How to Stop Spam
Check who it’s from., Look for links., Check the spelling., Read the message., Look for attachments., Don’t give out your email address online., Make your email address unscannable., Don’t make your username the same as your email address., Use...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Check who it’s from.
Nearly all the time, spam comes from an unrecognized sender, often with odd email addresses.
That doesn’t mean all unrecognized email is spam.
Legitimate newsletters, website administration emails (password resets, authentication requests, etc.), and more may come from addresses you don’t recognize. -
Step 2: Look for links.
Only click links from trusted senders.
The entire purpose of spam is to get you to click a link.
If an email contains a link and you don’t recognize the sender, chances are it is spam.
Hover your mouse over any link to see the destination in your browser or email client’s status bar. , Spam often contains misspellings and oddly-worded sentences.
This can include bizarre capitalization and weird punctuation.
Many have gibberish at the end of the message. , Anything that claims you won a contest you never entered, offers you access to unclaimed money, or promises free electronics, jewelry, or anything 100% free is never legitimate.
Any message that asks for your password is never real (all legitimate websites have automated password reset programs).
Requests from strangers should always be ignored.
Many email services have a preview window, which will allow you to read an email message without opening it. , Malware and viruses are often disguised as email attachments.
Never download an attachment from a sender that you do not trust or were not expecting., “Robots” (scripts created to scrape websites for addresses) can quickly gather thousands of emails at a time from websites where the email addresses are made public.
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 (me yahoo com).
There are alternative ways of displaying your e-mail address while making it hard for spambots to harvest it.
Such methods include using image picture of your e-mail address or using JavaScript to dynamically construct the display of your email. , Usernames are almost always public, and it’s simply a matter of figuring out the correct service to add at the end.
Services such as Yahoo! Chat make this even easier, since chances are everyone using it has a @yahoo.com email address.
Avoid using a chatroom that is tied to your email address. , Have one main account, and then make a separate account for different purposes (one for friends, one for entertainment sites, one for your financial websites, etc.).
In gmail, you can add a "+" button to your email address.
For example, you can signup for newsletters like [email protected] if your email address is [email protected] Set all those addresses to forward the mail to your main account so that you do not 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. , Replying or clicking the “Unsubscribe” link will only generate more spam, because they now know that the email address is valid.
It is best to report and delete the spam using the steps in the section below., A current spam attack involves “essay spammers.” This involves spammers inserting random links to sites related to essay-writing services.
Another spam attack known as spambots creates random pages related to subjects like UGG Boots.
These pages also include random links to other subjects, whether or not they are related to the subject or even placed in a grammatically coherent way.
Don’t click on any links within articles on websites unless you trust the source and know where the link will take you. , Most spam is automatically detected and placed in your Spam folder, where it will be deleted after 30 days.
If you receive a message in your inbox that you believe is spam, check the box next to it and click the “Report Spam” button in the top toolbar.
If you do this accidentally, you can click the Undo link at the top of the page to recover it.
As you report messages as spam, Gmail will improve its automatic filtering.
If there is a message in your Spam folder that is a legitimate email, check it and click the “Not spam” button.
Ensure that it is truly a legitimate email before doing this. , Mail.
Yahoo! has a strong spam filter and most spam messages will automatically be sent to the Spam folder.
If you find a message in your inbox that you believe is spam, check the box next to it and click the “Spam” button in the upper toolbar.
You can add senders and domains to your Blocked list, but this may only be a minor help, as spam senders often change addresses or use temporary domains. , Outlook comes installed with a Junk Filter which is set to Low protection.
This will catch most obvious spam and direct it to the Junk folder.
You can increase the strength of the filter by clicking the Home tab and then clicking Junk.
Select “Junk E-mail Options”.
Click the Options tab and set the filter to the strength you want.Each level of filter strength is explained.
Setting it to High may move legitimate emails to your Junk folder, so be sure to check it periodically.
Install a third-party spam blocker.
There are a variety of third-party spam filters that can be installed into Outlook.
These will provide extra filtering and updated anti-spam information.
Popular add-ons include DesktopOne, SpamAid, and Spam Reader (). , Before you delete your spam, forward your spam to: [email protected].
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 charged $500 per email.
The more mail they get from different users but same spammer, the more it's likely to be investigated.You can report spam to anti-spam organizations such as SpamCop and KnujOn, who will report spammers to ISPs and government agencies. , Spam is most dangerous when you interact with it.
By responding, opening, or clicking anything within a spam email, you’re exposing yourself to a higher risk.
By using a service like SaneBox and its BlackHole feature, you can train your inbox to recognize harmful or unwanted emails, and they will automatically be directed to the BlackHole or the trash! -
Step 3: Check the spelling.
-
Step 4: Read the message.
-
Step 5: Look for attachments.
-
Step 6: Don’t give out your email address online.
-
Step 7: Make your email address unscannable.
-
Step 8: Don’t make your username the same as your email address.
-
Step 9: Use disposable email addresses to identify and shake off sources of spam.
-
Step 10: Never respond to spam.
-
Step 11: Avoid clicking links within Wiki essays.
-
Step 12: Block and report spam in Gmail.
-
Step 13: Block and report spam in Yahoo!
-
Step 14: Block spam in Outlook.
-
Step 15: Report spam.
-
Step 16: Train your inbox.
Detailed Guide
Nearly all the time, spam comes from an unrecognized sender, often with odd email addresses.
That doesn’t mean all unrecognized email is spam.
Legitimate newsletters, website administration emails (password resets, authentication requests, etc.), and more may come from addresses you don’t recognize.
Only click links from trusted senders.
The entire purpose of spam is to get you to click a link.
If an email contains a link and you don’t recognize the sender, chances are it is spam.
Hover your mouse over any link to see the destination in your browser or email client’s status bar. , Spam often contains misspellings and oddly-worded sentences.
This can include bizarre capitalization and weird punctuation.
Many have gibberish at the end of the message. , Anything that claims you won a contest you never entered, offers you access to unclaimed money, or promises free electronics, jewelry, or anything 100% free is never legitimate.
Any message that asks for your password is never real (all legitimate websites have automated password reset programs).
Requests from strangers should always be ignored.
Many email services have a preview window, which will allow you to read an email message without opening it. , Malware and viruses are often disguised as email attachments.
Never download an attachment from a sender that you do not trust or were not expecting., “Robots” (scripts created to scrape websites for addresses) can quickly gather thousands of emails at a time from websites where the email addresses are made public.
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 (me yahoo com).
There are alternative ways of displaying your e-mail address while making it hard for spambots to harvest it.
Such methods include using image picture of your e-mail address or using JavaScript to dynamically construct the display of your email. , Usernames are almost always public, and it’s simply a matter of figuring out the correct service to add at the end.
Services such as Yahoo! Chat make this even easier, since chances are everyone using it has a @yahoo.com email address.
Avoid using a chatroom that is tied to your email address. , Have one main account, and then make a separate account for different purposes (one for friends, one for entertainment sites, one for your financial websites, etc.).
In gmail, you can add a "+" button to your email address.
For example, you can signup for newsletters like [email protected] if your email address is [email protected] Set all those addresses to forward the mail to your main account so that you do not 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. , Replying or clicking the “Unsubscribe” link will only generate more spam, because they now know that the email address is valid.
It is best to report and delete the spam using the steps in the section below., A current spam attack involves “essay spammers.” This involves spammers inserting random links to sites related to essay-writing services.
Another spam attack known as spambots creates random pages related to subjects like UGG Boots.
These pages also include random links to other subjects, whether or not they are related to the subject or even placed in a grammatically coherent way.
Don’t click on any links within articles on websites unless you trust the source and know where the link will take you. , Most spam is automatically detected and placed in your Spam folder, where it will be deleted after 30 days.
If you receive a message in your inbox that you believe is spam, check the box next to it and click the “Report Spam” button in the top toolbar.
If you do this accidentally, you can click the Undo link at the top of the page to recover it.
As you report messages as spam, Gmail will improve its automatic filtering.
If there is a message in your Spam folder that is a legitimate email, check it and click the “Not spam” button.
Ensure that it is truly a legitimate email before doing this. , Mail.
Yahoo! has a strong spam filter and most spam messages will automatically be sent to the Spam folder.
If you find a message in your inbox that you believe is spam, check the box next to it and click the “Spam” button in the upper toolbar.
You can add senders and domains to your Blocked list, but this may only be a minor help, as spam senders often change addresses or use temporary domains. , Outlook comes installed with a Junk Filter which is set to Low protection.
This will catch most obvious spam and direct it to the Junk folder.
You can increase the strength of the filter by clicking the Home tab and then clicking Junk.
Select “Junk E-mail Options”.
Click the Options tab and set the filter to the strength you want.Each level of filter strength is explained.
Setting it to High may move legitimate emails to your Junk folder, so be sure to check it periodically.
Install a third-party spam blocker.
There are a variety of third-party spam filters that can be installed into Outlook.
These will provide extra filtering and updated anti-spam information.
Popular add-ons include DesktopOne, SpamAid, and Spam Reader (). , Before you delete your spam, forward your spam to: [email protected].
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 charged $500 per email.
The more mail they get from different users but same spammer, the more it's likely to be investigated.You can report spam to anti-spam organizations such as SpamCop and KnujOn, who will report spammers to ISPs and government agencies. , Spam is most dangerous when you interact with it.
By responding, opening, or clicking anything within a spam email, you’re exposing yourself to a higher risk.
By using a service like SaneBox and its BlackHole feature, you can train your inbox to recognize harmful or unwanted emails, and they will automatically be directed to the BlackHole or the trash!
About the Author
Natalie Kim
Enthusiastic about teaching lifestyle techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: