Stop SpamEmail spam is a problem that plagues nearly every person online today. Spammers are getting more and more clever by the day, but fortunately for us, so is spam-prevention technology.
Here are some general tips to help cut down on your inbox spam:
1. Create a fake spam email address. This is a great way to reduce your exposure to potential spam sites. Each time you register on a site that you are not sure spams, simply register with your "spam" email account---a secondary email account you create just for registration purposes.
2. Use Google's Gmail! We have found their spam filtering software to be one of the best in the business. Every day our spam folder shows thousands of emails that never make it to our inbox. Best of all, their email service is free!
3. Don't post your email address on public websites or forums. Spam bots are constantly combing the net in search of email addresses. If you post yours on a forum, they will find it. A good trick many folks use is to simply talk out your email address. For instance you can post your email as "george at google mail". Most folks will realize what this means and can figure your real email out.
Also remember, never EVER buy, inquire, reply or call about any product or service that you received via an unsolicited email (spam)! They are almost always scams!
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Online Banking and PayPal
Online Banking and PayPal phishing scams. For some unknown reason (to me) I get a lot of fake emails from scammers claiming to be MY online bank, they usually have a "subject line" and message implicating some emergency or very serious problem with my online account. Fortunatly I have educated myself on how to read the details of an email by opening the "full header details" on my email program. First of all, and I wish more people would realize this, no reputable banking institution or paypal would contact you by email regarding a security issue PERIOD! More folks need to be made aware of this simple fact. On the lighter side ... some of these fakes are downright laughable! So a word of advice to the "scammers" out there: Learn, or have someone that knows html programming make your fakes!
Another tip I have figured out is that most of these fakes want you to click on a link (that is supposed to take you to your bank)... First of all ... NEVER click on the link, but depending on your software by simply moving the cursor over the link, the path is displayed on the "status bar" at the bottom of the screen. You can try it here, just move your cursor over a link on the page, you should see the address to this link on your status bar. Again some of them are obvious, but the professionals go to great lengths to make things look real! The ONE SIMPLE RULE needs to be circulated better by the banks and places like this! NO BANK WILL EVER EMAIL YOU ASKING TO HAVE YOU LOG ON TO YOUR ACCOUNT!!! And most banks have a 24-7 phone number you can call if you are genuinely concerned about your online account being compromised. I am hoping that this will encourage you to tell your friends and relatives about this and to help people recognize the fakes by simply being aware that their bank would never ask them to log on to their account, and obviously would never circulate a "hot link" that takes you directly to your log in page! However, some folks are more likely to panic in these situations and do something foolish ... Just another good reason to get the word out so less people get burned. Tell someone about this topic today, did they already know that banks do not send emails about your personal security issues? Just by being aware of this one simple fact helps me sort through the SPAM, and if it's from a bank or paypal asking me to log-on ... If I have time I forward it to the banking institutions online security address (my way of "getting even") otherwise it goes in the trash without a second thought. Because if the bank wants to contact me... they have my address and phone number.