Create a throw away email address with one
of the free email providers. Save your primary address for friends,
family and organizations you trust. Use the throw away address
for contacting organizations you aren't certain you trust and
for "required" email fields in forms where they have
no legitimate reason to email you.
Consider using a disposable email address
service that creates a separate email address that forwards
to your permanent account. If your disposable addresses begins
to receive spam, you can shut it off without affecting your
permanent address.
Use a unique email address. Your choice of
email addresses may affect the amount of spam you receive. Spammers
use "dictionary attacks" to sort through possible
name combinations at large ISPs or email services, hoping to
find a valid address. Thus, a common name such as jdoe may get
more spam than a more unique name like j75doe. Of course, the
downside is that it's harder to remember an unusual email address.
If you use Outlook or Outlook Express, use
the email filter to create filters to catch and delete undesirable
email. You can identify keywords commonly used in spam messages
and have Outlook send those messages straight to the trash bin.
If you only want email from a very specific
group of people, and your email program has this feature, you
can accept email from only people on your approved list. However
you risk missing messages from anyone who has a new email address.
If you create an account with a website or
other service, make sure you check or uncheck the boxes offering
to send you "offers", "news", "updates"
etc., unless you really want to receive that stuff.
Some spam has a message that says "click
here to be removed from our mailing list" or something
similar. Some unethical spammers actually use your click to
confirm that your email address is live and receiving mail and
they will send even more spam. Not all spammers do this, but
enough do that I never click on the "Remove" link.
In some cases just viewing an email can signal
the sender that your email address is live and ripe for more
spam. So if you have features in your email program that allow
you to turn off images and to preview mail, use them.
