If you're like me and receive more spam that legitimate emails everyday, then you can emphatize with my frustration. Our email addresses are flooded with so much spam daily that its been predicted (so I've read) to render email communication useless in a few years.
Anyway, let's now get into that now. Let's say you have a shining new (and spam-free) email. How do you protect it and ensure that it stays tha way. Or even if you have an email address that already receives spam, let's not invite more!
Here's some positive steps I've taken which helps a lot.
- Let's say you're already getting some spam. Don't reply to spam. You've heard this many times, but its true. Use a software like Mail Washer to look at what's on your mailbox before you download and read them. (Some emails have trackers to know if you've opened them). Mail Washer even bounces the email back mimicking a "User Not Found" message. Neat.
- Emails are often harvested via spambots or software programmed to trawl websites looking for email addresses. Use a free service from Dynamic Drive to encrypt your email address.
- If you have to sign up, head on down to Spam Motel and create a temp address. The service even allows you to create a note so you can track who leaked your email to the spammers!
- Consider a Challenge/Response System. This has been received with mixed reviews, but generally each email that's sent to you is automatically 'moderated' and an email is sent to the sender for verification. You can add your regulars to an internal database so they're emails pass. This is one sure way to totally eliminate spam. Choice Mail is a popular choice in this category.
- Look into our list of freeware tools for other software that can help you.
I hope that these tips will be useful in reclaiming your inbox. Don't give up in your fight against spam!
