I have been getting spam and used to try to block senders on Outlook Express. This hasn't been very effective, so I tried using the block message approach, that is, " if the message body contains ----, send message to Spam folder. Say I insert the word Viagra or Hot Pick or Rolex for the dashes. I am still getting these spam messages in my Inbox. Does anyone know why?

fredg

Hi, H.,
I also use Outlook Express, and regardless of how one sets "blocking", spam still gets through. Only reason I know is that it is not very effective!
I have learned one thing....that is, I don't put my "home" email address anywhere on the web. By "home" email address, I mean the address that I use in Outlook Express, by downloading email messages from my ISP.
I use a Yahoo email account address, whenever I'm asked for an email address. Know what? That Yahoo account is constantly full of "junk" mail, every day. I sure am glad all that isn't coming into Outlook Express!
I do wish you the best, and good luck.
PS; Your deleted items can build up fast in Outlook Express. To keep it from getting real big, taking up space on the harddrive, you can do a Start/Find or Search, and type in "deleted items.dbx", without quotes. Click on Go.
When it finds it, you can Right click on it, then Left click on Delete.
Outlook Express will re-build the file the next time you open it.
This deleted items.dbx can become quite large if not deleted sometimes.

NeedKarma

To answer your question: the spammers use constantly chaging bogus email accounts to send the spam email, they are not valid email addresses, blocking them is a waste of your time. They also use misspellings of popular words to get through the spam blocking software plus they change the content regularly.

RickJ

I can't help on the OE end because I use Mailwasher. Give it a try; it's one of the best spam filters out there and it's basic version is free:
http://www.mailwasher.net/

.

ScottGem

There is nothing that will totally eliminate spam. The reason your hot words rule doesn't work is that most often they use V*I*A*G*R*A or variations like that to defeat such attempts.

Good spam blockers will determine spam in a variety of ways. They do help reduce spam.

The only way to eliminate spam is to make it more expensive to the spammers. Anyone who responds to spam helps keep it going. Spammers expect and can accept a very low rate of return since their investment is very small. Even a 1% return makes it worthwhile. This is part of the reason behind AOL and Yahoo talking about charging bulk mailers.

The other issue is accountability. Because its so easy to create a e-mail address (or phish one), spammers can send out their garbage with impunity. I've said it before, but I believe anyone who accesses the Net, either with an ISP account or an e-mail address needs to have their identity verified BEFORE allowing access.

H. Bunch

Your answer was helpful, Scott. This explains the doggedness of the spam originators. Can you suggest some good spam filters? I am at the point where I might spend money to eliminate or minimize this nuisance.

ScottGem

I use Outlook 2003 from Office 2003. It does a pretty good job of grabbing the junk.

H. Bunch

Question for rickj: I downloaded Mailwasher (free version). It certainly looks promising! There is an email from someone I know in the Check Mail pane. I added that person to my freinds list. (The email is listed as from Friend.) Now I can't get that email to be forwarded to OE. How can I do this? Shouldn't that happen automatically when I hit Process Mail?

RickJ

No. You use mailwasher to mark friends and black list and junk mail...hitting Process Mail gets rid of the junk, but leaves the good stuff on the server...so when you open OE and hit Send/Receive, you'll get only the good stuff.

GuestWei

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I used to get more than 20 spams per day. Now I am only getting couple of them per week.