Maddog

Twicw this week i've had 2 unsolicited E-mails with no headings but the mail has references with links of.... how i can i say it... a sexual nature. [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Don't know how this has happened and am a bit pi55ed off to say the least cause i don't know how to stop it coming in and i'm not prepared to click on the links to A see what it is and B try and find out how to.. "unsubscribe" [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Can anyone help me stop these mails from coming in using Outlook Express?

In the past when i've had a mail from people i can't be arsed with corresponding with, i put a block on them, but that only stops the mail from going into your in-box and goes straight to deleted items, but i'd like to not have any of this sh7t at all. [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Please help

Chris L

Maddog

Welcome to the world of Spam! It's possible that your email address was picked up from another website, or it could be random. Spammers will have programs to create random names - produce enough of them and they will eventually hit someones account.

**Don't** hit the unsubscribe button. As soon as you do that, the spammers will know that yours is a legitmate email address and you'll soon be receiving a lot more than 2 spam emails!

I would suggest that you use one of the commercially available spam blockers. We use McAfee Spamkiller - it will cost you about £25. There are free versions available too - do a search on Google, but we've found Spamkiller to be pretty effective once you have it setup properly.

Chris

JackClark

Glad you like it Chris. Here's a link to the UK site http://uk.mcafee.com

BuRR

If you want to report the matter, head off the the Internet Watch Foundation.

DazV

Good news is that AOL are in the process of suiing those involved which will hopefully set a legal precedent.

Afterwards, other ISPs should hopefully follow suit.

Maddog

Thanks Guys

This is most disconcerting and to say the least annoying [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] cause it makes it look like this or these places have been frequented by myself.

I was thinking this afternoon about dropping a mail back to the sender ( which is a yahoo.com E-mail address requesting "unsubscribing", but was concerned that nothing would be done about it and may as has been said, instigate further E-mails.

I don't know what the images are and am not interested to find out but with all the police interest in people visiting sites such as those that have mailed me, what is the state of play since in effect this company has deemed me to be a subscriber to their site?

Thanks again

ChrisB

Just to build on Chris's comments, don't hit unsubscribe or reply to the mail. You'll just end up with even more junk and offensive messages as the senders know they have a live address to bombard.

I've got a Hotmail e-mail account. I'm the only person that know's of it existance and it still gets spammed

Maddog

Hmmm... i'm not that hot with computers but had a look at some of the sites linked to those that have been shown on this thread and i'm wondering about using McAfee since i use Symantic on this PC. Would they be compatible?

Tried to search for more info on Symantic site for a solution but to be honest i'm hopeless at this kind of thing.

With blocking the incoming mails i have a problem in that there is nothing in the "from" line and nothing in the "To" line as well as no mail heading, so can't give specific words to allow Outlook Express to deal, of a fashion, with the mails.

I see from the limited searching i have done for some "free" spam filtering software that they are normally only on a 30 day trial or require regular monthly payments to maintain the facility, but am a bit loathe to spend monthly to stop something i shouldn't need in the first place!! If that makes sense!

Can anyone help me with a link to a site which can provide software, free, without the limitations of trials or continued payments or is this not possible?

Sorry for being so thick but as far as PC's and internet are concerned, i'm not... "streetwise"

Thanks

Chris L

Maddog

You're right - it does p*ss me off that I pay for something to stop crap I shouldn't be receiving in the first place - but that's life on the Internet I shouldn't have to worry about virus threats - but I do and I use a good AV program to protect myself (McAfee again). As regards working with Symantec - there shouldn't be a problem as both programs are totally separate. Spamkiller isn't an anti virus program so I can't see that it will cause a problem with Symantec.

Not sure of sites that offer free spamkillers - but a quick search on Google should reveal a few!

Sal treats it as a sport and actually likes tracking down and blocking the spammers! It doesn't take long to block most spam.

And don't bother emailing the Yahoo address it will almost certainly be fake.

Cheers
Chris

Maddog

Thanks Chris

Good advice.

I'll go to the McAfee site later and check it out.

Thanks again, much appreciated.

FERRARINUTTER

Using Microsoft Outlook Click on Tools and organise, select the spam create a rule - delete and no more worries..........

albob

I use www.mailwasher.net

alan

MarkO

Check out the AntiSpam Thread in NSR - it's there so that non-computer people can get an idea of how to deal with the problem without having to venture into Computer-Related.

Lots of good tips.

MarkO

Check out my post on the second page of the thread mentioned above - it's got a link to the free, non-trial version of SpamNet.

Maddog

Thanks Mark

Downloading Spamnet just now but states it's a 30 day trial?

MarkO

Don't download from the main page - that's the 30-day trial. The version that's not limited is the beta, which you can still download from the FAQ page (see page 2 in the other thread). The faq claims that beta users will be able to continue using the beta without paying the subscription ad infinitum.

Unfortunately, though, I've a feeling that they may have shot 'emselves in the foot - the spamnet community will probably evaporate if everyone has to start paying 4 quid a month or whatever. Spam is annoying, but it ain't that annoying!