[Eric68]

This is for you computer gurus . . .

I keep getting anywhere from 3 to 10 email messages a day for Cialas, fake Rolex watches, and stock tips. Its really clogging up my email and I can't filter them out.

The subject lines are random words that make no sense and the "from" email address is always different -- the senders name is a fake person's name (first and last name) and the actual address is always some freebee looking email account (always different). I think I replied once (to say knock it off) and the message was returned as undeliverable.

Is there some software program that will help filter this garbage out? My ISP is comcast and I don't think they have any type of SPAM protection.

Thanks

Eric

[ToocoolZ28]

I get the same things, I dont know how to stop them either. One of them had a link you could click to opt out, now I get even more.

I hope you find out how to get rid of them, I would like to also.
Ron

[Indy Z11]

Some ISP mail client's have an option that allows you to do reverse filtering. That is, rather than trying to filter spam, you simply indicate the address you WILL accept mail from. Put all of your friends on the list and everything else gets dropped. Sometimes not too convenient but maybe an option if the spam gets too bad. Check your preferences section to see if you have this ability.

[JimM]

I use a product called "mailwasher" you'll find it in a search. It "prechecks" your mail at your isp's server, and displays the header and the first few lines of the body. It includes membership in 2 national spam databases, plus allow you to program in a frieds list and a blacklist. I used to get 100-200 spam emails a day at my 3 work email addresses. Mailwasher is about 90% effective with no operator intervention, and much faster than an email program when intervention is required. It does require pop3 access, which I think comcast does support. Runs around 30 bucks.

[Barefoot Dave]

Originally Posted by Eric68

This is for you computer gurus . . .

Is there some software program that will help filter this garbage out? My ISP is comcast and I don't think they have any type of SPAM protection.

Thanks

Eric

Hey Eric:

You might want to look into this...it's called Choice Mail and just as the name says it lets you choose who can contact you and who can't.It works a lot like Larry says above.

http://www.digiportal.com/homeproducts.html

I have several friends that use it. It's easy to set up and seems to work VERY well. It is a very minor inconvenience for the person e-mailing because the first try they get a mail back with a note from you asking to confirm the e-mail is legit. Once they are on your trusted list they are there forever. Spammers will never give a good return address so they don't get the request and therefore no spam gets through!

Another option for you might be to buy your own domain www.eric68.com is available and if you use the right host you can easily setup spam controls on your own POP3 mailbox. I have several e-mail addresses on my barefootdave.com account and with the tools provided by my webhosting company I get maybe one spam a week that squeaks through the filter and about the same # that are tagged as spam inadvertently. It only takes a couple mins to look through and see if I recognize an e-mail addy or a subject looks real.

Let me know if you have any questions and I can point you in the right direction.

[MrDanB]

I have a simple earthlink account and set the spam blocker to "high". If I get email from someone NOT in my addy book, then it gets lumped into a spam file that I can sort through later. If someone needs to email, but not in the book, then it sends an automatic email requesting authorization to the sender. Maybe a little inconvenience for the guy trying to reach me, but I figure better them than me

Dano

[clwilcox33]

The first and best defense is to never list your primary address anywhere online. Get a hotmail account and use that to buy things online, register for web sites, etc. Hotmail does have "some" spam blocking but that won't matter too much if you have your primary address for important things. Never post your primary address on any public web site, forum, etc. Spammers use harvesting programs to scan thousands of web sites a day for email address. Use your disposable (hotmail/yahoo) account for those purposes.

Second, if your current primary address is already getting tons of spam, then you can do a couple things; get some spam blocking software, this site lists a few but by all means aren't all of them, check McAfee, Trend Micro, and Norton's as well: ( http://spam-filter-review.toptenrevi...OVMTC=standard ), there are many out there, and also contact your ISP and find out what they have for spam filtering and what they recommend you do.

Most large ISP's do have filtering software that filters spam out before you ever see it, but they can't catch everything. You need to help by reporting spam that slips by their filters. You need to check with YOUR ISP to find out what they use, how to report spam back to them and what free filtering services they offer. Some ISPs may even offer some of the retail spam filtering software to you as a free download or service.

I use Comcast too, but I use their online web mail instead of downloading my mail to Outlook Express or Outlook. Here's how to forward spam back to Comcast if you ARE using Outlook Express or Netscape email clients http://www.comcast.net/help/faq/inde...EmailSpam17785
With their web mail you can report incoming spam to your mailbox with a quick click of a button. Do it often enough and they'll start blocking most of these for you. Also, if you're using Comcast, you will need to log onto their Webmail at least once and enable spam filtering I believe. http://www.comcast.net/help/faq/inde...uritySpam17894


Also note that if you use Comcast they have several free tools for other things you may not know about like free virus scan and firewall tools (McAfee): http://www.comcast.net/benefits/ You need BOTH of these tools. If you don't like McAfee then go buy Norton's antivirus and personal security software. Other ISPs may offer other free downloads/tools/services. You will need to call them or look at their web site for more information. Sometimes free stuff isn't advertised and you won't know about it until you take the time to look into it or call them about it.

Here's a nice list of things to do to stop the spread of spam from Comcast of general rules, many of which I stated above: http://www.comcast.net/help/faq/inde...EmailSpam17863 MOST of these rules apply no matter who you get your email through.

Recent laws have been enacted in many states making spam illegal. http://www.spamlaws.com lists some of the federal and state laws passed in the last couple years. Most large ISP's do have filtering software, but they can't catch everything. You need to help by reporting spam that slips by their filters.

P.S. I haven't gotten a spam email on my primary Comcast account more than once or twice in over a year. My hotmail account that I post on the web everywhere on the other hand....I have to clean it out regularly. I forward important emails back to my primary address for keeping, and dump the rest. I've also been in the computer industry for over 15 years doing network administration for companies like Exxon/Mobil and Boeing so feel free to ask me about anything else I can help you with.

[TJS69]

Do you use "Outlook Express" ? If so, you can set up a "rule" to delete messages from "server", that contain certain words in the "body" of the message etc. I just made a rule for mine. You always get SPAM like that if you visit camaroz28.com.

[clwilcox33]

Originally Posted by TJS69

Do you use "Outlook Express" ? If so, you can set up a "rule" to delete messages from "server", that contain certain words in the "body" of the message etc. I just made a rule for mine. You always get SPAM like that if you visit camaroz28.com.

Email "content" filters rarely work anymore, as the spammers change email subject lines, fake who the emails are from, etc. If you start trying to filter using rules and certain words, you'll end up blocking more important emails than keeping bad ones out in the end.

[Al]

I get hundreds of spams (about 20 email accounts) and rely on cloudmark to sort most of it out.
Works very well for a couple of bucks a month. It's user-managed so if anyone using cloudmark gets spam they block it - which then blocks it for everyone else. Robots can't get around stuff like that. Works with MS Outlook.

http://www.cloudmark.com/desktop/download/

[CFunK]

Al, Cloudmark is an excellent solution.

Eric, if you are using Outlook or Outlook Express I use and most of my clients use a product called SpamFighter www.spamfighter.com.

[Dayton68Z28]

Originally Posted by ToocoolZ28

I get the same things, I dont know how to stop them either. One of them had a link you could click to opt out, now I get even more.

Don't ever do this!
Now the spammer knows he's hit an active email account.
You will then rec even more spam.

[Eric68]

OK, thanks guys. I downloaded the free version of Choicemail and will see how it works. It some some goofing around with POP3 adresses (whatever that is) to make it work (geez I feel like a caveman) but it wasn't too bad.

[cd playa]

I'm using MS Outlook, I get about 3 per day. What I did was setup my block senders junk e-mail filter, so everytime I get junk mail I send it to my block list filter. Before I set that up I was getting about 8 junk mails a day, so it helped a little.
The key is do not reply or click the link to stop subcribing, than they will know that it is a real address and you will get even more.

[Martineer]

I also use Cloudmark and love it.