Fighting SPAM
SPAM is email that is unsolicited (email that you didn’t ask for). This mail is commonly trying to sell you something. Typically it is just irritating, however SPAM could also include malware like a virus, or connect you to phishing websites that attempt to steal your private information. It is not possible to prevent all spam, but the following are some methods to hold spam to a minimum.
1. Software geared at fighting viruses will provide a safeguard from spam with ill intent. Make sure that your computer has antivirus software installed. (Some antivirus software includes a spam filter that protects your computer.) Although you will probably realize that you should not open an email with an unknown attachment, because viruses can also be contained in pictures or Word documents.
2. Never give your email to someone you do not trust. If you have to give your email address to get something from a website, it is best to set up an email address just for the purpose of receiving junk. Gmail, Yahoo Mail, and other web based email are good for this.
3. Never reply to the email unless you have asked for that email.
4. Most spam contains information, often at the bottom of the message, with directions on how to be removed from their mailing list. Ignore the temptation to respond to this because it alerts the spammer that your email address is indeed live, thus paving the way for future attacks. For just this reason, don’t send your address to opt-out or removal lists.
5. Preview all your emails by reading their subject lines prior to opening the email.
6. If you are sent email messages requesting funds, don’t send it along to anyone. Chances are that it is a scam and an effective method of gaining email addresses used by spammers. A lot of emails warning about viruses are hoaxes too. Prior to letting your friends know about them, you ought to investigate virus alerts so you won’t pass the scam along to them.
7. If you send emails to a lot of people at the same time, send it by the BCC field; this protects their email addresses from other people.
8. Avoid getting your name listed anywhere by using a ‘throwaway’ address for purposes other than close acquaintances (addressed in #2 previously).
9. If you put your email address on your website, tell your web designer to encrypt it so that people who send spam can’t see what it is. One effective encryption program is ‘enkoder’. It is free of cost. You can do a Google search for Enkoder.
10. You could register a complaint via email to the administrator of the server that hosts the spammer’s website. The majority of servers provide an email address to notify of abuses in the WHOIS part of the IP address. It is possible to check the email’s header to locate the source of the message and conduct a WHOIS lookup. There should be an abuse email address. http://whois.domaintools.com/ offers a free IP WHOIS lookup.
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