| Related: | Electronics & Computing•Web Communications•Email |
1) Avoid responding to spam emails.
Replying can indicate that your email address is live, which can encourage the more unscrupulous senders to send you even more spam emails. You should not reply to emails unless you are familiar with and trust the sender. Delivery and read receipts can identify your email address as active and will result in even more spam emails. Many complaints on spam emails are about well known, legitimate companies who offer opt-outs. In most cases responding to the opt-outs in these emails should stop the problem.
2) Don?t click on the adverts in spam emails.
By clicking on spammers? web pages, you identify your email address as being live and may make yourself a target for more emails. Clicking on graphics and images in spam emails can tell the spammer that you have received the email and also other private information such as your Internet Provider address.
3) Use a spam email filter on your computer
These are programs which work with your email package to sift through new emails, separating spam emails from wanted emails and blocking them. (e.g Yahoo) Most packages are successful although sometimes block good email too, and the spam emails still have to be downloaded before it is blocked. New spam email filters are being developed all the time, you can search the Internet for one that is suitable for you. Many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) also offer filters which work by examining content and using blacklists to restrict spam emails. Again, these sometimes block good emails as well as spam emails and there can also be a cost involved.
4) Hackers and spammers can exploit software problems, so most software companies issue product updates and patches that fix known problems. Updates are generally available through manufacturers? websites and are usually free to download and install. You should also consider using anti-virus software to protect against rogue virus programs that can destroy computer files and are increasingly being exploited by spammers
5) Check privacy policies and marketing opt-outs carefully
If you buy something online or subscribe to a service, check the company?s privacy policy before giving your email address or any other private information. Consider carefully how the company uses private information and the restriction they have regarding its use and distribution within both internally and externally.
6) You can report spam emails
Reporting and investigating spam incidents is complicated as some spammers employ hackers to hide their true identity. ISPs are generally diligent in withdrawing service from spammers when they receive reports of spam originating on their networks. Unfortunately, by this time the spammer has often moved on to another account.
I use sky and it does filter the spam pretty well into a separate box. I do however have more than one email address, keeping one just for friends etc. and another for competition entries and such like. The more competitions I enter the greater the spams. I never open a spam email, there are enough dodgy sites out there which can harm your computer without helping them! Sky deletes spams after 30 days although I usually have a quick look down the list and then delete them.
I use Hotmail as my main email service. You can choose the settings for your Junk Folder - with Exclusive as the highest. The Exclusive setting means only email from contacts or addresses on your safe senders makes it into your Inbox. Everything else goes to your Junk folder, where it's deleted automatically after a certain period - this means you don't have to deal with it yourself. It gets taken care of.
You can also report junk email to Hotmail, as you mentioned above, which alerts them to certain senders.
Donk, you're very brave putting tips on the question site! I did this the other day and was roundly castigated for doing so! Even though the information is very useful some peeps just don't like it! But thank you for posting this.I once had a hotmail account and couldn't see the genuine messages from all the crap, sorry spam! So I left them and am with Orange, they have a good system, which automatically separates suspected spam from normal mail. I do have to trawl through the spam because you do occasionally find a proper message hidden amongst it.
Actually I was asking for tips and just gave some examples of the more known ones in order to avoid repeats. I'm not sure there is a place for these type of tips on money.com - is there?
That was my argument too. As tips appear to be linked to goals and when offering good information that isn't only a qusetion and not goal based, there doesn't appear anywhere to place these except on the question page.
There is obviously an issue as to where tips of this type should be posted and although I think it was quite short sighted of the mymoney team not to have a far broader spectrum of goals for members than those currently available I am not quite sure where you would put a tip like this as it doesn't really relate to anything financial. All good advice though I am sure.
i agree frenchwoodgirl, im sorry that you feel hurt parchester :( but i do believe that tips should be in the tips section! im hoping that these new catagories will let a lot more flexability in the tip area! or maybe a general tip category! :)
I think you've pretty much answered your own question by listing the most practical points.
As well as the answers provided set up an email account purely for potential spammers that you can use when you sign up with companies. Once you know they are legitimate and won't spam you then you can change the email address to your usual and your email account won't be filled with as many spammers. My personal policy is to delete most things that I am not expecting.
Yes, I have set up a seperate account, for any competitions I do, or companies I sign up with. If the spam ever gets too much, I will shut that account and start another one.
Posts within the money.co.uk community represent the views, experiences and opinions of members only. They should not be taken as financial advice and should not be followed without further research.
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