What Is Forged E-Mail?
There's a new type of spam called "forged e-mail" or "spoofing." Spammers can obtain e-mail address lists, which may include valid U-M addresses. They use these addresses in the "From" field of spam they send. If yours is "selected," the spam looks like it came from you. Consequently, it also looks like it comes from within the University.
U-M IT security staff have begun receiving complaints from individuals both outside and within the University. Recipients are amazed we would allow this often-pornographic spam to be sent from U-M addresses. If you receive a complaint, you may worry that your e-mail account has been compromised. While this is unlikely, it's always a good idea to change your password regularly.
We are very concerned about forged e-mail. However, technically, it is very simple for spammers to forge U-M e-mail addresses, and we are not able to prevent them from doing so.
You may discover your e-mail address has been forged if you:
receive delivery rejection notices for messages you haven't sent; if the recipient's e-mail address is invalid, the message is returned to you because your address is in the "From" field. The only thing you can do is delete the message.
receive complaints from people who believe you are the sender. If you receive a complaint, the U-M IT User Advocate has created a standard reply message for you which explains forged e-mail.
Information Technology User Advocate at the University of Michigan
abuse@umich.edu
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