12 Tips to Fight Spam on Your Computer and Cell Phone

In November 2008, the McColo Corporation, a Web site hosting service favored by spammers, was shut down. Spam levels worldwide plummeted by nearly 70-percent.
But, only a few short months later, the amount of spam skyrocketed back to its normal level -- comprising an estimated 94-percent of all e-mail. Spam now plagues cell phone owners and, if your carrier charges for receiving texts, you'll be expected to pay for the unsolicited messages. As if it couldn't get worse, spam sometimes harbors viruses, trojan horses, worms, and spyware. Scary stuff. Fortunately, we've got you covered.
If you're having trouble keeping the junk out of your e-mail and texts, or if you're just sick of skimming through dozens of ads to find actual messages, check out our smorgasbord of spam fighting-tips.





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Comments
20
Subscribe to commentsRick39Jun 18th 2009 7:49AM
Number 1 rule. NEVER..NEVER ..open a spam e mail. Pop ups? DELETE as soon as they pop up.
Dont' know the person or recognize the e mail name? DELETE
I open my spam folder and DELETE all of them.
"REMEMBER NOTHING IS FREE"
I'm 70 years old and have never received anything free. Their will alway be a gimmick or something to have to order or buy.
NormaJun 18th 2009 11:33AM
U are right, everything I have gotten I had to pay for, Nothing is free.
RussJun 18th 2009 9:54AM
Looks good to me
PERRYJun 18th 2009 10:30AM
spam would be alot less if ISP's like Hotmail and Yahoo would stop personnal emails with CHEVRONOIL and the like not to be used as a name. Only allow it so to brag how many emails are sent from their service. These are personnal addresses and this type should not be allowed.
WILLNAXJun 18th 2009 10:54AM
hello ARI HERE I'm cossack cuting diamond for 27 years back at hey ben back at it i see nothing i have to come plane about hey guy's back on the horse you rode in on HA ha that bad
ElizabethJun 18th 2009 11:24AM
DO NOT CALL LIST does help with the phone calls. You must dial this number
from the phone you want the calls to stop. 1-888-382-1222
This is a government service to stop calls.
usa_mufanJun 18th 2009 11:04AM
While the article preaches common sense; I am just wondering why AOL would choose to use a picture of Nazi soldiers in a German tank to headline the story??
Justin Kase 2Jun 18th 2009 11:23AM
AOL is the worst offender ---No popups of ANY kind should be allowed period---If a peson WANTS popups he should be obliged to ask/subscribe to/for them. AOL interferes CONSTANTLY even when one is playing games, thereby stopping messages from being sent, blocking them and ruining continuity and timing of notes---AOHELL is the worst offender period.
ValerieJun 18th 2009 12:15PM
As far as I am concerned, the worst kind of 'spam' is the type of articles AOL inflicts on us on a daily basis :)
mikeJun 18th 2009 12:54PM
aol is the worst e-mail provider hit with spam 80 + of my mail junk. i have a yahoo free account for e-mail and it may contain only 1-2 spam e-mail in 2 weeks time. GO TO YAHOO AND SIGN UP ! IT'S FREE buy none of aol spam i promise you thanks, mike
HELENEJun 18th 2009 1:00PM
MOST OF THE SPAM DOES GO INTO MY SPAM BOX (INCLUDING SOME IMPORTANT MAIL AS WELL) THE PROBLEM NOW IS ABOUT ALL THESE FRAUD LETTERS. SOME USING FBI HEADINGS AND OTHER USING I'M A VET BACK FROM IRAN OR YOUR BANK SAYING YOUR ACCOUNT IS IN TROUBLE ETC . WHEN I SEE IT I JUST FORWARD IT TO "SPAM.GOV" WITHOUT EVEN OPENING IT. THE PROBLEM IS THE AMOUNT OF THESE LETTERS SEEM TO INCREASE DAILY. AS FOR SOME OF THE TELEMARKETING PLACES THEY GET BY THE DO NOT CALL LIST BY CHANGING NAMES BUT USING THE SAME NUMBER. OH, ONE OTHER THING IF YOUR BANK FRAUD LETTER SAYS FOLLOW THIS LINK RIGHT TO YOUR BANK. DO NOT...... IT IS SENT TO THE PHONY SENDERS SITE. SAD BUT TRUE.
HELGLOVINJun 18th 2009 1:03PM
THE COMMENT POSTED BY HELENE WAS ME I PUT IN MY NAME INSTEAD OF EMAIL HELP!
HELGLOVINJun 18th 2009 1:20PM
MOST OF MY SPAM GOES INTO MY SPAM FOLDER (ALONG WITH A BUNCH OF IMPORTANT MAIL SOMETIMES) THE ONES THAT ARE UNFAMILIAR LIKE I'M JUST BACK FROM IRAN, YOUR BANK ACCOUNT IS IN TROUBLE OR THE LATEST I'M THE DIRECTOR FOR THE FBI I JUST SEND THEM RIGHT TO "SPAM.GOV" WITHOUT EVEN OPENING THEM. CAUTION WHEN SEEING THE ONE FROM THE BANK SHOULD YOU OPEN IT DO NOT FOLLOW THE LINK OR PHONE NUMBER THAT SAYS IT GOES DIRECTLY TO YOUR BANK. IT DOES NOT IT IS A LINK THAT'S SWITCHED AND GOES TO THE PHONY SITE. CALL YOUR BANK FROM THE NUMBER YOU HAVE AT HOME AND QUESTION ALL EMAILS. AS FOR THE DO NOT CALL LIST THE WAY THEY GET AROUND IT IS BY CHANGING THE NAMES BUT USING THE SAME PHONE NUMBER. SCARY BUT UNFORTUNATELY THAT'S THE SAD REALITY.
gary5658Jun 18th 2009 1:25PM
So, exactly where is this company located? Do they have security? Body guards? It would be terrible if something very bad happened to them.
W4ZJMJun 18th 2009 3:32PM
Thought you might want to read this briefly. AOL ( as you well know ) has several ways to reduce the number of spam mail you get. You can even block them emailing you back, but they just change the coding after the @ part of their email. After I block them, and send them off to the spam reports link provided by AOL........
In any event, they probably are finding ways to spam us, not only on your Cell Phones, but your Facebook, my space.com, Twitter, and Classmates.com, and other blog's as well. ( Nice run on )...... :o)
On comcast phone service, they have some easy ways to block callers but a limited list of 6 callers only (same as the old phone companies). However, it doesn't work for toll free caller numbers. I found out, that you can call comcast ( digital phone service ), and they will bypass, that limit to where they will block a particular pestering toll free number ( i.e. 800 and 888 area codes ) for you. Of course, comcast digital phone has a two digit # entry you can utilized to report harassing callers as well. I consider persistent marketing callers as harassing calls personally. Comcast should use a directory where you have no limit on the amount of caller numbers you want to block.
The "Do Not Call list" (provided by the Gov't) doesn't seem to work that well, and some marketing companies us it to get your phone numbers while working around the rules. Long story, which I don't have the energy to explain or work further in wasting my time.........
My philosophy, is they have no business bugging us when we pay for the phone service, and they don't contribute towards those monthly payments we make, etc.
So, I was able to block a 888 marketing number that was getting on my nerves. I don't like to be waking up from needed sleep by some marketing "A-holes" trying to get my money in their pockets.
Just sharing my thoughts
ihatechickenJun 25th 2009 11:37AM
nephew
ksgraywolfOct 5th 2009 5:57PM
what r u stupid?
lkyspgot57Jun 28th 2009 12:56PM
I think as the Greatest Country in this world it is a disgrace that the computer software companies the computer manufactuers that as Americans we as personal computer users have to put up with spam and any viruises what so ever as America with the Technology that we have that viruises and spam should come to an end for good for the line of Freedom of Speech Online for Every American that owns a Personal Computer whether it be a PC or a MAC!!!!! Lets use Our God Given Talents to Use in Technology and Computer and Internet use!!!! Very Proud American.
Mich?Jun 28th 2009 5:01PM
I'm curious to know if Rick39 is single!. By the way I totally agree with you.
Michele
longevity.comDec 1st 2009 6:20AM
Hi all,
nice discussion but it's could be more useful if you added some more details like as plasma cutters related.
Thanks
Steve Watson