On July 10th, 2008 while going about my normal work related stuff – sending out tons of emails from my work related Comcast email account I discovered I could no longer send out any email. I could receive email, but none would go out.
While trying to figure out what was going on – running some test sends from my other email accounts to see if it was related to Outlook, Outlook Express, etc… – I received this lovely email from Comcast:
[b] Dear Comcast Subscriber: [/b]
ACTION REQUIRED: Comcast has determined that your computer(s) have been used to send unsolicited email (“spam”), which is generally an indicator of a virus. For your own protection and that of other Comcast customers, we have taken steps to prevent further transmission of spam from your computer(s).
[b]Comcast.Net WebMail Users[/b]
If you use a web browser to access your email, this change will not affect your service. However, it is important that you take steps to remove the virus and secure your computer(s). This can be done by using the FREE McAfee Antivirus and Firewall software available from Comcast on the Comcast Security Channel or by using other popular antivirus solutions that are widely available.
[b]Third-Party Mail Client Users (Outlook, Outlook Express, etc.) [/b]
If you use Outlook Express, the steps we have taken to protect the Comcast network will not allow you to send email until you apply a simple one click fix available at http://www.comcastsupport.com/alternateport. While this will restore your ability to send mail it is still important to remove any possible viruses from your computer. This can be done by using the McAfee Antivirus and Firewall software (offered to Comcast.net subscribers at no additional charge) availa ble from Comcast on the Comcast Security Channel or by using other popular antivirus solutions that are widely available.
Note: this one click fix currently only works with Internet Explorer. If you use a different browser, please click here for steps to manually change your port.
If you are using a third-party client other than Outlook Express (Outlook, Eudora, Thunderbird, etc.), please click here for instructions.
Comcast is focused on providing a secure internet experience for all of our customers. Please visit the Comcast Security Channel regularly to stay up to date with the latest security threats, products, and services
If you have additional questions please visit (www.comcast.net/help).
Thank you for choosing Comcast!
Sincerely,
Comcast Customer Security Assurance
——————————————-
Now I knew for a fact I had no virus, but I also knew I had and have always sent tons of email in a short period of time some containing several attachments and including several people in my send to. All high trigger flags for a “spammer”.
Before I picked up the phone to call Comcast to give them a piece of my mind. I decided I’d first go ahead and do what they asked. I ran another Virus check using their suggested link, even though I had already ran three of these throughout the night (they are all auto scheduled). I didn’t want Comcast claiming I didn’t follow their email by the letter. So the new virus scan was ran – nothing was found. I then proceeded to change my port number for all 4 of my Comcast accounts (as all four of them were now blocked from being able to send out email) and marked the little box that says “My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication” as suggested since I run Outlook – I was back in business.
However, this whole process ticked me off that Comcast would have the nerve to flag me. So I first jotted them off a feedback. After waiting 24 hrs for a response which is the time frame one can expect to receive a response according to their website. I called them. I guess my email got blocked 🙂 The person I spoke with informed me that yes the large volume of emails in a short period of time would have my account(s) flagged/blocked – Especially if they contained attachments. The offending attachments that apparently got me labeled and flagged as a spammer were text and HTML files. They were newsletters. I asked if they could change my status but was told they were unable to do that.
Since I could now send out email, I decided to let the issue drop. That was my BIG mistake.
Starting today, I discovered all the emails I had sent that contained attachments weren’t being received by the attended recipient. How did I discover this? When I was pinged by a co-worker asking when they could expect a file I had emailed 30 minutes prior. I emailed the file to them again, but it never arrived in their inbox.
So, I decided to do a little investigating. First, I tried sending an email with no attachment. Ok, that worked – email received. Then I tried sending out from each of my accounts with the same attachment I tried earlier to send – nope, not received. Then I tried to send using an attachment that had previously gone through fine – still not getting to where its suppose to go. Then I tried different attachments – text only, no HTML, a .JPG, a spreadsheet, etc… Nada – not one got to where it was going. So my next step – I tried sending the same attachment from earlier today from my Gmail account and guess what? The email with attachment was received by the intended recipient. So now I knew it was Comcast related. My final test before I started War World III with Comcast – I logged into my web based email client. After all the above email from Comcast said using the web based client wouldn’t block outgoing email. Yeah right! All email with an attachment never arrived to the intended recipient. There it was in my sent folder claiming it was sent but where it went once I hit that send button? – Destination unknown. An error message would have been nice. But noooooooooo I wasn’t afforded that luxury.
Now, I am ticked, pissed, completely and utterly moving quickly into rage mode. I followed all the rules that Comcast placed on me based on their previous email. Yet here they were blocking my attachments from being sent.
Had they ever taken the time to actually look at the emails (and I do know they have that ability to do so if they choose) that they were blocking they would have seen there was a full back and forth discussion that had taken place between myself and the intended recipient(s) within the body of the email that we had started BEFORE my final email back that contained the attachments that were blocked. Last time I checked – spammers don’t have full back and forth discussions with a recipient. But then again – maybe they do.
Had they also looked further into my activities they would have seen there is roughly a handful of folks I email on a regular basis in a short period of time with attachments. All are the same people over and over. Last time I checked Spammers don’t make money off of sending spam to just a handful of the same exact folks (but then again – maybe they do). But it could be a virus you say? Sure, but I have over 100 people on my Contact list – Viruses tend to either limit themselves to the first few listed in your contact list (none of my daily recipients are in the top 30 with two not being in my contact list at all), or they send to everyone in your contact list.
So, I decide to contact Comcast once again. This time I decide to try their live chat instead of an email since I could make a copy of the conversation. I log into their live chat room, and begin my chat with “Perry” my Comcast Tech assistance. I explain to Perry my past history starting with July 10th’s email from Comcast all the way up to my now current problem of not being able to send an email that contained an attachment. After asking me a few questions, having me try a few tests (sending through my web based email client), he was unable to help. He gave me a reporting number and said someone would contact me in 24 hrs. Hmmm… where have I heard that before??
I then decided to call Comcast directly. My first few tries got me directed to a recording that stated – Service in your area on such and such blocks and roads is not working” well that is fine and dandy but I don’t live anywhere near them areas. Buzzzzzzzz…. I was disconnected after the recording. So I call back again. After 4 hours, yes 4 hrs of trying to get a real live person – I press the button for “disconnect my service” – hmm.. seems that won’t work – the recording says the office is not open call back during regular operating hours. Buzzzzzz… the call is disconnected once again. What to do what to do, as I now have steam coming out of my ears. I call once more and pick – Comcast pro (it sounded more important than just a customer) – ah ha! I got a real live person. I got so excited I almost dropped the phone and the poor guy on the other end had to listen to a loud – woo hoo!!!
I spoke with a young man named “Daniel” who listened to my story that I had already explained to the Chat tech guy. Daniel pulled up my account, reset the account, and had me try again to resend an attachment. Nothing – nada. So now it was back over to the web based email client for another test – nope nothing.
This young man explained that Comcast had a new system in place that they recently started to try and block as much spam as possible due to customer complaints over their spam issues. Well I can understand that, after all I have in the past forwarded spam to Comcast’s spam team. He also asked me how many people I normally send to on a daily basis in a short period of time (as I had explained to him I do send to several people in a short period of time with attachements and I believe that is what caused all this mess to start with), he also asked how many people I had in my contact list, I told him that. He asked if I had changed my port number as requested – yes I did (I also mentioned I didn’t think it was right I had to do this since I had done nothing wrong, nor did I have a virus on my system). We chatted for a good 30 minutes or so on what could be causing the problem. All he could find was that my account had been flagged for sending spam. After a few more tests of being unable to send an attachment including resetting my account(s) once again, he transferred me to their Customer Assurance Team. He said they should be able to find out exactly what was causing my attachments to be blocked.
The gentleman I got from the Customer Assurance team, did a few checks, did something else and finally asked me to send him an email from my web based email client with the attachments I was trying to send earlier that day. Once more I logged into my web based email client, and sent him the attachments – He came back and said he received the attachments just fine. Hmmm.. now that is weird??? So we did another send to myself using one account and sending to another – nothing – no email, no attachments received. I was then instructed to change some settings in my web based email client. Which I did. This did not help, however, I did find that all of a sudden attachments sent to someone who was not a Comcast customer could now receive my attachments. Now, we are getting somewhere – I thought. The gentleman said to give it another 24 hrs (there is that 24 hr thing again) and if the problem continued to call them back. He did explain that their new system they were now using was causing some problems (some?? I can bet I am not the only one being flagged as a spammer).
I tell him thank you, hang up and head off to test my limitations. I was successful in sending to my co-workers Gmail account a 3MB spreadsheet, a couple of text files, and then we ran into problems – the HTML file she needed would not go through – here we go again
To make a long story short – Comcast still has my account(s) flagged for spamming (I still must keep my port number set to 587 and I must have the little box that says “My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication” checked) . I still can not send an attachment to my other Comcast account(s) or send an attachment to another Comcast customer. I am once again unable to send a HTML attachment to someone who is not a Comcast customer (the very short brief time I could seems to have had its window closed). I still do not know how the tech guy got my attachments (his email addy was a Comcast one), yet I can not send one to myself.
Looks like Comcast and I have a phone date again tomorrow – anybody care to vouch for the fact I am not a spammer? :p
-Tammy 🙂
