How to Fake Mail

First, figure out what host you want to be coming from, and call it HOST.  (example: nmu.edu)

Second, figure out who you want to be, call that ME. (example: husky)

Third, figure who you want to send mail to, call that person TARGET (example: joe)

Forth, figure what the TARGETs user machine is, and call that TMACHINE (example: mtu.edu)

Now, start the process. (note, bold means you send it to the other computer, and italics means that it's a variable as described above).

  1. Start up telnet.  Connect to TMACHINE on port 25.
  2. Type HELO TMACHINE
  3. Type MAIL FROM:<ME@HOST>
  4. Type RCPT TO: <TARGET@TMACHINE>
  5. TYPE DATA
  6. Enter in a mail message
  7. Type a period (yes, one "." on a line by itself).
  8. Type QUIT
For example, to tease a tech student I might

HELO mtu.edu
MAIL FROM: <hockey@nmu.edu>
RCPT TO: <joe@mtu.edu>
DATA
You guys suck.  We beet you 8 to 3.  We rule!
.
QUIT

Notes:
Don't do anything to annoy others!!!
You can have many RCPT lines to send mail to many people
Also interesting is the VRFY command
If you say EHLO instead of HELO you are claiming to be Extended SMTP
How do you send pictures, sounds, or smells?

And that's all there is folks.