SPAM: Funny Name, Not-So-Funny Results

Email spam has always been an ever-present problem since the dawn of the email age. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to minimize the risk to your inbox. Guest-Author Agent Stephens from Geek Squad UK discusses in today’s post how to identify, prevent, and deal with spam. Read his original blog post here.

SPAM: Funny Name, Not-So-Funny Results
Almost everyone with an email account gets spam messages on a regular basis — especially if you sign up for company newsletters, or tick the “yes, please contact me” box when completing an online purchase. But don’t worry. We’re going to help you spot and deal with email spam like a full-fledged Geek Squad Agent.

How do I prevent spam?

• Use a spam filter.  Spam filters scan incoming emails for common spam keywords and phrases (like “money back guarantee”). Most free and business email accounts have spam filters built-in, including Gmail, Yahoo! And Hotmail. Make sure yours is turned on in your email application’s settings.
• Read “the fine print” on sign up forms.  Never sign up for anything on a website, application or social network before reading the form. Some companies sell databases full of client contact information to third parties, who will then send out spam or marketing emails on a regular basis. Look out for the box that says “yes, you can share my information” (often selected by default) and make sure it is de-selected.
• Get a good internet security suite.  While business email providers generally have antivirus suites to scan email attachments and prevent spam, some free email providers don’t. Getting a good internet security suite for your home PC or laptop is not only beneficial, it’s vital. Kaspersky, Webroot and Trend all offer great internet security packages that have anti-spam and email attachment scanners built-in.

What do I do if email spam gets into my inbox?
 If something that looks like spam gets through your email filter (for instance, an email entitled “I can haz your moneys and your house?”), don’t be afraid of it. Simply select the offending message and click your email application’s ‘Report Spam’ button. This will add the sender to your block list and send all emails coming from that address straight to your spam folder. Since most spam doesn’t come from the same sender, the filter also stores key phrases, words and other information to help it to increase its effectiveness.

Spam: Easily Treatable.
Email spam can be effectively dealt with and prevented. Be vigilant with every email you open, every attachment you download and every link you follow. It is also important to keep a good internet security suite installed on your PC.