How to Stop Unwanted Email

If you've ever had your inbox cluttered with get-rich-quick email and advertisements for porn sites, you know that spam, or unsolicited commercial email, can be a big problem.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Anti-spam Softwares

1. Contact your ISP and complain. ISPs don't like spam any more than you do; the mail clogs their servers. The ISP can filter out mail from a suspected spammer address.

2. Avoid displaying your email address in Internet chat rooms and only give out your email address on secure sites.

3. Avoid including your email address when you post to newsgroups.

4. Send a complaint message to the postmaster at the spammer's ISP, if you can figure it out. Many spammers forge return addresses, but you can sometimes figure out the ISP from the full email header. In some email programs you can right-click on the email message and choose Options or Properties to see this information.

5. Be careful when selecting a free ISP or e-mail account. Some of these services make their money by letting 'sponsors' send email messages to their subscribers.

6. If your email provider doesn't have a built-in spam filter, search the Web for email filters and other anti-spam software. Many of these programs are free and can be easily installed.

7. Invest in anti-spam software such as CYBERSitter or Spamkiller, or visit a search engine and type in "email filter software" to find freeware alternatives.

Tips & Warnings

• Many newer email programs have junk mail filters. Enable these functions according to the software instructions (see "Set Up Email Filters," under Related eHows).
• Don't reply to spam unless the message includes clear instructions for removing yourself from a mailing list. In most cases, responding only verifies that your email address is active. Sometimes, the spammer has forged a return address, so by responding you're actually bothering an innocent person.

Who Can Help:

• eFax is the world’s #1 Internet fax service.  Send and receive faxes by email and kiss your fax machine goodbye. 30-Day Free Trial

[ynohtna]

on 7/5/2009 I needed this, some great information thanks !

on 12/27/2007 Go to a search engine and type in "Global Unsubscribe" or anything synonymous with that. There are sites that will unsubscribe you from ALL lists hosted on their server. There are times where you remove yourself from one list, but still remain on the server for another list, so this saves the trouble of removing your address one at a time. Some sites also offer to permanently ban you from their entire network...but be careful with this one, because if they do host a list that you want to be a part of, you will not be able to recieve the mailing even if you choose to.

on 11/22/2005 Sign up for a free e-mail account from Yahoo, Hotmail or another provider. Use this e-mail address whenever you enter a contest or register at a site. This will keep your primary account spam-free.

on 11/22/2005 Open a separate Internet e-mail account and use it exclusively when shopping online, registering on Web sites, entering sweepstakes, etc. Give your "real" e-mail account to your business contacts, family and friends only.

on 11/22/2005 The best way to deal with unwanted e-mail is to never use your real e-mail address on a site. There are numerous services that let you set up e-mail accounts. Set up two - one for passwords, one for registrations, and use them for nonpersonal e-mail.