SEM Backscatter Blacklist: What Is It and How To Remove Yourself From It

What is a SEM Backscatter Blacklist?

SEM stands for “Spam Eating Monkey”.  The SEM Backscatter Blacklist primarily focuses on email traffic from a server that gets bounced back.  Backscatter Blacklists can also be known as outscatter, misdirected bounces, blowback, or collateral spam.  All of these terms mean the same thing, the incorrect automated bounce messages sent by mail servers.  Spammers duplicate the source address in IP packets sent to their target.  These fake communications look so similar to the real ones, the victim usually cannot tell the difference and may respond to the wrong one.  As a result, the spammers win.  A general rule of thumb regarding how blacklists work is that if you participate in email activity that can be interpreted as spam, malicious, or unwarranted then it can end up landing you on a blacklist.

How Do I Find Out If I Am On The SEM Backscatter Blacklist?

The easiest way for you to determine if you are on a blacklist is to simply sync an inbox under the domain in question to our platform. Every inbox synced to Warmup Inbox gets run by the 24 most common IPv4 blacklists to determine if your inbox and associated domain has been listed on one.

A few reasons you may have found yourself on the SEM Backscatter Blacklist are:

• You were victim to a malware-filled spam message
• Your IP Address was also used by spammers or bulk mail senders
• Your IP Address did not comply with the CAN-SPAM Act.

How Can I Remove Myself From The SEM Backscatter Blacklist?

Unfortunately, the SEM Backscatter Blacklist does not offer the option to request removal.  The only way an IP Address is removed from the SEM Backscatter Blacklist is time.  Fifteen days must pass for the IP to be automatically removed from the Blacklist.   A certain amount of time must pass from the last time a user was flagged as spam to be removed.

How Do I Reduce My Risk Of Getting Onto The SEM Backscatter Blacklist?

The best way to avoid getting listed on a blacklist is to engage in proper email practices such as...

• Verify all email addresses before attempting outreach
• Avoid sending unnecessary emails
• Avoid the use of spam words within your email drafts
• Keep your sending volume to a minimum (30-50 a day if your inbox has been warmed up with us for at least 30 days)