How to stop spam

In the Internet age, not only are you fighting junk mail in your mailbox, but you've also got exorbitant amounts of spam in your virtual inbox. Not only are they annoying, but these e-mails can introduce viruses and spyware into your computer. While there are several different ways to combat spam, here's a start.

1. Stop posting your e-mail address on a public forum or website. It is estimated that 95% of all junk e-mail is caused by a person publicly disclosing his or her e-mail address. There are many robots and scripts that automatically scan websites for e-mail addresses. Also, sometimes humans actually grab e-mails off websites to use them for sign-up offers in order to get free stuff (iPods, Ringtones,Televisions, etc.). If you must provide contact information, try writing it out in creative ways such as Me ~at~ yahoo ~dotcom~. There are alternative ways of displaying your email address while making it hard for spambots to harvest it. Such methods include using image picture of your email address or using Javascript to dynamic construct the display of your email.

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2. Avoid:

* Popular newsgroups - robots often scour these lists for addresses
* Software like BonzaiBuddy or similar programs - if these companies don’t immediately sell your information to a spam company, they are subsidiaries of spam companies themselves and the software is spyware
* Chat rooms like Yahoo Chat or IRC - spammers or spambots are actively mining in popular chat rooms like AOL and Yahoo chats, where e-mail addresses can be correctly guessed just by adding the proper@whatever.com to the username of a chat room visitor

3. Use spam blocking tools. Most webmail providers offer them, or you can download one.

* Use the "This is spam" button if your email provider has one. This submits the email to their spam-control people who can take care of business and improve their anti-spam filters.
* If you have a Yahoo! account you can use their discardable addresses method
* Use Spam Gourmet, or others like it, with any email account
* If you are using MS Outlook, try installing a spam filtering plugin, for example SpamAid
* Use the 'Block' list and add the spammer's domain name only. (However, this may not be that effective, since spammers normally only use temporary addresses.)
* Limit incoming e-mails to those in your address book and have all others put into a "Junk" folder, which you can skim through quickly and clear regularly.

4. Report spam. Before you delete your spam, forward your spam to: spam@uce.gov as this is the Spam box for FTC (Federal Trade Commission). Mail sent to this box is investigated. If it is indeed spam, the original sender can be charge $500 per email. The more mail they get from different users but same spammer, the more it's likely to be investigated.

5. Be crafty when filling out forms that ask for your e-mail address. Many web forms ask only for your name and email address. Put in a series of letters such as Swseqw for your name. Then set up a filter so emails from that newsletter or form will arrive in a separate folder if the email contains that fake name. If that e-mail turns out to be spam, set your mail program to delete all e-mails that come in with the fake name.

6. Use disposable addresses to identify and shake off sources of spam. Have one main account, and never, ever give this address to anyone, even your friends, who all they need to do is send you an innocent e-card to get you on a spam mailing list.

* Make a separate account for different purposes (one for friends, one for entertainment sites, one for your financial websites, etc.) If you use a lot, write down which is which so you don't forget.
* Set all those addresses to forward the mail to your main account so that you don't have to check multiple accounts.
* If you start receiving spam through one of your alternates, you can trace it to one of your disposable addresses and simply delete that account.
* Track which groups of recipients return the most spam and be more selective.


Source: www.wikihow.com