How Can I Stop Getting Junk Email?

Junk email can be a major problem for you.

Junk email can be a real bother. It clogs up your inbox, and even if you use junk filters, you still have to make sure nothing's been deleted by mistake, which requires you to look through the junk folders occasionally. It's best to try to stop getting junk email, if at all possible. Although you might not be able to rid yourself of all junk, there are a few things that you can do to cut down on the amount of junk messages you receive.

Instructions

1. Use a free, web-based email account to sign up for things online. Whenever you need to input an email address for a form, a newsletter, or a login online, there is always a chance that your email address will be kept and sold to junk message companies. If you create a free account just to use for online sign ups, you won't need to bother to check it and you can cut back on the amount of junk email in your main email box.

2. Use a junk email filter on your regular email account. Web-based email programs, like Hotmail, Gmail, and Yahoo! Mail, have built-in junk filters and move all of your junk email to a junk folder. Click on your email settings, and choose security settings. Make sure your junk settings are set on the highest security. But, be sure to check your junk mail folder from time to time to be sure nothing important gets sent there.

3. Sign up for a junk mail reduction service like Stop Junk Mail or Ecocycle, (see References.) These services can remove your email address from many of the large email company's lists and help reduce the amount of junk mail you receive.

4. Read some of your junk mail to see if there is an "unsubscribe" link on the bottom of the page. Technically, junk mail is supposed to have information about how to unsubscribe from the mail list. Sometimes, however, these links are not correct or do not work. If you can find one, try to follow it to see if you can remove your name.

References

• Stop Junk Mail
• Ecocycle