how to get less spam emails
use an email filter. check your email account to see if it has a tool to filter out potential spam or to funnel spam to a spam folder. Many popular email providers (such as Gmail, Hotmail, or Yahoo) have strong spam filters turned on by default. but there are a few things you can do to make them work even better. For example, if you see any spam arriving in your inbox, be sure to mark it as spam or junk. you can also usually block specific email addresses or email domains (the part of the address after the @). remember that filtering isn’t perfect, so you’ll also want to occasionally check your spam or junk folders to make sure no legitimate non-spam email has ended up there.
Limit your exposure. You can decide to use two email addresses: one for personal messages and one for purchases, newsletters, coupons and other services. If you want to be able to see all your emails in one place, you can usually set up email forwarding to your primary email account. you can set it to go into a separate folder or into your main inbox. That way, if the second email address starts getting spam, you can cancel the forwarding without affecting your permanent address.
Also, try not to display your email address in public, including on social networking sites or online member directories. spammers scan websites to collect email addresses.
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Consider who you share your email address with. When a website asks for your email address, pause and consider whether you want to share this information. Different websites handle your privacy differently. some will share or sell your information, while others will only use it for limited reasons. You can also check the privacy policy to see how the company may share your contact information, but it can be difficult to know exactly how it is shared.
unsubscribe from spam emails. Many popular email providers have features to help you unsubscribe from email lists. they can appear as a banner or as a button when you open the email. To find out what options your email provider has, search for “[name of your email provider] + how to unsubscribe from spam” in your favorite search engine. this allows you to avoid clicking on unknown links, which can lead to a phishing attack.
how not to be a spam bot
Hackers and spammers scour the internet for computers, phones, tablets, and other connected devices that aren’t protected by up-to-date security software. when they find unprotected devices, they try to install hidden software, called malware, that allows them to control the devices remotely.
many thousands of these interconnected devices form a “botnet,” a network used by spammers to send millions of emails at once. Millions of computers, phones, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, such as smart cameras or voice assistants, can be part of botnets. in fact, most spam is sent this way.
You don’t want spammers to use your device. can cause a lot of problems, from slow devices, legal issues if attacks are traced back to you, and stolen personal information that can be used for identity theft.
Here’s how to reduce the chances of your device becoming part of a botnet:
- Keep your device security up to date. To be safe and effective, the software that comes with your device needs occasional updates. Whether you have a new or existing device, check the manufacturer’s website to see if there is a newer version of the software to download. Register your device with the manufacturer or sign up for updates to keep your software up to date. set your updates to download automatically and, if possible, set your device to update automatically.
- change your default passwords. your device may have a standard default password from the manufacturer. Hackers can easily find default passwords, so change yours to a more complex and secure one.
- detect and remove malware. It can be hard to tell if a spammer has installed malware on your computer, but there are some warning signs. If your computer has been hacked or infected with a virus, take it offline immediately. then take steps to remove the malware and report it to the ftc.
report spam
If you receive a spam email, there are two ways to report it.
forward spam or misleading messages to:
- your email provider (such as gmail, hotmail or yahoo). most email services include buttons to mark messages as spam or report spam.
- the sender’s email provider, if you can tell who it is. Most webmail providers and ISPs want to weed out spammers abusing their systems. once again, make sure to include all spam and say that you are complaining about spam.
You can also report it to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.