Information Technology Services:

How to include the headers when reporting SPAM or Non-SPAM

When forwarding an unwanted or abusive email to postmasters for action, it's very important that you include all of the header information. A great number of spammers, for instance, will do all they can to blur the origin of their message, but they can't forge everything! So here's a guide to viewing full headers in a variety of popular mail clients.

Headers in Webmail (https://webmail.mills.edu)

• Open the message by clicking on its Subject in you INBOX or other folder message list page.
• Click on "Message Source" in the "Action Menu" (the Action Menu is the gray bar just above the Date: Line).
• This will open the message in a new window, now with the mouse "Highlight and Copy" the first section of the message, it will look like this:

Return-Path: <some_email@yahoo.com>
Delivered-To: teststud@mills.edu
Received: (qmail 26267 invoked by uid 94); 18 Aug 2003 16:04:53 -0000
Received: from some_email@yahoo.com by ella by uid 91 with qmail-scanner-1.16 (uvscan: v4.1.60/v4284. spamassassin: 2.55. Clear:SA:0(2.7/4.0):. Processed in 4.987761 secs); 18 Aug 2003 16:04:53 -0000
Received: from web13901.mail.yahoo.com (216.136.175.27) by ella.mills.edu with SMTP; 18 Aug 2003 16:04:48 -0000 Message-ID: <20030818160448.39163.qmail@web13901.mail.yahoo.com>
Received: from [144.91.3.139] by web13901.mail.yahoo.com via HTTP; Mon, 18 Aug 2003 09:04:48 PDT Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2003 09:04:48 -0700 (PDT)
From: John Smith <some_email@yahoo.com>
Subject: Hello from Yahoo Mail
To: teststud@mills.edu
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
X-Spam-Status: No, hits=2.7 required=4.0
tests=SUB_HELLO
version=2.55
X-Spam-Level: **
X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 2.55 (1.174.2.19-2003-05-19-exp)
X-Spam-Report: ---- Start SpamAssassin results
2.70 points, 4 required;
* 2.7 -- Subject starts with "Hello"
---- End of SpamAssassin results

You can now Paste the header into a new message to spam-report@mills.edu or not-spam@mills.edu

• In Thundebird, just go to the View menu, select Headers and then All, then forward the message.

Full Headers in Microsoft Outlook Express
and Outlook (Full)

• Outlook Express will include the full headers if you forward the message as an attachment.

To Send the Full Headers Without an Attachment
(this is preferred)

• Open the message, then in the message window do: File --> Properties then click the "Details" box.
  You will get another smaller window, use you mouse to highlight and copy the headers then close the open Properties boxes and Message.
  Now Forward the message (in-line) to
  spam-report@mills.edu and Paste in the headers at the top of the message. Click Send and your done.

Outlook (Full)

• Right click on the message and select "Options"
  With the mouse highlight and copy the text in the "Internet headers box" It will scroll with the mouse.
  Now Forward the message to spam-report@mills.edu
  Delete your signature, the forwarded notation and "mini-header" with the keyboard, DO NOT "cut" it.
  Paste in the original header you copied earlier.
• Click Send and your all done.