Driven by a weak economy that encourages fast-money schemes and by smarter, quicker technology, unsolicited commercial e-mails known as spam are exploding on the Internet. Spam is the electronic equivalent of junk mail, pitching such items as "instant online Viagra," "serious wealth from home," "quick and EZ debt consolidation" or "the Net's hottest adult site."
Jupiter Media Metrix, an Internet research firm based in New York, has reported that over 30% of all email messages sent each day through the Internet are nothing but Spam..
Some ways you can reduce the Spam in your email inbox are:
- Avoid displaying your e-mail address in public, including in newsgroups, chat rooms, Web sites and membership directories of online services.
- Consider using two e-mail addresses; one for personal messages, one for newsgroups and chat rooms.
- Report spam to the Federal Trade Commission by sending the entire message, including the full header, to uce@ftc.gov.
- Be skeptical of moneymaking invitations. Do not click on an “unsubscribe’ link â€" this only gets your name added to more lists.
Visit the Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email website at www.cauce.org to learn more about the Spam problem. Click on “Other Resources†for a listing of programs you can buy to filter out Spam.