How to Fight Spam

If you're a frequent email user, you've likely experienced the problem of spam cluttering your inbox. These unwanted mass mailings usually come as sales pitches, money making schemes or special offers. Here are some ways to fight annoying spam other than just deleting it.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Use an antivirus or antispyware program that filters out spam. These programs allow you to set up alerts to identify when junk mail has been detected. Set the program to block spam so that you don't have to go through the time-consuming process of deleting it yourself. You can also report spam to your Internet service provider as a way to reduce it.
   
2. Create a public, disposable email address for online activity, especially if you chat in newsgroups or forums, or if you want to subscribe to a newsletter or other service. Set up a private email address, such as one from your Internet service provider, to receive personal emails. Having a private email address can also reduce the spam problem.
   
3. Look for the privacy policy of a shopping website, and verify its legitimacy before submitting your email address or other personal information. Choose the "opt out" feature, if available, so that your address is not sold to other companies. Refrain from websites that don't protect your privacy, or use a public email account that you can cancel later.
   
4. Remove your email address if you have a website. Having your email address posted increases the chance of unwanted solicitations. You may want to create a public email as mentioned in Step 2, or you can use a graphic on the website that links to your email.
   
5. Report spam abuse to the Federal Trade Commission online. You can send a copy of the spam to the FTC's database so that law enforcement can take action against spammers.

Tips & Warnings

• Never open or respond to spam. This only indicates to the spammer that the email address is valid and active. Spammers have programming in their computers to notify them when an email has been opened.