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@bikeldad wrote:

Thanks for your response. This is what I have learned about emails. Tell me if this next statement is true or false.

I only click once on any email I receive. This put the email in a preview window (the lower half of the screen). The email is actually opened when I double click the message and another window opens.

Thanks

FALSE.  You should NEVER use a Preview window.  Disable that function.  As soon as you preview the email, they know you looked at it.  Also, make sure your antivirus software is up to date.

Thanks for your response. This is what I have learned about emails. Tell me if this next statement is true or false.

I only click once on any email I receive. This put the email in a preview window (the lower half of the screen). The email is actually opened when I double click the message and another window opens.

 

Thanks

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@bikeldad wrote:

Not sure I'm in the correct category, but here goes.

I've been getting nuisance emails from some company that deals with stocks. God knows how I got on their list. Here's where I am so far:

 

The sender uses a name (e.g. John Doe) and the name changes every time.

The email address is different every time. I've checked its "properties".

There is no unsubscribe in the email body.

The layout of the emails are identical-font, background, structure. This tells me it's from the same source.

A "reply to sender" and using the actual email address to reply comes back as a DSN Failure.

I am currently putting every name and address in the blocked senders list. But with different names and address the BSL is currently at 15 entries and the list keeps growing.

 

Any ideas how to stop this?

 

Thanks

 

You can't stop it.  Actually, you're making it worse by responding and by opening them.  Every time you open the email, an invisible pixel transmits back to the server that the email was opened.  This spammer has now received validation that the email account is live, and will now sell your email address to anyone he can.

 

Never reply.

 

Never open them if you know it's spam from the sender or title.

 

Consider buying antispam software, although my experience is that it's less than useful.

 

See if your ISP provides spam filtering.  Comcast does, most users are unaware they are filtering emails that they never receive.  I get over 200 per day that Comcast pulls out before I even get them.  I still get plenty of spam each day, but I don't open it.

OK. Thanks.

If the ISP is the same every time, in your block sender list, add  *@thatISP.net . The wild card ( * ) will kill every entry from that ISP. Try that for starters.

Message Edited by chuket on 05-10-200609:06 PM

My 2 cents: If you view the email as html, they will know you opened it. (I am not sure about the lines, but as long as the preview window is NOT used, I think your fine, but someone can correct me, of course)

If you view as text only, I don't think they can find out.

MSN, and Hotmail has settings to block email from everyone except those in your address book.

I use Earthlink Mailbox to filter all my other email providers (I have several)

No spam for me!!!

msil217

That's what I thought too. Thanks.

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@rickmktg wrote:

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@bikeldad wrote:

Thanks for your response. This is what I have learned about emails. Tell me if this next statement is true or false.

I only click once on any email I receive. This put the email in a preview window (the lower half of the screen). The email is actually opened when I double click the message and another window opens.

Thanks

FALSE.  You should NEVER use a Preview window.  Disable that function.  As soon as you preview the email, they know you looked at it.  Also, make sure your antivirus software is up to date.

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Rick

Is this also true of the Autopreview facility in Outlook where the first few lines of the message are displayed? I'm never quite sure whether this provides the same 'signal' to spammers as opening the message or using the full preview pane.

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gudgeon wrote:

Rick

Is this also true of the Autopreview facility in Outlook where the first few lines of the message are displayed? I'm never quite sure whether this provides the same 'signal' to spammers as opening the message or using the full preview pane.

Yes, same thing applies.  You've opened it.