Tired of getting spam in your email? Wondering if there’s anything you can do to help stop it?

We’ve got some helpful tips!

We know: 7 Ways to Slam Spam

What is Spam?

Internet bulk mail sent to you unsolicited, usually by marketers and advertisers.

How do those pests get my email address?

Usually a spam list broker collects addresses from newsgroup postings, websites, chat rooms and online service membership directories, then the broker sells the addresses to a marketer who uses the addresses to send out millions of unsolicited ads.

What can I do to help prevent Spam from clogging my email in-box?

Here are a few ideas from the Federal Trade Commission:

Try not to display your email address in chat groups, websites, newsgroup postings or online directories.
Whenever you submit you email to a website, look for an option to opt out of getting email from them. Usually, you 'deselect' a button that says you want to receive information and promotions in the future.
Use two email addresses; one for chat rooms and online groups, and one for your personal email.
Use a disposable email address service that creates a separate email address that forwards to your permanent account. If one of the disposable addresses begins to receive spam, you can shut it off.
Use an email address that's hard for a spammer to guess, or create. You do this by using something more unusual than your name, or by adding numbers or extra letters to your name, such as, bjones647.
See if your internet service provider offers a 'filter' tool for spam email, and use that.
Anti-spam software is also available and may help curtail unwanted email.

Who can I report Spam to?

Report Spam to the Federal Trade Commission. This government agency compiles a data base of spammers for prosecution.

Also, report Spam to your internet service provider, and the spammer’s internet service provider.

Whenever you complain about spam, it's important to include the full email header. The information in the header makes it possible for consumer protection agencies to follow up on your complaint.