10 Tips To Help Reduce Spam To Your Inbox

1. Hide Your True Name
   Create and use a second (alias) email address/account for online purchases, postings and sweepstakes entries.

2. Opt Out Now!
   Before submitting your email address, read the website's privacy policy. Make sure it promises not to sell or swap your address.

3. To Remove or Not to Remove?
   Don't try to unsubscribe from unsolicited emails. They'll send even more spam. The top spammers use unsubscribe links as confirmation that you exist.

4. Tell the FTC
   Report spam to the Federal Trade Commission at uce@ftc.gov. The FTC has been building a database of spammers and now has the authority to prosecute them, thanks to the new CAN-SPAM law.

5. Don't Open It
   Spammers know if an email has been opened, so when in doubt...don't open. Also, disable your email program's preview pane. Otherwise, the spam email will report back to its sender that you opened it. The result: more spam.

6. Don't Feed the Spammers
   Don't ever buy anything promoted in a spam message. Even if the email looks legit, and even if it's from a company you know other people have done business with. You are providing economic incentive for spammers to continue the practice.

7. Contact Your ISP
   Make sure your Internet Service Provider uses spam filters. If you continue to get a lot of unsolicited email, ask about your ISP's filtering features. Then compare with the offerings of other providers.

8. Update Your Computer
   Update your computer with virus protection to prevent spammers into your address book. If you have a broadband connection, install a firewall system to prevent spammers from hijacking your system to send emails from your computer.

9. Alert Spoofing Victims
   Sometimes a message 'From' someone may not be that someone at all. If you find out that the message is not really from a legitimate business, report the fraudulent message to the real company.

10. Create a Spam Filter
    Create a spam filter using your email client software. Note: Microsoft calls their filters "rules". Consider purchasing a separate piece of anti-spam software, such as Norton or McAfee.

Download 10 Tips To Help Reduce Spam To Your Inbox (.pdf) in PDF format.