Junk e-mail

I am lucky not to get any, although I have had them in the past and deleted them without looking at them.

I treat them in the same way as cold callers, dismiss them completely.

regards

Donald

About 10 or so get through our junk mail server. I am not sure how they expect to gain business. We get one from R0LeX with a zero not an "O" about 5 times a day, they obviously change the spelling occasionally to get through your own junk mail filter, but why, I don't want a Rolex so let me filter it out !!! 

If I understand what you are suggesting then you really need to get some security software. There is no way that anything should be able to read your contact list.

Yes, if you're contacts list information has been used by a third party, there has been a breach of security. Either on your own computer(s) or via an online service like Hotmail, et al.

There was a Hotmail bug exploited to this end, rather cleverly, a while ago.

But anyway, regarding the practice of using a personal email address for web forms, mailing lists, etc....... Don't!

It is good practice, at least imho, to use a free webmail address (like Gmail or Hotmail) specifically for "signing up for things" on the web - Unless you have multiple "private" addresses at your disposal.

Nefarious email address collectors would then only add your "disposable" address to spam lists, etc, not your "real" one.

Can I also recommend a very good and very free spam filter, called Spambayes?

It integrates nicely with Outlook, Thunderbird, etc, using the usual "plugin" approach.

It works in a slightly different way to the usual filters and "learns" from your choices of which type of mail you allow and which you deny. It is more than the usual set of "condition matching" rules.

I have used it and recommended it to great effect a number of times and this seems like an appropriate thread in which to mention it.

Hope some may benefit by it.

In my inbox I get zero, or at least that has been the case for the last year. My spam folder is regulary at 3000+ per week.

SpamSieve sees to the manky stuff, excellent self learning and I am delighted with it.

Microsoft has just put out a huge update to Office (Mac - outlook) and has resulted in a bit of headscratching,

but all sorted again now.

There are some *very* clever phishing mails out there, and I even started to get Nigerian 'Black Money' rubbish again recently.

I would get a new e-mail address for your job applications. It is not hard to spoof your e-mail address (e-mail security is mediocre for the most part though you can secure them to a large extent), but if somebody has got your personal contacts list then that suggested your PC is/was in bad shape. Possibly a Trojan program leaking out information. 

Also when choosing an e-mail password use a password generator or something like 

xxffludei65weiun$%r965tu+v,67viur6A4aZ3ezyy[-98-X for your password 

You can always copy and paste it if you need it to logon, but most of the time an e-mail connection is automatic.

If somebody has broken in to your e-mail then stop using it .... potentially they can obtain or reset passwords for other online systems. 

Think of e-mail like sending a postcard - if you wouldn't use a postcard then think twice about using e-mail for that correspondence. 

Your computer is infected. Make sure your antivirus and antispyware protection is up to date and scan.

Jon,

      Do not rely on just one. I use three (all available free online - make certain you do not pay for them!)

Spybot, Malware Bytes & AVG.

Running all those *should* ensure a clean pc with the proviso the malware you have is not in the part of the file system that cannot be got at by software such as these.

I also like C Cleaner as well - great for making sure everything is running as it should be and an excellent (free) program removal tool. The registry cleaner in it is better than a lot of purchased ones..

Hope that helps.

Excellent advice Steve. I replaced AVG a few years ago when I found it was just too processor hungry. I use Avira now and that works well. I also use ZoneAlarm as well as Windows firewall, and Spywareblaster.

It all helps but has to be kept up to date.

And please please please, if somebody tells you that you don't need protection as long as you're careful which sites you visit (as was said on this board a few years ago) ignore that. If your computer is networked you need protection. 

Three av at once, your computer must be like treacle.

I wish I could filter Spam phonecalls at home. Several every day selling loans/legal services or the latest wheeze, investing in wine!

Bruce

Depends where I am - 99% of the time I'm on a mac so workflow is akin to greased lightning 

The home pc is dreadfully slow as it runs on steam - sorry - windows - but not all three av are actually in process full time. AVG is the main full time av, the others just get used on a cleaning cycle.

Not had a problem with AVG slowing down the pc Tom - whereas Norton basically stopped the thing in its tracks.

Just waiting for some dosh for a MAC at home and then that PC is getting flying lessons for free. 

Bruce - have you tried the Telephone Preference Service?  It won't cut out all of them (esp. those from overseas) but it should help to reduce the volume.

Those aren't all AV's, and all are good tools.  Specifically, you should run Spybot periodically (if you run Windows) -- it is not in place of a proper av.

Please tell me you'r on PHONE PREFERENCE SERVICE?

A hefty fine awaits them if they abuse your number.

This worked fine for us, the only ones that get through now are the ones from places we actually do business with - ie our bank / building society etc. When they spam us they get told to take us off their calling list or else..

Hmm - stuck in the ether for a couple of hours there??

Well thanks Gavin etc.

Now registered with the Telephone Preference Service.

I had a vague idea something like this existed but did not know the name.

Bruce

Mail Preference Service performs a similar function with junk mail.

And yet another one for FAX as well :-)

That was really a godsend.

Went from dozens a day to a few per month - if any now.

I think they have converted to spam email now - so full circle,

SpamSieve sorts this ;-)

Now also available for mobile numbers.

Getting rubbish phonecalls on a mobile when on the riverbank relaxing is pretty annoying - well at least it was.

Thanks, although not an issue for me. I just don't turn it on.

I astonished somebody recently by telling them I make about 2-3 calls a month on my phone, and receive  less. They did not think this was possible in the modern world.

I recently suggested to a harrassed colleague they might turn their phone off for half a day a week in order to get through some backlog of work and they nearly fainted.

Bruce

Google Mail when coupled with Mozilla Thunderbird do a rather good job of excluding spam & scams but the question of someone passing your email address onto others can be a problem. 

I've tried these Preference services at least twice.  Seems to reduce the incidence for 2-4 weeks, then it gradually creeps up again.  The current batch seem to be mainly about Home Insulation (already fully insulated) or PPI (never had one).  Most of the other nuisance calls seem to have subcontinental accents attached to them.  I try very hard not to be rude to the callers, who are only doing a job (probably poorly paid), but when it's the 4th one in less than 2 hours it gets VERY difficult.  It's why I use the pause function on my NDX remote control so often (now the Harmony since I finally got it reprogrammed).