Stopping Unwanted E-mail and Spam -

The amount of Unsolicited Electronic Junk Mail otherwise know as spam is on the rise. It is becoming harder and harder to avoid getting spam in your inbox. However there are things that you can and should do...

Stopping Unwanted E-mail and Spam

Are you getting snowed under by spam?

If you are getting snowed under by spam already? Then it might be to late. The spammers have already got your Email address. It might have circulated the globe by now from spammer to spammer. What you need to do is change your Email address. 'NO' I hear you cry. OK then be difficult Check the last point below 'Consider using 'anti-spam' or
'spam prevention' software.' It may help.

If you are using an email address given to you by your ISP then contact them. Tell them about the spam and ask them if you can change your Email address. This should not be a problem. Most ISP's will help users getting lots of spam.

If you are using a free Email service such as Yahoo or Hotmail then the process is a bit simpler. Just create a new account. Or try a paid Email service if you can as these will have better control over incoming mail (usually).

Once you have a new or *clean* Email address then there are lots of things you can do to help reduce the amount of spam getting in to your inbox.

• Always have at least 2 different Email accounts. (preferably more) One is given to friends and family etc. The other is used for everything else.
    
• Be careful with your friends and family Email address.
  Do NOT use it on the web. IE: signing up on website's. Use your second address.
    
• Always read the 'Privacy Policy'.
  Before you give any Email address to any website check for a privacy policy. Read it. This document will tell you what the owner can and will do with information you submit. If a website does not have a privacy policy DO NOT SIGN UP. The same information will probably be on other sites just do a google.
    
• If you post in newsgroups be warned.
  Posting to newsgroups is an invitation for spammers to find you. If you do post then create a new email address that you will *just* use for newsgroups.
  Or you can consider adding a word, or a character, that is obviously out of place right in the middle of your Email address. If you Email address was john@smith.com then you could try john@nospam.smith.com
  This method is used mainly for newsgroups as website's that send you an automated message when you sign up would not be able to get your correct address.
    
• Do not trust any Email Messages!!
  Just because something looks ok doesn't mean it is. Remember the old adage 'If it sounds too good to be true, - it probably is!!'
  Email is just another way for someone to try and con you. If you receive an Email from your bank IT MIGHT NOT BE FROM YOUR BANK. Always check and never follow links that take you to a website to enter your personal details. This is a big subject and we will tell you more very soon in another tutorial.
    
• Email is not secure.
  Any and all email could be intercepted and read without you knowing it. NO EMAIL IS SECURE. Never email your credit card number or other personal details to ANYONE. If a company asked you to, remind them that Email is not secure. If they insist take your business else where.
    
• Do NOT open any files you are not expecting.
  If someone send you a message with the subject 'Re: our meeting' or 'Re: the information you requested' STOP and think do you know this person? If not why are they sending you files? 99% of the time on my machine they are viruses or trojan horse programs. If you do open one by mistake RUN YOUR ANTIVIRUS PROGRAM NOW you do have one don't you?
    
• Consider using 'anti-spam' or 'spam prevention' software.
  There is lots of software available to help you stop / report spam. However most are not free. You will have to may to use most but not all software. Spend some time looking around before you choose any piece of software. We will compile a list of several 'anti-spam' or 'spam prevention' tools and add it here soon. For now you can try a search like this on Google. You will find lots.

If you can think of other things that I have forgotten then please let me know and I will update this article with any suggestions.

This article was written for WWW Security Services by Alan Lloyd and is subject to copyright. Please contact us in advance if you wish to use this article.