Unwanted emails

bertha

I've been getting lots of unwanted e mails (God's blessing, investment, money hidden away in trunks, Africa - oh and by the way can I have your bank details - you know the type of thing!)

How do they get my e mail address (I have a few but only get messages on one) and how can I stop the messages? I've tried blocking ones with certain words in the text but obviously they don't all use the same words. Blocking senders doesn't work either as they're all from different people.

Any idea appreciated.
Thanks

MercilessKiller

What software do you use for your emails? Microsoft Outlook has a spam filter which you can change the sensitivity of etc...

Also what server does your email use? If its a personal one, try installing a better spam filter on the server... if its a commercial one, then try the spam filter on the client side so outlook, or thunderbird

cwoodham

Someone has probably inadvertantly passed on your email address to the spammers perhaps from their address book or perhaps that email address is visible on a website. Best solution would be to stop using this email address and just use the others if they are spam free.

Dont bother bouncing the spam - it doesn't go back to the sender as they have forged addresses in the FROM field.

I use a program called MailWasher to check and delete all unwanted email on the servers before I download any email to my computer. That way you can get rid of any spam+attachments before it gets near your PC. The last freeware version (1.33) is available here:
<http://www.321download.com/LastFreeware/page2.html&gt;
MailWasher 1.33 allows you to check a number of email addresses if you have more than one. I check four or five. More recent versions dont. Its one of the most useful utilities on my machine.

Another good spam filter is Coffee Cup Spam Blocker 4.1

bertha

I use Outlook Express with a couple of different identities. Strangely enough the spam happens with the one I use hardy at all.

kipper_2-2

Try This MAILWASHER

bertha

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll have a look at mailwasher

free4440273

could i just ask - is mailwasher completely freeware? or shareware? thanks

cwoodham

free4440273 wrote:

could i just ask - is mailwasher completely freeware? or shareware? thanks

The version I use (1.33) is free but you can make a donation if you like. Later versions only check one mailbox (for free) and you have to buy Mailwasher Pro.

Version 1.33 checks multiple mailboxes.

windym_2

Mailwasher is just brilliant. I had the freebie for a couple of years and then upgraded. It saves so much time. It bounces about 100 emails a day.

cwoodham

windym wrote:

Mailwasher is just brilliant. I had the freebie for a couple of years and then upgraded. It saves so much time. It bounces about 100 emails a day.

Dont see any need to upgrade. Mailwasher Version 1.33 does everything you need.

As I said in an earlier post there is no point in bouncing emails either. They dont go back to the sender - just to someone whose address the spammers have forged in the FROM field. You're just returning it to the wrong person.

Skyhigh

Alot of scammers, phishers and spammers collect email addresses from forums like this one.

You file in your profile and put in your email address.
They use bots (programs) to scan through forums and pull them out.

Similarily, you may post your email on a forum, such as "please email me at....".

Even better, if you promote chain mail, you're adding your address to a long list of addresses and possibly promoting it to a good few thousand or even hundereds of thousands of people, depending on how successful the chain is.


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