Spam is killing me

[MoneyGuy]

For 1-2 years I was getting lots of spam, about 50 per day. It was driving me crazy. Then all of a sudden (I have no idea what changed) it dropped to 10-20 per day (I can accept that). Now, it's skyrocketed again. I have received almost 200 spam emails in the last two days!!! I only started counting two days ago, but I've been receiving them at this rate now for a few weeks. I'm probably getting at least 10 a day from one guy, apparently someone by the name of Robert Allan, Bob Allan or R. Allan.

There also seems to be certain themes. I'm not getting any penis-enlargement stuff, but it's been replaced by Internet surveys, software to allow me to watch my TV from my computer, etc.

For the techies, why does it go from 50 a day to 10-20 a day then shoots up to 100 a day? It's like a tap getting turned on and off.

I don't get this. I wish there was the equivalent of the do-not-call list for spam email.

Can someone explain this crap to me. It's frustrating and time consuming to be deleting all this spam nonsense every day now. I do have a spam filter that directs this stuff into a different in-box, but I still have to check it to make sure that nothing important has been put there.

I hate these spammers. I need to update my three-people-to-punch list.

[Bobblehead]

Your email address is being sold.

Spammers buy huge groups of addresses. They know a percentage of them are junk, but they charge more for groups that have higher percentages of good email addresses.

So over time your spam levels go down because the batch your address is in has fewer and fewer viable addresses, so isn't used/sold as often. But sometimes the group is sold to a new spammer(sucker) or the viable emails are regrouped together and resold, and you get another spike.

Good ways to limit spam? If you get a solution you will be a billionaire.

A good email client will allow you to "train" it to help identify spam. You should still check your spam regularly to make sure there weren't any false positives, but 90% of the spam should be stopped.

[Russic]

If they are consistent in their theme you could set up filters to catch them, but if they have random subject lines from random people your position would suck a little more.

You could try and change email services too. I've been using gmail for a few years now and very rarely does spam get into my inbox. My practice is to have 2 email addresses, a primary and a secondary. My secondary address is what I provide when I need to sign up for something online.

Oddly enough, my secondary email gets almost no spam in the inbox. I stopped using it simply because it seemed like an unncessary safety precaution.

Gmail comes strongly recommended.

[Robbob]

I agree with Gmail. The only one I have problems with (it still goes to my spam box) is maui divers. My wife bought a pearl from them and gave my email and no matter how many times I unsubcribe I still get emails from them. Very annoying.

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Originally Posted by Robbob

I agree with Gmail. The only one I have problems with (it still goes to my spam box) is maui divers. My wife bought a pearl from them and gave my email and no matter how many times I unsubcribe I still get emails from them. Very annoying.

Report them as spam.

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by GreenTeaFrapp

Report them as spam.

I have. They are like zombies they just won't die.

[Phanuthier]

Do you have your email address listed somewhere? Robert Allen is one of those get rich quick writers, so I assume they grabbed your email probably off a website.

Gmail is great, I don't get any spam getting into my inbox. Just one of the crazy algorithms of Google again.

[stang]

+1 to gmail...

There is even a way to utilize gmails spam software yet get your messages in another email (hotmail, yahoo) but I dont remember how to do it.

[Boblobla]

I don't get spam on my shaw account. I also don't enter that email address on any websites. If I every post it anywhere I use .at. instead of @ as well.

eg. johnsmith.at.shaw.ca

[ken0042]

Another thing- never use the spam's instructions to unsubscribe; unless it is something that you did in fact consciously subscribe to. (Like if you were going to Disneyland, you may have signed up for their money saving offers.)

When you "unsubscribe" to the enlargement ads, all you are doing is flagging you email address as being active and being read.

[MoneyGuy]

I have two accounts. My home account is shaw and I get no spam there - not one. All the spam comes to my office account, which is telus and is on websites out of necessity. Not sure if there is anything I can do about it.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

I have two accounts. My home account is shaw and I get no spam there - not one. All the spam comes to my office account, which is telus and is on websites out of necessity. Not sure if there is anything I can do about it.

Telus does have a spam filter, perhaps log into Webmail and ensure it is turned on.

[LChoy]

Originally Posted by Boblobla

I don't get spam on my shaw account. I also don't enter that email address on any websites. If I every post it anywhere I use .at. instead of @ as well.

eg. johnsmith.at.shaw.ca

Hey, that's a good tip
I apologize if there is someone on CP with jackiechan@hotmail.com because that's what I use as my throwaway e-mail.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by Lchoy

Hey, that's a good tip
I apologize if there is someone on CP with jackiechan@hotmail.com because that's what I use as my throwaway e-mail.

If I don't want to give my email (but am required to enter one), I use web@surfer.com

[Rathji]

I use my old address to catch my spam then forward the stuff that isnt to my main gmail account

http://www.spambox.us/ is another good choice if you do need to enter an email that you can verify

[photon]

a@b.com!

Yeah if your email address is on websites somewhere then you are hooped. Bots troll the web automatically looking for email addresses to add to their database.

The only way then to reduce the spam is to use spam filters. I also use gmail, partly for this reason. There are 3rd party spam filter programs out there as well that you can install, though I wouldn't know which ones are effective.

And really there's no reason for your email address to be on a website in clear text where it can be harvested. There are many different ways to have the same functionality (allow browsers to the site to contact you via email) without exposing your email address. Only problem with that is once the cat is out of the bag... unless you change your email address, which for a business can be impossible.

Plus if your name is fairly common, spammers will send to it as a matter of due course. bob.smith@telus.net (and bob.smith@gmail.com, bob.smith@whatever.com) is a good bet to spam to. I get the odd spam on a few private accounts because of this.

[ok, ok,....I get it]

Stop eating it.

[Titan]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

If I don't want to give my email (but am required to enter one), I use web@surfer.com

I use 1@2.com I don't know why that makes me giggle. I do like the jackiechan one too.