| How to avoid spam > Identifying spam > History |
Usenet spam is in all probability as old as Usenet itself, but for many years it was extremely low in volume. However, in March 1994, all of that changed.
(Technical note: To aid display on a Web browser, the "Newsgroups" line has been reformatted. In the original posting all the newsgroups were listed on one long line.)
Article 1266 of alt.tv.mwc: Xref: cix.compulink.co.uk alt.text.dwb:106 alt.tla:222 alt.toon-pics:487 alt.toys.hi-tech:1587 alt.toys.transformers:3883 alt.travel.road-trip:760 alt.tv.animaniacs:9522 alt.tv.antagonists:49 alt.tv.babylon-5:12351 alt.tv.beakmans-world:583 alt.tv.infomercials:390 alt.tv.la-law:1383 alt.tv.mash:2121 alt.tv.melrose-place:2482 alt.tv.mwc:1266 alt.tv.nickelodeon:228 alt.tv.nypd-blue:237 alt.tv.saved-bell:565 alt.tv.snl:1682 alt.tv.talkshows.late:679 alt.tv.time-traxx:226 alt.usage.english:18461 alt.usage.german:474 alt.video.laserdisc:4705 alt.visa.us:3023 alt.war:4046 alt.war.civil.usa:7432 alt.war.vietnam:2611 alt.wedding:8771 alt.wolves:1313 alt.wonderment.bgjw:6 alt.zen:273 alt.zines:2643 Newsgroups: alt.text.dwb,alt.tla,alt.toon-pics,alt.toys.hi-tech,alt.toys.transformers,alt.travel.road-trip,alt.tv.animaniacs, alt.tv.antagonists,alt.tv.babylon-5,alt.tv.beakmans-world,alt.tv.infomercials,alt.tv.la-law,alt.tv.mash,alt.tv.melrose-place, alt.tv.mwc,alt.tv.nickelodeon,alt.tv.nypd-blue,alt.tv.saved-bell,alt.tv.saved-by-the-bell,alt.tv.snl,alt.tv.talkshows.late, alt.tv.time-traxx,alt.usage.english,alt.usage.german,alt.video.laserdisc,alt.visa.us,alt.war,alt.war.civil.usa,alt.war.vietnam, alt.wedding,alt.wolves,alt.wonderment.bgjw,alt.zen,alt.zines,athena.announcements,athena.forsale,athena.gamit,athena.housing, athena.misc,atl.general,atl.jobs,atl.olympics,atl.resumes,aus.ads.commercial,aus.ads.forsale,aus.ads.jobs,aus.ads.wanted, aus.archives,aus.aviation,aus.bicycle Path: cix.compulink.co.uk!uknet!EU.net!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!library.ucla.edu!csulb.edu!nic-nac.CSU.net!csus.edu!netcom.com!cslaw From: cslaw@netcom.com (Laurence A Canter) Subject: Green Card Lottery Information and Assistance available. Message-ID: <cslawCMJ113.4pr@netcom.com> Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest) X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL1] Date: Sat, 12 Mar 1994 00:51:03 GMT Lines: 18 The Green Card Lottery is a completely legal program giving away Green Cards to persons born in certain countries. PERSONS BORN IN MOST COUNTRIES QUALIFY, MANY FOR FIRST TIME. Only countries not qualifying are: Mexico; India; P.R. China; Philippines & Korea. There are also several countries that are uncertain at this time. They are: Canada; U.K.; Taiwan; Jamaica; Viet Nam and Dominican Republic. Lottery registration will take place soon. 55,000 Green Cards will be given to those who register correctly. NO JOB IS REQUIRED. THERE IS A STRICT DEADLINE. THE TIME TO START IS NOW!! For FREE information via Email, send request to Canter & Siegel Immigration Attorneys 3333 E Camelback Road, Ste 250, Phoenix AZ 85018 602 661 3911 (telephone) 602 451 7617 (fax) cslaw@netcom.com
One month later he was at it again, this time from a different mailbox:
Article 1564 of alt.animation.warner-bros: Xref: cix.compulink.co.uk alt.animation.warner-bros:1564 alt.animals.humans:23 Path: cix.compulink.co.uk!uknet!EU.net!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!hookup!news2.sprintlink.net!news.sprintlink.net!indirect.com!nike From: nike@indirect.com (Laurence Canter) Newsgroups: alt.animation.warner-bros,alt.animals.humans Subject: Green Card Lottery- Final One? Date: 12 Apr 1994 07:37:58 GMT Organization: Canter & Siegel Lines: 34 Message-ID: <2odj4m$218@herald.indirect.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: id1.indirect.com Green Card Lottery 1994 May Be The Last One! THE DEADLINE HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED. The Green Card Lottery is a completely legal program giving away a certain annual allotment of Green Cards to persons born in certain countries. The lottery program was scheduled to continue on a permanent basis. However, recently, Senator Alan J Simpson introduced a bill into the U. S. Congress which could end any future lotteries. THE 1994 LOTTERY IS SCHEDULED TO TAKE PLACE SOON, BUT IT MAY BE THE VERY LAST ONE. PERSONS BORN IN MOST COUNTRIES QUALIFY, MANY FOR FIRST TIME. The only countries NOT qualifying are: Mexico; India; P.R. China; Taiwan, Philippines, North Korea, Canada, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland), Jamaica, Domican Republic, El Salvador and Vietnam. Lottery registration will take place soon. 55,000 Green Cards will be given to those who register correctly. NO JOB IS REQUIRED. THERE IS A STRICT JUNE DEADLINE. THE TIME TO START IS NOW!! For FREE information via Email, send request to cslaw@indirect.com -- ***************************************************************** Canter & Siegel, Immigration Attorneys 3333 E Camelback Road, Ste 250, Phoenix AZ 85018 USA cslaw@indirect.com telephone (602)661-3911 Fax (602) 451-7617
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