Spam's Getting Smart

I've been corresponding over one of my usual mailing lists, but one which I haven't been public on for a bit. Last night, though, I sent 2 or 3 messages out over this list.

The funniest thing happened today. I received a number of responses from an address which I think has only been seen on that list. It's from a guy in Boulder, CO, and his mail on that list has been scarse for a year or two. But that's not the funny part.

The funny part was that it was spam, and the subject of the mail was taken from my mail; it looked like a reply, with just the usual misnamed image attachments which are really virus-laden screensavers and stuff. The reason why it's funny is because it cannot be a coincidence that the first time I see mail from him is in response to mail seen on a mailing list which we both haven't frequented in a while, and with a subject which matches what I've just written after a long dry spell.

No; the funny part is that it looks like spammers are compiling lists of what addresses go where, and using them to make their spam look all that more tempting to people. "I wonder what Jim sent in all these pictures," we're supposed to say, and open them without wondering why Jim's sending mail from Mexico though a Malay relay.