How can I stop getting spam emails?

An estimated 90% of all emails sent are spam and deleting them is a big time-waster. Spammers are, unfortunately, getting ever more sophisticated and producing very plausible-looking messages which can fool even the wary.

Spammers use databases holding vast numbers of email addresses. You could get spammed because you:

• Post to a newsgroup
• Sign up for an internet service that asks for an email address
• Give out your email address on your own website
• Give your address to an online retailer

The term derives from a Monty Python sketch where a couple in a restaurant try to order something other than spam, the once-popular meat product. A group of Vikings in the background start singing the praises of spam and soon the only word you can hear in the sketch is ‘spam’.

The idea is that the same thing would happen to the internet – it would be totally overwhelmed by large-scale unsolicited emails.

The best anti-spam measure is to be a bit savvy about the way you use your email account!

• Try to avoid opening spam emails and clicking on links in spam messages.
• Don’t buy anything from a spammer. Not only do you risk comprising your security and infecting your computer with malware - viruses and so on - you also reward and encourage the spammers.
• Don’t be tempted to reply. The mailbox is probably unread.
• Don’t threaten the spammer. Some mails will be seen and spammers have rights too. Threatening messages could expose you to legal action.
• Avoid ‘unsubscribe’ options. Cynically, spammers often include an ‘unsubscribe’ link. Far from removing the menace, clicking it will confirm that your address is active and probably attract even more spam.
• Use a disposable email address. You could use this account especially for buying online or writing to newsgroups. If you find that you are getting a lot of spam at this address, you can simply delete it and set up another.
• Be wary about giving out your main email address. If in doubt, it is a good idea to use a disposable address (see above).
• Never reveal your email address on your website. If you have a website, putting your email address on it will be easy fodder for a ‘spambot’ that is harvesting addresses. You could use a web contact form instead.
• Munging. A simple but effective technique where you present your address in a way that people can easily work out but which will fool spambots. They will look for a pattern, such as a@b.com. Writing the address as ‘a at b dot com’ would probably evade them.

Many of the remaining messages can be blocked using a spam filter. ISPs (internet service providers) are increasingly providing the service, as well as some email programs. Be aware that some filters operate a ‘whitelisting’ system – in other words, you have to actively mark an email address as ‘not spam’ or messages will go straight into a folder entitled ‘Spam’ or ‘Junk’.

I have seen people overlook important emails because of this, although they could still retrieve them from the junk folder. Be sure to mark known email addresses as ‘not spam’ from the outset!

Remember that if an account becomes overwhelmed with spam, despite all these measures, you can always delete it.