Email Catch-all: That was a big mistake

January 7th, 2007

Before I knew better, it seemed like such a good idea…. Set up one catch-all email address and then make up email addresses as I registered for various online sites. I could track where the email was coming from and sort it in my inbox without having to set up all those different email addresses.

Not sure what a catch-all email address is? Find an explanation at the bottom of this post.

Now I know better….. a catch-all address is a spammers best friend. Not only can they send email to my server by making up any email name they want (toanybody@myserver2.com), but they can forge email headers with any number of email addresses on my domain and I’ll get all the bounced email messages. Read the rest of this entry »

That’s sweet…. but I don’t love you!

December 13th, 2006

Every day for the past week or so someone has proclaimed his love for me. For a few seconds I smile, pretending that it’s actually a message from someone I care about and love. It’s so nice to be told “I love you” everyday.

But then reality sets in. It’s not from a loved one at all. Read the rest of this entry »

Phishing - Don’t be a victim

December 8th, 2006

Scam artists are out to steal your personal and financial information. And they are using some pretty sophisticated methods to trick you into giving them your passwords, bank information, credit card numbers, and other valuable information.

What is phishing?

If you’ve ever gotten an e-mail that began “Dear Valued Customer,” then you’ve probably been the target of a phishing scam. Simply put, a phish is an attempt to trick you into entering personal information into a fake website. Often, the perpetrators are searching for account numbers, pins, social security numbers, birth dates, or anything they can use to access your accounts or spoof your identity.

What are some typical phishing techniques? Read the rest of this entry »

SpamStopping.com’s Golden Rules

November 30th, 2006

3 Thing You Should Never Do

1 - Don’t send spam. You’re probably thinking, “that’s obvious; it doesn’t need to be on the list,” but unfortunately, many people send spam without realizing what they’re doing. Have you ever forwarded an email to your entire address book because you thought it would help find a lost child or result in money being sent to all your friends? It’s spam. Or do you automatically add senders to your email address book and then send an announcement of a sale? It’s spam. Those might not fit the legal definition of spam, but most of us don’t welcome such messages. Read the rest of this entry »

Tips for reducing or eliminating spam to your personal email address

November 24th, 2006

1 - Keep one email address for very personal use only. This is the email address that only your family and closest friends will know. Don’t use it for any other purpose.

2 - Use “throw away” email addresses for all your online activities. That way if any one email address becomes overwhelmed with spam you can just delete the address. Read the rest of this entry »

Tips for reducing the amount of spam you receive at your business email address.

November 23rd, 2006

The only sure way to avoid receiving spam is to make sure your email address is never published or listed anywhere on the Internet. Not a realistic choice for most of us who have any kind of online presence and just about impossible if you do business online.

There are steps you can take to minimize your exposure and keep your inbox relatively spam free.

The number one most effective technique you can use to keep spam email out of your business inbox is to keep your email address off of your website. However, here at Spam Stopping, we believe that to succeed in business online you must promote a feeling of trust and to do that, you must provide a variety of ways for your customer to contact you, including via email.

Here are several methods you can use to provide email access to your customers while keeping your email address off of the spam email lists. Read the rest of this entry »