Can the Spam - How to Filter Out All the Unnecessary Junk.

By: Thomas Hunter

One four-letter word that all computer users hate is…spam. In its own way, it’s the same as telemarketing but sometimes, in the worst case scenario it can carry in unwanted viruses or other nasty bugs to your computer.

One thing you should never do is to respond to spam. This can verify your e-mail address and add you to many other unwanted spam lists. Some messages might be cleverly disguised as authentic newsletters. They don’t try to sell you anything, and they look completely natural and authentic. There is an opt-out button you can push to stop receiving the newsletter. Beware of these it could be a fraud. Just by clicking the link to opt out of the newsletter, you can add your e-mail to another spammers list.

You can spam proof your inbox with popular spam blockers that are being sold today. Some of the programs that have been tested and found to be easily installed and easy to operate are SpamCatcher and InBoxer. They filter out junk mail so it never reaches your inbox. It can go into a special folder that can easily be deleted with no harm done to your computer. One of the most popular and most accurate spam filters is SpamNet. It’s free to download but there is a charge of $4 per month after your trial period ends. A company collects data from every copy of SpamNet and reports details to the company about the addresses, URLs, subject lines, and text in the junk mail messages. This information is then used to improve the filter accuracy of the program.

If you’re like me and balk at paying for spam filtering software, consider using the tools that your ISP provides. If you are using a major ISP, the company’s filter can screen out the same amount of junk as a purchased spam killer can. It does take it a little longer to learn which mail to let in and which to keep out. National ISP providers have scrubbing tools unique to them. EarthLink has SpamBlocker, United Online, the parent company of Juno, NetZero, and BlueLight use special content filters that scans and recognizes key words in the body and the subject.

MSN Premium, MSN Plus and Hotmail use a Microsoft filtering tool that you train as to which emails you accept. It has different levels of filtering for junk e-mail, with the highest only allowing e-mails from people listed in the users address box.

SBC Yahoo has an Anti-Spam Resource center that personalizes the filter for individual computers. It also uses Blackhole List, which detects and stops spam servers and blocks any computer on their network that sends out mass amounts of e-mails.

What are some popular e-mail spam frauds? One is the “foreign country” email scam. Spammers claim to be high government officials or business people or surviving family members of important people in another country. They offer to transfer lots of money into your bank account if you will pay the taxes or fee to access their money. Your documents will look official, will ask you to send money to cover transfer costs and attorney’s fees, and will ask for your bank account numbers or other information. If you receive one of these e-mails, don’t respond, or forward them to spam@uce.gov. If you have already been caught by one of these schemes, contact your local Secret Service field office.

Another spam is “Phishing.” These emails or pop ups claim to be from companies or organizations that you may already deal with. They claim your information needs to be updated and will give you the link to go to the site and update your information. Some even say your account will be frozen or totally discontinued. The link you go to is a bogus site set up to look like a legitimate site. Before you add or change any information, be sure that the site is genuine by going out and typing in the company’s Web address and bringing up the site through your browser. It’s a good idea to never follow a link to a website that you don’t know is the actual site.

Another spam scam is “Work at Home” offers. They prey on the vulnerable, usually someone who is a stay at home mom, or someone that has to work from home due to a disability. It draws you in with the promise of fast cash, minimal work, and no risk. It could be stuffing envelopes, assembling craft kits, or other similar jobs. Often there are hidden costs that you weren’t told of such as placing newspaper ads, copying, or buying supplies or special software. Then they often fail to pay, claiming your work is not up to their standards.

The secret to canning the spam is not responding to them. Be careful what web sites you sign up on and use a special “free” email for any free offers or any offers you are wary of.


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