What is spam and what should I do if I get it?

Get the basics on spam: Part 1

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What does it mean?

phisher
A malicious user or Web site that deceives people into revealing personal information, such as account passwords and credit card numbers.

spam
Unsolicited commercial e-mail.

virus
Code written with the express intention of replicating itself.

Spam—the e-mail equivalent of telemarketing calls—is certainly annoying, but some spam can also be dangerous to your computer, to your bank account, and to your privacy. Spam may pretend to be from a company you trust in order to entice you to reveal personal or financial information (an activity known as phishing).

Click a spammer's link, and you may risk downloading a virus or software that could be used to track your Web activity. And spam isn't limited to e-mail—it has spilled over to instant messages (IM) as well, where it has become enough of a problem for instant messaging spam to warrant its own word, spim.

What is spam?

Spam in this context is unsolicited commercial e-mail (as opposed to solicited commercial e-mail; often, when you sign up on a Web site or buy something online, you agree to receive commercial e-mail).

There’s non-commercial spam, too. While it might be appealing to forward that funny chain e-mail message to all your friends, resist the temptation to become a small-scale spammer. Not only do you lose control over who sees your e-mail address (it could fall into the hands of a commercial spammer), but you also may be furthering a hoax or aiding in the delivery of a virus.

What do I do when I get spam?

Many Internet service providers (ISPs) and e-mail programs provide junk e-mail filters that can serve as the first line of defense against spam. Here are some more things that you can do to protect yourself:

Ignore spam

· Delete junk e-mail messages without opening them. Sometimes just opening a spam message can alert the spammer that your e-mail address is a valid one.Don't reply to spam unless you're certain that the message comes from a legitimate source. This includes not responding to such messages that offer an option to “remove me from your list.”

· Don't give personal information in an e-mail or instant message. Most companies won't ask for personal information by e-mail. If a company you trust, such as your credit card company or bank, appears to ask for personal information, call the company using a number you retrieve yourself from another source, such as the back of your credit card, a bill, or the phone book. Do not use a number from the e-mail message.

· Think twice before opening attachments or clicking links in e-mail or instant messages, even if you know the sender. If you cannot confirm with the sender that an attachment or link is safe, delete the message.

· Don't buy anything or give to any charity promoted through spam. Spammers often swap or sell the e-mail addresses of those who have bought from them, so buying something through spam may result in even more spam. If you receive an e-mail request from a charity you'd like to support, avoid donation scams by calling the organization directly to find out how to contribute.

· Don't forward chain e-mail messages. Not only do you lose control over who sees your e-mail address, but you may also end up furthering a hoax or spreading a virus.

Report fraudulent or abusive e-mail

· Report abusive, harassing, or threatening e-mail messages to your Internet Service Provider (ISP).

· Report phishing scams and other fraudulent e-mail to the company that has been misrepresented. Contact the organization directly and not through the e-mail you received.

· File a complaint with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

To forward an e-mail with the full header field enclosed using MSN Hotmail:

1. Open the message, then click Options in the upper-right corner.

2. Click Mail display settings, then Message headers. Click the Advanced option. The message will now display all the header information.

3. Copy all the text and paste it into a new e-mail message. Send this message to abuse@hotmail.com.

To forward an e-mail with the full header field enclosed using Outlook Express or Outlook:

1. Right-click the unopened e-mail message, then click Options.

2. Under Internet headers, copy the full content of the header.

3. Now open the e-mail in question and forward a complete copy of the message, inserting the full message header that you copied, to the abuse alias at the ISP the spam came from; for example, try abuse@<ISPname>.com or webmaster@<ISPname>.com.