As every day goes by, it seems most people are struggling more and more with junk email to a certain extent. I thought I would answer all your questions this month in the simplest way possible, from the beginning of the junk mail process.
Q: I used to get no junk mail. Then, all of a sudden I began receiving several of them daily. Why?
A: Your name is on a list of valid email addresses that is being sold to hundreds of spammers across the world. There are a few ways to get on the “lists” that exist out there, and it’s rare for any email address that is more than a year or two old not to eventually show up on one of these lists. Here is how it happens:
The most common method is finding your address through the internet itself. There is software available to spammers that scans the web for email addresses listed on any web sites. If your email address is listed on any web site, eventually, you will be found. Also, if you sign up for just about anything online that says “free” there is a chance your name will end up on some type of list somewhere.
Finally, some spam sending software just guesses random names and finds valid names by checking which emails bounce back and which make it through to the end destination. This means even if you are careful, you can still be found, and end up on a list.
Q: What can I do to STOP all these junk messages from getting through to me?
A: There are several ways, depending on your situation.
If you are using a web based mail system like Hotmail, Google, Yahoo, or even AOL then all of the control is on their end. You can check the settings on your account at any of these services, and usually have the ability to either turn on a spam filter, or set up your own filters to block suspicious emails or even all emails from people not in your address book.
If you are using an email program on your computer to check mail such as Outlook or Outlook Express, Eudora, Apple Mail, Entourage, or any other application based mail program, the latest versions usually allow you to set up filters to automatically move spam to a special spam folder for you to review or directly to the trash. There are also several popular add-ins that can be used in conjunction with these programs to clear spam more thoroughly. In an extreme example, I personally use one of these programs and have reduced my email count per day from 300 to 500 junk emails per day to 15 to 30 real emails. Only one or two junk emails get through per day with the proper setup.
Get free advice online at www.fivexbiz.com or by calling (888) 932-6638.
Ron Farber is a leader in the information technology and web industries and is the founder of two successful companies, Fivestar I.T., Inc. and Fivestar Business Solutions in Beverly Hills, California.
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