Here's what I do to prevent getting spammed to death and from getting infected with viruses.
1) I have a "dummy" email acct. Anthing online that requires me to submit my email address (such as purchases online, sportsbooks, mailing lists, gambling forums, or if u have to submit an email to get a password, etc), I submit my dummy address. Anything that u buy online like from amazon.com or etc, they sell your email address (even if they say they don't), and u start getting spam from everywhere. The more times u buy something, or submit your email address, the more the spam multiplies. I then check this "dummy" acct when I am expecting a password or confirmation number immediately after submitting it, or when I am corresponding with some company, then I check it about once a week and briefly scan it then delete all the spam and start over again with an empty mailbox. I also check block sender on any spam that has come in.
2) NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER open up ANY attachment. NEVER NEVER NEVER!! I don't care if it's from your grandmother or your very best friend, don't open it!!! You will not get viruses if u follow this rule. If somebody wants u to see something, tell them to send it in a non attachment form or put it on their webspace where u can look at it. I used to think that viruses only came with .exe attachments, but that is wrong as they can have many attachments.
3) On your dummy acct, do not use your full name. For example, on my dummy acct, it shows my first name as being Clint and my surname as being notclinton. That way your real name doesn't get distributed to be spammed from mailings or from the phone. As a side note, I don't use my full name on my personal email acct either, just my first name, and my last initial.
4) I like to use hotmail.com for my dummy address. Hotmail has a free virus scanner that will check any attachments before they are opened. Most of the time, if u get an email from somebody u don't know, it's a virus. I then email that person and tell them they have a virus, and how did they get my email address, lol! Hotmail is also connected with the msn messenger, and I've found it to deliver emails the quickest of any free email places. U can also check "block sender" on hotmail very easily which is a nice feature.
5) NEVER, NEVER, NEVER use your personal email address with anybody but close, trusted friends/family. Doing this makes it so u get no spam at your personal email address. NEVER submit this personal address to anything on the internet, save that for your dummy acct.
6) When u send out a bulk email, do the recipients a favor, and crop off all former messages that contain email addresses, and send your email via BLIND CARBON COPY format so their email addresses will not be exposed to everybody else getting the email address.
Doing these things will ensure u don't get spam and viruses. If u already have a personal email acct that is getting overrun with spam, CHANGE IT!! Send an email to anybody u care about and tell them what the new addy will be. You should be able to get a very similar address by just adding a number to it, and most isp's allow multiple email accts. After your address is changed, go to all your sportsbooks, etc and change the email address on file to your dummy email address.
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It's far better to be LUCKY than good.
1) I have a "dummy" email acct. Anthing online that requires me to submit my email address (such as purchases online, sportsbooks, mailing lists, gambling forums, or if u have to submit an email to get a password, etc), I submit my dummy address. Anything that u buy online like from amazon.com or etc, they sell your email address (even if they say they don't), and u start getting spam from everywhere. The more times u buy something, or submit your email address, the more the spam multiplies. I then check this "dummy" acct when I am expecting a password or confirmation number immediately after submitting it, or when I am corresponding with some company, then I check it about once a week and briefly scan it then delete all the spam and start over again with an empty mailbox. I also check block sender on any spam that has come in.
2) NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER open up ANY attachment. NEVER NEVER NEVER!! I don't care if it's from your grandmother or your very best friend, don't open it!!! You will not get viruses if u follow this rule. If somebody wants u to see something, tell them to send it in a non attachment form or put it on their webspace where u can look at it. I used to think that viruses only came with .exe attachments, but that is wrong as they can have many attachments.
3) On your dummy acct, do not use your full name. For example, on my dummy acct, it shows my first name as being Clint and my surname as being notclinton. That way your real name doesn't get distributed to be spammed from mailings or from the phone. As a side note, I don't use my full name on my personal email acct either, just my first name, and my last initial.
4) I like to use hotmail.com for my dummy address. Hotmail has a free virus scanner that will check any attachments before they are opened. Most of the time, if u get an email from somebody u don't know, it's a virus. I then email that person and tell them they have a virus, and how did they get my email address, lol! Hotmail is also connected with the msn messenger, and I've found it to deliver emails the quickest of any free email places. U can also check "block sender" on hotmail very easily which is a nice feature.
5) NEVER, NEVER, NEVER use your personal email address with anybody but close, trusted friends/family. Doing this makes it so u get no spam at your personal email address. NEVER submit this personal address to anything on the internet, save that for your dummy acct.
6) When u send out a bulk email, do the recipients a favor, and crop off all former messages that contain email addresses, and send your email via BLIND CARBON COPY format so their email addresses will not be exposed to everybody else getting the email address.
Doing these things will ensure u don't get spam and viruses. If u already have a personal email acct that is getting overrun with spam, CHANGE IT!! Send an email to anybody u care about and tell them what the new addy will be. You should be able to get a very similar address by just adding a number to it, and most isp's allow multiple email accts. After your address is changed, go to all your sportsbooks, etc and change the email address on file to your dummy email address.
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It's far better to be LUCKY than good.
