Spam messages

Do you get annoyed when you get spam messages?

I hate spam (not the Spam in can, ok). When I checked my mail yesterday, I got 543 spam messages and this really irritates me because I tried putting them to my blocked email addresses many times but it seems they can still bypass filtering. Spam is an 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).

Here's what I had in my inbox:

1. Work at home schemes which says " put $1000 in your pocket in a few days" but when you open the site, you need to pay to register.

2. Discounts on prescription drugs like this "Buy Cialis, Viagra Online - Save Up To 40%". What the !!!!

3. Vacation promos, congratulating me that I've won a beach vacation for four nights or a Vegas trip or a Disney vacation for 7 days.

4. Credit cards solutions, "Erase your debt, 30 seconds instant approval" so I can qualify for loans or credit cards.

5. Free goods, giveaways or samples. These are expensive items, mind you, from laptop to household items. But they ask you to pay a fee to join.. don't fall for this.

6. Health scams. Colon cleanse, colon cure, super green tea, green tea patch--- but do these products work?

I did not fall for all of these but there's a danger for what I did because I opened some of them. According to the spam article I've read, opening a spam message can alert the spammer that your e-mail address is a valid one.

The article offered tips in ignoring spam:

1. Delete junk e-mail messages without opening them.
2. Don't give personal information in an e-mail or instant message.
3. Think twice before opening attachments or clicking links in e-mail or instant messages, even if you know the sender.
4. 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.
5. 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.


Tips to prevent scam:

1. Block images. Review the messages before downloading the pictures
2. Improve your computer's security. Use a firewall and install anti-virus software.
3. Be careful about sharing you IM or email addresses. Share it only with people you know.

Last tip is to report scams to FTC . FTC advices everyone not to buy or take action on any offers from spam email and also forward it to their agency so they can have a look on the offers.