What is Spamcop?
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SpamCop is one of the oldest spam reporting and blocking services, operating continuously since 1998 (now owned by Cisco). Its blocklist (SCBL) is built primarily from user reports - when recipients forward spam to SpamCop, the system analyzes it and may list the sending IP.
Impact Level: Medium. SpamCop is widely queried but known for fast listing and fast delisting. A brief SpamCop listing usually resolves quickly if you stop the offending behavior, unlike some lists that require manual intervention.
Key characteristics:
- User-driven: Listings come from spam reports submitted by SpamCop users
- Fast on, fast off: IPs can be listed quickly but also delist automatically once reports stop
- Trap network: Also uses spamtraps to detect spam sources
- Transparent: Tells you which reports triggered the listing
What triggers listing:
- Multiple spam reports from SpamCop users
- Hitting SpamCop-operated spam traps
- Consistent pattern of reported messages
How to check: Visit spamcop.net/bl.shtml
Delisting process: SpamCop is largely automatic - listings expire 12-24 hours after reports stop arriving. If reports continue, so does the listing. The key is stopping whatever is generating the reports:
- Identify the source of complaints (usually complaint feedback loops help)
- Stop mailing the complainants
- Wait for automatic delisting (typically within 24 hours of last report)
Manual delisting: Available at spamcop.net/fom-serve/cache/298.html but usually unnecessary if you've addressed the root cause.
SpamCop is democracy in action - real users voting on what's spam. Get enough votes against you and you're out, but the court of public opinion has a short memory once you reform your ways.
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