Need Some Help?

Spam and how to avoid it

Spam is the common name given to unsolicited commercial email, and it is similar to the "Junk Mail" you receive in your physical letter-box. However, Spam has one important difference: it costs almost nothing to send so 'spammers' send out billions of messages every day.

Spam increases the cost of running the Internet and email sites. It also wastes many hours for users of the Internet who are forced to wade through and delete unwanted messages. Spam is often pornographic, contains otherwise highly offensive material, advertises scams or proposes to sell you illegal medicines.

Spam is illegal but it can be hard to enforce laws due to the tactics used by spammers.

The reality is that if you use email on the Internet, you will sometimes receive Spam. You can reduce the amount you get, and you can avoid passing on Spam to other users, by following these ten tips:

1. Never respond to a Spam message. Many spammers send out messages with randomly generated email addresses trying to find new targets. If you respond you get added to their list.
2. Don’t even open a message that appears to be Spam. Some Spam comes with built in code that will notify the sender that your email address is legitimate if you open the message.
3. If your email program has a "Preview Pane", disable it for the same reason as number 2.
4. Keep at least two email accounts. Give one address only to close family and friends, and give the other to online sites that require an email address. Giving your email address to an online site or a chat room is a sure way to be targeted by spammers.
5. When you set up your email accounts, use names that are highly unusual. For example, replace 'jsmith2' with 'j8mith99t3'. The more complex the name the harder it is for spammers to guess it.
6. Never buy anything from a Spam message. A high percentage of Spam messages are scams, and patronising even the legitimate businesses that use Spam encourages them to use more.
7. Do NOT sign up for any 'do not Spam' list. At present there is no known way to prevent spammers from using these lists to get your email address.
8. Do NOT forward chain letters, virus warnings or petitions. These are often used by spammers to collect email addresses.
9. Use an internet service provider and email software that include Spam filtering systems and services.
10. If your email account is being bombarded by Spam despite your best efforts, close it and open a new one under a different name.