Don't let your fear of spam keep you from participating in newsgroups. By taking the following six simple precautions, you can help keep your inbox free of unwanted e-mail messages—from junk mail to messages containing viruses. 1. Use the WebNews reader.Accessing newsgroups via the WebNews reader is a sure bet for warding off unwanted e-mail. The WebNews reader prevents spam bots from signing in to newsgroups, meaning spammers have no way to acquire your e-mail address in newsgroups. 2. Don't use your primary e-mail address in newsgroups.If you access newsgroups with a tool other than the WebNews reader, avoid displaying your regular e-mail address. Try these alternatives instead: | • | Modify your e-mail address slightly so spam bots can't automatically detect it. For example, if your actual e-mail address is anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com, change it to something like anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com.invalid. | | • | Set up a secondary e-mail account specifically for your newsgroup use. |
3. Use an Internet Service Provider (ISP) that filters junk e-mail.Some ISPs use technology to help filter junk e-mail before it reaches your inbox. Check with your ISP to see what services they provide. 4. Set up filters that help block junk e-mail.The following articles about Microsoft products and technologies can help you learn how to filter out spam: What if you're already receiving unwanted e-mail messages? Here are two more ways you can fight spammers: 5. Avoid replying to spammers.Spam messages may tell you how to opt out of future mailings—for example, by replying with "REMOVE" in the subject line. But many spammers deceptively include these instructions just to confirm they've reached a working e-mail address. Unless you know the message sender or you're unsubscribing from a mailing list you signed up for, you should delete these messages without responding. 6. Report spammers.If you receive unwanted e-mail, you can report the sender to any of the following: | • | ISP complaint address. Most ISPs and e-mail services work to eliminate junk e-mail from their systems. You can forward unwanted e-mail messages to the complaint address of the sender's ISP. (The ISP address appears after the "at" sign, or @, of the sender's e-mail address.) | | • | U.S. Federal Trade Commission. You can forward any deceptive or unwanted e-mail to the FTC at uce@ftc.gov. | | • | MSN Hotmail. If you receive spam through Hotmail, you can report e-mail abuse by sending a complete copy of the abusive message (including the full message header) to abuse@hotmail.com. You also can report junk mail via the Junk menu in your Hotmail inbox. You can find complete instructions in the Help section of your inbox. |
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