Analysing spam emails. How do people do it?

spenderdave

Mailwasher is good, use the Bayesian filter to identify your spam, but DO NOT USE the bounce feature. It is widely accepted that bouncing is bad practice and does nothing to reduce spam - and in many cases illegal as you are faking the non-delivery address of your ISP mail server. I think even Firetrust (Mailwasher's writer) accepts this, and in their latest version it is far harder to bounce mails.

As to identifying spam, mostly it is obvious from the subject line without a second glance. If you don't have an account with Nationwide then you know it is spam. Occasionally, for instance when you do get one proporting to come from the bank you do use you have to double check in the headers, which to even the most untrained eye will show it never came from that bank.

And most important with spam, in your email program turn off remote graphics and the preview pane. The simple act of opening an email in the preview pane will cause your email to be added to the spam lists. Mailwasher allows you to safely view spam if you must, but NEVER, repeat NEVER, open it in you email program.