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What is Spam?
Spam can
be defined as unsolicited e-mail, electronic junk mail
or junk newsgroup postings. Most spam is generally
commercial advertising for some products or
get-rich-quick schemes.
Spam
usually targets users with direct mail messages. Spam
lists can be created through stealing Internet mailing
lists, searching the Web for addresses or scanning
Usenet postings. Usenet is a worldwide public network
on the Internet that can only be accessed with special
software. Information on Usenet consists of a huge
number of newsgroups on various topics.
Ways to prevent
Spam.
Since the
Internet is public, there is very little that can be
done to prevent spam. Often times when you receive
junk mail or spam, there is often an option at the
bottom of the e-mail to be put on the do-not-mail
lists. If that option is not present, reply back with
an e-mail stating not to submit anymore information to
that e-mail address. Another way to reduce the amount
of unwanted mail is to get on as many do-not-mail
lists as possible. Junkbusters Corporations is an
organization that helps users to do this. There
website consists of a form in which the user can
specify what type of mail they do and do not want to
receive. As a part of this free service, they will
also help you get this information to many direct
marketing companies. Their web address is http://www.junkbusters.com/
.
Ways to report Spam.
SpamCop is
a free service that will send a public spam report to
network administrators. To setup an account, go to http://spamcop.net/.
You must be careful though! Many spammers setup fake
anti-spam websites. If you ever receive an anti-spam
email or visit an anti-spam website and either of them
is asking for money, it is fake!! Report information
like this to any anti-spam website or the National
Fraud Information Center. You can also obtain more
information on anti-spam scams through Internet
Scambusters.
Click here
to read our Spam Policy. There you will find more
information on how to report spammers.
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