Tulsa World: Spam-proof your inbox, cell phone

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Spam-proof your inbox, cell phone

By KIM KOMANDO Gannett News Service
Published: 7/19/2009 2:26 AM
Last Modified: 7/19/2009 5:27 AM

Spam accounts for more than 90 percent of e-mail. And now, cell phones are getting spam.

You can banish most of it. Visit tulsaworld.com/komandonews.

Use a good e-mail filter

Filters kill spam before it hits your inbox.

Good spam filters use Bayesian filters that improve as you use them. I recommend free filters like MailWasher, POPFile, Spamato or SpamBayes.

Webmail providers usually have built-in filters. Make sure yours is activated.

Watch e-mail addresses

How do spammers get e-mail addresses? They buy mailing lists and harvest addresses from the Web, and often just guess using programs that combine simple words.

Don't use a simple e-mail address. Instead, add numbers, underscores and other characters.

And addresses starting with letters at the beginning of the alphabet get more spam.

Use disposable addresses

Some providers offer disposable addresses. When one starts receiving spam, kill it.

You can also create multiple accounts. When you see spam, drop the address.

Exercise caution

When you sign up for something online, you may be registering for newsletters and updates. Look for opt-out check boxes.

Be stingy with your e-mail address and phone number.

Read a site's privacy policy before providing personal information.

Don't unsubscribe

Many spam messages contain an unsubscribe link. Ignore this. Clicking the unsubscribe link simply confirms that your address is active.

Forward spam to the Federal Communications Commission at spam@uce.gov.

Legitimate mailing lists are the exception to this rule.

Protect your phone

A proactive approach makes sense.

First, join the Do Not Call Registry. After 31 days, you can file a complaint if you're still getting messages.

The CAN-SPAM Act bans unwanted commercial messages on wireless gadgets. You can file complaints at the FCC's site, tulsaworld.com/fcc.

Finally, check your account settings with your provider.

Contact Komando at gnstech@gannett.com. By KIM KOMANDO Gannett News Service

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