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I received spam via my website contact form from somebody who specified that he got my contact via one of the Stack Exchange's sites.

I understand that Stack Exchange may not have to deal this kind of spam, but they may be able to track down the Stack Exchange profile of the spammer.

Who should I contact to report this issue?

To clarify:

  • It's not a matter of private info being used (my website contact form isn't private), and I'm not complaining about somebody contacting me via my website (anyone can do that–they're are free to do it).

  • I just think that if somebody is using Stack Exchange to spam, instead of as intended (helping the community), Stack Exchange should know about it. Just like they do when somebody spams on a forum.

NOTE

The Terms of Service have been updated on April 19th 2016 to stop the spammers.

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  • 1
    "They may be able to track down the profile of the person who did it". How? – Daniel Springer Nov 16 '15 at 10:48
  • If I give them the info that was sent in the spam like the name, the email... – MagTun Nov 16 '15 at 10:59
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    See my name here? I can send you an email from example@gmail.com and sign myself "Joe Shmoe". How will SE know it's me? – Daniel Springer Nov 16 '15 at 11:01
  • Yes the info I have could lead to noting that why I wrote "may be able". Also it's not a gmail email but an email associated with a software website which comes back ≈180 times on superuser – MagTun Nov 16 '15 at 11:05
  • That should be in the question. – Daniel Springer Nov 16 '15 at 11:07
  • Sorry for this, I've edited the question – MagTun Nov 16 '15 at 11:15
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    security experts warn that stuff you put on the internet is on the internet – EnergyNumbers Nov 16 '15 at 11:16
  • @EnergyNumbers It's not a matter of private info (my website contact form isn't private) . I don't even complain about somebody contacting me via my website (anyone can do that) but I just think that if somebody if using SE to spam instead of using SE as it is intended (helping the community), SE should know about it. – MagTun Nov 16 '15 at 11:28
  • Put every piece of relevant info you know in the question. – Daniel Springer Nov 16 '15 at 11:31
  • Google it: there is a way to get the IP address (if I remember correctly) from an email. – Daniel Springer Nov 16 '15 at 11:32
  • @DaniSpringer See the edit in the question. I can't give the IP because the spam when through my website server first before arriving in my gmail account and (apparently) there is no way O can get the ip with them. – MagTun Nov 16 '15 at 11:38
  • Again, put all of that in the question! Good luck! – Daniel Springer Nov 16 '15 at 11:39
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    @Arone: It's not listed in the headers? – Lightness Races in Orbit Nov 16 '15 at 12:41
  • Possible duplicate of Is spam in the "about me" field a reason to worry? – gnat Nov 16 '15 at 21:42
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    @gnat: I don't see how this is a question of that at all. – ale Nov 17 '15 at 1:14
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Nothing to report.

If you don't want to be spammed, don't publish your contact info. Period.

I don't see any reason for SE team to spend their time on such things.

|improve this answer
  • It's not a matter of private info (my website contact form isn't private) . I don't even complain about somebody contacting me via my website (anyone can do that) but I just think that if somebody if using SE to spam instead of using SE as it is intended (helping the community), SE should know about it. Just like they do when somebody if spamming on the forums – MagTun Nov 16 '15 at 11:39
  • The OP wasn't asking for opinions, rather what to do. – Daniel Springer Nov 16 '15 at 11:41
  • @ArthurFischer just what they do with others profile who spam. – MagTun Nov 16 '15 at 11:42
  • @Dani I know, and the first sentence means "nothing to do", which is direct response to what the OP asked. – ShaWiz Nov 16 '15 at 12:13
  • I'd change it. But that's my opinion ;) – Daniel Springer Nov 16 '15 at 13:33
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    @Dani so post a new answer. :) – ShaWiz Nov 16 '15 at 13:36
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To add to Shadow's excellent and on-the-nose answer, no, there is nothing anyone can do.

Email links don't create an audit trail, "From" fields are forgeable (calling that "forging" is a reach, frankly), and you have no legal right to the personal information of other SE users. In reality, it's more likely your address was harvested by robots/crawlers, not an actual SE user.

Spam via email is a fact of life. Either publish your email address and deal with it (using a combination of automated and brain-powered filtering), or do not publish your email address.

I was going to send you an email pretending to be Jon Skeet to prove the point, but apparently you've already removed your address from your profile so, problem solved. :)

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  • It's not a matter of private info being used (my website contact form isn't private!). I don't even complain about somebody contacting me via my website (anyone can do that there are free to do it!). I just think that if somebody if using SE to spam instead of using SE as it is intended (helping the community), SE should know about it. Just like they do when somebody if spamming on the forums – MagTun Nov 16 '15 at 11:48
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    @Arone: You do not need to write a paragraph in the question and then copy it verbatim onto all the answers. I read it the first time! And I understand what you're saying, and appreciate your laudable goals, but this is (a) technically infeasible, (b) probably not what you think it is, and (c) not a worthwhile use of engineer time, especially when those engineers have enough to do countering spam actually written on the network, to want to spend time countering spam sent off it. Just turn on your spam filter and move on. Life's too short! – Lightness Races in Orbit Nov 16 '15 at 11:49
  • Hang on, you got spam from your contact form, saying that they got your contact from SE? Surely they didn't need to, because they used your contact form.... – Lightness Races in Orbit Nov 16 '15 at 11:51
  • Sorry for the copypast but I thought you didn't read it because you answer focused on the private info used, not on the fact that there is people using SE to spam (on the forum they are targeted so why not if they used the website in another way). For your second comment : Because Ana mentioned she has seen my profile on SuperUser. I wasn't contacted via this profile but via another profile where the website is still there. – MagTun Nov 16 '15 at 11:57
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    Ok well you're not listening, so... – Lightness Races in Orbit Nov 16 '15 at 12:41
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    Spammers often lie. "I got your contact info from SE" is as likely to be true as "I have access to the estate of someone with the same last name as you." There's no reason for SE to get involved because they don't have a mechanism that the spammers could be misusing. – Kate Gregory Nov 16 '15 at 17:35
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How?

You can contact SE via the "Contact Us" link on the bottom of every page of the website.

Is that the way to go?

I don't think so.

I received spam via my website contact form from somebody who specified that he got my contact via one of the SE sites.

Then you may not want your info on there, regardless.
Needless to say, SE has no control on what the world does with info you publicize, and for your info, your SE profile is most probably public.

I understand that SE may not have to deal this kind of spam, but they may be able to track down the profile of the person who did it.

Wouldn't attempting in tracking down the person be just that? Namely "have to deal with this kind of Spam"?

Who should I contact to report this issue?

Try the Contact us on the bottom, if posting here doesn't solve it.
Disclaimer: I don't think that it's the right thing to do. You wrote yourself that "I understand that SE may not have to deal this kind of".

To make it clear :
It's not a matter of private info being used (my website contact form isn't private!).

Your SE profile is not either.

I'm not complaining about somebody contacting me via my website.

That does seems to be just your complaint.

I just think that if somebody if using SE to spam instead of using SE as it is intended (helping the community), SE should know about it.
Just like they do when somebody if spamming on the forums.

No one seems to be using SE to spam you.
Rather, the info you provided, which was, and is your choice, was used.

SE should know about it, IF it happens on SE.
Here, it's happening from your website.

Again, you can post here, and use (without my agreement, for whatever matter it may matter) the Contact us on the bottom, but my best suggestion is to remove that information, as SE has zero control as long as it is public.

P.S.: How would it help anyhow if they track the person down?

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    I find your post hard to read with all that markup – rene Nov 16 '15 at 15:24
  • I'll retry soon. Feel free to intervene @rene. Thanks for the notice. – Daniel Springer Nov 16 '15 at 15:48
  • Hmm..@rene how would you alternate between the original text and the answers? – Daniel Springer Nov 16 '15 at 15:51
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    I normally use > to create a blockquote to indicate what the OP wrote and then use normal formatting for my argumentation. – rene Nov 16 '15 at 15:53
  • You mean yellow? Btw, better now? And, how do you end a yellow thing? Every time I make one, it goes all the way to the end of my post. – Daniel Springer Nov 16 '15 at 16:02
  • Dani see my edit. That is what @rene meant. If you want, feel free to roll back. – ShaWiz Nov 16 '15 at 16:17
  • Perfect. Thanks guys/girls. – Daniel Springer Nov 16 '15 at 16:18
  • @rene just wondering, what's your opinion on the version right before the yellow? Better then before? Worse? – Daniel Springer Nov 16 '15 at 16:19
  • I did the same @sha did only here so you could experiment a little bit with the features – rene Nov 16 '15 at 16:20
  • And @ShadowWizard your's too, please. – Daniel Springer Nov 16 '15 at 16:20
  • I prefer this yellow formatting. All those Q&A's are confusing and hard to read. (Might be just me, used to SE markup though) – ShaWiz Nov 16 '15 at 16:21
  • The last yellow wasn't meant to be at this point :) – Daniel Springer Nov 16 '15 at 16:24

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