7 Tips on Reducing Spam

Limit where you post your e-mail address and phone number.

• Be cautious about where you post your e-mail address and phone number. Posting this information to public websites, increase your chances of being spammed.

Don't Reply to Spam

• Answering spam just confirms to the spammer that your e-mail address is an active one.

Don't respond to a company that ask for personal information through e-mail

• Be suspicious if a company ask for your personal information to be sent in a e-mail. The request can be a spoofed e-mail message disguised to look legit. This is known as phishing.

  • If the company is one that you normally work with, you may want to call them to confirm that they have made that request via e-mail. When doing this be sure to not use any number that is attached to the e-mail message, but find a number from another source such as the official companies website, letter, statement, or directory assistance. If the message is legit, a customer service representative will be able to assist you with this. If not, that confirms it is spam.

Don't contribute to a charity via a request sent in a e-mail

• Spammers prey on a persons goodwill. Do not fall victim to this to this easy trick by spammers. Treat e-mail appeals from a charity as spam. Unless the charity is one that you would like to support, locate their phone number or website to find out how you could support them.

Avoid forwarding chain e-mail messages

• Forwarding chain e-mail messages, you may be furthering a hoax, and eventually you loose control over who sees not only your e-mail messages , but also your email address.

Review the privacy polices of websites.

• When signing up for banking, shopping, newsletters, or etc., review the privacy policy of the site carefully before using your personal information. Companies usually have a section located at bottom or footer of their website explaining how your personal information will be used. If a website does not explain this, you should reconsider using the service at the site.

  • Look for things such as: Privacy Statement, Privacy Policy, Terms and Conditions, or Terms of Use.

Pre-Checked Boxes

• Sometimes companies add check boxes that may already be selected. These sometimes indicate that you are fine with the company selling or giving away your information to another business or "Third Party". Be sure to clear this check box so that your information is not shared.