I get porn - > these spammers have some way to "see" who is online. I get very little when > I check my mail - it all seems to come when I'm online. And I subscribe to > no lists on that account. l subscribe to about 25 lists on this account and > get very little porn considering the massive number of lists. > > Trust me, it's not the lists. Contact AOL or find another provider if you > are offended. Just don't cut off your nose to spite your face! <smile> > > At 06:16 PM 9/11/99 -0400, MSeyler155@aol.com wrote: > > By separate email I am unsubscribing to this list. I only belong to 3 > >lists and am getting so much porn it is unbelievable: 8 today so far! I am > >unsubscribing because one of the latest was titled: " Are we related?" so I > >wonder if they have plugged into the roots web address list. If it all stops, > >I will re subscribe one list at a time. Is anyone else having such a severe > >problem? > >Melinda > > > > > >==== GEN-UNSOLVED-MYSTERIES Mailing List ==== > >To contact the owner use, dwburgess@worldnet.att.net > > Martha HARDCASTLE GUTHRIE > "The cheese stands alone" > > You can see my pathetic wobbly first web page at: > http://hometown.aol.com/lofiwoman/myhomepage/index.html > > Coming soon! Martha's "I Used to be a Babe" page! > > ==== GEN-UNSOLVED-MYSTERIES Mailing List ==== > To contact the owner use, dwburgess@worldnet.att.net -- Pass it on to a friend!! I realize people like us aren't notorious for following directions, but it sure would make my life easier!! To Subscribe, send a message to Bones@inorbit.com with "GET JFT" in the subject line. To Stop Receiving, send a message to Bones@inorbit.com with "STOP JFT" in the subject line. --------------C0370C537D6D4249D8A01AF7 Content-Type: text/x-vcard; charset=us-ascii; name="vcard.vcf" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Description: Card for Pat McCoy Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="vcard.vcf" begin: vcard fn: Pat McCoy n: McCoy;Pat email;internet: Patricia.Mccoy@gallaudet.edu tel;work: 202.651.5781 tel;fax: 202.651.5109 x-mozilla-cpt: GATEWAY.NET;2 x-mozilla-html: FALSE version: 2.1 end: vcard --------------C0370C537D6D4249D8A01AF7--

This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------C89BC4B20BA04B0984472591 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Good morning! I have my filter set up to key in on certain words in porn messages and have those unsolicited e-mail dumped STRAIGHT into the trash bin! Does your e-mail program have filter capabiliity? Pat McCoy ================================== MSeyler155@aol.com wrote: > By separate email I am unsubscribing to this list. I only belong to 3 > lists and am getting so much porn it is unbelievable: 8 today so far! I am > unsubscribing because one of the latest was titled: " Are we related?" so I > wonder if they have plugged into the roots web address list. If it all stops, > I will re subscribe one list at a time. Is anyone else having such a severe > problem? > Melinda > > ==== GEN-UNSOLVED-MYSTERIES Mailing List ==== > To contact the owner use, dwburgess@worldnet.att.net -- Pass it on to a friend!! I realize people like us aren't notorious for following directions, but it sure would make my life easier!! To Subscribe, send a message to Bones@inorbit.com with "GET JFT" in the subject line. To Stop Receiving, send a message to Bones@inorbit.com with "STOP JFT" in the subject line. --------------C89BC4B20BA04B0984472591 Content-Type: text/x-vcard; charset=us-ascii; name="vcard.vcf" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Description: Card for Pat McCoy Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="vcard.vcf" begin: vcard fn: Pat McCoy n: McCoy;Pat email;internet: Patricia.Mccoy@gallaudet.edu tel;work: 202.651.5781 tel;fax: 202.651.5109 x-mozilla-cpt: GATEWAY.NET;2 x-mozilla-html: FALSE version: 2.1 end: vcard --------------C89BC4B20BA04B0984472591--

Hi list I would like to add to what Donna has written about this AOL problem which was very informative. I have also gone the route of talking to AOL about the problem. The correct place to forward any mail that has a link is TOSEmail1. Jeannie :) In a message dated 9/11/1999 7:29:53 PM Pacific Daylight Time, dkdreyer@pldi.net writes: << I don't ususally forward these types of messages, but since some already brought up the subject, thought I would pass along what I got from another list. This message is directed at people on this list who are AOL customers. If it does not apply to you, but you know someone who does use AOL, you may want to forward it on to them. Perhaps many of you have noticed a recent increase in e-mail being sent to you by what appears to be other members of AOL and have found upon opening it that it is an advertisement for pornography sites, on-line gambling, and other garbage that you would prefer not to receive in the first place. For one thing, it can fill up your mail box in a hurry if you don't open it very often. I was getting an average of three per day, and they were not that difficult to identify, even without opening them. So, most of the time I just delete them without opening them. Beginning last weekend I started recording the e-mail address of the person who sent the mail in hopes of getting revenge somehow. In a period of five days I had 18 porno ads and none of them were from the same person. That seemed mighty strange. Yesterday morning I contacted the AOL Community Action Team at 1-888-265-3733 and spoke to a lady about what was going on. She indicated that the same thing was happening to her, only in larger quantities. She also indicated that whoever is doing it has figured out a way to obtain members passwords and they are sending these notices out using other people's accounts. That explains why every address has been different. One of the ways they are obtaining access and passwords into AOL members accounts is by sending them e-mail with offers of free prizes from AOL. If you open these up and then download to see the free offer, it may ask you to enter your password to validate the prize. If you do, your hooked. The sad part is that probably most of the people who have been victimized by these sub-humans do not know this is happening to their account (YET). My next question was what can I do to stop getting this spam mail. Well it appears that it is going to probably take a while. But, what will help them catch the culprit(s) is to do the following steps: 1. If you open an e-mail from an AOL member (which you can recognize by the lack of a "@" followed by the internet service provider name), click on the "FORWARD" button and send it on to: tosspam (use lower case letters) 2. Then click on the "KEEP AS NEW" button 3. After that, click "DELETE" (unless you really do want to save it) NOTE: Even after deleting it, if you automatically save all outgoing e-mail you will still need to go to the "Mail Center" and choose "Read Off-Line Mail" so you can delete it from there as well. AOL will then use this information to do investigation of their own. Like I said, it may not stop the spam mail for a while, but it could be a start. Even more reason to be careful about what you download. I would suggest that you forward this note on to anyone else you know that uses AOL. >>

Hi, I was wondering about this. I have been on AOL for about three years, it is just herer lately that i have been getting up to 10 porn and gambling e-mails a day, I send them all to TOSEMAIL 1 and if a file is attached I send it to TOS Files, don't delete them forward them to this, that way AOL can do something about them. tawsha

A few weeks ago I dropped into a chat room for the first time - just to see what they wer all about. I was only there for about 3 minutes and before the night was over I rec'd 3 E-mails. I believe I saw something about being able to use a anonymous type name for the chat rooms. don In a message dated 09/12/1999 05:48:25 AM EST, GEN-UNSOLVED-MYSTERIES-D-request@rootsweb.com writes: << rom: Jemms72@aol.com To: GEN-UNSOLVED-MYSTERIES-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <b3d2094e.250c7d6a@aol.com> Subject: Re: [GEN-UNSOLVED-MYSTERIES] Unsolicited Porn - one more thing Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit The quickest way to get porn is to go into chat rooms. My husband went into one for about 10 minutes & had a porn problem for quite a while. It eased off since he stays out of the chat rooms now. I have a profile on aol & have >>

I've rare;u been in a chat roon there, but AOL seems to be the backbone of the problems even though it's not the source. Martha At 11:52 PM 9/11/99 -0400, Jemms72@aol.com wrote: >The quickest way to get porn is to go into chat rooms. My husband went into >one for about 10 minutes & had a porn problem for quite a while. It eased >off since he stays out of the chat rooms now. I have a profile on aol & have >no problem with porn. I believe it's the chat rooms. I have heard this from >other aol users too. >Elly > >In a message dated 09/11/1999 11:43:15 PM Eastern Daylight Time, >mothra@erinet.com writes: > ><< GEN-UNSOLVED-MYSTERIES-L@rootsweb.com >> > > >==== GEN-UNSOLVED-MYSTERIES Mailing List ==== >Support Rootsweb! Visit http://www.rootsweb.com ! >To contact the owner use, dwburgess@worldnet.att.net Martha HARDCASTLE GUTHRIE "The cheese stands alone" You can see my pathetic wobbly first web page at: http://hometown.aol.com/lofiwoman/myhomepage/index.html Coming soon! Martha's "I Used to be a Babe" page!

My husband and I talked about this and he does not have this problem with his AOL screen name. The difference between his and mine? I have a member profile and he does not. The porn does not bother me because I automatically delete it. I am not willing to eliminate my profile to avoid this - I work on my high school reunions and need to be accessible for genealogy and other reasons. I suspect if anyone having problems deletes their profile, this problem would disappear. Martha Martha HARDCASTLE GUTHRIE "The cheese stands alone" You can see my pathetic wobbly first web page at: http://hometown.aol.com/lofiwoman/myhomepage/index.html Coming soon! Martha's "I Used to be a Babe" page!

I don't ususally forward these types of messages, but since some already brought up the subject, thought I would pass along what I got from another list. This message is directed at people on this list who are AOL customers. If it does not apply to you, but you know someone who does use AOL, you may want to forward it on to them. Perhaps many of you have noticed a recent increase in e-mail being sent to you by what appears to be other members of AOL and have found upon opening it that it is an advertisement for pornography sites, on-line gambling, and other garbage that you would prefer not to receive in the first place. For one thing, it can fill up your mail box in a hurry if you don't open it very often. I was getting an average of three per day, and they were not that difficult to identify, even without opening them. So, most of the time I just delete them without opening them. Beginning last weekend I started recording the e-mail address of the person who sent the mail in hopes of getting revenge somehow. In a period of five days I had 18 porno ads and none of them were from the same person. That seemed mighty strange. Yesterday morning I contacted the AOL Community Action Team at 1-888-265-3733 and spoke to a lady about what was going on. She indicated that the same thing was happening to her, only in larger quantities. She also indicated that whoever is doing it has figured out a way to obtain members passwords and they are sending these notices out using other people's accounts. That explains why every address has been different. One of the ways they are obtaining access and passwords into AOL members accounts is by sending them e-mail with offers of free prizes from AOL. If you open these up and then download to see the free offer, it may ask you to enter your password to validate the prize. If you do, your hooked. The sad part is that probably most of the people who have been victimized by these sub-humans do not know this is happening to their account (YET). My next question was what can I do to stop getting this spam mail. Well it appears that it is going to probably take a while. But, what will help them catch the culprit(s) is to do the following steps: 1. If you open an e-mail from an AOL member (which you can recognize by the lack of a "@" followed by the internet service provider name), click on the "FORWARD" button and send it on to: tosspam (use lower case letters) 2. Then click on the "KEEP AS NEW" button 3. After that, click "DELETE" (unless you really do want to save it) NOTE: Even after deleting it, if you automatically save all outgoing e-mail you will still need to go to the "Mail Center" and choose "Read Off-Line Mail" so you can delete it from there as well. AOL will then use this information to do investigation of their own. Like I said, it may not stop the spam mail for a while, but it could be a start. Even more reason to be careful about what you download. I would suggest that you forward this note on to anyone else you know that uses AOL.

how would a person go about finding the adopted and real parents of a person adopted in the 1800's? My GG Grandmother, Sarah L. Coker, was adopted by the Gulledge family, she was a full blooded Cherokee Indian. I have been told that she lived with her tribe in SC and for some reason she was adopted by the Gulledge family. I am seeking a way to find records showing who she was before the adoption. Theresa Coker Porier foxylady@vidnet.net