Stopping Spam

Spam is the process of sending unwanted, unsolicited emails to a large number of people. Unfortunately, it is becoming a common practice of small businesses and internet marketers trying to sell their products or services. It is estimated that the average computer’s email box is filled with at least 30% spam.

There are three main type of spam:

• Spam from companies and websites where you have registered: Reputable companies will give you the option to unsubscribe from emails prominently in their emails.

• Spam from Indian Heritage Members: If you receive unwanted marketing material from members that you have previously traded with you can find more information  at http://www.acma.gov.au/
• Spam from unknown companies and people: You receive these because a spammer has stolen, purchased or guessed your email address.

1. Spammers in most cases need to know your email address before they can spam you so keep your email address to yourself as much as possible and use it only for work purposes.
2. When posting on a forum do not include your email address as part of your signature.
3. Guest books are a prime source for the harvesting of email addresses that spammers use. Some guest books automatically hyperlink your email to your username; avoid posting in such forums and never include your email address in the post itself. Do not use your work email for this kind of personal use. If you do not have an alternative email address consider using free services such as Google mail, Yahoo! mail or Hotmail.
4. When signing up for forums, offers and other public services never use your work email address; if it doesn’t break the terms of use, consider using disposable email addresses. If terms prohibit the use of disposable email, use free email services that include spam filtering.
5. Never click on links in a spam email; in some cases clicking will result in you confirming to the spammer that the email address is valid and the user is likely to click on links thus making you a prime target for more spam and phishing attacks.

The best way to stop spam is to put your email program or service onto the highest anti-spam setting.