How to Reduce Spams Let us help fight spams.

[Space Orangutan #2 0]

I don't think one should need a disposable email cause what if after signing up for a reputable site your email address gets lifted from a bot? That's happened a few times with me. I'd use a disposable email address but then I'd have to look for that one good email amidst one huge load of spam.

[dissipate 0]

so far i've always received spam when using hotmail even though i've never subscribed to mailing lists or published my hotmail address anywhere. with yahoo i only started receiving spam after joining a yahoo groups mailing list. gmail is the best so far, i haven't received a single piece of spam since opening an email account with them five months ago.i have my suspicions that hotmail releases our email addresses to third-parties....

[jcguy 0]

I doubt that Hotmail actually releases our email addresses to third-parties. It's clearly stated in their legal notices that Microsoft will not share our emaill addresses without our consent. I don't think they will risk tarnishing their reputation by doing such a thing that spammers do.However, if you opt-in to receive email from Microsoft partners, then it's perfectly alright for Microsoft to reveal your email to their partners.

[Trekkie101 0]

It would be nice if the major free mail providers would all corolate findings and have one spam database that was closer to perfect than the individual ones then there will be a lot less of it all.

[dissipate 0]

i agree, trekkie. i think everyone's so competitive that they don't want to correlate findings lol. lots of my friends have ditched hotmail for yahoo or gmail because hotmail is rubbish at filtering spam.

[ndhill 0]

For mac users out there, one trick that I've found that works 9 times out of 10 is to simply select the offending SPAM and go to your message menu up top and select "bounce." It's a pretty primative tactic and doesn't work all the time but I've personally notice a significant reduction in my SPAM.

[kraizii88z 0]

I used Yahoo.com a while back and at first i got no spam at all... but sadly i signed up for a bunch of crap (like those evil free-stuff sites) & they appeared like magic.. but that's fine beacause it all goes in the bulk folder so i don't have to look at it ..the nigerian one got through today tho ..does anyone fall for that?!?

[lesmizzie 0]

I'm sure all of the people here in this forum experienced receiving spams. But the question is how in the hell spammers get those e-mail addresses? Simple, if you have your e-mail addresses posted on your website, or you are propagating your own e-mail add through message boards and giving away e-mail addresses on untrusted websites, you'll receive spam. In other words, the more your e-mail add is propagated, the more you'll receive spam.

 

Of course, there are also simple ways to reduce receiving spams.

 

1. If you have a website, hide your e-mail address from spammers by using Unicode characters -or- use something like this:

yournameREMOVETHIS@domain.com

 

E-mail address encoders should be Javascript. Unicode can be read by spammers using latest technologies. Just like search engines, they improve. Go to the ff: site

http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

 

2. Never post your e-mail addresses online especially on message boards. If it's necessary use an alternate e-mail address instead like Yahoo Mail because it already have a bulk mail feature.

 

3. Do not reply to spam or buy anything from spam e-mails. They will just know that your e-mail address is legitimate and will just be sold away to other spammers, thus, you'll receive more spams. Tsk tsk.

 

4. Also never unsubscribe. See No.3.

 

5. Instead of putting your e-mail address on your website, use a Formmail instead. Xisto, I believe provides that sort of pre-scripts. See your Cpanel and Formail. That will help a lot.

 

6. You can also use a temporary e-mail address just in case. Good ones are Mailinator.com

 

7. If you are really tired with the hundreds of spams you receive, use an e-mail filter. There's a lot of free ones on the web. Search on Google.

 

Note that if you use e-mail addresses of the big ones like Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, AOL, Comcast, etc. you'll receive spam no matter what. Even you just made a new e-mail address (I have a new gmail account, never propagated to anywhere, but I still receive spam). Very few people knows exactly how spammers harvest addresses. Just like the mystery of Google search engine optimization. That's technology.

 

But if you use your own mail address from your ISP or your own domain name, take advantage of it. I had been careful with my e-mail address and from 2 months until now, I received zero spams.

 

Those are simple things you can do. It's not that hard so if we all cooperate, we can stop spam. However, spamming on forums is another story...

 

If you have any other ideas you want to add, just add it here. Many will appreciate it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Those are some great guidelines. Darn it, I did not know that if I unsubscribed that they would sell my e-mail address to other companies! That really stinks. I hate spam just like I hate junk postal mail. I wish it were illegal (or is it illegal?? I hope it is). Thanks for the great tips!

[a_margaret 0]

I get e-mails that say

"LUCKYDAY E-MAIL LOTTERY INTERNATIONALPROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPT.
www.
luckyday.nl

REF: OHS/8061226703/01
BATCH: 17/033/IHV /NL   

Sir/Madam

We are pleased to inform you of the result of the Lottery
Winners International programs held on the 28th of JANUARY,2006. Your
e-
mail address attached toticket number 0511465846229 with serial number
4732-6 drew lucky numbers 01-19-12-75-39 which  consequently won in the
2nd category, you have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out
of $800.000.00(Eight Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) only.

CONGRATULATIONS!
Due to mix up of some numbers and names, we ask that
you keep your winning information confidential until  your claims has
been processed and your money Remitted to you and this is part of our
security protocol to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of
this program by some participants. All participants were selected
through a computer  ballot system drawn from over 60,000 company and
50,000,000 individual email addresses and names from all over the
world. This promotional program takes place every five year. We hope
with part of your winning you will take part in our next five years of
50 million United States Dollars International lottery. To file for
your claim, please contact our Fiducial Agent:

MR.Van Miller.
ARBO
CLAIM INTERNATIONAL AGENCY BV.
TEL:+31-612-680-287
FAX:+31-847-301-457
Email:arboclaimagency@myway.com

Remember, all winning must be claimed
not later than  15th of FEBRUARY, 2006 and after this date all
unclaimed funds will be included in the next stake promotion.

Please
note that in order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications,
remember to always quote your reference numbers and batch numbers in
all your correspondence. Furthermore, should there be any change of
your address, do inform our Fiducial Agent as soon as possible.

Congratulations once again from the members of our staff and thank you
for being part of our promotional program and publication.

Sincerely
yours,
Mrs.Janet Collins
Lottery Coordinator"

and

MRS. CLOWI LUMKA.76 BARCKSTON DRIVE BLAIRGORIE,
RAMBURG JOHANNESBURG,
GAUTENG SAUTH AFRICA.
TEL: 27-82-421-8164.

                                      INVITATION FOR PARTNERSHIP

Dear Sir,madan

With due respect, trust and humility, I write to you this proposal,
which I
believe would be of great interest to you. I find your contact while I
was
doing a private research on the Internet for a reliable and capable
foreign
partner that will assist my family to transfer fund to his personal or
private account for investment purpose. I am Mrs.CLOWI LUMKA the wife
of
Late Mr.COLMAN LUMKA, who was the "Chairman" of the farmer?s
co-operation in
Zimbabwe.

It will be necessary to inform you that the {US$11.5M} Eleven Million
Five
Hundred Thousand united states dollars)intended for pitalization of the
investments are presently in the custody of a private security company
here
in Johannesburg, South Africa which we require to transfer out of South
Africa immediately for the said investment purposes.

You may have heard of the present crisis in Zimbabwe orchestrated by
the
unprecedented Land use Act of the government of Robert Mugabe in which
this
government has arbitrarily reclaimed and acquired all farmlands owned
by the
white farmers in the country.

This has caused a historical displacement of the white folks who are
known
to be the country's main farmers. The ensuing struggles and strife have
brought about the killing and imprisonment of thousands of these white
farm
owners by the ruthless government forces designated to enforce this new
order.

My husband, in his good will, joined the international community in
condemning and speaking out against this uncivilized and bizarre policy
of
Robert Mugabes government. As a result of my husband firm and upright
position on this matter, a group of assailants suspected to be
government
sympathizers attached and killed my husband in cold blood.

Seeing that the entire LUMKA's family was in serious threat of
extinction,
we immediately fled Zimbabwe to South Africa, where we have sojourned
ever
since as refugee under the United Nations.

Prior however, to my husband untimely death he had sensing the rising
hostilities, sold some of his farm lands and secretly sent the proceeds
{US$11.5m} Eleven million Five Hundred Thousand United States dollars
from
sales of the farmlands to South Africa. And deposited it in a metal box 
with a private security company here in Johannesburg.

We are presently in South Africa as Refugee (Asylum Seekers) We are
ready to
come in terms on what you will want my family to offer you for your
assistance in this transaction, contact me on the above phone
indicating
your interest as soon as possible, or my son CHURCHILL in South Africa
with
me, e-mail address: churchill_za@hotmail.com. We shall be glad to give
you
more clarification on the modalities needed for smooth successful
completion
of this transaction.

It is equally important to state here that considering the nature of
this
matter, we will required that it is handled most discreetly.

I anticipate your quick response.

Best regard.

Mrs. CLOWI  LUMKA.
(For and On behalf of my family)

Are these spam, too?

[yordan 10]

6. You can also use a temporary e-mail address just in case. Good ones are Mailinator.com

Really nice info, thanks.I just used an e-mail at mailinator.com for gaming, have been asked for confirmation, was able to read the mail and click in the "validate" link, and instantly received five spams !
So, the mailinator.com address is really useful!
thanks again.
Yordan

[Sarah81 0]

I used one of those free search engine submission sites to put my site out there. Big mistake. The e-mail address associated with my Web site gets TONS of those stupid Nigerian e-mails (yeah, you know, the guys who are allegedly trying to offer me tons of cash to help them move money out of their countries).I finally got sick of reporting all the stupid e-mails to Hotmail or Yahoo (just about all of the e-mails come from people using one account or the other). So ... if you go with search-engine submission sites, be sure to use a disposable e-mail address. Make sure that you keep the thing just long enough to receive any activation links that you might have to use. As for the rest of the types of spam (the usual viagra/free gift cards/etc. deals), I let Yahoo's spam filters take care of the problem. Mine filters out more than 90 percent of the spam that I receive, so I'd say that it's doing a pretty good job.

[cyborgxxi 0]

Okay, is there a way how to reduce spam that you already have? I get like 10 spam mails in my Gmail a day!! It's crazy!!

[yordan 10]

I get like 10 spam mails in my Gmail a day!!

There are a lot of posts on Xisto forums explaining that gmal anti-spam is very efficient. Did you activate yours ?