http://groups.google.com/group/news.admin.net-abuse.email/msg/1de050b...

I just changed my original unique Ameritrade email address which was
getting spammed, to a new unique email address, on my first account on
7/6/2006, and on my second account on 7/14/2006.

Today (7/28/2006) I received a spam at this new address. It is not an
easily guessed address (aaaaaa-aaaaa-aaa@ourdomain, where a's are
letters, some random). My machines have not been compromised by
viruses. The answer is Ameritrade is leaking them, in my opinion.

I complained to them again today, and within 10 minutes I received a
form letter response concering Ameritrade's privacy policy, as if that
is what I am complaining about. (NOWHERE does it tell me they divulge
my email address to raunchy spammers.) I believe their is an employee
selling our information, or a security leak at ameritrade. No one seems
to believe me, but the thread I referenced above should make someone at
Ameritrade wake up before someone with more time than I have decides to
get serious, legally.

I have decided to perform an experiment. I have just updated my
ameritrade addresses to a set of 47 random characters, drawn from a
38-character pool (a-z, 0-9, dash, and period). Based on how slow
someone would have to check addresses to dictionary attack our server,
it would take 10^68 YEARS to guess this new email address if you ran
through every permutation.

That takes care of the idea that it might be spammer guessing my email
address.

I have also taken precautions to make sure this email address never
ends up on my computer system. It is only stored in our secured mail
server.

That takes care of the idea that it might be a virus divulging my email
address.

Add to that that I have a hundred other unique addresses used with
other companies, which are NOT being spammed.

I will update this thread when I receive a spam at this new address, if
only to amuse myself, as Ameritrade seems willing to wait until they're
cutting a check for damages.