Spam Slam

What is spam?
Spam is junk mail in your inbox. You didn't ask for it, and you don't know who's sending it.

How can I tell the difference between regular E-mail and spam?
Look at the sender. If you don't recognize who's sending it, it's probably spam. Sometimes the subject line gives it away. "Low Mortgage Rates" probably didn't come from your best friend. But spam isn't always so obvious. It can look like it's from a friend, and subject lines can be deceiving.

Can spam be harmful?
Yes. Spam can have gunk like viruses or adult content, but they can be avoided if you remember not to click on links within E-mails from people you don't know or attachments to those E-mails. Also, beware of the moneymaking scams. If those worked, we'd all quit our jobs and surf the Internet for a living. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) - they monitor businesses - lists common E-mail scams at www.ftc.gov. Under the link "For Consumers," click on "E-Commerce & the Internet."

How can I keep my inbox spam-free?
It may not be possible to completely avoid spam, but you can lighten the load. Here are some tips from the FTC

• guard your E-mail address. Don't use it as your chatroom name, and tell your online services you don't want to be in their membership directories.
• know what web sites do with your E-mail address before you give it to them. The best way to do this is to actually read those privacy policies people tend to ignore. Does the web site sell your address? Do they allow any "partners" to E-mail you? If so, try to opt out. If you can't opt out, decide if what you'll get from that web site is worth the junk they may send you.
• keep a spare. Have a public E-mail address you can forward to your private account. If the public one gets spam, you can cancel it.
• be original. Common names are easy prey for spammers.
• use an E-mail filter. Filters aren't a perfect defense because some spam can sneak by and valid messages can get blocked. But it may be worth a try if you're being bombarded with spam, and filters are becoming more and more sophisticated.¹

Who do I tell when I receive spam?
You can report spam to the Federal Trade Commission, which monitors spam content and how much spam is sent. Forward spam, including the full E-mail header, to the FTC at uce@ftc.gov.²

The FTC also recommends you forward spam to your Internet Service Provider (ISP). Send it to "abuse" or "postmaster" at the domain name.³ While you're at it, tell the spammer's ISP as well.

Do anti-spam laws exist?
There is no federal anti-spam law, but 33 states have passed laws regulating spam. Find out if your state has any laws protecting you from spam at www.spamlaws.com.⁴