Dealing with Junk Mail

1. Sort the junk mail into a folder which you don't have to read.
   • Get an email program which has filters such as the freeware Eudora Light 3.1.1 (http://www.eudora.com)
   • Set "header to:"does not contain" [your email address] (Example: header to: does not contain [email protected])
   • Set the "actions" to "transfer to" trash (You can have it directly go into the trash, which may cause you to lose some mail which you wanted,so it is better to set up another folder named "probably trash")
   • This puts everything that comes as a Bcc: and Cc: into the trash.
   • If you do the above, it is also a good idea to make filters that send mail from any mailing lists which you are on into their own folders and put those filters above the "junk mail" filter, so that their messages don't get sent to the trash.
   • If you get a lot of Cc:'s then it would be a good idea fix it so that Cc:'s don't get put into the trash.

2. Send a message to "postmaster" and/or "abuse" of the origin of the junk mail.

   (This may help eliminate some of the people who do bulk mailing, thus saving others from this "evil". All reputable providers are against people who send unsolicited mail.)

   • Find the reply to email address. (example [email protected])
   • Delete everything up to the @ and replace it with postmaster. (example [email protected])
   • I usually also send a copy to "abuse" (example: [email protected]), although every place may not have this e-mail address.
   • List the full header of the email message. This info is crucial for the ISP. In Eudora, you need to click on the "BLAH BLAH" icon to get the full header.
   • Send the message, plus the full header to the postermaster and/or abuse and a carbon copy to the abuser using a subject line such as "Reporting a Spammer".
   • Note that sometimes you have to search the header to find the actual sender, since many junk mailers supply a false "reply to:.
   • Sometimes you can only find a url such as "http://www.iemmc.org". In this case you can often make a guess that there is an email address such as "[email protected]"
   • If the mail doesn't bounce back to you that means the letter arrived. Often the reply-to address message will get bounced back, but the one to the postmaster gets delivered.

Dear Postmaster, The following junk mail was received by me. If this is against your policy (I hope it is) then please take appropriate measures. Dear Junk Mail Sender, I prefer not to receive unsolicited email. Please remove my name from your mailing list.

Personally Useful Links Here at Fortune City

• File Manager
• FAQ
• CGI FAQ
• Technical FAQ

---

I would prefer no mail, but fortunecity requires an email address on the page.
No Junk Mail Please banjo @ cheerful . com