Michael P. Smith wrote:
>
>   I am trying to find out if anyone else has received a piece of what I
consider
> "unacceptable e-mail".  The e-mail in question was from [log in to unmask] and
was an
> offer for child pornography <shudder>.  The message starts off saying that
my
> e-mail address was on a list of people interested in child pornography and
that
> he has pictures and tapes to sell to someone like me.

Michael,

The e-mail is believed to be, at its core, a hoax. The following is a story
that appeared on the Reuter's newswire yesterday (I'm repeating it here in
total, in hopes of no copyright violation, on the principle that there's
nothing deader than yesterday's news).

Wirt Atmar

================================

Reuter

WASHINGTON (Oct. 22) - The Federal Bureau of Investigation said Tuesday it is
looking into an electronic mail message sent to thousands of Internet users
offering child pornography for sale from a post office box in New York.

     ''Police departments and FBI offices around the country have received
numerous reports relating to the e-mail message,'' the bureau said in a
statement. ''The message is a hoax and the matter is being investigated.''

     The messages appeared to come from two accounts at America Online Inc,
R9ch and TipToe0001, and recipients around the world deluged the online
service with complaints, the FBI said.

     America Online responded with a message stating that the accounts had
been disconnected Monday morning and the service's legal department was
investigating.

     But on Tuesday, the service discovered that the users at the two
addresses were not involved in sending the messages.

     ''We have determined that they were not the actual senders,'' said
William Burrington, director of law and public policy. ''We're not sure yet
how those AOL addresses were able to be used to send this material but we're
confident that the subscribers were not the ones.''

     Burrington said the company's own computers containing subscriber data
were not breached. AOL is cooperating with law enforcement agencies, he said.
''We still have our zero tolerance policy for child pornography.''

     Hackers have in the past established bogus America Online accounts using
stolen credit card numbers and the signup disks the service widely
distributes by mail and in magazines.

     The e-mail message offered pictures, video and audio tapes, posters and
games based on child pornography for sale with an address in the Jackson
Heights section of New York City.

Reut19:17 10-22-96

================================