How do you get rid of spam when it doesn't have an opt-out of unsubscribe address?

Question

Some are just annoying and others are offensive. I am not using Yahoo mail box and have Norton Internet Security.

Answer 1

Once your email address is on a spammers list it is almost impossible to get off. Right now, your e-mail address (along with millions of others) is on a CD being sold from the back rooms of software shops from Bangladesh to Botswanna and from Norway to the Netherlands.

However there are several things that you can do to prevent even more spam.

1. Start by removing your e-mail address from your Yahoo profile,if it is on it. The spam-industry has programs that are continusously crawling the web looking for the "@" symbol which is a sure sign the the word before it and the domain name after it is an e-mail address!

2. Use a longer address. The spam industry uses programs that try sending e-mail to all known domain names. Example: a program might start trying to send out e-mails to everyone starting with [e-mail] and continue down to [e-mail]. Using a longer e-mail address will make this harder to do.

3. Never click the "Unsubscribe Link" in any e-mail. This will only confirm to the spammers that your e-mail address is indeed real and that you are reading their garbage. In fact, do not even open any e-mail from anybody you don't know or trust. Many spams are not only annoying but contain viruses of other malware. Just delete 'em without opening 'em!.
You can however click that "Unsubscribe Me" button from businesses that are well known and that you trust. Walmart... yes. Someone selling Viagra...no.

4. Open up a second e-mail account. Whenever, a website requires you to register using your e mail address, use this secondary address. There are many unscrupulous websites that will sell you address to others or bombard you with spam themselves.

5. Download a free copy of SiteAdvisor. SiteAdvisor will alert you when you search (Google, Yahoo, MSN, search only) of websites that are known to send out spam. This can help you avoid registering with any sites that are known to spam people.
http://www.siteadvisor.com/

Treat your e-mail address just like you would your telephone number or home address....only give it out to those that you absolutely trust!

Answer 2

We all get spam to our inbox. Sometimes way to much. However don't be tempted to click on that Unsubscribe button. All that does is confirm your email address and that you opened it. They have no intention on removing your email from their list. Just click on the spam button. You may want to tighten up your spam filters as well. Also consider creating a email account that you use to sign up for things, or need a email to confirm something. Most of the time that type of thing get a email sent to your account right away and you can be on the lookout for it. Bots crawl all over the web, forums, or any other place you may put in your email address, just looking for addresses to send spam to.

Answer 3

If you are using Outlook you can highlight the message and click on "message" and then "block sender." These will just go directly to your "trash" folder for you to delete. You can also "forward" them to the Federal Trade Commission,
[e-mail]

I would suggest that you do not try to unsubscribe unless you know the company is valid. Usually when you click "unsubscribe" it just alerts the people sending that yours is a good address and then they really bombard you.

Hope that helps.

Answer 4

even if span does have an unsubscribe address, it is not usually wise to use it, nor is it effective. spammers don't care if you unsubscribe, and sometimes it doesn't matter. they sell your address to pretty much anybody, and that list gets sold by the people who bought it, and the more addresses they have on it, the more they can charge. and if you click unsubscribe, now they know that it is an active email address. use an email provider that has a spam box. yahoo's is absolutely wonderful.

Answer 5

I use Popfile (popfile.sourceforge.net) which is a free smart/learning spam filter. The first week or so you have to teach it which is spam and which is legit. After that it can filter with over 90% accuracy. Just keep an eye on it every once in a while.

A similar program is SpamBayes.

Answer 6

If you figure that one out, You'll be rich.