How can I prevent spam?

General recommendations

Below is a listing of general recommendations on how to handle spam that should help in reducing spam.

1. Be careful where you post your e-mail address. Never post in chat rooms, news groups, or other public places. We recommend that when you need to post or send your e-mail that you send it to a specific person, setup a temporary e-mail account as explained in number two, or make the e-mail hard to read by typing something such as "support <at> computerhope.com".
2. If you are concerned about a company sharing your e-mail address, register the site with a fake e-mail address..
3. Never buy products or use services that solicit to you in an e-mail.
4. Never send e-mail or reply to an e-mail requesting that you be removed or to  unsubscribe unless you are familiar with the company. Some individuals and companies use this reply as a method of verifying the e-mail is valid and using this information to subscribe you to other mailing lists. If you do not know the individual or company simply delete the e-mail.
5. When filling out any type of form on the Internet, watch carefully for any type of check box that by default may be checked for you to receive a newsletter or share your e-mail with a third-party.
6. When signing up for any e-mail list, see if the company has any type of SPAM or e-mail sharing disclaimer. See Computer Hope's Legal page for our example.
7. Be careful who you send your e-mail to. Sites that require you to sign up or request an e-mail for free products, free services, or contests commonly share your e-mail as a method of generating revenue.
8. Don't send or recommend a friends or families e-mail address unless you are familiar with the service.
9. Consider using a complicated username, for example support@computerhope is a lot more easy to guess than support911@computerhope.com. Many spam programs simply spam a long list of common names to a domain. If your username is common you'll get hit with this type of spam.
10. Never forward an e-mail that claims that it is capable of tracking the e-mail as it is sent or will help generate revenue for a certain cause to the more people it is forwarded to. These e-mails are commonly referred to as a chain mail and are commonly false and help individuals get additional e-mail address for SPAM.
11. Send an e-mail with the e-mail header to the ISP or web host of the user who is sending you the spam. Below is a short list of some of these e-mails.
    
    abuse@aol.com - File a complaint against an AOL users.
    abuse@hotmail.com - File complaints for MSN and Hotmail e-mail addresses.
    abuse@geocities.com - File complaints against Geocities users.
    abuse@sprint.net - File complaints against Sprint users.
    abuse@usa.net  - File complaints against USA.NET users.
    junkmail@earthlink.net - File complaints against Earthlink users.
    Lycos abuse form - File complaints against Lycos, Tripod, or Angelfire users.
    Yahoo abuse form or abuse@yahoo.com - File complaints against Yahoo users.
    
    As can be seen in the above examples, it is common for the e-mail to file complaints to be "abuse", "postmaster", or "spam" @ the domain name. It is also important to realize that a spammer may spoof an e-mail address making it look as if it is coming from a domain that it really is not coming from.
    
     
12. Send a full copy of SPAM or deceptive e-mail including the e-mail header to uce@ftc.gov. The FTC uses the unsolicited emails stored in this database to pursue law enforcement actions against people who send deceptive spam email.
13. Check with your Internet Service Provider for their SPAM policy. Many Internet Service Providers may already have SPAM blocking mechanisms in place and may even allow you to forward to them the SPAM messages you receive, helping prevent the same types of e-mail reaching you in the future.
14. Finally, consider changing your e-mail address and/or getting another e-mail address and only letting friends, family, or the people you want e-mails from know about the new address. Additional information and tips about changing your e-mail address can be found on document CH000810.

E-mail rules

Many e-mail programs allow users to setup rules to help filter the e-mail as it comes into your computer. A great tip to help filter out important e-mails is to create a rule that moves all e-mail from individuals in your address book to a new folder and/or only keep e-mail from users who are listed in your address book.  Below is an example of how Microsoft Outlook users can setup this type of rule.

Note: Users using Microsoft Outlook 97 must download the Rules Wizard before it can be used. The Rules Wizard can be downloaded from our download updates page.

1. Open Microsoft Outlook
2. Click Tools and then Rules Wizard.
3. In the Rules Wizard window click the New button.
4. Select "Check messages when they arrive" and click Next.
5. Select "from people or distribution list"
6. Click the "people or distribution list" link.
7. Either add each individual person or a distribution list and click Ok.
8. Click Next
9. Then choose "move it to the specified folder"
10. Specify the folder.
11. Click Finish.

Rules and filters keyword search

Users using many e-mail programs today can setup rules or filters to help control incoming e-mail. These rules can help sort, delete, and manage e-mail more efficiently.
Note: Users using Microsoft Outlook 97 must download the Rules Wizard before it can be used. The Rules Wizard can be downloaded from our download updates page.

1. From Microsoft Outlook click Tools and then Rules Wizard.
2. In the Rules Wizard window click the New button.
3. Select "Check messages when they arrive" and click Next.
4. Check "With specified words in the subject or body" and click Next.
5. Specify words that you wish to look for when message arrives.
6. Select option to delete it or permanently delete it and click Finish.

See our listing of commonly used words that you may want to screen later in this document.
Note: When using any rules be careful how the rules are setup or what words are used as they may mistakenly delete e-mails you may need. This can also be alleviated by setting up additional rules for family and friends.

Commonly used words

Below is a listing of words used in SPAM and other mail that you may not want to receive. These words can be applied to rules in various e-mail programs and blocking tools to help prevent mail from being received.
Note: When using any rules be careful how the rules are setup or what words are used as they may mistakenly delete e-mails you may need. This can also be alleviated by setting up additional rules for family and friends.
Finally, we apologize as some of the below keywords may be offensive and/or vulgar. These words are only listed to help ensure when a filter is setup using these words that e-mails containing these types of words are deleted or moved to an alternate location.

-approved- (ADV) [ADV] $$$ $$$! 100% guaranteed 100% satisfied 18 years old 18+ 1nsurance 800 number 900 number a d u l t a raise adult web adults only ADV: ADV-ADULT alertz antenna booster are you single arthritis asset search attractive singles auto loan auto loans auto warranty baby boomers bad credit baldness bankruptcy be your own boss being your own boss big money blackjack bleeding gums blowjob blow out sale blowout sale body fat body fat loss bone density boobs boost your traffic boost your traffic! bounced checks breast breathalyzer brochures broker brought to you by bulk mail bulk mailing burns fat buspar bust size buy or sell a home c0ck cam girl cam girls cards accepted casino cellulite childcraft China-Lutong cigarettes citrate classifieds clearance sale climax closeouts commercial e-mail consolidate consolidate bills consolitation coral calcium cost you thousands coupon code credit card debt credit problems credit repair crucial offers cruise cum cup size d e b t dealer warranties dealz deck of cards debt free debt reduction analysis depressants depressed detoxifies diet dieting dieting! diploma diplomas discounts disease domination drug store drugs

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