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