How does junk mail get to me without my address in it?

[njem]

I notice some of the junk mail I get doesn't even have my address in
its "To" part. I loaded a couple to thunderbird which will show me all
headers and even source. Nowhere does it list my address. One has a
list of other addresses but not mine. Another has no "To" section at
all. This quirk might be useful in filtering. How does such an email
get to me without a "To" section and my address in it? Thanks.

 

[Bickford Shmeckler]

Could be sent using BCC, which you'd never be able to see.

:I notice some of the junk mail I get doesn't even have my address in
: its "To" part. I loaded a couple to thunderbird which will show me all
: headers and even source. Nowhere does it list my address. One has a
: list of other addresses but not mine. Another has no "To" section at
: all. This quirk might be useful in filtering. How does such an email
: get to me without a "To" section and my address in it? Thanks.

 

[njem]

I suppose that's it but even BCC must be in the email somewhere else
how do the routing programs no where to send it? Unless the protocols
call for stripping the BCC recipients at the last step before delivery
it is a puzzle isn't it?

 

[Bickford Shmeckler]

No, it's not a puzzle. If you could see the BCC, it wouldn't be a BCC, would
it?

:I suppose that's it but even BCC must be in the email somewhere else
: how do the routing programs no where to send it? Unless the protocols
: call for stripping the BCC recipients at the last step before delivery
: it is a puzzle isn't it?

 

[njem]

The puzzle is BCC cannot hide from viewing the source of an email as
text. Everything in a simple text email is there in text, all headers,
origins (if not faked) etc. And of course the bcc has to be with the
email as it routes around the internet to get to its destination. So
the only thing I can think is that the last step, the destination
server receiving the email, must strip off the bcc. Otherwise you
could look at source and see who all it was BCCed to.

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

With BCC, your mail server drops the message envelope after accepting the
message - your server knows where it goes and delivers it.