Getting Rid Of Spam Emails

[tearinghair]

I'm a fairly patient person, but this is finally getting me down....am getting 50-100 emails per day on my desktop (Windows 7, Google, btinternet) and by sync on to my smartphone. Nothing stops them; have tried ignoring them for a few weeks, unsubscribing, deleting unread etc. I do not want a date with Russian beauties or to improve my performance with Viagra (I'm a 73-year-old female); I dealt with PPI years ago, I don't gamble ... well, you get the picture. Is there a solution?

[rsvp]

Can't help you tearinghair other than suggest you change your email address - I know it's a hassle but it would work - sympathies!!!!!!

[chrissa1]

Try changing the password for your emails.

[CrapAtCryptics]

Save your contact list and open a new account - send out an email to your contacts informing them - the old one will expire after six months.

[Tuvok]

Never unsubscribe - it just confirms the spammers have found a live email address.

[ubasses]

Unsubscribing is the worst thing you can do as you are confirming that they have found a genuine Email address and it will be passed on. On BT mail you will have the option of blocking them, but I fear it has now gone too far and you will have to take the previous advice of changing you Email address.

[Buenchico]

If you're going straight to an email provider's website to access your email there's nothing you can do to prevent email appearing in your inbox (because you're viewing everything addressed to you that's arrived on their server).

If you're using an email program or app, where mail has to be transferred from your provider's server to your computer (or other device), Mailwasher might be able to filter some of the spam out:
http://www.mailwasher.net/

Spammers frequently configure their computers to simply guess at email addresses. For example, if they send emails to [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], there's quite a good chance that many of them will get through to real people. What spammers would really like though is a list of addresses which are known to be genuine, so they can then flood them with lots more spam. Clicking on 'unsubscribe' is the one thing which you should NEVER do with spam, as it effectively sends back a message saying "Hi. Yes, I'm real. Please send me thousands and thousands more of your spam messages".

Further, you should always ensure that you use email addresses which can't be guessed at (such as [email protected]).

In addition, you should keep one email address 'private' (making it known to just your friends and relatives) while creating 'throwaway' addresses for internet shopping or registering with sites like AB. (Then, if AB's server was to be hacked by spammers searching for valid addresses, resulting in you receiving spam to your 'AB address', you could just ditch that account without affecting mail from your trusted contacts).

Your best option at the moment is probably to get yourself a new 'private' email address here:
https://www.gmx.co.uk/
Then use the 'mail collector' facility to get mail from your old address forwarded to your new one. Obviously you'll still get the spam but you can gradually start to let people know your new address (whilre still not missing out on any mail sent to your old address). When everyone is using your new address you can disable the 'mail collector' and abandon your old address completely.

You could also use the 'alias' facility that comes with a GMX account to create alternative email addresses to use for internet shopping, etc.

[Togo]

Just block them, but first pass on the details of Russian beauties,
Seriously tearing if you tell us who your email provider is ie Hotmail, btinternet, gmail etc, some one will tell you how to block them. It takes a while for them to finally peter out as the spammers have multiple email addresses to send from. In future it is wise to only give your email address to people or organisations that you trust and want to contact you again. Never never give an email address or mobile no. to a charity.

[tearinghair]

Oh dear - yes, I was afraid I might be doling the wrong thing by unsubscribing. Is it OK to delete them unread, or does that give the sender the same message that I exist?
Thanks for the advice. I'm not keen on changing my email address, but can see that it will probably be necessary.

[Fitzer]

You need to answer Chris' question as to how you are accessing your mails and who your provider is, are you going to outlook.com (for instance) to read your mail or are you using an app/software which downloads your mail to your PC/tablet? The answer to this will enable others to help you overcome your problems.

[Buenchico]

Deleting spam unread won't send any message back to the spammers.

[tearinghair]

As I said, BT. Accessed via BT mail which I open in Google Chrome. Is that what you meant? Gave up on Windows Live Mail years ago because more than half the mail I sent didn't get through.

[ubasses]

Go to BT mil from the BT home page, click on the Email and on the right hand side at the top there is a block button. Click on this and then confirm.

[tearinghair]

Do you mean for each individual spam mail? Not a problem, just want to be sure I'm doing the right thing.

[Togo]

Yep block every one individually tearing. Be patient, they will get less and less as you block them. As I said the spammers have multi addresses to send from but you have the satisfaction of shutting them out step by step. Just delete all the ones you have in your spam mail to start, then from the next time you log on and open your your mailbox, block them diligently. You will stop them with a patient approach if you do not wish to set up new email addresses.

[Khandro]

http://www.dummies.com/computers/operating-systems/windows-xp-vista/how-to-block-an-e-mail-sender/

[tearinghair]

Many thanks for all the advice. A task for tomorrow.